Job Discussion Forums

[cubbie]

After a couple of years working here in Vancouver, would an MBA from UBC help a person's career say in Japan, China , UAE?

What new options would open for a person who had this degree versus someone without?

[Chris21]

It wouldn't help get a teaching job (no more than a BA in philosophy would).

There is a very large financial services community in Tokyo, but many of those folks were transferred to Japan, have Japanese language ability, or got their job through connections. I think it would be difficult to land a job in Tokyo with only an MBA. If you were connected or could speak Japanese, it might be a different situation.

[cubbie]

I already have a BA from The university of California Irvine in English,
I am currently in Vancouver BC working on my TESOL.

However, further down the line will a person teaching esl both in vancouver or abroad with an MBA have more employment opportunities?

For example, perhaps opening my own school?

Thanks for the prompt reply.

[Chris21]

I think your TESL experience is probably as valuable as your MBA. You'd certainly have a good chance at getting hired at most conversation schools, and I think a junior or senior high school would also be possible (although more difficult - unless you work for one of those awful dispatch companies, then it would be easier). Working at a Uni is unlikely without a Masters in TESOL.

Opening your own school is also possible, but you'd have to have the money to invest. A bank won't loan money to a foreigner on a working visa (usually only 1 or 3 years). You'd also need a Japanese assistant. Sales staff are crucial with conversation schools, so language ability is a must. I'm not sure I'd want to open a school though... it's a very competitive market, and plenty of schools have gone bankrupt.

[kdynamic]

An MBA might help you get a job teaching business English, which can be some of the most lucrative positions.

But I don't understand why you'd look into getting an MBA if you want to teach English. A masters in ESL would get you further I think. Unless you mean you already have the MBA and are trying to figure out how to use it? If you have an MBA and want to be in Japan, I think a good next step would be to learn Japanese an focus on the business world instead of the English teaching world.

But sure, if you open your own school (a cut throat area these days) your MBA knowledge might come in handy.

[sidjameson]

My girlfriend did her MBA here in Japan. If it was representative of MBAs in general then I would say forget it. Spending $10 on a simple business book from amazon would be of more benefit to the practical side of how to run a business such as a language school. Unless you can get into a top business school and mix with other students who have already achieved success then IMO MBAs are one of the great cons of the modern free market education system. Offered mostly due to the very false perception of their worth and usefulness. I would question their academic value too. I wrote several of her papers. I got an A every time. I have never studied anything to do with business in my life and just wrote what I knew based on common sense. Scandalous.

[sidjameson]

Oh and at least here in Osaka, I have taught business English for several years. Never met anyone with an MBA teaching. And the going rate for such work is around 4000 yen an hour. Hardly lucrative and not exactly worth spending $20k and 2 years of your life for.

[MrCAPiTUL]

sid, what you say is just bogus. Having an MBA opens up a new dimension of Job opportunities, especially in the Financial Services Industry. If you get one from one of the more acclaimed schools in the US, for example, you can expect to pull 100k USD a year. If poster were to get J language ability, then most certainly s/he could get a job w/a Japanese business making some serious Yen. Now, I understand that an MBA doesn't really teach you much of anything practical for use in the business world, but it is one of those pieces of paper that will almost always pay off.

Now poster, I have to agree with what was said earlier, though - why get an MBA if you want to teach?

If you want to open your own school, look into a Masters of Education Administration. That will teach you the ins, outs, budgeting practices,and legalities involved with school administration. That is the route I would go with. And, make sure you have experience in the field.

[luckyloser700]

There are schools with top-notch Master of International Business programs that focus on Japan and China. Thunderbird comes to mind. But, unless one wants to go to work for a company that has offices, factories, etc... overseas, it's probably not worth the effort. Also, getting a little work experience under your belt before you begin an MBA program is extremely useful. Indeed, some MBA programs' admission committees award a lot of "points" to those who have real-world work experience.

[markle]

[moot point]

From my experience working and hiring business teachers, those with MBA's could demand 7000-8000yen per hour for reputable business course providers. Those without, but consderable experience teaching business courses, were making 4000-5000yen per hour. T

These rates apply to intensive courses so your take on a two-day seminar would roughly work out to $500 for a full-day as opposed to $300. Keep in mind it is highly unlikely to fill your schedule five days a week teaching intensive classes. They come and go and you may only find yourself working for 5 to 7 days a month.

My best month of teaching business courses (and I apply to the latter without the MBA), was to make about $8500 in a month. This is not uncommon amongst those familiar with intensives but the window is short as these longer-term intensives occur doing the months of April and May.

Several of my colleagues actually were based outside of Japan but arranged to take time off from their regular positions to come and teach short-term during these two months.

You can figure it out if it is worth it or not.