by Real Business - Thursday, 30th August 2007

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Paul Walton, chairman of brand consultancy fi rm The Value Engineers, believes so. “The sacrifices involved in doing an MBA, in terms of time and money, are an indicator of their determination,” he says. “But, while an MBA guarantees a good grounding in business theory, management skills aren’t a given."

MBA students are also more expensive than regular university grads. Tibor Papp of pharmaceutical consultancy Pharmaventures says he’d invest in experience over education. “We do have a couple of MBA students, but we hired them because they also had industry experience.

An MBA isn’t enough on its own. MBA students think that they’ll walk straight into a £60,000 job. In truth, an MBA may help grant them entry into top firms, but they still have to start at base level.”

Not all MBA students are dead set on immediate gain. Simon Tankard, head of careers at Said Business School, says many are keen to join start-ups. And the business schools are happy to accommodate: from access to CV databases to careers fairs, there are plenty of opportunities for the curious SME. LBS even hosts events where students can meet fi rms in their chosen sector.

“It’s a bit like speed dating” says Diane Morgan, associate careers director. “Each company gets eight minutes to network with a group of students.” The verdict? MBA students are a useful resource, but quality is not guaranteed. Try before you buy.

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