考证：获得MBA是否值得

Is getting an MBA worth it?Derrick Williams, Have an MBA. I use it sometimes!Written 22 Dec 2015I have an MBA, and while I'm happy to have one, I think I got it for the wrong reasons. If I had to do it again, I would have gotten something in the hard sciences like cryptography or mathematics (just my personal choice).In the late 1990's and early 2000's, MBA's were something of a fad, simply everyone was getting one. Coupled at the time was the fact I was working for IBM, and could not conceive the possibility of working anywhere else. I loved working there and was really proud of being an IBMer. I was going to work there forever!Then the layoffs and offshoring of IBM jobs started happening, and in one meeting my then PDM (personnel development manager) made an offhand remark that everyone except the MBA's were getting laid off. While that alone didn't set me off, it was the spark to apply for business school that very day. I got into a reputable one (although not Harvard or Kellogg, just a established accredited school with good rankings), did fairly well, and got laid off from IBM anyway. My last few months at IBM was me scrambling away from technology and into sales, which I didn't like much after all, but if it kept me at IBM, maybe I could learn to like it. A moot point, I was terminated with some 10,000 other people at the same time.The MBA did help me find new work though, and helped me with my career and the ability to evaluate new projects and work better with people, and made me comfortable with leadership. I don't necessarily like being in management, but given the choice between me and someone else with little experience, I can step up.So to answer your question, since it seems you want a yes or no answer, I would say no, the MBA is not worth getting.To qualify this 'no':1) The MBA program is something you can learn on your own. Subscribe to the Harvard Business Journal, read the classic MBA textbooks, and there just might be a free MBA type course you can take online. This assumes you are interested in knowledge and not just the credentials.2) The MBA program is a lot about networking. If you get to a top ranking program like Kellogg or Harvard, you will make excellent connections, and that alone can be worth the money. Going to a good ranking but otherwise unremarkable school like I did got me some new friends, but not make connections that would be invaluable. I have connections with very nice people working as middle managers for Fortune 500 and small companies, not future presidents of the United States.3) If credentials are important, I would strongly recommend you get a 'hard' credential in science or mathematics, the kind of skill that products are built on. You can still learn the soft MBA skills on your own on top of that.So that's my take on it. Your mileage may vary!Derrick