Should I get an MBA?

It’s a question many professionals contemplate on whether it’s worth the time, cost and effort.

To start, focus on one central issue: will the MBA take me to where I want to be more effectively than the alternatives?  Understanding what drives you and selecting the career path that directly links to this can sometimes be difficult.

Evaluate the alternatives before choosing. Attaining the knowledge, skills and abilities for your future job is critical, so do your research on the career you ultimately desire to find out exactly what you need to get there. Look online to see job descriptions/requirements. Most importantly, talk with someone currently achieving success in this career path who can convey to you everything you need to not only get hired, but also to become a  success. Talk to a few people to get a better sample size.

After doing your research, if it becomes evident that there are other avenues to get you to your next position (a few courses, independent projects, etc), then by all means forego the MBA and pursue that strategy. If you conclude that the MBA is your best choice, then start looking into the best programs that fit the priority of your requirements (location, cost, reputation, job placement, in-depth courses and well known professors in your field).

Once classes start up, attack the courses and professors directly linked to this career path.  The first year is often a dizzying array of required courses and can be a hectic schedule. Keep focused on the most relevant tasks and start the summer internship process early. Otherwise, you might get lost in the shuffle of irrelevant coursework, speaker and networking events that are “nice to attend”, but will not get you to your goal. 

You're Unemployed and Desperate for a Job

OK, so you've reached rock bottom: unemployment status.

Regardless of whether you're eligible for unemployment benefits, you're in a hole that you have to dig yourself out of as quickly as possible. Whether you've been in your situation for days, weeks or months, it is helpful to create a sense of urgency. Think survival mode and do not become complacent.

Here are the immediate steps one should consider executing:

1) Complete the resume and don't fudge it (containing accurate dates of employment). Establish the versions you want for the positions you want. Have a close group of those you respect and trust review it (people who will spend more than 5 minutes reviewing it). Ask for brutal honesty and a quick turnaround.

2) Contact the most successful people you know who care about you. They are your first and most important lifeline. They will go to battle for you. Provide them with your resume and give them a snapshot of your current situation, tell them what you are looking to do. Most importantly, do your own research on how they might be able to help you, and tell them (you are asking them, but they need to be told what exactly it is you want – remember these people are busy) how to help you. They will be able to read your situation very quickly and make things happen. They know the right people or can provide an effective resource/direction. Explore every resource in this category and follow up quickly. Keep your contact in the loop on all correspondence with any of the leads they give you, and be sure to thank them.

3) Contact other successful people who may care about your situation. You consider these people contacts but you were never able to get a good read on them -- now is the time to test them out. The bottom line is they are successes and could be a good resource. In life, sometimes the least likely people you expect will help you out, either through circumstance or out of good nature. They may require more follow up, but still can provide a good lead.

4) Contact other close friends and family. Although you may be reluctant to rely on family since they some may not know how to effectively go about helping you, or may become overly concerned with your situation, you need to face reality: they are family and will eventually find out about your situation anyway. So why not use this concern to your advantage? They care about you and will fight for you.

Again, it is important to articulate to them what you are interested in (especially family) -  failing to do so will result in irrelevant job opportunities sent to you, wasting your time having to read through them and then explain to your friend why it is not a good fit.

It is also beneficial to demonstrate that you are proactive among family and friends. They might sense some level of urgency (which might be the case if you are worrying how you are going to pay the rent and get that painful toothache taken care of, since you might not have health insurance). Strike a delicate balance of being proactive but not sounding or looking desperate. If they sense this, they might feel bad for you and console you instead of actually help you.

5) Online searches. OK, so I know you were saying to yourself, "when is he going to list search online for jobs?" Chances are if you are reading this, you have already been applying online to plenty of jobs. Continue to do so, but re-tool the wording of your resume to better match the job descriptions without going overboard. Do not spend more than a few hours per week on online searches – they can be draining and unproductive.   

Now, the next two steps can arguably be swapped depending whether you can find recommended headhunters:

6) Meet with a few quality headhunters. Ask your network for recommendations. Let’s face it, most headhunters aren't very helpful (short attention span, unreturned phone

calls, little feedback or updates on opportunities, etc.). If you are going to take the time to meet with any, make sure they add value before deciding to meet with them. If you can't get any recommendations, you may want to put this step towards the end of your to-do list or avoid them altogether.

7) Contact remaining network. This involves contacting past employers, alumni from your school(s), and any others who might give you the time of day (semi-warm leads). Use your judgment on how to contact them (email, phone) but as tempting as it may be, do not blast out a mass email. Personalize it and thank them for their time (since you both know you probably would not have contacted them otherwise).