MBA or Statistics Cert Program for Marketing Research

Dear Deb,

Q. I am interested in Market Research opportunities. I've been in the communications field for the past 10 years and it has natural overlaps in this field. In exploring opportunities, requirements sometimes list MBA or stats program certification. 

What do you recommend in order to be a strong candidate for this field?

Best, AW, Washington DC.

A. Your decision to enter an MBA program versus taking a Statistics Certification course should be based on a number of factors. 

• Do you have tuition reimbursement from your current firm? If so, will they cover the cost of either program? An MBA can be quite costly in terms of both money and time.  A Statistics Certification course is a shorter, one-year program so it could make sense to do this first depending upon your individual situation.
  
  
• Are you interested in eventually becoming a director or VP-level professional or would you be content to hold a role as an analyst or a mid-level manager? If you want to rise to the top, it may make sense to enter a full MBA program that includes a statistics certification track as part of the program.
  
  
• How quickly do you want to be working in your new role? Assuming you want to transition rapidly, getting hands-on skills in statistical analysis first would make sense. Long-term, you may also want to consider going for your MBA as this will position you for continued advancement within the field. Most of the senior level roles do require or prefer an MBA. 

• Have you had your résumé looked at by a professional résumé writer? Given that there are natural overlaps in this field, there is probably a need for you to rewrite your résumé to bring the relevant experience to the forefront and reposition yourself when you are ready to apply for suitable marketing research opportunities.

The good news is that nowadays much of the coursework, whether as part of a Statistics Certification or an MBA program, can be done online which will save you commuting time and make your schedule more manageable. 

---

If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb column appears every Friday on our blog at the Careers Done Write website.