As long as you have at least eight years of management experience, and motivation to invest in yourself and your career, an EMBA can revive careers that feel in the doldrums, reinvent them in a new industry or help smash a professional glass ceiling.
Together with EDHEC, one of the leading schools in both France and Europe for executive education, we give examples of career professionals who could reap the benefits of this powerful qualification.
Early risers
‘Early risers’ are those with a plan to rise through the ranks early in their career. If you know what you want and where you want to be, yes, an EMBA is an ideal way to ensure rapid career progression. An EMBA – especially one that can be completed part-time – allows for the latest strategic thinking and research to be applied in your workplace, with all the career benefits that follow.
An EMBA is, for many organisations, a strong investment in an individual that has long-term benefits. Not only does it expose them to the latest ideas, but also inspires loyalty and employee retention. It can even form a step on a negotiated career plan, giving you stability as you study.
That said, an EMBA can be of solid value to many more than those towards the beginning of their careers.
Career revivers
We can all reach a point where it feels like, professionally, we’re ‘spinning our wheels’. You may seem as if you have reached as far as you can go without further qualification, or that your knowledge and skill base no longer feel as fresh and current as they once did. It could simply be that you feel removed from what you began doing within your organisation in the first place.
An EMBA is the ideal ‘career reviver’ for several reasons. Alongside high-quality teaching, EMBAs often prioritise experiential learning, project-based assessments, and other forms of ‘learning by doing’. EMBAs also, by necessity, expose you to a wide range of experienced professionals within your cohort, each with their knowledge and skills to share.
Speaking of your cohort, you will find they may introduce you to a broad range of management styles and techniques that you can apply to your career. Alongside continuous coaching programs like EDHEC‘s ‘Transform360’, personal development happens both within and outside of the classroom and helps you grow as a leader.
What if you’re looking for something else, however?
Career changers
For many of us, years of experience lead us to want to try something new. A fresh career calls, in a completely different field – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to start all over again.
EMBAs are ideal for those changing careers as they allow participants to ‘dip their toe’ in various aspects of their new field of work. You can gain a clear understanding of ideas, systems and processes in a structured, supported manner, both in class and throughout the practical components of the qualification.
An EMBA also has incredible value for those going into business for themselves, such as entering the start-up world. Flexible and personalised EMBA programs, like that offered at EDHEC, make sure that you can tailor your program to fill your knowledge gaps, without having to tread over old ground. EMBA graduates are given a comprehensive understanding of business skills, with a global outlook – vital in the digital 21st century.
Ceiling breakers
Perhaps you feel as if there’s a ‘glass ceiling’ within your professional environment – a distinct lack of those like you within senior management. If you feel it’s time to crash through that barrier, an EMBA is an essential tool.
EMBAs are impressive to senior leaders. They demonstrate a great deal of commitment, in terms of time, energy and sheer hard work. Those graduating from an EMBA program are equipped with the latest in business intelligence and technological understanding. They are a very hard qualification to ignore when it comes time to demand a seat at the table.
What if that’s not recognised within your organisation? Simple – an EMBA turbocharges your employment prospects through your suite of skills and the wide alumni network that you can draw upon.
Your best next step
If you’re still wondering whether an EMBA is right for you at this point in your career, consider the data. In a 2021 survey carried out by EMBAC, the key body overseeing EMBA programs, 39 percent of participants received a promotion before the end of their program and 53 percent were given new responsibilities (and the accompanying salary benefits).
An EMBA can provide immense benefits, no matter where you are in your career journey, whether it’s climbing the organisational ladder, or trying something completely new. Now, it’s time for you to consider the right program for you, one that suits both your personal and professional situation.
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