Seriously though…I got my MBA after getting a BS in Electrical Engineering. When I got my MBA, there was no ticker tape parade, no pay raises, no congratulations, no promotions…just my same job.

Would I do it all over again?

Yes for these reasons (in order):

1. I didn’t pay for it, the company did. I am a geek that seeks knowledge. If the company wants me to go to school, I’ll go as long as they pay (be it business, auto mechanics, or basket weaving).

2. I am a better employee for it. In the short-term, there were no immediate rewards for my degree. No one cared for the most part. However, in the long-term, the degree made me money ,even though my job hasn’t changed. Getting my degree showed to management that I had initiative. Also, the knowledge gained was an excellent supplement to my technical degree. I can sit with managers and talk about business impacts, then go to the labs and talk shop. The fact I can play on both sides of the court has earned me some nice bonuses as well as recognition for being an excellent employee.

3. I am an investment. I work in the technical sector. White collar jobs have become unstable now and I really don’t count on my job being there from one day to the next. (though I hope it will be). The company has time invested in me and my degree. I have used the money to become a well rounded employee. When it comes time to let someone go, who will the company let go, the technical person who doesn’t want to learn anything business related, or the technical person with a strong business background who the company has already invested $30K in for formal education? As long as the company feels they are getting a return on their money, I feel pretty safe in my job.

4. It can create demand for you. My business and Engineering degrees were an excellent complement for each other. My Master’s degree has gotten me requests to work on specific assignments by some pretty high ranking people in my company.

Would I do it again? As long as someone else was paying for it, yeah. The only thing I would have changed for my MBA was where I went to school. I passed up going to Northwestern University and DePaul to go to a small school close to my house. I probably would have put the extra miles on my car to get a “name-brand” degree.

Personally, I think companies put too much emphasis on where you went to school, but that’s just me.