MBA vs MS CS
For someone in early 30s (in Canada) who doesn't have a CS or business undergrad, what would be a preferred grad credential to pursue - MBA or MS CS & what's the outcome? Currently work at a Canadian telco in a non-technical job that doesn't pay that well. Want to be in demand, increase my comp & perhaps enter the tech industry. Don't think I will like coding but exploring career options. Don't have conviction clarity on what I should do in my career going forward. So many roles. Product Manager role seems very popular but super competitive. Program Manager is another one I discovered but doesn't seem to pay as well and is more operational/execution oriented. I understand US pays much better than Canada too. MS CS seems to be for technical roles like Software Engineering (coding). Lots of maths & coding. Starting from bottom. MBA seems to be for more management/leadership roles, super expensive, debatable ROI/value (seems that its mostly the brand/alumni & the doors it opens rather than the course content) the MBA grads tend to work in 3 main buckets - consulting, financial services/IB & tech (mostly product management). Previously grads would gravitate towards consulting & financial services/IB but now towards tech due to better work life balance/good comp. There's experiential product management bootcamps too like Co Lab product management where they charge you $3-4k USD and pair you with a dev & designer to build a MVP over a few months. Would love to get your thoughts. Blind tax, TC: 85k CAD (peanuts), YOE: 10 #tech #mba #ms cs #ms #cs #masters #technology
If you want to change careers, go to an MBA program.
Thank you
MS CS - without previous degree or work experience wonβt mean much. It may get your foot in the door, but you will have to practice coding on your own to make it through interviews. Once you get your first job in the field you should be good to go though. MBA - is a reset button on your career, if you get into a good school. It is expensive, but it give you more options. The roles are competitive but they teach you how to interview and the best companies recruit almost exclusively from the top schools. US will always pay more than Canada. Iβve had Canadian team members that were paid well below market for the US. (US based company) We corrected as much as we could, but it was a struggle. I think you need to figure out what you really like to do and chart a path towards that. I do career coaching on the side and have all my clients start with a StrengthsFinder assessment. I would highly recommend starting with that. Knowing what youβre good at is a good foundation to begin your career journey. Good luck!
Better do more LC and increase your TC
Thank you