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Would you advance faster with a top-quality MBA degree?
What do senior executives advise?

By Daniel Bauer, Managing Director, The MBA Exchange, Ltd.

Whether you are an undergrad contemplating a corporate future, a young exec with a few years of solid experience, or a mid-career manager reaching for the elusive "brass ring", career planning is essential. Regardless of your current status, there are gaps between you and ultimate success. This distance from present reality to your preferred future can seem overwhelming at times, but must be analyzed before it can be crossed.

Determining which gaps are most relevant is a first step. Which of these six issues do you face today? Which will you encounter down the road? How would pursuing a first-class MBA degree help you?
1. The gap between you and your peers

No matter what your age, the visible achievements of others in your college graduating class are, and will remain, a yardstick to measure your progress. These peers are the former classmates who proudly announce their latest promotions in alumni newsletters, boast of their latest mega-deal, and seem always to be in the right place at the right time. No matter what your age, the visible achievements of others in your college graduating class are, and will remain, a yardstick to measure your progress.

Think of this phenomenon as a lifelong class reunion. Looking around the room, literally or figuratively, how many of your peers have loftier titles on their nametags or smile more convincingly when describing their future prospects? Just a few? Or most? If the gap between you and the high flyers is substantial -- and seems to be expanding -- a top quality MBA degree may be one answer.

The CEO of a global payment systems company says, "I got my MBA because I wanted to become-- and be viewed as-- a broader business person who was more upwardly mobile. An MBA is helpful in getting a job, then being considered more promotable. More is, and should be, expected from someone with an MBA. It's hard to see how you can go wrong with that degree."

The president and CEO for a major operator/franchiser of restaurant chains shares his perspective on the topic. "As an undergrad, my long-term goal was a senior management position with a major organization. I believed that an MBA would help provide the background and firepower to leapfrog over my fellow competitors in the job market." He advises, "Get your MBA as soon as possible, hit the ground running and never look back!"

The former president of a well-known aircraft manufacturing company also advocates getting an MBA. "At my company, those who earn the degree are earmarked for bigger and better things because they're more likely to add value to the business. That's what it's all about."