7 ways an MBA will advance your IT career — and 5 ways it won’t

Does it make sense for an IT leader to seek an MBA? Ben King, head of mobile app development firm Aviato Consulting, is convinced that it can provide a major career boost. He credits his decision to earn an MBA with transforming his career.

While an individual contributor at Google, King spent several years working toward an MBA. Shortly after achieving his goal, he was promoted to a managerial role at the tech giant, just days before resigning to start his own business.

While not every IT leader is likely to match King’s rapid success, there’s little doubt that earning an MBA can help many CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, and other IT executives and high-level managers successfully straddle the technology and business worlds.

Are you ready to move your career up a notch? Here’s a look at the pros and cons of seeking an MBA to advance your IT career.

Pro 1: You’ll acquire important strategic skills

An MBA prepares IT professionals for senior management and executive roles by helping them learn key strategic skills and acquire a comprehensive understanding of business operations.

“An MBA exposes IT leaders to critical business competencies by widening their perspective, developing leadership skills, and establishing management skills,” says Pranu Bhargava, executive vice president of technology at AllCampus, a company that partners with universities to offer online degree and certificate programs.

By acquiring a broader perspective, MBA-equipped IT leaders typically gain a better understanding of all the critical elements that go into running a business, including finances, creative marketing, and working in cooperation with HR. “MBA programs can also help leaders hone their communication and negotiation skills while also improving their understanding of organizational behavior, strategic planning, and risk management through exposure to experienced peers and varied coursework,” Bhargava explains.

Pro 2: You’ll no longer be viewed as just an IT pro

When working with people who speak business, it’s important to speak the same language, King says. An MBA can help in this regard.

“It’s the same as trying to work in Japan without speaking Japanese — if you can’t understand and implement requests from people speaking ‘business,’ you’re not going to get the job or be effective at it,” he says.

Pro 3: You’ll develop stronger decision-making

IT leaders are experts at acting on promising technologies and avoiding fads and dead ends, says Stephen Rakas, executive director of the Masters Career Center at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. “These are concepts that support better IT decision-making and can serve to advance your career,” he says.

“An MBA is a well-recognized credential that provides a credible foundation for your personal value proposition,” Rakas notes. “This includes part-time or executive MBA programs for those IT leaders with more on-the-job experience.”

Pro 4: You’ll better collaborate with business colleagues

An IT leader with an MBA understands business strategies and can show colleagues how IT can fit into and benefit the entire enterprise. “Overall strategy is the area where I saw the most value from my MBA, and my superiors saw this as well,” King says.

Upon completing an MBA program, especially one that blends cutting-edge IT knowledge with traditional business disciplines, IT leaders can leverage their newfound skills to lead digital transformations, enhance cybersecurity strategies, and effectively communicate the value of IT initiatives to non-technical stakeholders, says Deborah Y. Cohn, interim dean of the School of Management at the New York Institute of Technology.

Pro 5: You’ll be a better IT leader

As IT leaders progress through their careers and move into executive positions, having the skillset to navigate complex business scenarios becomes increasingly crucial.

“In today’s business world you can’t just be the IT person,” warns Chris Rice, a partner at executive recruitment firm Riviera Partners. “You must understand budgets, forecasting models, regulatory compliance, and a host of other topics.”

Pro 6: You’ll gain a deeper understanding of IT’s business connection

An MBA can significantly enhance an IT leader’s career by providing a holistic understanding of business operations, strategic planning, and leadership skills.

“In the IT industry, where technology and business strategies are increasingly intertwined, having a strong foundation in both areas is invaluable,” Cohn says. “An MBA equips IT leaders with the business acumen necessary to align IT initiatives with overall organizational goals, making them indispensable assets to their companies.”

Pro 7: You’ll likely make more money

An IT leader with an MBA can usually command a higher salary than someone with only IT credentials. How much higher depends on many factors, including the enterprise’s size, market, and value. If you’re lucky, your current employer will recognize your accomplishment and automatically reward you with a pay raise.

Now, here’s a look at the major drawbacks.

Con 1: Your personal life may suffer

Obtaining an MBA isn’t easy. Even when approached on a part-time or virtual basis, the process is demanding and time-consuming. With little spare time to spend with friends and family members, you may find yourself becoming depressed and isolated. Your depression could also spill over into your professional life.

AllCampus’ Bhargava advises IT leaders to evaluate a variety of MBA programs and to find one that fits their specific personal needs, including full-time, part-time, and even executive education programs. “There are various options and choosing the right format that aligns with the individual’s goals is very important.”

Con 2: Results may vary

An MBA may have only a limited positive effect when an IT leader’s existing role is highly specialized, if the enterprise doesn’t value add-on business acumen, or the individual already possesses strong leadership and business skills, observes Michael Falls, CEO of internet connectivity technology provider Sabertooth Tech Group. “The approach may be essentially useless when there’s no commitment, recognition, or justifiable return on investment,” he notes.

Falls believes that IT leaders can advance their careers without an MBA by focusing on continuous learning, earning certifications, leadership development, networking, and demonstrating exceptional performance in their roles, tailored to their career aspirations and context.

Con 3: You simply may not be cut out to be a business leader

Many IT leaders are quite satisfied being highly regarded tech experts and have little interest in becoming a business pro as well.

“If an IT leader isn’t willing to invest the time and effort to learn the new business and soft skills taught in an MBA program, having an MBA may not improve their career,” says startup investor Matthew Ramirez. “Similarly, if the IT leader has a negative attitude toward business school, or fails to recognize its value, the MBA is unlikely to have a positive impact on their career.”

Con 4: You may be disappointed

Obtaining an MBA doesn’t guarantee an instant career boost. While an MBA can be a powerful career advancing asset, there are situations when it may have only a limited positive impact.

“For instance, if an IT leader is already at the pinnacle of their career with extensive experience and a proven track record of success, the incremental benefits of an MBA may be minimal,” Cohn says. “Additionally, industries where specific technical certifications hold more weight than broad business knowledge might render an MBA less essential.”

Con 5: You may find yourself falling behind on critical new IT developments

Any type of formal or informal education will likely have a positive effect on an IT leader’s career. Knowledge, after all, is power. Yet the time dedicated to earning an MBA may draw attention away from rapidly evolving IT-related developments in areas such as AI and security, Bhargava notes.

Takeaway

There really isn’t a clear-cut answer as to whether an MBA is the best solution for IT leaders looking to advance their careers — it all depends on you and your career situation. “It’s a strategic decision that should be based on the needs of the individual, the organization, the industry, and the prevailing job market,” Bhargava advises.