3 years into BB M&A. Worth doing an MBA if considering Corp Dev in long run?
Hi All,
Relatively new joiner but have been reading WSO for a number of years and always great perspectives here. I've finished 3 years at a BB in M&A as an analyst, now an associate-promote. Unlike a lot people I'm not looking down the PE/HF track but instead am thinking of continuing in M&A through to VP/MD (assuming I make it) with a view to switching into the Corporate Development / Management route at a large cap.
Given I'd be a career-long banker by that stage with limited 'management' experience does anyone have any views on whether it's worth doing an MBA in the associate years to add a 'management streak' to the CV? Note a key point here is that I'd be going to do an MBA from M&A as an associate and returning to M&A afterwards in the same bank with a view to continuing in M&A for a number of years - so not an immediate career transition post-MBA.
Would an MBA really add anything to strong BB M&A credentials in the long run if I were to join a corporate as a senior Corp Dev hire aiming for the C-Suite thereafter? I'm not so concerned about whether it would help make the initial transition, which I assume would be more 'banker moves to his client' driven. I'm aware of the costs/opportunity cost points but am I'm more interested in whether an MBA in the context of the above is a strategically sound long term career move for the C-Suite or not if I'd have 10+ years of BB M&A cred anyway.
If anyone has the view that the 'MD to Corporate' route is too rare to contemplate and I should consider moving sooner if I want to end up down the Management track in the long run then I'd be interested to hear those perspectives as well.
I'm currently under the impression that if the C-Suite at a large cap is the goal and I'm currently in M&A, then putting in 10 years to MD before a Corp Dev switch carries more weight and is a faster route than working through the ranks of corporate bureaucracy if I were to join as a junior - but I could be wrong..
Any thoughts would be greatly welcomed
Curious to hear others' thoughts on this. Bump.
No experience related to what you're asking so take what I'm going to say with a grain of salt.
My thoughts are no, it wouldn't help to do an MBA now to get "management experience/skills" if you don't plan to make a move to the corp. dev until 10+ years down the line. In my opinion I'd hold off on the MBA and complete it just prior to your swap ( you'd be an older candidate, which may or may not work in your advantage IDK) or MBA now and swap into a more junior level of corp. dev and work your way up. The later would allow you to gain management experience specifically in the corp. dev role.
Hope this helps, please update with whatever you decide to do and feel free to critique my ideas.
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