Why MBA?

Why MBA?

Malek Almoukaddem

University of Phoenix

May 05, 2009

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Why MBA?

The purpose of this paper is to construct and support an argument on the decision I made

to pursue an MBA degree to further my career in the information technology field. The argument

will include consideration of the Jungian Personality self-assessment on how others perceive me.

MBA to Further My career

Higher education is a major factor in determining career opportunities and personal

development. We have a saying in our country “She/he who doesn’t have a Master’s degree is

not educated.” Without education, one cannot compete in the current fast-paced world and

cannot outperform other colleagues in the job market.

When I was tackling with my colleagues the issue of pursuing my education, and

gathering their points of view about an MBA degree, some of them told me, it is irrelevant to

have a master’s degree after six or seven years of working experience. They said it should have

been done after no more than two or three years of work experience. Moreover, some of them

told me that the money used on a university degree should be spent on more important things in

life, such as starting your own business or buying a house. While the conditions were not

appropriate at that time to pursue a master’s degree after working in my field for a short time, I

think education is boundless, timeless, and endless. Education costs money, but then so does

ignorance (Sir Claus Moser, 2009).

Due to the ongoing recession and lack of job opportunities in the current market, it is the

best time to go back to school, wait out the recession and be ready for new job opportunities at

the same time. The MBA program will definitely open new opportunities, improve my way of

thinking, and adds value to both my professional and personal life. In addition, as a foreign

student, getting a graduate degree from a highly reputable university will make it easier to get a
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job in the US market rather than just having an undergraduate degree from overseas. Having

worked in the information technology field, the MBA program will help me blend my technical

experience with new management skills, which will elevate my career to the next level, and help

me become a well-rounded professional. Not to mention that the MBA program will improve my

communications skills by interacting and studying with classmates and teachers from different

backgrounds, who bring lots of their knowledge and experience to the classroom.

What is My Jungian 16-Type Personality?

The “My Jungian 16-Type Personality” is a very good tool to use in order to understand

and be aware of different personalities, and help me know how others perceive me. My score

was INTJ, which means Introversion preferred to Extraversion, Intuition preferred to Sensing,

Thinking preferred to Feeling, and Judgment preferred to Perception. This test appears to be

accurate. I tend to be quiet and reserved. I expend energy in social situations, rather than gain it,

which explains the Introversion part. I focus on the big picture rather than the details, which

explains Intuition. I give more weight to logic than to social considerations, which is consistent

with Thinking. I plan all my activities, which explains the Judgment.

INTJs have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving

their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory

perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through (Myers, Kirby, & Myers,

1993).

Conclusion

People with INTJ preferences are relentless innovators in thought as well as action

(Jensen & DiTiberio, 1989). They are skeptical, critical, independent, determined, and often

stubborn. Therefore, the result of the test indicates that I am stubborn and determined to achieve
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my goal to pursue an MBA program, keeping in mind that it does not guarantee a career

progression. Only the successful utilization of my newly acquired MBA skills can achieve this.
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References

Jensen, G. H., & DiTiberio, J. K. (1989). Personality and the teaching of composition. : Ablex

Pub. Corp.

Myers, I., Kirby, L., & Myers, K. (1993). Introduction to Type: a Guide to Understanding Your

Results on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Consulting Psychologists Press.

Sir Claus Moser. (2009). Retrieved May 03, 2009, from

http://www.etni.org.il