Anyone who wants to go into the business world can do so, formally educated or not. In fact, some of the most highly touted examples of success generally consist of entrepreneurs and innovators who made it despite not possessing MBAs or even high school diplomas. Of course, those who actually work and thrive in the business world will tell you that this is the exception and not the rule. Besides needing to have a knowledge base, making it in the business world is very much about problem solving and logic. Yes, sometimes life experience really can trump all, but a formal education is also invaluable to anyone who wants to make it in business. This article goes over the many ways that education intersects with business.
How Having an Education Enhances Professionalism
What makes a personal or even a business entity viewed as being professional? Is it the dark suits that both CEOs and business professionals wear everyday to work? Are businesses seen as being more professional because they have a formal company letterhead that appears on all of their internal and external communications? There is much more that goes with professionalism, and part of that is pedigree. While being able to brag that you graduated from a well-known business school is one thing, another area of professionalism includes the fact that MBA holders have a shared knowledge. You all understand the various business structures that exist, how each one works, and what their tax liabilities are. You also know how to get a business up, running, and well publicized on minimal budgets. Being able to list your formal education on your resume is a huge element of professionalism.
Charting Your Education in the Business World
Not everyone will follow the same set path when it comes to establishing themselves in the business world. The most fortunate of all get to leave school and go directly to college, focusing only on their studies until they receive their MBA degree. Another group has to balance work and school, perhaps working a full-time job during normal business hours and then attending class in the evenings. Lastly, you can get your MBA online in as little as 18 months which can give you the most freedom of all. Various business professionals have received the MBA degrees online well over a decade after entering the business world. Because of the flexibility involved in going to school online, there are loads of professionals who actually prefer the pacing associated with online studying.
Reaching New Levels of Business Via Education
One of the primary reasons that businesses launched by novices either have issues having being launched or fail to thrive is because they don’t know what the correct steps are. When starting a business, absolutely everything has to be worked out beforehand. That means that market research and a business plan must be authored before you speak a word of your idea to potential investors. Unfortunately, people who do not have an education in business don’t know this. They spend months stumbling around in the dark, whereas a formally education business professional would have been able to take the reins of any project and make headway. With an advanced degree, you will reach new levels of business directly via your education.
The Art of Professional Networking
As a business professional, you really only have so many different places and ways that you can network. In actuality, professional networking works two-fold. First, you have the places where you can network with other people in your profession. This will be at conferences, seminars, lectures, conventions, etc., where business professionals gather. Second, there is the option of networking whenever the opportunity presents itself. While you should always have business cards with you, there is a difference between striking while the iron is hot and being ‘that person’ who is always trying to sell people something. In the majority of cases, business professionals who have an MBA simply have the most available opportunities for professional networking. Between making acquaintances with other professionals while going to school, to attending events after graduation, they can quickly amass a network of professionals from every part of the world.
Gaining Respectability Points
For the most part, working as a business professional in and of itself gains the average person quite a few ‘respectability points.’ It is assumed that you receive regular raises and work in an office complete with AC and heating, and mandatory breaks. The reality is that not everyone can say that they work in an office or even that they make more than the minimum wage. The higher your education level, the more respectable you will be as your career options increase. A lot of business professionals that have received their MBA can do things such as author business-based whitepapers, or even run a professional blog. People who have moved up the ranks in business because they are well educated are not only well respected, they are trusted. Their employers believe them capable of appearing at business conferences as the master of ceremonies or even the keynote speakers because they are eloquent and confident. Their colleagues know that they can transport knowledge that has been fact-checked and is timely. In short, having an MBA generally makes you more respectable in business.
Seeing Your Education Pay for Itself
Neither business nor education is free, but both are investments of sorts. When you put money into a business, there is the belief that you will get back everything you put into it and more. For anyone going to school to complete their MBA, the thought process is that getting an education will also eventually pay off. And that is precisely what will happen if you do get a degree and apply it to your professional career. While going to school, you will learn the answers to every question imaginable. You will be able to see how different business structures work and benefit businesses as a whole. Lastly, having an education in business helps you to see what technologies and themes are most popular at present.
If you want to start a business, all you need is enough cash to register it formally. You also don’t need a website, a logo, or even a press release to start a business. On the other hand, absolutely no business professional would suggest that you do any of those things with the hopes of launching a business successfully. So, carefully consider the many ways that an education benefits all who enter the business world.
