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MBA Programs and Your Career: From the Cubicle to the Corner Office

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By QS Contributor Updated Jan 30, 2018
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Jacqueline Brito

The transition from MBA student to working professional can be a struggle. You’re ambitious and want to use what you learned in business school for career advancement. But how do you set yourself apart? What you do from the beginning of your MBA program to the first job can position you to move quickly from cubicle to the corner office. Here are five tips to help ensure a successful landing:

1. Plan Career Goals

This crucial step should begin even before you enroll in an MBA program. Take some time to consider what you are most passionate about, and what drives you to want to work harder and be successful. Work with your school’s career management team, faculty, and alumni who can help you develop career goals that will give you direction and ultimately help you advance in your career.

2. Do Your Work

Once you have met your career goals and landed that first job, you will need to distinguish yourself not only by demonstrating your critical thinking and communication skills, but also show how your work directly aligns with your employers’ strategic plan and overarching goals.  

3. Know Your Role and Adjust Accordingly

When you enter into an MBA program you are paying for the knowledge that professors share; you are an investor.  Once you enter the job market you will need to show your employer a high return on their investment in you. The expectations are high – you must embrace this new role and focus on putting what you learned into “real life” situations that help your company excel.

4. Ensure Your Relevancy  

As you move through your career, always take steps to ensure your relevancy.  Make sure you understand the latest technology and keep skills that you built in business school sharp — especially if you don’t use them every day.  At Rollins College, for example, we offer free classes to alumni of our MBA program for life so they can continue to come back and refresh or update their knowledge as they advance in their careers.

5. Show Your Value

Performance is more about what you do as opposed to what you say. Being able to show how your actions and your work have impacted the company’s bottom line will take you much farther than simply talking about what a great employee you are.  Impress leadership by demonstrating your strengths that lead to results.   

There's a lot of competition out there, and getting an MBA is not the only thing that will set you apart. Follow these steps to prepare to make the transition from an MBA student to an accomplished working professional.  Think strategically and show your value, and you will find yourself in that corner office – maybe sooner than you expected.

By Jacqueline Brito

Jacqueline Brito, SPHR, is assistant dean at Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business where she oversees recruiting, marketing, and admissions for the school’s MBA programs. She brings many years of corporate experience to Rollins, including key roles at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando International Airport.