Five reasons to get an Executive MBA this year

If you’ve been weighing up the possibility of embarking on an Executive MBA, QS Top Executive gives you five more reasons why an EMBA will be one of the best moves you can make for your personal and professional career this year.

1. Add to your skillset

When was the last time you learnt something new? The last time you were really challenged and put out of your comfort zone? If it’s been a while, perhaps this is the year to do something about it and you need look no further than the Executive MBA classroom. EMBA programs around the world are renowned for challenging their students. Pushing them to the limits in terms of new knowledge, applying existing methods, exercising time management skills and placing them in pressure-cooker environments to ensure they deliver to the best of their abilities. It’s fun, rewarding, stressful, tiring, but an experience that will make 2012 a year to remember!

2. Make the most of opportunities

If you’ve applied for a promotion but narrowly missed out, or thought of a business venture but have been unsure how to turn it into reality – embarking on an Executive MBA this year could help to ensure such opportunities no longer pass you by. The knowledge and expertise you will acquire from an EMBA program will not only provide you with a repertoire of skills you can put into practice, it will give you the confidence to believe in your abilities and take a more managed risk when opportunities arise. What’s more, you may find, with an Executive MBA behind you, such opportunities present themselves more readily!

3. Define your career

Going back to school is about much more than just fulfilling your professional life – it’s also about defining the direction you want your life to take when you graduate. If you have dreams and aspirations that have been simmering away behind the scenes as you work your way up the career ladder in your organization, why not make 2012 the year they come to fruition. It could be an independent ambition, such as establishing your own business, or perhaps it’s a personal achievement you want to achieve within your professional workplace. Either way, having the support of expert faculty and experienced classmates around you while you embark on your EMBA experience could give you all that you need to take a step in the right direction.

4. Extend your network

Whether you want to make friends, acquire colleagues or meet future business partners you could find them all within a business school network. You’ll become part of a network that spans countries, continents and hemispheres, a network with a diversity of cultures, religions and political beliefs, a network that encompasses leading experts in their fields. What’s more, everyone within your network will have been through the EMBA experience, making them a valuable resource for both your personal and professional development for years to come. You’ll also be able to discuss business ventures, strategies and ideas and get advice on obstacles, problems and the challenges you encounter in your career.

5. Develop ‘Brand You’

As a manager, staff and projects will be your focus. It’s part of the job – and the salary! But don’t forget to focus on you. More specifically ‘Brand You’. Extending your skillset, adding some more ‘letters’ after your name and making you –and your expertise – known within your organization, possibly even your industry, could result in opportunities, challenges, promotion and exciting career progression. An Executive MBA will play a significant role in developing your individual brand. The time spent on your EMBA program will equip you with a variety of skills and leadership attributes that will enable you to make a name for yourself – and get the recognition you deserve!