You get to spend your day connecting with your colleagues and potential job candidates which can be extremely rewarding for those who pride themselves on their interpersonal skills.

While you may thrive in paperwork-intensive roles, you may feel like something is missing in your career. You may be craving more financial compensation or more responsibility than your current role can offer. You may have even considered shifting your career path altogether and might be researching job opportunities in different fields.

An MBA is a great way to expand your skillset in the Human Resource field. This degree can make you more hireable as an employee and provide a bargaining chip for financial compensation at your current position. Investing time and money into earning an MBA may be something that you’re debating. However, you’ll want to be sure that it will be well worth the time and financial investment once you graduate. To determine your likelihood of admission, use the CollegeData College Chances Calculator.

Benefits of getting an MBA

Before you invest your own time and money in obtaining a master’s degree, you’ll want to investigate the benefits of earning a postgraduate degree. You want to ensure that you’ll be able to recoup your financial investment, much like you’ll want to confirm that your time commitment will go towards a worthy cause. If you’re an aspiring MBA student who’s currently weighing the pros and cons of pursuing higher education, you’ll want to take a look at some of the top benefits that an MBA can provide as a working HR professional.

Higher compensation

As reported by CollegeData, those with an MBA can earn more than HR employees with an undergraduate degree only. Having a master’s degree, especially a degree focused in a specific arena of advanced education can allow an HR professional to ride on the fast track to executive-level positions.

According to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics, MBA holders can make around $105,000 per year. Those who choose advanced degree studies can make up to $245,000 annually.

Better job opportunities

With more companies investing time and resources on creating well-established Human Resource departments to handle employees, there are a plethora of job openings in today’s job market. When you earn an MBA, you’ll find that you qualify for the majority of them—bumping you up to the top of the applicant list.

With an MBA, you can apply for work as an HR manager, senior manager, VP of operations, or even an HR director. Each job has its own specific tasks that offer unique opportunities for those with their MBA. Instead of settling for a job at any business with HR-position openings, you can explore the job listings and search for a job-opening in Human Resources that really gets your heart pumping.

Enhance your worth

It’s been the general rule of thumb that employees who are worth more to a company receive higher compensation. This means you’ll need to position yourself to have high worth in the overall company picture so that you can continue to climb the ladder and receive the compensation you deserve.

An MBA is also a great way to improve your worth and secure job stability in the process. You can bring more field knowledge to the table with your specialized degree than others with a more a rudimentary level of education

More active leadership role

As a member of Human Resource personnel, you don’t have a lot of say in the regulations of your job. You’re simply given a list of instructions to follow. When you earn your MBA, you can play a more active role in the leadership of the company you work for. You can change industry standards, company regulations, and enhance the overall human resource department.

With your MBA, you’ll be in a position to make more key decisions in the running of the business instead of completing day-to-day tasks like those with a bachelor’s degree alone. Sick of sitting at the bottom of the food chain? Dedicate the time and resources necessary for earning your MBA.

How to pick the right MBA program for you

If you’ve made the decision that pursuing your MBA is a valuable asset as an HR professional, then you’re likely wondering what to do next. First, you’ll need to find an MBA program that intrigues you and will provide you with the necessary education you’re striving for. Here are some helpful tips on picking the right MBA program for you.

Consider your learning environment

Most individuals will work towards their MBA while employed at their full-time at a job. Although this full-time work and school schedule can help fund your education, this can put some restrictions on your learning environment. You may find it necessary to take online courses as they offer more flexibility than in-person classes. Or, you may decide to take time off from your full-time schedule to obtain our MBA in-person. It’s really up to your personal preferences and unique learning style. Just make sure to decide this early on when considering the right MBA program for you.

See if employer educational assistance is available

When it comes to higher education, your MBA can garner some debilitating student debt. In an effort to eliminate or reduce some of your college expenses, you should confer with your employer to ask about tuition assistance.

Some employers may offer a set percentage or maximum amount they’ll compensate you for while you obtain a higher degree of education. There are restrictions on some of these tuition assistance programs, such as the types of schools that you can attend. It’s best to identify these requirements and stipulations ahead of time, so you choose an MBA program where you’ll be properly compensated upon your completion.

Conclusion

Don’t pursue a Master of Business Administration if you aren’t fully committed to the idea. This process will demand a passion for business and a willingness to juggle a busy schedule. Though reaching the finish line may seem impossible now, the prize of a higher salary and more esteemed titles waiting at the end of the race will certainly make the time dedication worthwhile.