When you’re working full-time if you want to advance your career you might decide to pursue your Master of Business Administration (MBA).
An MBA is one of the most versatile higher-level degrees you can get, and it can help you move up with your current employer or find new opportunities.
How to Earn An MBA While Working
You might not have the financial option to stop working while you’re getting your MBA, however.
Luckily, there are options available to you, and online platforms make it easier than ever before to get your MBA and keep your job.
With that in mind, the following are tips to help along the way.
Get Your Degree Online If You Can
This was briefly mentioned above, and it’s one of the things that can make the biggest difference in how well you do juggling getting your MBA and a full-time job. If you can earn your MBA online, there will be sacrifices. For example, you won’t have the networking and mentorship opportunities you would if you studied on campus.
At the same time, you’re going to be able to work through things at your own pace and within the times that fit into your schedule.
When you do an online program, most if not nearly all of it will be self-paced.
You might also have more school options available to you if geographic considerations aren’t a concern.
Think About Family Planning
If you’ve been thinking about starting a family, but you haven’t already, you might want to wait until after you get your MBA. Adding family responsibilities on top of a full-time job and pursuing your MBA might be too much.
If you already have a family, you do want to ensure that you’re setting aside time for them in your busy schedule, but you also want to have boundaries for what they can expect from you when you’re studying.
Balance Out Your Coursework
Don’t take all of your most challenging courses at the same time when you’re working full-time. Instead, try to mix them up, so you’re taking a combination of what you find challenging but also some of the easier coursework.
Maybe, for example, you only do one numbers-heavy class at a time and then you can do a marketing class paired with that.
Keep your credit hours to a minimum too. If you go with any more than nine credit hours, it’s going to be nearly impossible, especially if you do have a family. You’re better off taking your time and doing well as compared to trying to compress everything into a window of time that’s just not realistic.
It’s not the same as undergrad when you could easily do twelve credit hours a semester.
Work From Home If You Can
Because of the pandemic, a lot of people are still working from home. If you are and can continue that, then that’s a good option. If you don’t already work from home, but it would be well-suited to your position, talk to your boss.
When you work from home, you can save time on things like commuting so you can put more time into your MBA work.
Create a Schedule for Studying
You have to be smart at managing your time if you’re going to work at the same time as you’re getting your MBA. You have to be very efficient, and you have to be mindful of how you’re using your time.
Begin by creating a schedule that is going to not just take into consideration work and studying but also your personal life and family.
You may find that you have to even schedule time for your partner or children just to ensure that you’re accountable and don’t neglect them in the process.
The more organized you can be in terms of work and school, the less stress you’re going to feel and the more successful you’ll be.
Take Care of Yourself
You might feel like you constantly have to be “on,” and yes, it’s true that it’s going to be demanding to get your MBA and keep your job, but you still have to set aside time for yourself.
Making sure you get enough physical activity can help you stay mentally healthy and keep your body feeling its best.
Doing things you enjoy and find relaxing every once and a while will help you stay balanced.
If you never give yourself time off, you’re going to burn out, and that’s not going to be productive in any area of your life.
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