Do you have/want an MBA? Why or why not, and does it make sense for this career path?

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Nope... and if you are agency account mgmt I’d say it does not benefit you in the least. If you want to go client side then yes it’s critical

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Yep

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I’ll get mine at some point, but only if the agency/client I’m working on wants to pay for it. At this point in my career, I don’t see a huge benefit to it. That said, certain client side jobs (ahem, Mattel) are notorious for refusing to hire people without MBAs. It depends on what your end goal is

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Agree that there is more value gained on the client side if you have one, but keep in mind that not all MBAs are created equal. If you’re wanting a major salary jump as a result of getting one or to go to a company with pedigree you’ll need an MBA from one of the top 10 programs.

That said if C-Suite is your goal, MBAs def set you apart and make that path easier.

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I’ve been working on my MBA part-time and can honestly tell you I’ve learned a ton about the business world. I’ve been on the account side for 5 years and never learned a lot of what I know now. It gives you great context and invaluable perspective. You can’t learn this stuff from reading Ad Age - it’s the nuts and bolts of how companies make decisions. You probably already know a lot of what you’ll learn in the marketing classes but the accounting, analytics, economics and supply chain knowledge you’ll gain will make you a way better account person that can actually help drive your clients’ business and your agency’s bottom line

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As a 20+ year veteran recruiter I say the MBA is not necessary for anyone. Work experience is much more valuable.

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Planning on going full-time for mine in a couple years! I never really wanted to work in ad forever, but knew I wanted to start my career in an agency for the experience, so I planned to use grad school as my stepping stone from agency to either client side with eventually some type of leadership role in a corporation (hopefully 🤞🏼).

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That’s what I’m doing right now!

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I went part-time while agency side, stayed on the agency side for a few more years then went client side. I will say the MBA was needed to be considered for my client side role so I’m happy I earned it. That being said if you have designs on staying agency side I don’t think it’s necessary. You most likely won’t receive a bump for having it and it’s not gonna clear a path towards the top for you. At the end of the day agency side in my experience is all about the end result of what ideas you have that are successfully implemented and/or what accounts you keep, grow and/or win.

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I have mine. You get what you put into it. Having the degree has helped with my thinking and my network. It’s really about your approach to problem solving and knowing how to look at information.

If you expect to get the degree today and get a pay increase and a pat on the back at work tomorrow then you will be disappointed. There’s a long game to be played and for me it’s been worth it.

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An MBA is helpful as a vector point. You know you want to leave advertising but don’t know what you want to do next. It’s a positive/necessary in many industries and it gives you broader perspective on how to go in a different direction. I came to advertising with an MBA and i can assure you it will do nothing for you if you want to stay in the industry, particularly since you’re already working - it would be a sunk cost to stay. So if you’d like to leave I think it’s valuable but not if you want to stay.

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The value very much depends on where you envision your career path. An MBA is not necessary as an account person in agency world. However It’s definitely beneficial for moving client side in some cases. and it’s only essential for certain industries (e.g. CPG).

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Agree!! And right now your ROI is in jeopardy. It’s not as big a salary bump as you’d expect.

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I would say get your MBA if you’re looking to explore leadership roles down the road. I want to get one since I aspire to be in more of an executive role later in life.

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AE - à MBA is not an asset in advertising. In fact I steered away from MBA candidates because of their regimented linear thinking. Client side a different story.

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