Jaytea

N/A

Is it worth it to get your MBA/ are grades that important as a person in sales

Hello, I'm expected to graduate in 2024 December and am currently working pt for a security company (sales side). I like what I do it give me flexibility, and it's not as exhausting as a job in finance. I currently have a 3.77 GPA (finance) and I know it will go down due to working + harder classes. the only reason I care about GPA is for grad school but for sales is an MBA even worth it? I will still try my best but just want to get other people's opinion if I ever decided to maybe become a VP of sales will that effect my success?

🧠 Advice

🕧 age-related

👤 Corporate Bro

37 comments

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braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

You don't need a degree to do sales

RealPatrickBateman

Politicker

🔪Amateur Butcher🔪

You barely need a high school diploma to be in Sales.

The MBA comes in handy when you are completely beat to shit from sales and want to start looking at management positions.

Stay the course. Finish the degree. Your grades in an MBA are not THAT important. The piece of paper is.

Jaytea

Catalyst

N/A

Yeah but if u want a VP position they ask for any degree. At least that's what IBM does, but hopefully in the future they just take it out it's so bs.

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

They may ask for one but it's not required

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

And why you want to be a VP at IBM if you haven't even graduated or had a real job yet?

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Because goals 🤷🏻‍♂️ My pink belt in Kung Fu got me started.

Jaytea

Catalyst

N/A

Facts idk I just don’t want it to set me back realistically.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Want an alternative path? One with a guarantee of success in your chosen field?

Upvote your replies and I shall give it.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

I have seen companies avoid mba’s for sales jobs because the mba doesn’t want to stick around too long or they want to run the show (think they know more than the boss) 5min after greeting the job.

MBA isn’t really for career sales people.

GPA is great to list for your first job.

Jaytea

Catalyst

N/A

But in your opinion do you think
internships exp > GPA?

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

Both are important, remember it’s a competition, if someone has both and you don’t. They will probably get chosen over you for that entry level role, once you start working HPA won’t mean anything

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

If you're serious about sales, I wouldn't worry about an MBA. Especially if it's not in-person at a top school as they're all about network.

Jaytea

Catalyst

N/A

Appreciate it

BTQ

Politicker

Account Manager

If your employer pays for it? Sure. But I wouldn't shell out 5 figs for a piece of paper

Jaytea

Catalyst

N/A

Thanks G

Fenderbaum

Politicker

Retired Choirboy🪕

If you have goals of ever going up the ladder, it'll help. If not, don't waste your time and money.

Jaytea

Catalyst

N/A

But will it help enough to take 2 yrs off to do an MBA

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

2 years experience is much better ROI than 2 years in school if you want to be in sales

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

I worked while getting mine which was nice, but it won’t hurt you

Filth

Politicker

Live Filthy or Die Clean

I don't use any of my degree for my job. I use the skills I learned as a juvenile delinquent though...scheming and plotting pays off esse.

Fenderbaum

Politicker

Retired Choirboy🪕

DataCorrupter

Politicker

Account Executive

In my career so far (5-7 years), I've not seen an MBA have any bearing upon anyone's sales career.

I've had many VPs over the years and not one of them has been an MBA. I've seen a few people (and/or individual contributors) get an MBA because they didn't like their first career, or because their undergrad school wasn't the best/a brand name. The best VPs I've worked under didn't have MBAs, didn't need to know or apply advanced calculations, or understand the time value of money for making a quarterly number. They were good humans, cared about their people, and understood how to work the prospects to get a deal done.

Sales isn't a skill that you attain during an MBA and so having one has almost no correlation to success in sales. Sales is about knowing how to work with people and adapting to whatever situation you're in. People who have MBAs in sales got them because they wanted them, but not because it helped them advance up the ladder in any way.

As for GPA, nobody cares, truly. No one has ever asked about my GPA.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

If it's worth it to you that's all that matters.

sketchysales

Politicker

Sales Manager

Not needed. Hard work will get you far in sales.

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

I got my MBA because I wanted to get some business background since my bachelors degree is technical in nature and found it helpful, but it’s not required. I also went back to school after working for awhile and continued to work during school.

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

Nope. sales is a lot psychology, soft skills, presence of mind and your wit - very less about the degree you hold and the theoretical knowledge you possess.
A person who's done his / her / their MBA, is earning just as much as a successful sales person these days.

GDO

Politicker

BDM

It’s not important for sales imo. Albeit a good thing when you want to pivot or get into an “old mentality org”

SoccerandSales

Big Shot

Account Executive

The only time an MBA is applicable is one you are running a sales org IMO, but even then, you are likely to learn most of what you need along the way as you climb the ladder.

saaskicker

Celebrated Contributor

Enterprise AE

If someone else will pay for it, sure. If you're going to take out loans to get an MBA and then move into a sales role, I think you can skip it.

SaaSguy

Tycoon

Account Executive

Gyro25

Notorious Answer

Account Executive

I'm getting mine abroad because it's far cheaper and it's worth the opportunity cost to me to have explore avenues outside sales. If not, then I go back to sales after a euro trip.

Beans

Big Shot

Enterprise Account Executive

It will impact long term trajectory depending on org size, but a lot of this you can learn through experience.

What is your preferred career path?

Jaytea

Catalyst

N/A

SDR —-> AE ——-> Director ———> VP ———> CSO (if I’m lucky).

SalesBeast

Politicker

Sales Leader

Worthless in a sales career.

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

Frankly, college isn't even important for success in sales.

LambyCorn

Arsonist

A mfkn E

i didnt even finish high school - Not exactly PROUD of it but, it is what it is lol

kittychachas

Valued Contributor

VP/Director of Sales

I have an MBA. I wouldn’t worry about getting an MBA until you’ve spent at least six years in the field. The MBA is also only useful under several different conditions. 1) you want to move into enterprise, leadership, or transition out and 2) you attend a T25 program in-person.

Outside of that - I wouldn’t worry about it.

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Jaytea

Is it worth it to get your MBA/ are grades that important as a person in sales

37 comments

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