Hi,

My Background- I'm 27 years old with 4+ years of work experience in the IT sector. I'm currently working as a Senior Associate in a Cloud Solutions and Services company.

My Gmat score- 640 (V-36, Q-42). Quants is not my strength.

I have worked in operations that included tasks like Project Management, Cloud Consulting, Data Analysis using Pivot Tables, MS Excel, Service Now etc. I don't have any coding experience but I'm willing to learn in order to upskill myself.

I want to do a 1 year Masters program to transition into a Management Role. I wish to understand the dynamics of market and the decision making that goes at the top of the pyramid to run a successful business. Right after my graduation I would like to work with companies like Mckinsey, BCG or Big 4. I'm confused whether I should go for MBA or MSc in Business Analytics.

Why the confusion?

According to the roles and company that I want to work with, I believe an MBA would be the right path for me. However, given my current GMAT score and lack of managerial experience I believe I would not be able to land in a good university for MBA. MBA seems to have become a very commonly opted degree that has now exceeded the demand in the market. Hence I’m not sure if investing in this degree in a mid Tier College would be fruitful.

Some of my friends who work in the field have suggested that I should go for MSc in Business Analytics as the course teaches skills that are more sustainable in future and the demand for them is only going to increase in the next 5 years. But as I understand my current skills are not at par with what the course demands (coding+Quants). I want to understand what should be my next steps considering I cannot retake Gmat and definitely wish to start my Masters in September this year.

Thanks
Vaishali

I think there are 3 different variables in in the way that you present your your problem. 
1st you don't have a very clear career goal clear career goal. For example for example you talk about wanting to work in a management role at a strategy consulting firm or in the big 4, comma however with your experience nobody is going to hire you for a managerial role there. You have no supervisory experience in these organisations.
2nd you talk about a master of science degree in in business analysis as being an option, but of course, this would qualify you for a role as a business analyst rather than as a manager of consultants. So that is an opportunity for you to think about: what role do you want to hold.
Thirdly many people assume that a MBA can transform somebody from quite an ordinary work trajectory into an extraordinary work trajectory. That is not very likely because the people in extraordinary organisations after the end of an MBA have probably been in notable roles before the MBA (The strategy consultancies have rather small and hire highly qualified people). So it's better to think about the set of options in front of you from where you are and then what kind of degree can either accelerate through that path or, if you want to change direction completely, help you move to a new one.

PS I added a bit (in brackets) and removed some duplication caused by typing on my mobile. 

[Edited by Duncan on Mar 12, 2023]

Thank you for your quick response. I understand that my work trajectory is not extraordinary and getting a degree does not guarantee a top role in the advisory firms. I'm not looking to directly get at the top rather enter into a management role and slowly and steadily climb up the ladder. Yes this is a career change as I have only been in the operations role until now. 

I have seen people hold a Business Analyst role both after an MBA or MSc in Business Analytics. Although I understand that the work trajectory is different as people who graduate with business analytics are more into data analysis and coding. Since that is not my strength, MBA has always been my first choice. What got me confused is whether with my current score I will be able to get into a program that can help me to advance my career. Which colleges would you suggest I should target with my current score for an MBA? 

[Edited by Vaishali Sinha on Mar 12, 2023]

Where would you like to do the MBA? Specific country and potential schools will serve as compass to guide you. 

With your skills in IT, and interest in management consulting, would it be beneficial to do an MSc in Digital Transformation? ESCP has a fantastic MSc in this direction and about 70% of their 2021 grads went into tech roles and management consulting roles with firms like BearingPoint, Wavestone, Accenture and Deloitte. 

Wirh your experience, you’d be loved by firms like Capgemini and IBM for digital transformation projects. This option will not get you into strategy firms like McKinsey and BCG but you get to work in consulting and grow from there. 

But if you so desire to stick to strategy and core management consulting, then an MBA is a sure path. So if you confirm the country of choice, I’ll be happy to make recommendations that may fit your profile. 

[Edited by Obinna on Mar 12, 2023]

Hi Obinna, Thanks for your response.

I'm from India and I would like to have proximity to my country so Europe is my first choice however I'm not restricted on location as I already have less choices below my belt due to my low GMAT score. Below are a couple of universities that I'm currently looking at:


UCD Smurfit
Frankfurt School of Finance and Management

I have been in an operations role for far too long and I'm absolutely sure that I want to hold a management role once I graduate. I understand that my profile is not extraordinary and I would have to work hard during my Masters to upskill myself to land a job in the current market scenario. The end goal is to build a business acumen, develop strong analytical sense and have functional skills that are sustainable in the long run. 

I would love to know your recommendations on the MBA programs that I should target with my current score and experience to achieve the above. If an MSc degree from a good school can help me achieve the same goals then I would like to know about them too. 
Thanks!

[Edited by Vaishali Sinha on Mar 12, 2023]

First, “I want to hold a management role once I graduate” is very vague. You need to flesh out your career designs post study and be very specific about what you’d like to do. 

Second, you use FT’s 2023 MBA rankings to discover the top MBAs in Europe. However you have to be sure that you speak the local language for any country you choose to study in. 

UCD is a good business school. You can certainly look there yet there are brilliant MBA programmes in the UK that will accept you without a GMAT score. Durham, Lancaster, and Edinburgh come to mind even though the latter may not consider your candidacy as they typically go for more experienced applicants for their MBA cohorts. 

Frankfurt is a decent business school but you may need a higher GMAT score to get in there.

Lastly, your pre-MBA experience is very important. The MBA is not a silver bullet hence your job prospects post MBA are directly proportionate to your pre-MBA experience, especially where the MBA is not from tier-1 b-schools. 

If you choose to study in Europe in countries other than Ireland and the UK you need to re-evaluate your options around language capabilities. 

Given that you probably can probably work in English but not German, UCD is the better option. See:


GMAT Tiers - strong schools for your GMAT www.find-mba.com/board/27082
Best MBAs for international students' placement http://www.find-mba.com/board/41143
Do you need to speak the local language? www.find-mba.com/board/34713

Thanks Duncan. I would like to know your suggestion on one of the programs of UCD - MSc in Management Consulting. If I keep my focus on Consulting then which program would you recommend for someone like me:

MSc in Consulting or MBA (asking specifically for UCD). 

I'm trying to understand whether I should look into specialized MSc programs if I want to get into strategic and consulting roles or if I should only go for MBA for a holistic development. I appreciate your assistance. 

[Edited by Vaishali Sinha on Mar 13, 2023]

I would pick the MBA, but it's a close choice. The Smurfit MBA also strongly focuses on consulting skills (the two career tracks are tech or consulting). The fees are relatively reasonable (many more courses, a much richer development experience, and a lower price than comparable international MBAs). The quality of the cohort and the educational experience will be more substantial. It's a lifetime investment. Placement is similar between the two degrees. 

PS The more quantitative side to the MBA also will help you redress your quant weakness. 

[Edited by Duncan on Mar 13, 2023]

Thank you! That was very helpful.