The average age of MBA students is between 26 and 28 in the United States, and close to 30 in Europe. “It is better to benefit from a few years of experience before applying,” advises Nadia Deacken, consultant at the Association for the employment of executives (Apec) in Marseille.

An MBA can land you in leadership positions faster, make a better living, or make a bigger career change.

Why are European MBAs popular?

“More than half of full-time MBA students try to make a ‘triple jump’: change of position, sector and location”, explains Matt Symonds, director of Fortuna Admissions, which accompanies candidates in their approach.

For others, who already have technical expertise acquired in their first years of career, it is an opportunity to move towards more managerial functions. In any case, negotiating this turn requires real maturity in relation to your professional project.

Is it really worth doing an MBA?

No one is forced to go to business school to succeed in their career. But the MBA can be an incredible accelerator, thanks to the network, the opportunities and the skills learned”.

Another signal given to recruiters: your determination to move forward. For Matt Symonds, this is what will attract them above all, beyond skills: “employers see that you have invested in yourself”.

Otherwise, the MBA effect can also result in the assumption of significant responsibilities within the company or elsewhere, or in the retention of an employee who no longer had the appropriate skills to remain in a transformed sector. . Still, the usefulness of an MBA will greatly depend on the quality and reputation of the training chosen.

Choosing your MBA: how not to make a mistake?

Created in 1908 at Harvard, the “Master of Business Administration” (MBA) is an international degree at the highest level of business management. However, the name “MBA” is free of rights and does not correspond to a state diploma in France. It is therefore the door open to many marketing excesses from unscrupulous schools. Some use this label to justify very expensive rates for training that sometimes has nothing to do with management or business.

Fortunately, several clues allow you to find your way around. Organizations such as AACSB, AMBA, or EFMD issue international accreditations. School rankings are also good indicators. The best complement is still to speak to former students of targeted training, not hesitating to multiply their opinions.

Part time or full time?

Several factors come into play in the choice of format (“part-time” vs. “full-time”): the flexibility of your company, the mode of financing, and your state of mind.

MBA: the testimony of thirty-year-olds who have taken the plunge

“If you want to ‘keep one foot in the house’ and return to the structure at the end of the training to bring the expected added value, part-time work can be a solution”, indicates Nadia Deacken. Some schools offer courses with one week of lessons per month, but over a longer period.

“On the other hand, if you want to take a one-year break, the ‘full-time’ formula is a choice that makes sense, to devote yourself entirely to training and not be parasitized by your professional activity”, advances the consultant of Apec Marseille.

Should you necessarily choose an MBA abroad?

“Studying in Canada, the United States, Singapore, or even Hong Kong allows you to better understand these markets if you want to pursue your career internationally,” says Matt Symonds. An experience reinforced by meeting students and teachers from other backgrounds.