Military experience teaches leadership in ways civilian positions may not. Most MBA candidates from the civilian economy have business experience, but they may have spent less time directing the activities of large groups of individuals to achieve specific goals. They may lack the depth in dealing with others and managing teams that those in the military develop. Perhaps equally important, they generally have not been called upon to function under difficult circumstances (sometimes literally life and death) that military personnel often face.
An Army captain with 10 years of service found her degree invaluable. “My MBA paid for itself immediately from day one in the Army,” she said. “I expected it to be useful eventually, after I separated. It reinforced my military leadership and ethics training. My MBA also taught me how to improve how I do business in and out of the military.”
These abilities are prized by employers and are directly applicable in the military and in many of the civilian positions people with graduate management degrees ultimately occupy. Because many MBA candidates do not have the leadership experience of those coming from military backgrounds, they may begin their post-MBA careers in a narrow functional area rather than as managers. However, the background acquired through the military, combined with an MBA, often leads to management positions immediately upon separating from the service (and salary often starts in excess of $100,000 annually).
“When I left the service, it flip flopped,” the Army captain said. “I found that while my MBA gave me a solid knowledge on the concepts and professional jargon, my military experience gave me a win. My peers in corporate America didn’t have the same emphasis and experience in team building, tactical leadership and effective communications that the military provided me.”
Not only does this combination of education and experience put you ahead of your competition, but it also serves you well as you proceed with your career, whether military or civilian. To quote a West Point graduate who pursued a civilian career after the military, “My time management and project leadership skills are used frequently … Military service taught me to think about the future as well as what is around the corner and helped me refine my multi-tasking skills, which has proven invaluable. The MBA gave me the financial analysis skills and business acumen I needed to succeed in a corporate environment.”
Likewise, from an Air Force lieutenant colonel who remained in the service after receiving his MBA “I frequently call on my MBA skills for fiscal and marketing needs in order to justify budgets and ‘sell’ the decision makers on the worthiness of projects for taxpayer funding. My military training in time management and leadership are important.”