MBA: Getting Credit for Experience |
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August 13, 2006
by Gabby Hyman
First Stop Online Degree Columnist
Mark Carlos is the President of MC Solutions, a management and technology consulting services company located in Sacramento, CA. Carlos previously rode the high-tech wave, employing street savvy to move into technical management without formal training. He eventually relocated to Sacramento to be with family, opting for a quieter lifestyle than the one he lived in Silicon Valley as western regional sales manager for US Robotics (later 3Com). Burned out from a year of 250,000 air miles, he started a private consultancy from home.
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Two years ago, hoping to receive formal recognition of his c-level management experience and skills, Carlos enrolled in an online MBA program. He searched for -- and found -- a distance learning program that would let him use ongoing project management solutions as written projects for coursework. He's delighted with the outcome.
FSOD: How did you ever do it without a management degree?
MC: Back in the late 1970s, there were no tech degrees. For my bachelor's in accounting, I took one computer class. We used punch-cards for an early IBM mainframe system. There were no personal computers yet. By 1980, I was controller for a startup. When they asked me to work on the business plan to go public, I had to admit I was over my head. They transferred me into managing development of their accounting software. I knew accounting.
FSOD: So you had no business software training?
MC: We were inventing business software. When we released our product in 1983, I moved from inventing the software into technical support. I helped the sales force and end users with my accounting background. At other companies, I learned their systems on the job, like how to operate a UNIX operating system. By supporting pre-sales engineers with my accounting background, we tripled sales. My bean-counting paid off.
FSOD: You went a long way.
MC: I moved to Novell as a technical trainer. I trained new trainers. I became an expert in Novell Netware, the precursor to Microsoft Windows Server. They sent me to Hawaii, where I learned about integrating IBM systems. I learned how systems are scoped, managed, installed, and how staffs train on them. It gave me the confidence that I could do everything, and the business background to understand work flow. Once you have that, you can go anywhere.
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FSOD: I wonder if there's a career path like that now.
MC: I doubt you could do it today. I had 45+ sales engineers reporting to me at 3Com. I knew the technology, knew how to manage a team selling to Fortune 500 accounts, chemical companies, and oil companies. In 1998, I was running North America pre-sales.
FSOD: So, why did you need an MBA? How did you decide to go?
MC: I wanted my skills and experience acknowledged by today's benchmarks. I live my life on the internet avoiding every scam. When I got an email about online degrees, I looked them over. I believe in online learning. Over the years I took tech courses -- but one at a time. I got certified in Citrix, in Cisco, and Microsoft. I understand the product lines and what they do.
FSOD: So you signed up?
MC: I spent six weeks researching two-year MBA programs. I settled on Oaklands University because they allowed you to test out of some courses if you had real-life experience. Sierra Select management offered to pay.
FSOD: Did you like the online environment?
MC: I liked it immensely. There were online tutors to answer questions at any time. I downloaded my reading and took online tests. We were emailed paper assignments, and each of the 12 learning modules had specific, clear requirements. I focused on project management, business processes and operations, business communication, and personnel/HR. I had extensive experience in a lot of the materials, but profited a lot from the HR section, where they tailored my studies to applicable California rules.
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FSOD: Have you seen tangible results since receiving your MBA?
MC: Immediately after I updated my resume, I began receiving higher-quality leads from high-quality recruiters. Higher pay scales, higher enticements and bonuses, up to 25% raises for comparable positions. They say I qualify now by combining my extensive experience plus the degree.
FSOD: Do you have online MBA advice for prospective students?
MC: I was told by two Silicon Valley MBAs that unless you're going to a top-10 business school like Harvard or Wharton, the playing field is level. Pick an accredited school that matches your needs.
Learn more about MBA
About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.
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