CareersNG

After an Overseas Msc + 4 years of International experience in a Major Oil/Gas company working in a technical role, which would be your prefered next step: An MBA in a top school (Wharton, Columbia, Stanford, Insead, IMD or LSE), or a Phd in a technical discipline (@Stanford or Imperial)?

I was thinking about the former, but after chatting with some of my mentors, I am considering "sitting at home" (i.e not going to school any further). What do you guys think?

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More twisted than dreadlocks

...hmmm interesting...

Not going to school any further could be ok depending on your level of quest for knowledge/career growth....But i doubt if an Msc alone would suffice on the long run.
Since there wld be tendency you seek for more on the long-run, then its wise to quickly do what you must do and focus on the real thing u wana do!

And thats the main issue(the real thing u wana do)
If u are the business minded type(which a lot of us claim we are anyway ).
With my almost zero knowledge in business though, I still categorize into two, the type of businesses somone like you may want to go into

1)The kara-kata type
This are business that do not of themselfs create/manufacture their core service/solution.
Samples: of big businesses in this category are:
WalMart/Shoprite, Dangote, Telnet, Celtel, GTBank, Ebay, Amazon, Forex, Computer Village etc.
Most businesses in Nigeria are in this category anyway...

2)The Creative type
This are manufacturing and innovation centered companies.
Samples:
IBM, Microsoft, Nigerian Breweries, Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Intel etc..

Now goto do some statistics on categories 1&2, and find out where the category with the highest concentration of PhD holders. You dont need to think to know that its category 2.
Therefore, if you planning business interest in the direction of category 2 then go get your PhD! (MBA can come after if need be).

If u thinking Category 1, then go get ur MBA!

If you not thinking business atall, then go get your MBA, so that you can get promotion to manager in the company you working for.

If u not thinking business and you prefer academics/research, then go get your PhD also.

In summary, technical PhD is good for someone who has a technical Msc already, and its good its done in time because its easier to do MBA at old age than doing PhD at old age

Wish you the best!

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Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

@Fowe:

Merci.

The reason why I was shying away from the MBA is that most of the top managers I know in the oil and gas majors didnt do any MBA. Problem is technical PhD subtracts 3 or more years from your life and there is the risk it might not pay off!

Was considering switching to a managerial role in the future (in an oil/gas major) or going solo with your "category 2" type biziness. The argument that no MBA is needed to switch plus anoda argument that experience is worth more than any PhD just got me wondering if e no betta pass make I kuku siddon for house.

Cheers anyway.

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More twisted than dreadlocks

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Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

i dey gain for this advice/argument oh !

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Genius begins great works;
Labour alone finishes them

Really its up to you! What area did you really feel your spirits lifting you or what do you really feel like doing? Do you want a teaching career may be do the PhD or you want to just have a big title then same option BUT if your passion is money making, at that stage I can say you have done enough eduacting yourself you need to start making the money. The whole essence is making meaning of your life and living. Whatever option you choose, 'does it bring out an expression of the real you on the inside?', is the big question I think you need to answer.

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More twisted than dreadlocks

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If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today .
......Mike Bertola.

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Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

_________________
More twisted than dreadlocks

_________________
Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

_________________
More twisted than dreadlocks

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Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

Ok i don cool down small,...it seams Princeton accepts basic sciences for admission into their PhD program in Psychology, thats seams like a box that could size me
I have also posted a question on a Psychology group on LinkedIn to for advice.
Meanwhile, I am also considering some other programs in Maths & Computational Stuffs or Statistical Machine Learning.
Any info on any program outside the US would be good too.

Thanks

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Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

_________________
More twisted than dreadlocks

Yes! i think Schools are really still NOT!
but i am not annoyed anymore...then i was really vexed!...so i don cool down means i am not emotional about it anymore.
But i am really still tired of schools and their boxed up structures.
i think a new trend(war against school boxes) would start within the next 10yrs.
the only challenge is that i dont have enough points yet to defend my view.
But lets see how it goes. I am certain there is something wrong with the schools.
I think Education should not be equated to schools. I think schools even cage education away from people, and this slows down the learning rate and perspective of a lot people.
Its all an opinion sha...i would create a topic when i get more clarity on this.

_________________
Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

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Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

guy if u need to be inn naija and would love a part time job in the university get phd.if teaching aint u.then if ur oil companay no click as u feel guy forward bizness then phd go come as opportuity dey!

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here is Ken Robinson saying something related to my vexation with the bureaucratically over structured failing education system!




Enjoyy

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Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.

_________________
Fowe.
Choices make or mar Chances ... add extra care to your choices today.