By Marie Field
If you've told yourself that changing careers or going back to school simply are not options for established professionals, you may miss out on the one thing that will bring back the enthusiasm of a fresh graduate.
Executive education may be what you need to surpass that career plateau. Whether it's enrolling in an Executive MBA (EMBA) course or simply taking a 15-day course in management skills, business education can only brighten your career outlook, even if this just means meeting people outside of your regular network. The realm of executive education encompasses a huge range of options. You may want to improve your negotiation skills or take a class on leadership, or focus on personal development. If you're looking to pick up new skills - whether in finance, marketing, or information technology - there is sure to be a business school that can help.
The Executive MBA
As Business schools continue to respond to strong demand for their EMBA programs, the results of a recent survey confirmed the return on investment for those who have made the commitment to an Executive MBA. The percentage of students who received promotions increased from 34% three years ago to 43% last year, according to last year's Executive MBA Council Survey of their member schools.
The EMBA is a popular program amongst the over thirty group, as it equips the experienced manager with a sophisticated set of diverse skills and strategic thinking that can be immediately applied on the job . In comparison to full-time MBA programs, the EMBA is focused on gaining a broader understanding of the business as a whole, with the confidence, leadership and communication skills required to reach the C-suite. Further, the executive programs are tailored to the professional with a tight schedule � weekend classes or modular weeks of study are the norm.
The other attraction of the EMBA is the networking and the opportunity to learn about business methods practiced in other industries and countries. "With the diversity of companies, functional areas, and geographical representations, students gain insight and unique perspective from their classmates. It's like having potentially 87 free consultants looking at a problem � not to mention expert professors!" explains Arnold Longboy, Director of Recruitment and Corporate Relations at Chicago GSB
Most EMBA programs are open only to those with comprehensive experience in the professional world. Many courses exist, from 18-month programs to 24-month programs, to programs with specific focuses like global business. The Global Executive MBA at Duke, for example, focuses simply on this area through sending its students to "Asia, South America, Europe and the United States with Internet-enabled distance learning allowing students to live and work from anywhere in the world," in addition to offering conventional classes.
Jason Price, Director of EMBA World (www.EMBAWorld.com), and an EMBA graduate from Fordham University, explains how the EMBA is much more than just "an MBA for older people": "The beauty of the EMBA is that you will not only study a company facing real challenges but the chances are that you will also have classmates who have worked in that company and were involved in senior-level decision-making." For Jason, the reward of the EMBA was phenomenal. "I feel the EMBA classes and projects are what helped me win the 2001 Microsoft Global Technology Award and build a solid and fast growing consulting firm."
The Executive MBA may just give you that extra push. Take, for example, a 43 year-old IT manager who wants to make it to Director status but doesn't yet have the organizational or analytical skills to pull it off. This is exactly what the EMBA is for.
"The Executive MBA gives you the extra push you need to make it to boardroom prominence.", says Nunzio Quacquarelli, Director of QS, the educational and career specialist network that organizes ExecMBA Villages in many US locations as part of the World MBA Tour, "After gaining a number of years work experience, the EMBA is maybe the only thing that will give you what you need to reach your professional goals. Entering an EMBA program after being in the professional world for a number of years presents you with a unique advantage over a 27 year-old with a lack of experience of business dilemmas and undeveloped management skills."
