Not 100% Decided

[T. Hoy]

Hi all,

I am 41 yrs old, married and no kids. Been working as a paralegal for the last 12 yrs or so. I know I don't want to do this for another 20 yrs, and I know I don't want to be an attorney.

I think my skills can be applied elsewhere, but I am not sure where. I want to stay in the business world, and envision myself as a director or other manager in the future.

I did well with my undergrad, 3.9 GPA.

I am seriously considering an MBA, but am worried about job prospects.

The school I have in mind is CU of Denver. I am not looking outside of my cuty.

Should I go for it? Would LOVE to hear thoughts.

[overworkedta]

I know nothing about MBA's but I don't see why not.

 

You don't have kids and you likely have a supportive spouse, so I really think this could work out well (not that having kids would make it a no-go, it's just easier I'd imagine).  I know people that went back to school for an MPA in a similar place in life and it paid off well.  They were working a dead-end job (just a generally unhappy job) and it worked well for them to go back to school.  They did night and weekend classes and graduated in about 3 years.  My mom did something similar with going back to school even when she had a 12 and 16 year old.  She still occasionally takes courses "just because" and work pays.  She's 52 FTR and says it has made her happy.

 

I would never tell someone not to go to grad school if they thought it would help their chances but i think you have to figure out the cost-benefit.  I know nothing about CU's program but if you are really interested in that program you need to ask yourself a few things.  One, will work pay or could you get a job that would pay for your MBA through a trainee program?  These programs exist and you might want to seek them out.  I have a friend with a marketing job that worked for a couple of years and then had her MBA paid for.  Second, do you know of their flexibility - do you want to stay working?  Will their schedule work for you?  Third, what is their placement rate?  For any MBA or MPA student, I would imagine this is key.  How many graduate work in their chosen field post-grad and how soon do they find jobs?  Our MPA program has some good placements and many people I know find jobs while still in school.  I'd imagine an MBA program should look like this even more so.

[legan]

If you know that what you're doing isn't right for you anymore, or you think that you've outgrown it, I think you should absolutely explore going to grad school and taking the next step!

 

I'm not familiar with the program you're interested in, but many graduate programs offer classes in the evening. If you're a little slower to make bold moves like quitting your job and returning to school full time (I definitely am!) and don't want to risk leaving your current job just yet, see if they offer classes for non-matriculated students. That way you can get a feel for what your next step might be.