GMAT Forum
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- Delta1
MSF question
I was wondering if one were to complete an MBA and decided to go for a MSF degree for career/concentration purposes. Would an MBA be favorable in the MSF admissions process, assuming you do well 3.5 GPA+?
- MBAApply
Why do want an MSF after getting an MBA? Collecting degrees usually isn't a good way to attract recruiters.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
- Guest
To clarify, I am looking to strengthen my profile in finance, and looking to purse a path towards a CFO or a Finance Director position. I think an MBA will allow myself to understand many aspects and the decision making of managers as it relates to operations, marketing strategies, finance, etc. But with an additional MSF degree, it shows an advantage when vying for executive jobs in finance. I think it will allow a better understanding of corporate finance structure and financial engineering.
With all due respect, why is this premise wrong? Why would I not attract recruiters--when most in the large cities are looking for "pedigree" in many cases?
I have also been told, even if one were to have a finance concentration, it may likely be "looked over" by HR.
Please explain.
Thanks
With all due respect, why is this premise wrong? Why would I not attract recruiters--when most in the large cities are looking for "pedigree" in many cases?
I have also been told, even if one were to have a finance concentration, it may likely be "looked over" by HR.
Please explain.
Thanks
MBAApply Wrote:Why do want an MSF after getting an MBA? Collecting degrees usually isn't a good way to attract recruiters.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
- MBAApply
A couple of things.
First, I think you need to do more research into what a CFO does (or the kinds of internal corporate jobs that best position you for a CFO position).
Many (if not most) CFOs in any industry are former CPAs. And it's no accident. The "language" that is used to manage the financial aspects of a company is accounting. Whether it's approving budgets or overseeing internal cost reporting done by the controller, or even the financial statement disclosures as required by the local securities regulators (in the US, it's the SEC). These reporting requirements and accounting standards are complex and you really only become truly familiar with it if you were a CPA with accounting experience. As such, many CFOs start off as CPAs at Big-4, maybe move over to an internal finance/accounting position in industry, and eventually working their way up to being a controller.
Secondly, there's a difference between having some credentials to help you get a job, and over-doing the credentials to the point where it hurts you. Getting back-to-back masters degrees in related disciplines (business and a specialized finance degree) gives the impression of someone who is an eternal student, who is overly academic and theoretical, and more of a "thinker" than a "doer". If what you said were true, adding a PhD as well as a JD to the mix would help attract even more recruiters.
Beyond one masters degree, the most critical thing is work experience. Children collect credentials, but adults accumulate experience.
Also, by the time you get to a senior position in industry, no one really cares if you have an MBA and MSF, or none of those degrees at all. They care about your body of work - the jobs and experience you've had to date. Coming out of an MBA or MSF, you will be starting at pretty junior level positions anyhow, and you won't be experienced enough to be considered for an executive position for another 7-10 years after that.
Get an MSF if you're looking to work on the sales/trading side of an investment bank, and get an MBA for everything else.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
First, I think you need to do more research into what a CFO does (or the kinds of internal corporate jobs that best position you for a CFO position).
Many (if not most) CFOs in any industry are former CPAs. And it's no accident. The "language" that is used to manage the financial aspects of a company is accounting. Whether it's approving budgets or overseeing internal cost reporting done by the controller, or even the financial statement disclosures as required by the local securities regulators (in the US, it's the SEC). These reporting requirements and accounting standards are complex and you really only become truly familiar with it if you were a CPA with accounting experience. As such, many CFOs start off as CPAs at Big-4, maybe move over to an internal finance/accounting position in industry, and eventually working their way up to being a controller.
Secondly, there's a difference between having some credentials to help you get a job, and over-doing the credentials to the point where it hurts you. Getting back-to-back masters degrees in related disciplines (business and a specialized finance degree) gives the impression of someone who is an eternal student, who is overly academic and theoretical, and more of a "thinker" than a "doer". If what you said were true, adding a PhD as well as a JD to the mix would help attract even more recruiters.
Beyond one masters degree, the most critical thing is work experience. Children collect credentials, but adults accumulate experience.
Also, by the time you get to a senior position in industry, no one really cares if you have an MBA and MSF, or none of those degrees at all. They care about your body of work - the jobs and experience you've had to date. Coming out of an MBA or MSF, you will be starting at pretty junior level positions anyhow, and you won't be experienced enough to be considered for an executive position for another 7-10 years after that.
Get an MSF if you're looking to work on the sales/trading side of an investment bank, and get an MBA for everything else.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
4 posts Page 1 of 1