今日问答：

现在MBA学位对获得优秀的工作机会来说有多重要？有时候，MBA学位就像是一块必要的敲门砖，对吗？

Today' Topic：

How important is having an MBA to attract good opportunities these days? Sometimes, it seems that you have to have an MBA degree to knock on doors and attract attention from employers. Is that true?

职商专家回答：

Zhishang Career Expert Answer：

当然，一个顶级商学院的MBA肯定是一个很大的优势。一般来说，一个顶级的MBA确实能吸引注意力，是一块敲门砖。但是给别人留下深刻印象，吸引别人注意力，取得好机会的途径还有很多。我与许多杰出候选人合作过，见证过他们的成功，据我的经验而言，一个MBA学位能够吸引高管注意力，但这并不是必要条件。创造力，主动性，决心和谋略等品质也会对找寻合适的工作机会有很大的影响。这些品质是基于个人特质和内驱力的，而与MBA学位无关。

Of course, that's certainly a big benefit of getting an MBA from a top business school program. In general, a top-tier MBA does help to open doors and attract attention. But there are a lot of ways to make an impression on others to attract attention, or get in the door of a good opportunity. From my experience working with and seeing the success of many outstanding candidates, an MBA is far from a must for attracting the attention of top employers.  Things like creativity, initiative, determination, and resourcefulness also have a big impact on your ability to pursue and capture attractive opportunities. These qualities are based on your own drive and personal characteristics that have little to do with having an MBA, or not.

如果你读MBA仅仅是因为这可以帮助你吸引更多机会的话，那么我建议你还是不要读了。吸引注意力和留下深刻印象是两回事。能给高管留下印象，为自己赢得机会的是你的成就和能力，而非一纸证书。我见过许多的MBA毕业生，有些读的甚至还是顶级的项目，在读了MBA之后也没有多大进步。同时，我还认识许多没有MBA学位的成功人士，他们给人印象非常深刻，在市场上更是炙手可热。

My main point is that you shouldn’t pursue an MBA just because you think it will help you attract more opportunities. Attracting attention and impressing others are two different things. What impresses top employers and allows you capture their opportunities are your achievements and capabilities, not your credentials. I’ve met enough MBAs, even from top programs, who I’m not sure are that much better off having gotten their MBA. At the same time, I meet many non-MBAs who are extremely impressive, successful, and highly sought in this market.

总体来说，不能一概而论，并不是读个MBA就会对你的职业生涯有利。MBA项目良莠不齐，质量不一。许多低质量的MBA项目，其实不怎么受认可和尊重，对你的潜在雇主来说，几乎没有什么吸引力。在这种情况下，你还不如注重塑造个人工作能力，追求工作经验的质量和成就，据我所知，这些才是高管最看重的东西。

Overall, you should never over-generalize an MBA by thinking that any MBA will provide big benefits to your career. There’s a huge variation in the quality of MBA programs and what they can offer you. Many lower-tier MBA programs are not well-recognized or well-regarded, and provide little advantage when it comes to attracting the attention of potential employers. In such cases, you’d be better off focusing on building up your capabilities and the quality of your work experience and work achievements. More than anything else, these are what attract the attention of top employers that I know.