The Personal MBA…Free

Posted on May 14, 2009 by . Filed under: business, general, management, networking

A co-worker and I are really into the personal MBA program. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s an alternative to a traditional MBA program and it’s free*. It’s free in the sense that you don’t enroll in any program, but just complete a list of 70 books from various categories. The program, once completed, is intended to have you on par, if not ahead of those completing a traditional MBA program. The question to ask is not “Is an MBA worth it?” but “Is an MBA worth it for ME?”

Scott Berkun, in a recent Harvard Business article, cited the costs of MBAs as a reason to question the program’s worth:

A quick scan of BusinessWeek’s top MBA programs lists tuitions well north of $25k per year. Throw in living expenses and you’re above the average annual wage for adult Americans. For many, the choice to go for an MBA is one of the largest financial commitments they’ll make in their lives.

Furthermore, there are many in the business world that feel that MBAs have become over-valued. With the economic situation now, many employers are looking past the recent MBA grad and hiring those with experience instead. Those professionals with experience, but who also have the MBA knowledge set themselves apart from others in the field.

I still plan on getting a master’s degree, but since I am looking to complete it in a different field, Information Technology Management, which is a bit more useful for my career and also will further me in accomplishing the career goals I have for myself. This specific degree for my career field, along with the knowledge gained from the Personal MBA reading program, I believe that I can then maximize my effectiveness in my career.

“You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for a buck fifty in late charges at the public library.” – Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon), Good Will Hunting

MBAs are great if you’re going to be directly using it in the career you settle in, but not useful for most people and where they settle. I think many people who pursue an MBA do it for the knowledge that they will gain and how it will help them stand out from the crowd, rather than expect themselves to actually use it day-to-day. If this is the case, they stand to benefit more by completing the readings from the personal MBA program and get their degree or certificate in something that will give them better skills in what they want to do.

The Personal MBA (PMBA) is a project designed to help you educate yourself about advanced business concepts. This manifesto will show you how to substantially increase your knowledge of business on your own time and with little cost, all without setting foot inside a classroom.

The PMBA is more flexible than a traditional MBA program, doesn’t involve going into massive debt, and won’t interrupt your income stream for two years. Just pick up one of these business books, learn as much as you can, discuss what you learn with others, then go out into the real world and make great things happen.

I believe that with the knowledge gained from for Personal MBA, coupled with the skills from the workplace, and a master’s degree specified to your field of work, you become a much more valuable professional. You instantly set yourself apart from any other candidate that may be applying for your same position and the value you bring to any organization is greatly increased from just having the skills or the education from a regular MBA.

Currently, here is the list of the 70 books on the Personal MBA course:

I’m through 5 of the books, and enjoying the process. I look forward to learning more and completing the list.

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1 Great Reason to Use Twitter!

Posted on May 2, 2009 by . Filed under: general, internet, life, networking, technology

I admit, I am a Twitter user. I’m not, however, one of those fanatics that has to post everything. You won’t see the following:

fm005: “Eating Cheerios for Breakfast” <YAWN>

I have too much respect for Twitter and most importantly for other people’s time and attention. I think that all of the Twitter criticism comes from the improper use of Twitter. If used correctly, it is a great tool that lets you stay connected with people you otherwise would not. It also lets you get to know other people with similar interests, hobbies, and ideas but without having to develop relationships with people through other means in order to get to know them. It remains a strictly “business” relationship.

It’s only a matter of time because you see the following:

JoeSchmo: “Going to the bathroom…”
Posted on 5/1/2009 – 7:53 AM

You may have already see this before, and if so, my condolences. Twitter lets me be able to stay in touch with people I otherwise would not. It also lets me know what those individuals are up to, are thinking, are reading, and are discussing without having to pick up the phone and having an actual conversation or without having to sit down and writing an email. Let me know what you think about something, what you’re doing (if it’s interesting), or send me a link to something you liked. I may respond but I don’t have to. If you send an email it then become common courtesy to have to write something back. I’ve been guilty in the past of hitting reply and saying: “Great.” To which I was repremaned for sending such a short email.

In any case, Twitter is a great tool. So before you join the critical crowd, give it a try.

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