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Too young for an MBA or too old for it to matter?
You have heard it all before. You’re either too young and lack the experience recruiters seek or you’re too old and therefore unable to train because you have your own habits and ways of conducting business. Maybe you thought age discrimination was a thing of the past but unfortunately you may be underestimating the extent to which your age can affect the direction of your career.
The fact is, while companies around the world are incorporating diversity policies which may or may not reflect their respective country’s diversity laws, lawsuits still seem to be flying left, right, and centre, and the whispers about who’s too young or too old are quiet but rarely absent. Even a very prominent search engine company has been charged with letting go members who are said to be ‘too old to matter’. So is there anything you can do or is this matter out of your hands?
Whether you’re considered old or young, taking an MBA may be your ticket to overcome a career hurdle. Jason Price, founder of EMBA World, reports that an MBA can help the newcomer with little or no experience, as well as the more experienced executive who may have more than 10 years under his or her belt yet wants a career change or simply a boost to endure a chance at not being considered ‘too old to matter’. “Age discrimination persists in all workforces,” says Price. “An older employee costs more and the salary of one could cover four newcomers; of course the company can lose severely with loss of practical experience, job training, and contacts but many companies are short-sighted enough to be thinking this,” says Price. And what about the ‘old-timers’? “An MBA of today is worth a lot more than 30 years ago. Why? The business environment and what was taught back then in schools is dated and outmoded compared with today (technology or Internet). If you are older and feel the need to return to school or simply have a desire to get the MBA, the job prospects of someone with experience and an MBA usually stands out from the common 25 year old newly minted MBA with no practical experience,” Price explains.
So is the MBA really the thing to do at any age? The qualification is seen by many as the perfect way forward if you are looking for a career change, and 37% of MBA applicants surveyed reported ‘career change’ as their leading motivation to undertake an MBA, according to a recent QS TopMBA Applicant Survey. In some regions like North America, almost 60% of MBA candidates are turning to MBA education in their quest for a new career. So can business school really give you all the necessary skills to succeed in a completely new realm of work?
Unlike other Masters courses that provide the graduate with specialized skills in distinct fields like History or Economics, the MBA prepares the graduate for the ‘real’ business world through practical applications like case studies that teach the student all aspects of running a business. Skills learned in MBA courses are therefore far more transferable than those of others courses.
Regardless of age, many recruiters are acknowledging the MBA degree as a proactive step-forward for candidates. “A vast majority of our hires have MBAs,” explains Georgia Foley, Recruitment Manager at AT Kearney. “We certainly have a preference for candidates with MBAs, as they offer a passion for learning, academic and communication abilities and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. They also have energy, rigour and a breadth of understanding of general management principles.”
Qualifications and all else aside, does the general population really think a 30 year-old is suitable to be a CEO or that a 65 year-old fresh out of business school is a marketable candidate? The news often suggests otherwise, but as the MBA continues to be the degree appreciated by many recruiters it is possible to move beyond conventions. In the end, ageism is no more odious than racism, sexism, or anti-semitism, but it can be easily disguised. The MBA and other postgraduate qualifications are one way of unveiling age discrimination and working towards a truly diverse business environment.
