Many respondents to last week's IT Manager poll about whether Masters of Business Administration (MBAs) degrees were worth the time and money involved had considered, or completed, further study.
Adrian Sobotta, head developer at an undisclosed financial research firm, said he had been planning on starting his Masters of Computer Science because of the benefit he sees in formal qualifications.
Likewise, Christopher Hire, principal at IT services firm Simple, is currently completing an MBA. "I believe the degree allows better understanding and explanation of business issues to other IT staff who are being managed," Hire said. Likewise, he thought it aided IT professionals in explaining technology to business executives in terminology to which they could relate.
Jon Barnett, director and senior consultant at Amity Solutions, a consulting and e-commerce company, believes that IT professionals charged with implementing technology should understand the business implications of IT decisions.
"Without a broader knowledge of the business operations, an IT professional may suggest a solution that meets the current operational requirements but hinders future changes in business operation," Barnett said.
"Or a solution may address the visible problem but does nothing to address the visible problem, but does nothing to address the underlying business issue," he said. "Knowing the right questions to ask about business problems and business processes is an advantageous skill for the CIO and the IT manager. It can mean the difference between delivering a band-aid solution and a robust and future-proof implementation."
Barnett sees MBAs and other courses as giving IT professionals access to the theories of business fundamentals. "The benefit is that the IT professional can participate in...the analysis and discussion of a business problem, rather than being only an implementer of the solution."
However, Barnett cautions that doing an MBA part-time can be time-consuming. His MBA experience has involved nine hours of lectures each week, supplemented by at least the same amount of time again studying. "That takes a toll on your home life, not to mention your social life," he warns.
However, he cites several benefits, including a better understanding of business needs, the ability to interact with business managers, as well as a greater range of analytical skills and tools.
"I'm not sure that in Australia an MBA draws or translates to any pay benefits," Barnett said. "But if you are dealing with international business contacts, it can raise your standing or value with them--it certainly stops your input from being immediately dismissed as spurious."
However, Inder Singh, business development manager at Hallmark Computer, thinks that the days are gone when the acquisition of soft skills and industry experience always helped guarantee movement up the corporate ladder. "A qualified individual is sure to pick up specific skills for the position much quicker than the one who hasn't matured academically," he said.
Another respondent to the poll, who declined to be named, said that further study had opened up horizons for him beyond the functional IT&T mindset. "It has enabled me to undertake, enjoy and succeed at new and widely different projects and opportunities," the respondent related. "In fact, it is unlikely that I would have survived the series of restructurings and downsizing since the mid 1990s without having done this study."
"I cannot say that I received massive pay increases as a result of my study, but I have enjoyed immensely succeeding at the challenges and opportunities which my study opened up...to me that has made my investment worthwhile," he added.
One respondent warned that study wasn't everything and industry experience was still crucial. He also believed that it came down to the person doing the hiring. "A person can have all the credentials and be multi-skilled in every conceivable aspect of the industry, buy it all amounts to nothing if the interviewer is looking for experienced people," he argued.
"University-trained IT people learn all the basic skills to get them into the industry, but it is only through experience that you really learn the trade, so to speak," he said. "If study gets you up the ladder, then go for it. Just be mindful that if you commit to undertaking a two or three year course that management's views might change on how they do their hiring of IT professionals."
Having a full-fee paying Master's degree doesn't make you an I.T. pro.
Consider the absolutely crappy Master of IT at the University of Newcastle's graduate school of business.
Oh sure, if you have an obscure degree from a University in India, and a pocketful of cash, you can end up finishing with an M.IT degree.
However, this doesn't mean you can solve technical problems, you can write software, you can manage a technical team or budget, and it most certainly doesn't mean you can speak english.