I got an MSF after one year of financial related work, then have been working in boutique IB for 3 years. I want to move on from my firm but I am finding opportunities limited. I think Grad School (either MBA or Law) could give me more opportunities.
What do you think? Should I just keep working and try get an associate role somewhere or use MBA or Law to get associate role? I kind of don't want to go back to B-School since I already did MSF at top MSF program (think the best under Princeton/MIT).
Assume I can get into Top Ten Law and Top Twenty MBA.
im a jd/mba at a top 20 school for both law and mba, i would advise against going to law school if you want to continue to do ib--or really anything other than work as a lawyer at a law firm. I would also advise against being a lawyer. Also, if you think you can get into a top ten law you should be able to get into a much higher mba program.
feel free to pm me if you have any questions about law school.
Why would you go to law school if you don't want to be a lawyer?
I honestly don't see how either of those degrees would add value at this point given your background and what you're looking to do-unless you desperately need that MBA network.
Do not go to law school for the sake of going to law school. I have friends that have done this and I cannot tell you how much they regretted their decision. You need to be dead set on practicing law in some capacity if you go.
DO NOT go to law school period. It just plain sucks. Also, I don't think I'd do any grad program at your stage. Just network directly into what you want. At this point, it's a bad idea to incur an opportunity cost of more debt and lost work experience.
But Ari Gold is a JD/MBA, does he practice law?
He lays down the law in Hollywood, practically the same thing
It seems that many BB's do not want people with boutique IB background. It also seems that many VP's/Directors at boutique IB and PE firms have JD's.
The way I see it is if I go to back to Grad school I want to add to my skillset. I already have taken more MBA and higher level finance classes than an MBA student would take. A JD would at the very minimum give me knowledge/skills that an MBA would not.
Maybe that is not the best way to look at it? Any thoughts?
You're right. That's a stupid way of looking at it. You need to start an actual career, not 'gain skills.' You're saying you want to be a VP or Director at a BB, yeah? OK, so you need to become an associate at a BB. There are like at least 10-15 MBA programs in the country which send 15+ kids to BBs every year to do exactly that. Apply to those programs.
And it's not about the 'classes' either. Who gives a shit if you've 'taken higher level finance classes than an MBA student?' You're going to grad school to get a job. Go to the place that helps you get that job, or don't go at all. Law school does nothing for you except put you into even deeper debt, and denies you time you could spend working and helping your career.
You sound like you're addicted to school. Some people just can't get enough degrees and certificates and shit. Word of advice: those things cost time and money, and there's serious diminishing marginal returns. You have two college degrees, and you want a third. Maybe you don't need it. Employers stop caring at some point, and if you're pushing 30 with only a year or so of real work experience, that looks pretty bad.
read this immediately
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tucker-max/law-school_b_2713943.html
Why anyone would go to law school is beyond me.
Well thanks for all the input guys. While I don't think I'm as clueless as any of those examples in the Tucker Max article, I can understand how an MBA is likely the better option even though I've already completed alot of the coursework. And I don't think my current status: 27/28 with 4 years work experience and a master's degree is really that bad of a position to be in. Looks like I have to network harder and maybe try do some MBA apps.
Just keep working and networking towards your goal directly. It would suck to go back to school in this economy and you still can't re-secure a job.
If you want to do post MBA banking get a top MBA. Personally I'd try and network or get promoted into an associate role to bypass the debt.
If I do get an MBA would it be OK to specialize in a different subject other than finance? Strategy? Something else? That would help diversify my skillset as well.
If you have an MSF of that caliber you should be able to do almost anything in finance. The only reason to get an MBA would be if you want to broaden your experience for a C-level role at an F-500. I personally would never spend that kind of money on a degree, especially if I already had a good MSF degree. If money is no object you could get an MBA and JD. However, I would strongly advise against it.
My MSF is one the best under MIT/Princeton. So its good but def. not crazy "prestigious."
Again I reiterate it. There really is no added value with an MBA or JD much less both in your case.
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