NFL Players Tackle The MBA - Poets&Quants

NFL Players Tackle The MBA

Who is the latest athlete to pursue an MBA?

It is New England Patriots’ kicker Stephen Gostkowski – the third most accurate kicker in NFL history.

ESPN reports that kicker Stephen Gostkowski and a couple of teammates are not far off from earning their MBA. In September, it was reported that NBA Celtics’ guard Kyrie Irving was also pursuing an MBA degree.

“When you have little kids, and you’re in this environment, you’re sort of doing the same thing over and over again,” Gostkowski tells ESPN. “So I was looking for something that would challenge me and something that would obviously help me going into the future.”

 Working Online During Offseason

Gotkowski and teammates Ted Karras and Joe Thuney are all pursuing their MBAs through Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Their education is fully reimbursed through the NFL Players Association.

According to ESPN, the players complete their work online and during the offseason.

“Some of the classes can be extremely hard, some of them aren’t that bad,” Gostkowski tells ESPN.

Gostowski says the collaborative spirit of the MBA can be challenging.

“You have to work with other people, all throughout the United States, and some people from other countries, on group projects,” he tells ESPN. “They kind of set it up that way, because if you get a job in the real business world, you have to work with a bunch of people. So you have to make sure your time will match up with everyone else’s and that can be the most challenging thing, finding a good time that works for everybody.”

Football Won’t Last Forever

For Thuney, he first heard about the opportunity to pursue an MBA during rookie minicamp.

“It seemed almost too good to be true, that they would refund your payments,” he tells ESPN. “Why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of this? Football isn’t going to last forever. I’m two years in, chipping away at that. It’s a long process and going well. It’s interesting stuff.”

Karras says the opportunity to pursue education without debt is one of the main reasons he chose to pursue his MBA.

“I don’t really know what I want to do, but I’ve already learned so much,” Karras tells ESPN. “You hear people say, ‘I want to go into business,’ but what does that mean? I’m hoping it illuminates along the way. … Education is the biggest chunk of debt we have right now in my generation and to have an opportunity to get a third degree with no debt is pretty special, so I couldn’t pass it up.”

Sources: ESPN, Poets & Quants

Why An MBA Is Still Valuable

You might be dissuaded to pursue an MBA following the recent plunge in applications.

But experts say an MBA still stands as one of the best ways to open doors to opportunities down the road.

Darren Ravens, an author at Mail & Guardian, recently outlined a few reasons why it’s still a good idea to pursue an MBA despite the recent decline in applications.

Making A Difference

The MBA cohort today is vastly different than it was in the past. Today’s MBA cohort comprises of individuals with strong social and environmental consciousness.

According to GMAC’s 2016 Global Graduate Management Education Segmentation Study, 12% of MBA applicants are driven to make a difference.

Surrounding yourselves around those willing to make a difference is huge.

Experts say an MBA can open the door to networking opportunities.

“The degree is important, no doubt, but success is also rooted in how students capitalize on the opportunities during their MBA studies that can make the difference,” MBA grad Chris Szpryngel writes in a Wired article. “Specifically, the student’s ability to network efficiently with the right people, in and out of the classroom.”

Versatility In Skills

On top of networking, experts say the MBA gives individuals a solid foundation in a variety of skills.

“Unlike many postgraduate programs, which are skill-specific, an MBA is versatile and the skills you learn, particularly soft skills, are readily transferable,” Ravens writes. “This will become increasingly important as the 4th Industrial Revolution takes hold.”

Moreover, today’s MBA education is encompassing of a variety of skills that go further than just quantitative finance analysis.

Ravens says the modern MBA is shifting towards “a broader focus on strategy, organizational behavior and leadership, which includes an emphasis on these softer skills.”

“Soft skills” are the ability to work within a team and among a variety of people.

According to GMAC’s annual Corporate Recruiters Survey Report, an in-depth study on what recruiters look for in MBA grads, the most in-demand skills from MBA grads are communication and teamwork.

Dr. John Mervyn-Smith, chief psychologist at The GC Index, tells the Association of MBAs that collective teamwork is necessary for long-term success.

“The key to achieving long-term success is to transform individual action into collective power. In order to do this effectively, you need to not only understand how you can best contribute and make an impact but also how other team members make their impact – only then will you be able to place them in the right roles and right environments.”

Making Career Jumps

Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons an MBA is still valuable is its ability to open doors to new careers.

A 2016 GMAC study found that 52% of alumni of MBA programs were employed in industries or job functions different than their employment prior to an MBA.

“Rebooting your career in this way is a tactical move,” Ravens writes. “Most top-tier business schools offer expert career coaching and support to help you career pivot and it is worth maximizing this opportunity. Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, examine gaps in your current skill set and those needed to shift into a new role.”

Sources: Mail & Guardian, GMAC, Wired, GMAC, The GC Index, Association of MBAs

How To Make Full Use Of Veterans Benefits

If you’re a military veteran looking to pursue an MBA, you may want to consider how your veteran benefits can help pay for grad school.

Farran Powell, a reporter for US News, recently spoke with experts on how veterans can use their benefits to help fund a grad school education.

The Forever GI Bill

In 2017, Congress passed what’s known as the Forever GI Bill – an updated version of the GI bill that essentially eliminates the 15-year limit on educational benefits for new enlistees.

In an interview with The American Legion, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin says the hope behind the bill is to support more veterans in pursuing an education.

“(The Forever GI Bill) is expanding our ability to support our veterans in getting education,” Shulkin tells The American Legion. “Already we’ve had 1.7 million individuals take advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. We hope that many more now will.”

The Yellow Ribbon Program

If you’re looking to attend a private school or a public school as a nonresident, your actual tuition and fees may very well exceed the amount covered by the GI Bill.

Many universities allow veterans to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, makes “additional funds available for your education program without an additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement.”

However, it’s important to keep in mind that eligibility varies.

“The VA will use the GI Bill funds first,” Michael S. Danko, ROTC and veterans affairs coordinator at Carnegie Mellon University, tells US News. “Once those are exhausted, the Yellow Ribbon will be used. Student eligibility for the percentage of GI Bill funds is determined by the VA based on the student’s amount of time they served in the military.”

Tuition Waivers

On top of the Forever GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, a number of universities offer tuition discounts.

“A few states, such as Utah, Wisconsin and Texas, offer tuition waivers for at least several credit hours to resident veterans; typically these tuition waivers are for veterans attending a state-sponsored college or university,” Powell reports.

KC Haight, director of military and veteran recruitment at Indiana Wesleyan University, says veterans should make full use of tuition waivers and veterans’ benefits

“That would stretch their GI Bill dollars and provide them more opportunities to provide benefits to spouses or children in the future and still realize their educational goals,” Haight tells US News.

Sources: US News, The American Legion, US Department of Veterans Affairs

 

 

 

 

 

The post NFL Players Tackle The MBA appeared first on Poets&Quants.

from Poets&Quants
via IFTTT