100 Most Desirable MBA Employers

Please don’t comment unless you actually have an MBA.

No one can tell you the value of something like an MBA degree. I was passionate about going back and getting my MBA and it’s paid dividends all around. Increased income. Admiration and diferentiation from peers in the workplace and a solid education in business fundamentals.

What is true is what you do with it after the graduation ceremony. The hustle and “go get it” that you bring to the table is the most important factor. Some things are out of your control (Tough Economy–companies not hiring etc.) but other things are in your control(Hardwork, Hustle).

If it makes you feel better, go and get it. You may do something incredible that no one else will ever do or has ever done. You may build the next Microsoft with a little biz education. The last thing I would do is guide my life my people…on a comments board. I mean, really.

Going to get my MBA was the best thing I have ever done. I went at age 25 to University of Michigan Ross Business School. Now at 29 I am working at Boston Consultant Group in Detroit. Im earning about $160,000 with bonuses. I love my job.

to craig in orlando.. i’d like to disagree.. in the top ft mba programs the average is more like 28+ and the average working experience is also north of 5 yrs..

MBA/Hospital Administration+ARMY+training=captian’s salary and honor!

I will have my MBA when I am 50 Years old, and I have been going to school since October 2006.

Forget MBA degrees. You want to earn big bucks? Earn a nursing degree and you can earn all the dollars you want.
$100,000 for an MBA working in New York? I know a nurse also working in New York nurse and she makes $150,000/year.No stiff competition as the field is really short of workers.

managing the people and utilising the resourses properly

The ability to manage people, manipulate resources, and coordinate processes engineers effective business strategy. An MBA is only as good as the person capable of achieving results. Everything else is editorial underlying a mood point.

I went back to school at 35, maintained a 3.79 GPA and finished school in 2 years with a toddler. It enhanced my experience/resume and I was able to land a new job making $27k more per year –made sense to me.

I agree that unless your going to a top tier school and your young then the MBA is a waste of time. None of the “BIG” MBA employers are going to touch anyone over 25 yrs old. Face it..unless you “grow up” in a certain industry and have the experience you pretty well screwed in trying to break into certain segments of the corportate marketplace.

An MBA is not a once size fits all. As a 25yo looking to change careers, I see going back full time at a top tier MBA program as my best investment option. A 45yo making 90K+ supporting a family may see less value in an MBA for obvious reasons.

An MBA is only as good as the program that grants it. Even then once you land the first job it is up to you to prove your worth.

The last thing America needs is more management. Soon business and shareholders will recognize that. An MBA, especially if isn’t from a top 10 school, is next to worthless.

Getting an MBA is a commitment that must be made independent of the promise or hope of financial gain. Individual improvement and better industry knowledge should be the reason, and then you can compete for the top paying positions. I also recommend PT unless you are at a Top 5 program. GA State is where I went and loved it.

Steve, I think I’ve got you beat by a couple of years! I started on my MBA in 2005 at the age of 43, and will complete it in the spring of 2010. I’ve got a 9 year old son and a 1 year old daughter, so I’m only taking 1 class a semester so that I can still spend time with them. It will take me a while, but like you, I think it will pay off in the long run. I’m paying as I go, so I won’t incur a penny of debt. Even if it doesn’t immediately result in an increased income, it will give me knowledge and skills that will improve my career opportunities in the future.

I wish everyone well pursuing an MBA. Mine has done absolutely nothing for me. Of course I am sure a big part of this is do to the miserable & worthless job market that Orlando is. Sure Disney is here but it is so incestuous that you virtually have to have a job at Disney to get a job at Disney. I ended up going back to school and becoming and X-ray Tech.

I think a young person with enough drive to get an MBA would spend their money wiser by becoming an Entrepreneur. Then you can pick your lifestyle and make money. Why work for a corporation? Haven’t the young upstarts proven that new ideas presented by fresh talent can be a win-win equation… Start a business and spend the money there, not on graduate school. Grad school only prolongs your adolescence….

I’m attending a PT MBA program in the DC area and my current salary is above the $90K per the CNN poll. Should I only expect a slight increase??? I also have 7 yrs work experience….

What Co. do you recommend for the DC area…willing to compensate me for having an MBA. I’m interested in Financial Planning & Analysis or consulting positions.

I returned to school after a career in retail of over 30 years. I earned a BBA and MBA in 5 Years. I have found it difficult to land the a job. I didn’t take into consideration age discrimination. It is REAL!!

Number 76. There are about 7,000 people who might disagree Also, I think their stock dropped a bit.

#76 Bear Stearns…they don’t compensate for grad school or 401k

I decided in late 2006 to go back to grad school at the ripe age of 41 after leaving a senior position. Why?
The industry in which I worked was/is full of turmoil and I see it as a way to combine real life experience with an expanded education. Going Part-time and working full-time with a family isn’t easy, but with a recession already here, I believe I will be better positioned when I complete my MBA.

“Is Grad school worth it?”

Going full time is definitely not for everyone. It might be the right decision for you if want to change careers. There are also part-time programs that might make more sense for someone looking to advance their current career. It’s a big $ and time commitment. If you go full-time it’s about $60k of tuition + living expenses + 2-yrs of lost income. It will take a while to earn that all back. At 37 you would likely be one of the oldest in a full-time program. Generally, students have 3-5 years of work experience.

Denise, unless you’re going to a top 5 MBA school you should go part-time and maintain whatever job you have now, an MBA is great to have but you shouldn’t incur a lot of debt to get one.

Is Grad school worth it? I’m 37 single. Should I spend the money to hopefully make more money in the future?

“What should new MBAs consider when deciding where to work after graduation? When starting their first post-MBA jobs?”

Does the company have a career track that gets you where you want to go, and will you be on it when you start? Otherwise, you’re looking at just another “job” in which you will have to “make your own career path” which is seldom in line with what the employer is committed to helping you achieve. It’s easier to achieve (as an individual and as an organization) when everyone involved has the same path and end point in mind.

#76 – Bear Stearns?

What should new MBAs consider when deciding where to work after graduation? When starting their first post-MBA jobs?

Have you worked for any of the companies? Would you want to work for them?

What do you think of this year’s list of top MBA employers?