does MBA equals SUCESS

An MBA is seen by many as the perfect way forward if you are looking for a career change, and 37% of MBA applicants surveyed reported "career change" as their leading motivation to undertake an MBA, according to a recent QS TopMBA Applicant Survey. In some regions like North America, almost 60% of MBA candidates are turning to MBA education in their quest for a new career. So can business school really give you all the necessary skills to succeed in a completely new realm of work? Unlike other Masters courses that provide the graduate with specialised skills in narrower fields like history or economics, the MBA prepares the graduate for the 'real' business world through practical applications like case studies that teach the student all aspects of running a business "large or small, domestic or international. Skills learned in MBA courses are therefore far more transferable than those of others courses. Additionally, because MBA students are often required to have at least three years of work experience under their belt, their skill set can only evolve through further training: 'A vast majority of our hires have MBAs. We certainly have a preference for candidates with MBAs, as they offer a passion for learning, academic and communication abilities and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. They also have energy, rigour and a breadth of understanding of general management principles," explains Georgia Foley, Recruitment Manager at AT Kearney. The demanding nature of the MBA course can prepare you for any high-pressure, think-on-your-feet type of career. So even if you have little experience in the business world, you may find yourself more prepared than you thought. But don't take all potentially acquirable skills for granted - many business schools don't teach the essential skills necessary to survive in today's business arena. Dimitris Belbas, an MBA recruiter at Eli Lilly UK reports, many schools seem to neglect leadership development and organisational behaviour at the MBA level, despite these subjects being central to executive education courses. So what exactly does this mean? If your previous career has presented you with excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, and the ability to thrive within a team, you may have an advantage over a new MBA with a business background. It's sometimes these "softer" skills that make a difference. Furthermore, if your previous jobs were internationally-focused, you'll have an edge on a candidate with localised business experience. To put things in perspective, according to the 2006 QS TopMBA Recruiter Survey, 88% of recruiters prefer MBAs with between one and four years of work experience, Of course, this all depends on how drastic a career switch you intend to take. If you're a lawyer taking an MBA to become a management consultant, business education would probably provide you with the practical skills to accompany the "softer" skills learned in the law realm, but if you're a medical lab technician wanting to become a banker, you may need more than an MBA for a successful career move.