Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its just not smart to go full time with an MBA. Its not a good enough degree to stop working for.

Signed,

Someone who has one from a top 10 school and thank my lucky stars I never quit my day job.

Someone here from a top 15. So you shouldn't quit your day job if you get into Wharton?

I quit my day job to go to a Wharton equivalent years ago. Definitely worth it. Plus the top 5 or so schools (including mine) don't have PT programs. But they do have great career offices, which is where the OPs husband needs to be spending his time.

Anonymous wrote:Its just not smart to go full time with an MBA. Its not a good enough degree to stop working for.

Signed,

Someone who has one from a top 10 school and thank my lucky stars I never quit my day job.

Someone here from a top 15. So you shouldn't quit your day job if you get into Wharton?

Top 20? Maryland level? He needs to target companies and speak to alumni working there. Network, network, network.....Is he able to answer the question "why should I hire you"?

Anonymous wrote:OP I think your problem is more about your husband being unsure about what he wants to do next than the job hunt necessarily. Without knowing a direction he wants to go in he will continue spinning his wheels.

I really like 12:33's advice- he needs to get a job, do well, figure out what he likes and doesn't like about it, and go from there. You need to help reframe for him that MBA does not automatically equal his dream job right out of the gate, especially if he doesn't know what it is, but that he needs to still position himself to be ready for opportunities when they present themselves.

Op here -- thank you, I agree completely. I really appreciate the guidance in how to frame the career conversation with DH. It helps so much to get objective, impartial thoughts...

OP I think your problem is more about your husband being unsure about what he wants to do next than the job hunt necessarily. Without knowing a direction he wants to go in he will continue spinning his wheels.

I really like 12:33's advice- he needs to get a job, do well, figure out what he likes and doesn't like about it, and go from there. You need to help reframe for him that MBA does not automatically equal his dream job right out of the gate, especially if he doesn't know what it is, but that he needs to still position himself to be ready for opportunities when they present themselves.

Firms that hire MBAs round here...

Marketbridge
Capital one
Td bank
Uber
Aol
Msft for sales
Google
CEB
KPMG
Pwc
Deloitte
Bain
McKinsey
Bcg
E&y
Equifax
Hilton
Marriott
Choice hotels

Hit them all up

Sounds like his plan is to be a very well educated DCUM.

I am a big believer in talent rising.

I took 5yrs off to be a SAHM, so I needed to take the first job that was offered to return to work. It was not my dream job and it was humbling bec I earned less and had a much lower rank than my pre-kids career.

Not one year in, I have been offered 2 promotional opportunities to design my own career.

If you are smart and a hard worker (and I really busted my a$$ for little pay this past year), it will be recognized.

Have your DH take any good job and perform at the top of his abilities. Now is not the time to be lazy or picky.

OP - I think it is important for you as the primary breadwinner to also think about whether your husband at least in this point in life is one who is apt to have "a job" versus "a career" he really wants to muscle and put time into? If you love your job, can see a professional pathway of advancement ahead AND are the primary breadwinner then what you are doing should be viewed as primary to whatever he may find - unless you are in a field that you know you could fairly easily find another position in. Still given the economy of today, I would be very hesitant. Also, recognize that it may be just fine for you to be the major earner and him to have a less demanding job. It works for my daghte rand her husband.

All are correct to be using the career services of the MBA program and also looking at any networking events coming up in your area in his even general fields of interests or conferences that he might attend in the coming months. The key concern I have is that he has not undertaken a broad-based job search so he really can't say what is out there or not. He also has to have some "skin in the game" of being willing to start at any job to help support your family and get back in the workforce.

For what it is worth in the midst of the sequestration one of our SIL in the DC area with a law degree from a second tier law school, but a very hard worker was finally reifted from his formerly large unit though doing the job of four on a Friday. My Monday he had compiled an Excel spreadsheet of everyone he knew, any job he saw or heard of and had over 100 resumes out in the mail early that week. It lead to at least two interviews right a way and a job as a contracts person, then head of contracts then general council appointment in a small business within two years!! My point is that he had a family, a young child, and he was all business about finding a job and with the mindset, he presented well at interviews, worked hard at the job and moved forward.

Your husband may well need some counseling advice not only on a specific job search, but also in being able to deal with this new major transition. He may just be floundering a bit. Let him know it is OK to not know how to proceed, but not to just do nothing. Be supportive, but firm. He is young and he has a bright future ahead,BUT it will take forward movement.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He sounds lazy. Make it clear to him that he gets a job - any job or you hit the road. Don't become one of these bread winning women who also cooks cleans and does all the laundry.

It's not about finding a "dream job". It's about manning up & supporting his family.

This

+1 sometimes people look too much for a dream job, and with a family he just can't be this picky. Further, I think his understanding of what he wants to do is a bit naive and idealistic - but very common with mba's. I have done various level of strategy work for a large company for decades. I have seen probably at least 150 hundred new mbas who want to do big picture strategic thinking. 1) very few jobs solely focus on strategy and if they do you usually are from top 5 mba/with a pedigree from a top strategy consulting firms or 2) if he truly has a gift in this area, than he can demonstrate that in his job and his superiors will take notice as long as the job has some level of responsibility/exposure. the talented do rise

Anonymous wrote:He sounds lazy. Make it clear to him that he gets a job - any job or you hit the road. Don't become one of these bread winning women who also cooks cleans and does all the laundry.

It's not about finding a "dream job". It's about manning up & supporting his family.

This

Like PP said, he needs to heavily use the career office. What made him specifically want to get an MBA in particular? What courses did he like the best and what kind of careers do they closely relate to? Tell to start networking and lining up informational coffees with people who have the kinds of jobs he might be interested in, to learn more about those types of jobs. He should REALLY line up a job before he graduates, if possible, so he doesn't have a gap on his resume. Tell him to get busy!

He needs to get whatever job he can, even if it isn't his ideal job. He can always change jobs later.

Whether one is better off quitting one's job and then working towards a MBA or doing so while working depends to a large extent on what one's income is at the time the decision is made. If you are making a decent income then it becomes arguable whether one should quit and study full time. Otherwise, I'd say that going full time is the way to proceed.

I do agree that getting a MBA from a top 10 or top 15 school also becomes a factor depending on the stage on is in one's career. Getting a MBA from a middling program if one is doing well in one's career would not provide the return that is involved in terms of the cost of the program vs the lost income, etc.

He sounds lazy. Make it clear to him that he gets a job - any job or you hit the road. Don't become one of these bread winning women who also cooks cleans and does all the laundry.

It's not about finding a "dream job". It's about manning up & supporting his family.