Hello. I’m a full-time financial consultant working for a top firm in the industry. I’m considering pursuing a higher education, possibly an MBA, to progress in my career. However, I love my job and I am offered a very competitive salary and benefits package, thus quitting is not an option for me. What do you suggest I do?
It’s good to hear that you love your job when most people spend a lifetime searching for their true calling. You also might want to know that according to Bayt.com’s “Career Advancement in the MENA” poll (July, 2011), 30.5% of professionals across the region claim the willingness to learn is the most important quality required to succeed in one’s career. As a full-time working professional, you mainly have three options to pursue your Masters degree without having to resign:
You sure are wondering how you would be able to be a full-time student when you hold a full-time job. Let us be clear that this will only be possible if your company supports continuous training and education. Many companies offer their employees an unpaid leave of one or two years to go back to university and some even pay for the expenses considering the employee commits to staying with the company for a certain period of time post-graduation. We advise you to ask your manager and your HR department about whether or not such arrangements are offered.
If the first option is not possible in your company, you might want to enroll in a part-time program. Many universities offer this alternative as they are well aware that very few professionals are willing to quit their jobs to pursue a higher education program. However, it is important for you to keep in mind that such a choice might be very demanding and tiring; not everyone can keep up with a 13-hour work/study schedule on a daily basis.
If options one and two don’t work for you, than three will for sure. Online programs were especially designed for professionals who seek extra flexibility and a better study/work life balance. According to Bayt.com’s poll on “Online Education and the Job Market in the Middle East” (February, 2012), 69.9% of professionals agree that online education is viewed in a more positive light today than it was five years ago, and 44.6% of respondents claim to have pursued an online certification.
Our poll also revealed that a mix of online and traditional classroom studies is the best type of education, according to 66.7% of professionals across the region, so you might want to consider such an arrangement in the many universities that offer it. For more information on MBAs and pursuing a higher education, please feel free to check our Continuing Education section. The great news is that Bayt.com’s Virtual Education Fair gates will be open from May 6th –May 12th 2012. Chat with top university professionals, apply for courses and check videos all online! We are sure your ambition and drive will very soon pay-off; so choose wisely and proceed! We wish you the best of luck.
