The internet is full of talk about the MBA and its inability to propel those who possess it to new heights in the corporate world.  It’s as if mere ownership of the MBA is all that is required for great success.  As an MBA graduate, I can ensure you this isn’t the case.

The challenge for MBA graduates stems from the nature of the education earned throughout the program.  To illustrate this, I think it might be useful to look at my background.  I started out as an electrical engineer.    The knowledge I learned as an undergraduate covered many areas of engineering.  It was quite difficult to build a real expertise in any one facet.

Just prior to graduation, I received a fellowship to earn my Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at a different college.  The focus in this program was considerably different than my undergraduate degree.  It wasn’t broad in nature at all. It became very specific.  The courses taken were interweaved, each overlapping slightly with the others to generate depth of knowledge in a small area.  Why?  Because I was being groomed to solve very specific problems.  I was becoming an expert.  Later on, when I started my PhD, the focus became even more microscopic, almost the width of a laser beam. 

Now, look at the MBA.  Can you learn to solve all of the problems a company can face in two years?  Hardly.  The MBA gives you a broad glimpse at the many issues and challenges companies face.  The good part, though, is that you have an idea of what they face and have learned some strategies for solving them.  You’re not an expert. That takes many years to develop.  However, the MBA does show that you have an interest in solving them, which makes you valuable to companies.

The question then becomes “what company?”  When I finished my engineering studies, I couldn’t seek employment from just any company.  I had specific skills that only a few companies needed.  But, when I later earned my MBA, I had skills that many companies could use.  In fact, I could be useful to any company that needed a manager with technical skills.  My options were a lot broader than they were as an engineer.  As an engineer, I either worked for someone else as an engineer or started my own company offering engineering services.  But, the MBA give me the opportunity to become a technical manager, operations manager, engineering manager, executive or a host of other positions.

So what do most graduates see as the major benefit of an MBA?  Well, they can do almost anything.  That is also the biggest problem for graduates.  The MBA doesn’t paint them into a corner with regards to the occupations they can seek.  It actually broadens their options. It’s fairly easy to make a decision when you have only a few options.  Consider the difficulty in a decision that has a plethora of solutions.  You must define some criteria to reduce the number of options down to a reasonable quantity that you can work with.  If you can’t reduce your options down, you’ll struggle to decide where you want to go.  Then, you’ll get stuck with the first available option, which may not necessarily be the best option.

The MBA’s biggest benefit is that you can do almost anything.  The big problem is that you must define what that anything is.  So, what’s the best way to approach defining criteria to limit the options.  Here’s few ideas.

1.  Start by defining what you like to do.  I know this may sound cliché but you don’t develop great skills doing a job you hate.  There’s plenty of proof of that in the workplace every day.  List ten things you like about work, such as travel, working with people, challenging work, or leading teams.   
2. Define the things you are good at.  Take advantage of the skills you have by using them. You gain more success quicker by putting your talents to work.  A job outside of your talents may require you to learn new skills, delaying your meteoric rise up the company ladder.  Early success is critical to continued success throughout your career.
3. Find the commonalities between your two lists.  These are the factors that you should focus on as you start your career.  Please note that as you progress along your career, both lists will change.  Why?  You are growing and developing into a better leader.  You will hone the skills you enjoy and the ones that make you successful.  For example, I spoke with Renata today, a young MBA graduate who speaks fluent Russian.  Now, that’s a differentiator that you (and companies) can use.  
4. Identify jobs, companies, markets and industries that contain your common factors.  This may require you to network a little.  Ask the experts, headhunters, recruiters, career services at your college, and professional associations.  Talk to as many people as necessary.  
5. Once you have your list, get busy working it.  Your career will require a lot of activity and self-promotion.  It’s your career.