As a Senior Lecturer in a Business School and Hospitality Professional, I often find myself interacting with students and employees asking me for advice. What Master should I get? Do you recommend this or that Course? are among the common questions that I face daily.
I have the “bad” habit of being honest and sharing my thoughts openly, so I question back, “What is your purpose? What do you intend to achieve?” and the typical answers are “I want to add value to my Cv” or “I want to get more knowledge”, and “I want to progress in my career”. However, if you consider that it´s necessary to spend from 5k to 17k to put a badge on your Cv, stop reading here and go ahead. Otherwise, join me here below.
Definitely, studying for a Master degree today is almost mandatory, but it is not always necessary. The newbies landing on the job market want to stand out of the crowd, and getting a Master from a Business School looks like the trendy option. But be careful, if you are looking to increase your reputation, well, a short course won’t help you. What really gives you a boost is a four-year degree or a working experience with the right boss, no a Summer Course.
Today some of the Business Schools in the market are passing information to the students, probably relevant information, but often it is not enough to face the real world. Although the info they share would be relevant, it´s not enough to cover everyone´s expectations and future employers. A four-year work to get experience, supported by a Coach or Mentor, could be a worthy option instead.
Business Schools should teach how to do business, face real issues, and help students to develop their skills
instead of sharing white papers, reports, or pre-recorded video lessons. And all this it´s happening because, during the last Pandemic year, many newly created Business School are on the Online Market. Many people without scruples created Schools that don´t add any value and only take your money. So, please stay away from them and choose wisely.
Having Cornell, Harvard or Columbia Uni on the CV is an attractive option to opt for but if you cannot afford them, do accurate research before choosing any new recently created Business School, Institute or pseudo-Uni. There are outstanding institutions ready to receive students, but never forget what really makes the difference: the people, the professors with their knowledge and experience. They will explain concepts without another interest than your progress; there is no extra business hidden.
“I founded it very interesting and valuable. I learned things that I didn´t know” are the comments I heard from students who finished their courses at BEBS, and it´s true and rewarding to see their satisfaction; if you had the right Professor on top of you, you should’ve learned enough to progress. Not everyone who works today in the Hospitality Industry comes from a Hospitality Management School, and people fell in love with our Industry. Hence, they need to increase their knowledge to move forward in their jobs, and that´s a fact.
Continue improving and training are essential and a thing, but wasting your time and money is different. You must have clear objectives before deciding to start a “Master”. I remember a conversation I had with someone who contacted me once for advice; he said to me, “I learned more in a conversation with you than studying in the Master”, and it was because I answered his questions in a personalised way after listening carefully to his needs.
If you want to progress in your career, another valid option would be to choose a Mentor or a Career Coach rather than spending an enormous amount of money on a Master degree to receive a certificate in exchange from a Business School that nobody knows. You can find the key by knowing the right questions to ask. What do I need to learn to progress in my job? What will boost my career? What is my Manager doing in the office? How can I improve my performance?
Ask for advice, ask questions, then you can decide.