Deciciontopursueanmba

Decision to Pursue an MBA Charlene Whidbee University of Phoenix MGT/521: Construct and Support an Argument August 1, 2009 Why am I pursuing a MBA' Is it necessary for me to obtain this degrees in order to advance on my career path' What clarity can the Jungian Personality Self-Assessment Test (JPSA) provide me with' Should I use the JPSA to choose my career Path' These are questions I will answer in the following paragraphs for you to get a better understanding of my decision to pursue an MBA. Why am I pursuing my MBA… A masters in business administration is a valuable tool to acquire, but is it necessary for me to obtain my goals' It is said to open doors that may not be available without it. Formerly, I was a retail store manager. I started my retail career in 1995 as a sale associate, which took a turn into management less than a year later. I have been in the retail field for over fourteen years on and off. I was recently let go and decided to return back to school for my MBA. I have been told, by friends, co-workers and family members, that the pursuit of a MBA will not be as easy as my BA. I obtained my BA in business in three years, not to advance my career but as a personal goal to my children, family and self to prove “I could do it“. My decision to pursue my MBA is to further my education, but career advancement and increase in pay rate will be gladly excepted. Is a MBA necessary to continue in my career path… My years of working in retail have taught me that it is a fast pace environment, if you’re willing to learn someone is willing to train you and help you move up in the company. Which means educational advancement is not a job requirement and not a benefit the retail companies will offer to pay for in order to achieve job promotions. But with my proficient in all aspects of being a sales floor manager, sales leader, co-prop, assistant manager and store manager I am guaranteed a foot in the door because of my experience not my educational back ground. Yes, having a BA and MBA on my resume is seen as good achievements but it will not guarantee me the position applying for more than my experience. While looking through job search engines such as careerbuilder.com, jobfox.com, monster.com, etc. you will see the job requirements for retail are usually based on experience. For example this is the store manager job requirements for Duane Reade: Wall-to-wall Management Responsibilities in Retail Industry and/or multi-unit management experience · Outstanding Customer Service · Excellent Training and Mentoring Skills · Skilled in Performance Management · Strong Leadership and Communication Skills · Proven skills in analyzing P&L information including inventory control and payroll management · Merchandising/Presentation · Human Resources · Must be flexible including some nights and weekends/ 55 hours per week (careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx, posted 7/02/09) Also according to the Graduate Management Admissions Council employers in NY companies plan to reduce the MBA headcount among new hires by 12% in 2008. The reduction in NY is most likely driven by declining opportunities in the financial sector. As expected, responding employers in NY, most of whom are concentrated in the financial industry, planned to offer recent MBA graduates job opportunities primarily in investment banking (37%) and other finance areas (36%) in 2008. On the other hand, most opportunities for MBA graduates in NJ appear to be in marketing and sales area (58%).(GMAC, 2008) Jungian 16-Type Personality Your score is: ENTJ ENJT. Your outgoing, visionary, argumentative, have a low tolerance for incompetence, and often seen as a natural leader. Possible career as a manager, management trainer, stockbroker, lawyer, chemical engineer, police officer(Eggert, M. The Best Job-Hunt Book in the World, New York: Random House, 2000). What clarity can the Jungian Personality Self-Assessment Test (JPSA) provide me with and should a personality self-assessment be used to choose your career path… My Jungian personality self-assessment (JPSA) test has clarified why I always aim for management positions, no matter what field of work I obtain my goal is to lead. I would never have thought to use a personality test to choose my career path. Yes, gaining insight and a better understanding of my personality can help ensure that I am on the correct career path. But what if, what is revealed in the self-assessment just helps to confuse me even more. Above, I have shared my results of my JPSA, which have identified my personality trait and provided insight to how others perceive me. It is said that Jungian analysis is a form of psychotherapy that offers greater depth when confronting difficult issues affecting one's personal and professional life: loss of meaning or motivation, burnout, stress, creative impasses, significant losses in life, transitions, destructive and self-defeating behaviors(Tompkins, 2009). References Graduate Management Admissions Council. (2008). 2008 Corporate Recruiters Survey-_ New York and New Jersey Regional Outlook._ From:http://www.gmac.com/community/media/p/354.aspx Robinson, S. (2007). Jungian Personality Self-Assessment. Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall. Tompkins, D. (2009). The Wisdom of the Psyche. International Association for Analytical Psychology(IAAP). From:http://nyjungian.com/Index.html