Episode 115 – The Value of a Part-Time MBA

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Cameron-Brooks Podcast.  I caught up with Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Dave Hanson, who transitioned from the Army to Love’s Travel Stops in 2015.  As one of the first Cameron-Brooks Alumni to transition to Love’s, Dave knows a lot about career management to include self-development, being a giver and the value of the part-time MBA. As we got into the dialogue, I initially thought this episode would be about being patient, being a giver and then you will have opportunities to advance and increase responsibility.  However, Dave and I started talking about his MBA.  While working at Love’s, Dave started and completed his MBA at University of Massachusetts Amherst.  We talked about the pro’s and con’s of the part-time MBA while working versus transitioning out of the military and to an MBA program.  Dave talks about his ability to apply what he was learning while working as well as the opportunity to bring real world work problems to the classroom.  Additionally, since he had a family, working and doing the MBA simultaneously made sense for him. Finally, I just love this quote by Dave, “I did everything the company asked me to do and they did good on the promises they made on my growth and potential.”  This point cannot be emphasized enough, stay humble, be a giver throughout your career especially early on.  When you expect too much too fast early in your career, it can derail the transition. To learn more about the Love’s JMO program, you can also listen to the podcast I did with Cameron-Brooks Alumnus and current Love’s District Manager of Truck Care, Erik Robichaud. Also, I mention the book The Personal MBA in the podcast.  I highly recommend this book just for the explanation in the beginning about the tradeoffs of a part-time and full-time MBA program.  Whatever you are thinking right now about an MBA program, this will provide some insight on the tradeoffs. To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.