Starting Businesses and Educating Oneself

Happy Monday everyone! We're now less than one week away until Arizona's own Cardinals win their first Superbowl. Positive thinking has won out the past three games, so I'm not stopping now!

First, a quick update on my entrepreneurial endeavor - I successfully applied for my LLC status with the state's Corporation Commission on Friday and am nearly complete with my web site. As soon as I have confirmation of the LLC's establishment, I'll post my web address and start the process of marketing. Thanks to Brad Cea for walking me through this process and assisting with a variety of tax related questions over the past week. We'll give Brad's LLC, AZ Biz Kit some more press down the road.

Here's a link to a wonderful article that is close to my heart right now...........
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/?article=CanMBADown&gt1=27001

This deals with the question of whether an MBA is worth the total investment necessary to obtain it. Now, I was not in a position to obtain my degree through the distinguished Wharton School of Business, but Arizona State University has a very strong business program, so I feel that I can still hold my head high for my achievements. Here are my thoughts:

1. I did not pay anything near the costs listed in this article. Had I, there is a good chance you could find me huddled in the back of my closet crying on most days. On the flip side, I did not have a guaranteed job waiting for me either, so take your pick. In any event, with a family and two kids, I can't imagine how long it would take to pay that tab even if the mid-six-figure job was waiting for me post graduation.
2. The reality in my mind is that a graduate level degree is the new differentiator when it comes to candidate evaluation. In my field, an MBA and SPHR certification is more likely to get you a look for a department-head level HR position these days. It's an incredibly tough market for applicants and any way to differentiate yourself from the pack is a good thing.
3. If you work for a company that will pay most or all of your education expenses, stop finding excuses why not, and take advantage! I made the mistake of starting my graduate degree after I left the company that would have covered my costs. I got a little bit of help, but not what I would have if I had been more on the ball.
4. When you go back to to school, network the heck out of your program. The professors, your classmates, the school's administrative staff, etc. Not only will you have more resources while you're in school, you'll have more resources for your job search or personal business contacts afterwards. The fact is, most of your business professors are doing research to write articles to get published to move up the ranks. The way a lot of them do this is through consulting with companies. Put two and two together and those are the individuals you want to know.
5. If you are going back to school full-time, investigate the option of becoming a teaching assistant (TA). I recently learned that some schools will not only waive tuition for these positions, but also cover medical and provide a monthly stipend. You may have to assist two or three professors with test grading and class organization, but this is a great way to reduce or even eliminate the most dramatic costs associated with obtaining your degree.

I have a community outreach project coming up in February where several of my MBA classmates and I are going to be conducting a free resume writing clinic at a local business. Once the ads are up online, I'll post them. Those in the AZ area, please share with your friends as anyone is welcome.

Go Cardinals!