Hi everyone,I received an offer for the INSEAD MBA program. Currently I am working at a MBB firm in Germany for about 2 years.Since receiving the offer, I am pondering over the question whether I should go for it or not. On the financial side, while MBB is paying for it, I forgo quite a bit of income. On the learning side, I am not sure whether it will add much tangible knowledge for me.I am specifically wondering whether an MBA actually will help me exit into a better post consulting role (after 2+ more years at MBB after the MBA), or if it will pale in comparison to more MBB experience.Also, I am wondering what the value of the network will be long-term for finding jobs.In addition to that, would a lack of an MBA be a roadblock at progressing in big corporations?Thanks a lot in advance for any opinions or insights!

I very much doubt it will give you a positive return.1. You'll lose a small fortune in income.2. Post-MBA employers are going to ask about your experience. Additional academic qualifications won't be much use to you. You already have all the academics you need (as evidenced by being at MBB). 2 more years at MBB would be worth more to them than another MBA.3. Networks gained from educational institutions? Over-rated in my opinion. Almost no short-term benefit (because those contacts are themselves in a weak position) and probably hardly any long-term benefit either (yes they may one day become high-fliers, but you'll be long-forgotten by then and probably will have different experience to what they need then). Besides, the network you'll make at MBB will be far better anyway.If I were at MBB, what would induce me to do an MBA? Fear of getting blasted during an "up or out" cycle, that's what. The 2 year point is a rather sensitive one... the next step up the pyramid means you'll be in a pool with people who are older than you, more experienced than you, and who probably also have an MBA. Or in other words, people who are easier to sell to clients. I've seen many 2 year grads disappear from firms at that point, for all sorts of unknown mysterious random reasons. I'd try to cling on to MBB for a few more years, but first try and gauge whether you're going to become an "up and out" casualty if you don't go off to do an MBA.In fact, I'd try and exit MBB altogether and work somehere that either pays more for the hours worked or that lets you go home at a sensible hour. Do you really want to be doing job-end appraisals at midnight from a hotel room in Brussels and then preparing for a 7.45am workshop when all your friends are at home having a BBQ and a beer on a balmy summer evening?

Thanks for your great reply!May I ask why you would go for an MBA in case you were in danger of being forced out?

I disagree with BEP. If you were not already MBB and if it was not INSEAD, then I might agree with him, but assuming you're still enjoying the MBB life, then adding an INSEAD MBA genuinely gives you the secret password to a career path that 99% of people on this forum will never get a sniff at.If you're bored with MBB or have no interest/ drive to be on the board of a FTSE100 or multinational equivalent, then don't do it. If you DO want to make it to the very top, then go to INSEAD, return to MBB and wait for the offers to flood in. Even within INSEAD and Harvard/Kellogg etc, there is an inner circle. These are people that do NOT forget each other.

I actually question whether any relatively experienced MC gains much new tangible knowledge from an MBA. But as Cool nails the point - it's about networking. Your move out of MBB will come from an INSEAD alumni contact when the time comes.

I also disagree entirely with BEP’s post:Point on lost income – I don’t see this as relevant in the grand scheme of things.Point on experience – As great as the MBB experience is, the MBA will still help open some additional doors further down the road. You are absolutely not going to get jobs purely because of the MBA, but it may well be the entry ticket to an interview in some circumstances – job requirement, awareness, nepotism etc.Point on networks – I have an MBA from one of the schools that MBB types typically go to and so, speaking from experience, I disagree 100% on the networking value.Whether you are a career MBB consultant, or just plan a couple of years post-MBA, I would still go because you will enjoy it, because you will experience a lot, because you will have a great year and a great qualification, paid for by someone else.With respect to some of your other questions:“Will it add much tangible knowledge?” No it won’t, but that’s not what you’re going there for.“Will the MBA pale in comparison to more MBB experience?” In my view, this is not a valid comparison. What you should ask is “Am I more employable as an engagement manager with 6 years at MBB or as an engagement manager with 5 years at MBB and an INSEAD MBA?”“Would a lack of an MBA be a roadblock at progressing?” Unlikely once you are established within a company, but remember a big part of progressing in big corporates is playing the political game and being seen to have done and to continue to do the right things. Many many of your peers (read competitors) will have ticked the MBA box, why leave yourself at a disadvantage? Lots of small positive things collectively add up to one big positive thingWrt BEP’s point about doing something else – I half agree with this, but primarily in the context of becoming an absolute high-flier. If you are not sure that an MBA is right for you now (you have only ~two years’ experience, which is young for INSEAD, unless you are a PhD or something), you could consider spending a couple of years in an awesome industry job and then shoot for the stars with Harvard or Stanford. Just something to consider...Final point – The reason to go on full-time top MBAs is really not so much to learn, it is to facilitate a career change or career advancement, to have fun, to just take a year off to play sport and drink, to meet new people, to experience other cultures, to find out about other career paths, I could go on. So don’t focus at all on ROI or what you might learn in class, they are not so important. There is a reason why so many people, including your MBB peers, follow this path, and you are unlikely to be the exception to the rule. I can pretty much guarantee you will benefit from it at some point in the future, so just consider whether you would enjoy it or not. Sorry this got a bit long – I don’t have the time to edit

Hmm, I'm still not convinced about the value of the MBA.I'm assuming we're talking here about somebody who has spent 2 years working for MBB, fresh out of university (I might be wrong about that though). So his entire experience consists of 2 years at MBB so far, plus some very good academic qualifications.So he's at a juncture. What's his next career step?1. Work up the ranks at MBB. But risk an up or out incident, and limit the network mostly to people within the firm (or clients).2. Get out of MBB, cash in on the kudos, and move into industry or somewhere else. Get home by 6pm every night and earn more or less the same as you were earning before. Or, if you're more ambitious, work up through the ranks and let your innate ability take you places.3. Go back into academia. Do the MBA and forego a year's worth of income. Get another qualification that might open a few doors, perhaps. Also make some contacts that probably won't be much value either (they're more interested in their own careers than yours). Maybe make it to the board of a FTSE100, maybe end up working for the big 4, maybe end up as an analyst for a bank. Maybe work for MBB for a few more years after getting the MBA and then get an "up or out" a few years later, then default back to option 2.Personally, I'd stay at MBB and try to network myself into a nice plum role working for a client.Also, this thing about the network really is over-rated. I'm plugged into quite a few so-called "desirable" networks, but they're pretty much useless for work things. Think about it: So you studied with the guy who will become chairman of Unilever in 2030. Do you really think he's going to randomly call you up and ask you to be their CFO because he remembers how well you did in your case study of American Railroads during your MBA class of 2015? More likely he's going to take you along the journey with him, helping each other to find new roles and to work up through the ranks slowly but surely. You can meet such people quite easily at MBB: you are ALREADY immersed in the world of Harvard and INSEAD MBAs. Go and have lunch with them. Your network is already there, right in front of you!! But anyway, the most valuable networks are industry-specific and are based on many years of horse-trading rather than being based on a random bunch of future high-flyers you meet during a course.If you're REALLY obsessed with making it to the very top, then I would suggest that you: a) find a winner at MBB who is 15 years older than you, b) latch onto them like a limpet, c) wash their car, polish their shoes, write their presentations and suck up like crazy, d) wait for that person to move to their next job, e) plead and beg that they take you with them.

[quote]I actually question whether any relatively experienced MC gains much new tangible knowledge from an MBA. But as Cool nails the point - it's about networking. Your move out of MBB will come from an INSEAD alumni contact when the time comes.[/quote]Mars! Been ages! How are you? Best wishes for 2014.

[quote]Hmm, I'm still not convinced about the value of the MBA.[/quote]Fair enough BEP, not my place to convince you. Based on assumptions taken from your screen name, however, I would question for a minute how much your views are taken through the eyes of a 25 year old, versus your own eyes and (presumably) very different experience? In particular regarding networks, I don't see how you can accurately extrapolate the networking experience of a (presumably) partner in a consulting firm to what the OP will experience in the next 5-8 years at a much more junior level.I would advise the OP to do an MBA - he/she has nothing (apart from an amount of money which is totally irrelevant in the grand scheme of things) to lose, and plenty to gain - even if there is no obviously tangible learning/career benefit, it is still a great experience to have. Doing an INSEAD MBA right now at this stage of their career, I can't say that, we don't have enough information to work with.

Point taken, things are very different these days compared to what they used to be like and it's entirely possible that I'm just out of touch with the reality facing younger people. I do know the job market is tough for young people and that really genuinely saddens me... it means my generation has mucked up bigtime and should hang its head in shame. Bright graduates shouldn't have to worry about these sorts of things :(On the MBA thing though I think what I'm struggling with is what the actual point of the MBA is:- To gain an additional qualification doesn't seem like it will make much difference to the employability of somebody who presumably has stunning qualifications already.- To build a network it doesn't seem like a particularly efficient route when he is surrounded by high-flyers, MBAs and future leaders _at this very moment_ and can start building his network literally this afternoon by inviting somebody out for a sandwich. As in, literally stand up, walk 4 metres across the office to some other cubicle, and start a conversation with some middle-ranking consultancy Herbert who has a Yale MBA or whatever...Having exhausted both those options, what other reasons could there be for doing it?I could understand if the purpose of the MBA was to dodge a round of "up and outs", however...

So, notwithstanding that everyone is different and there are multiple different ways of doing an MBA, and that countless people don't do or ever need one, my take looking back on how I see some of the benefits of doing an MBA full-time at a top school:1) As you say the job market is tough, and this reminds me of an interview I read once with the manager of the British cycling team after they won a ton of gold medals. He stated that the reason they won so many was that they focused on improving every single thing they did by 1%. By doing that across a bunch of different areas, they hugely increased their overall performance. Same with careers - if you have a stellar background and are going for stellar jobs, then you can be sure that your competition will be equally stellar. Why deprive yourself of that 1% that may make a difference?2) From a networking perspective, it is not especially effective from a time perspective, no doubt. And yes, you will have a good network already in an MBB firm. But why not make it firstly bigger and secondly more diverse in terms of geography and function and industry. It's another 1%3) It's a cliche, but it really was a unique experience and a huge amount of fun - the opportunity to go back to university a bit later in life and to put right all the things you perhaps didn't do well enough first time round, and to open your eyes up a bit to new and different experiences/opportunities. It is for most I imagine the last opportunity to have that experience in that type of setting - why deny yourself for a few $ and a year or two, life's too short anyway, especially if you work in consulting? And that sort of mindset, at least in my view, makes someone an attractive candidate – perhaps worth another 1%In summary, for me it's not about learning finance or strategy, and it's not about ROI (although mine has been great). And there was no big Eureka "I need an MBA for X" reason. It is just something that I believe has added a whole lot of value, mostly intangible, in many different ways, career and otherwise.

To the OP:Don't be silly! Go do your MBA. Make sure you learn to multi-task properly. You are essentially a student again - you want to be able to pull college girls!!!In the words of my idol, "College girls! We grow older, they stay the same age".P.S. I am thinking of going back and doing a(nother) first degree. Maybe at USC or Miami.P.P.S. Don't laugh! I can still pass of as a 25 yo.