Ok, here I go. Currently I am appling for the MBA program at NCSU and work at a good company under a bad boss and in a bad position. (When I say bad, I mean that the job is unclear and hard to do without working tons of overtime. The title is not that bad.)

The question here is would you look for another Job now or wait till you get into the MBA program and are taking classes with people that could possbliy help you out with finding a new job.

9/27/2007 11:28:21 PM

WAIT. If you get into the NCSU MBA program, you will only be limited by the effort you put into networking. I've never met an NCSU MBA grad who didn't at least have the opportunity to grab a couple of sweet offers while in school.

Escp. if you're down with living in this area, you'll find fantastic connections in the program. NCSU's MBA is very highly regarding in the Triangle (and in Houston if you wanna work in the oil biz). Are you going to the full-time one? That one will probably give you more opportunities for new job connections.

If you're planning on going part-time, then yeah, I'd probably look for something now unless you can live a semester or two jobless.

9/27/2007 11:47:28 PM

With an NCSU MBA, is 150k after graduation a very high salary figure?

10/3/2007 6:29:38 AM

yes...not impossible, but pretty unlikely

10/3/2007 7:12:08 AM

Quote :

"and in Houston if you wanna work in the oil biz"

why so? i mean, of all the places you could have mentioned--i'm just curious...

10/3/2007 7:17:35 AM

^

because the only people in our class to get a decent salary (~80k) who were not 40+ years old got supply chain jobs in houston

Quote :

"I've never met an NCSU MBA grad who didn't at least have the opportunity to grab a couple of sweet offers while in school."

i've never met one, if you want ANY kind of offer you better be prepared to work for it - "networking" as most people do it isn't going to do anything for you

$150k won't happen out of the program - i think $110k was tops and that was a 40 year old guy going to a 100% travel consulting job based out of NY for IBM, i'd expect more like $50k (several of our computery people took pay cuts even from what they had at internships in their field previously)

i should note that my current salary is 50% below market and my annual bonus will be more like 25% instead of market of 60% based on my performance, but i took the job because of the company.

people that go through the NCSU MBA program aren't usually gunning for a high paying position and thus the program doesn't generate much opportunity for it

if that's your main motivation, you better head to a different program

[Edited on October 3, 2007 at 8:26 AM. Reason : dfgd]

10/3/2007 8:17:20 AM

Quote :

"and in Houston if you wanna work in the oil biz"

heh...funny you mention that. A buddy of mine just accepted a job at Chevron in supply chain management in Houston. Something like 90+k per year

10/3/2007 8:38:38 AM

Quote :

"because the only people in our class to get a decent salary (~80k) who were not 40+ years old got supply chain jobs in houston"

dude, you know this aint true. i told you to come work with me.

10/3/2007 10:11:45 AM

Ryan?

what's it like having sex with a black chick?

10/3/2007 10:30:47 AM

Would they be getting an MBA if they had leads on good jobs?

10/3/2007 11:21:24 AM

guess i'm just bitter. the program is 10000% better with regard to career services now so the sky may well be the limit

i was more trying to make the point that the ncsu mba program is a regional program (if not local) with people focusing on professional development, not what's my salary going to be. people also got jobs they wanted coming into school - they didn't all get slammed into some cookie cutter work 100 hours a week in some brokerage training program in the northeast

that skews the stats low on salary, but it also stands out against what your typical mba bunch is like and makes it a great program to go through

10/3/2007 1:12:24 PM

$150k...hahaha...seriously, maybe if you can somehow find your way into investment banking in NYC from a tertiary MBA program, you could see $150k, but that ain't happening.

I'm hitting six figures this year with bonuses out of a top 20 program and working for a Fortune 15 company for 1.5 years. My next promotion (if I stay till Feb) will put me around $105k base salary.

There is absolutely no reason to look for another job before going to get your MBA. People will look unfavorably on that and you'll probably get shit references from the new comapny.

10/3/2007 1:52:06 PM

^ where are you located?

10/3/2007 3:03:27 PM

Quote :

"appling"

Don't spell like this on your applications and you may be okay.

10/3/2007 3:09:32 PM

Not that I'm sniffing anywhere near $150k, but after reading this thread, I have serious doubts as to whether I'd want an MBA anymore.

10/3/2007 3:15:16 PM

^ yeah i think in a technical area an MBA is most valuable when the company you are currently with wants to pay for it and to fast track you up management - not i want to move up the ladder but i'm currently stuck in this technical job and this is the answer to make 100k+ easily

10/3/2007 3:18:50 PM

Thanks for all of the advice here. I have written all of my essays have gotten all but one of my recomendations submitted. I ready to hit the books and get my MBA. I think that my life raft out of my current position is the networking that will be available to me in the MBA program.

Thanks again, and any more advice would be awesome.

10/8/2007 10:50:31 PM

as a graduate of the NCSU MBA program...take my advice...go somewhere else....

10/9/2007 12:57:39 PM

yeah, Fuqua is the way to go if you live in the triangle.

10/9/2007 1:07:41 PM

^ And also have a GMAT score higher than 90-95% of others...

Not to mention the price.

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 2:48 PM. Reason : .]

10/9/2007 2:48:34 PM

thats why you study hard and get your employer to pay for it.

10/9/2007 2:52:18 PM

I have been giving serious thought to an MBA, but not at NC State. My compensation is above six figures now, but I am ready for something different. I am willing to take a decrease in salary to do so. I am about one year off from taking action on this plan.

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 3:35 PM. Reason : /I can't spell]

10/9/2007 3:34:30 PM

^^ Haha, good luck getting your employer to pay what Duke's asking. If you can, congrats.

10/9/2007 3:40:15 PM

i dont think its as uncommon as you are making it out to be. we dont have any reimbursement limit at my job.

...and looking at their tuition, its pretty much on par with smith (where im at). its hard to compare apples to apples though since fuqua doesnt have a normal part time program.

plus, price shouldnt be a factor. if you have the grades/background to get into a top tier program, price should not hold you back. the money you make after you are out will make up for it.







[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 4:22 PM. Reason : h]

10/9/2007 4:14:52 PM

the Fuqua part-time programs are not hard to get into

10/9/2007 4:26:11 PM

i only saw a part time executive program.

10/9/2007 4:31:34 PM

Fuqua also has a "Cross Continent MBA" -- look into it if you're interested.


and as for this:

Quote :

"as a graduate of the NCSU MBA program...take my advice...go somewhere else...."

i'll take the other side of the trade any day (i was class of '05). my ROI is unbelievable. i would have to make $250 out the door from a branded school to get the same ROI.

10/9/2007 4:42:38 PM

funny how percentages work.

10/9/2007 4:43:41 PM

toatl tuition for 4 semesters then was about 11k...i think i had to monetize some Genentech stock



[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 4:52 PM. Reason : *total*]

10/9/2007 4:52:24 PM

wow...thats close to the price of one semester in my part time program (8 hours).

10/9/2007 4:54:31 PM

my tuition was -12M/year!

that means i made infinity at my first job

10/10/2007 7:45:14 AM

^^^^^ ...I wasn't commenting in terms of ROI, as I haven't left the job I was in while part time in the program.

ROI and overall quality of the teaching and curriculum in the program are two different things.

I agree with the comment on getting your company to pay your tuition. UNC and DUKE a company likely won't cover unless you are exec level. On the other hand, NC State is dirt cheap.

Goes to prove, you get what you pay for.

10/10/2007 7:05:46 PM

Another question here. I have submitted my application and am just waiting on my GMAT Scorces to be recieved. Lets say that call me up and schedule an interview, what is this like? Has anyone experienced an interview for the MBA program at NCSU?

Thanks

10/15/2007 9:37:38 PM

I did a phone interview w/ NCSU's MBA program.

Questions were:
1) What leadership opps. have you excelled at in your FT job?
2) Why did you choose NC State's MBA?
3) Where do you hope to work / what do you hope to do after graduating?


Those are the main ones.

10/15/2007 9:59:18 PM

Awesome, thanks.

10/16/2007 9:49:03 PM