On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 9:38 PM, Bryan Sant <[email protected]> wrote: > On Wed, May 4, 2011 at 5:36 PM, Steven Morrey <[email protected]> wrote: >> Thanks, glad to know that information. >> Just another quick question but is it better to have a general MBA or a >> specialized MBA such as MBA in IT Management? I have the choice of taking >> the specialization but it means an extra 6 months, mostly focusing on ITIL >> topics. On the other hand, overspecialization has caused many species to >> become extinct. > > At the risk of sounding smarmy... It's better to develop the skills > that will make piles of cash for your employer. Learn skills that > will help make you so incredibly valuable, that you have many good > employers lusting after your talents.
I have a hiring manager whose job description literally is: "Solid Java engineer that can learn anything and knows how to ship product." Ship product = his interpretation of "piles of cash". It really gets that simple when you distill everything else. In fact, if pressed, and the person was successful enough at what else they programmed in, he would even drop the second word of his description (Java) if it was needed. (And, he's hiring, btw) > I would wager that a general > MBA is more common (and therefore less valuable) than a more > specialized MBA in IT Management. Note that this MBA will forever make you "look" like you want management/leadership, and you'll never again be considered for a programming role. Some individual contributor opportunities may come in the form of product management or professional services (technical expertise in the face of a client installation/integration). > But I think both options are far > less valuable than actual experience helping a company succeed -- not > just working somewhere, but actually being instrumental in that > organization's success. Actual experience will always be more valuable when compared toe-to-toe with a general vs specialized degree. We're trying to make money here, not produce whitepapers. > > My advice would be to read this book and seriously consider its > message: > http://www.amazon.com/Linchpin-Are-Indispensable-Seth-Godin/dp/1591843162 ++1 for linchpin. /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
