An Executive MBA offers working professionals the valuable opportunity to continue their studies while remaining in their workplace. While this requires excellent time management skills to juggle work, study, and family life, it offers tremendous benefits to career growth. These advantages are relevant to both very seasoned learners with 10-15 years of work experience who are seeking to advance into senior roles to relatively junior employees with 3-5 years of experience who wish to jump-start their careers at an early stage.
Confidence Building – Studying with colleagues who have vast amounts of experience can help to improve self-confidence and enhance the ability to interact with senior professionals. Making effective presentations in class, working in novel teams, and attempting innovative simulations all provide opportunities for skill development to take graduates to the next level.
Diverse perspectives – EMBA programs attract students with a variety of academic backgrounds in varied undergraduate programs who have experience in different industrial sectors. In addition, cohorts will be composed of students with assorted cultures, ages, and genders allowing for topics to be viewed from a wide range of perspectives. These dynamic classroom interactions enable participants to expand their views and improve their strategic thinking.
Real-time application of learning – The concepts that are learned in the classroom over the weekend can be immediately tested out in the workplace on Monday. This makes the learning immediately relevant and applied as opposed to merely based on academic theories. Students are able to see the ideas in action and their learning and development evolve as the program progresses.
Earning while learning – Students do not need to take a gap in their working life in order to join an EMBA program. This permits students to maintain their career progression, pay their living expenses, and avoid an overdependence on financial aid. This also means that family life can be maintained and does not need to be interrupted for study purposes.
Active networking – It is not only what you know, but who you know. An EMBA program introduces students to a cohort of professionals who can help to fast-track their career prospects both within their own class as well as in university-based networking events. Studying at a reputed institute also opens the door to connections with a powerful alumni network.
Broad Business knowledge – The courses provided within an EMBA provide students with the fundamental business knowledge to think strategically and make winning decisions, one of the most crucial aspects of great leadership. Applied project work ensures that the learning can be leveraged in authentic scenarios.
Specialised Business skills – While core courses provide a solid foundation in all business areas, choosing a specialisation based on a suite of electives enables students to customise their learning to target a particular career path. In some cases, students may opt for entrepreneurship courses to achieve their dreams of becoming future business owners.
Academic Credential - Last but certainly not least, is the credential itself. Possessing a well-recognised EMBA degree may provide entry to particular chances that are inaccessible to applicants with only an undergraduate degree. Graduates may also want to continue into Doctoral programs in the future. Solid coverage of research techniques will help students who wish to pursue this trajectory.
Overall, the decision to undertake an EMBA should be well researched and well-considered. The payoffs in terms of personal development and career growth are very clear, but the time commitment must not be underestimated. For ambitious students wishing to get ahead without losing momentum in their careers, the EMBA is definitely the right choice.
Dr Monica Gallant is Assistant Dean EMBA – Dubai on-campus and Middle East, online & Associate Professor – Accounting at SP Jain School of Global Management
