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  • From: Dan Caugherty <caffeine1 AT nc.rr.com>
  • To: internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] The value of an MBA
  • Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 08:31:52 -0400

Hey all --

I find one consistent theme between b-school and law school, however. The students who go
for the degree with the primary purpose of getting a "ticket" to some sort of high-paying
career path do not usually have an optimal experience. They get their ticket without an
understanding of what they're doing and what they really want. If you go with an
intellectual curiousity, an open mind, a sense of the value in the journey and a
willingness to follow where things lead, any good academic program will change
your life for the better.


Well, I'm contemplating this pursuit seriously (my wife is already in
Kenan-Flagler's EMBA program) and I'd strongly support everything in
this post. The self-defeating attitude (degree = money) described above
can be seen not only in MBA students, but many undergrads as well.
It's best illustrated by a tired old joke:

An obnoxious guy walks into a diner and yells at the waitress, "Yo, lady,
make me a cheeseburger." The waitress looks him in the eye and says,
"Okay: Poof, you're a cheeseburger", and walks away.

Many folks in degree programs look at their educational pursuits the
same way: Make me a doctor, make me a lawyer. They often don't attempt
learning for its own sake, and usually end up feeling frustrated after
X number of years. Not surprisingly, a lot of people at K-F start out
obsessing about grades, only to abandon that train of thought by the
beginning of their 2nd year. They realize that UNC won't make them a
project manager, or a marketing guru, or any other "cheeseburger".

I for one am finding that being technically astute is great, and that tech
is still a lot of fun. But without a knowledge of business, I not only have
no chance of career advancement, but also no broad view of how my work
contributes to the larger organization as a whole. And (no shocker here)
the best technical managers have a firm understanding of both realms,
and are far and away the most fun to work with.


l8r,

+--Dan Caugherty ------------caffeine1 AT nc.rr.com------+
| "It's a shame that a family can be ripped apart |
| by something as simple as wild dogs." |
+-----------------------------------------------------+





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