InformationWeek

September 29, 1998

I have 10 years of IT experience, having worked in various capacity from systems manager, (Unix and Windows NT), Webmaster/intranet developer, WAN architect and, in my last employment, as senior member of the decision-support system, building data warehousing. I have a master's degree in software engineering, and I'm the manager of MIS in a small pre-IPO telecommunications company. My career goal is to become CIO of a Fortune 100 company, but my knowledge of ERP is not as strong as it is in other areas of IT such as systems and networks. I'm planning to go for an MBA. It's my feeling that my employer may, in the not-too-distant future, begin to evaluate moving to a new ERP system for which I like to be prepared when this occur. Should I spend some time taking more in-depth courses on ERP, or should I simply shoot straight for the MBA, which should definitely look good on my resumé?

Shoot straight for the MBA. Although ERP has become a predominant force in driving business initiatives, it's not the only area in which CIOs are evaluated. You can take years of classes related to ERP and still be ridiculed for having no hands-on implementation experience. The MBA, however, won't draw the same ridicule. As a matter of fact, it will show you are a strong technologist who understands the value of a higher degree focused strictly on business. You're not going to be judged on the number of acronyms you've amassed on your resumé, but more by the bottom-line impact you've driven to a business. Not only will the MBA look good on a resumé, but it will also balance your decision-making skills along the way.

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