It's like dating...

It's been a while, but I figured after a recent call with a former MBA classmate it would be a god time for a post.

My classmate was complaining to me about the fact that his MBA was not a valued selling point and he was frustrated as a result.  He didn't quite get why it wasn't great to lead with "I'm an MBA from..." until I made the analogy that getting a job is like getting a date.

Having an MBA is a nice attribute that can be a difference maker, but it shouldn't be something that you lead with.  If you were trying to get a date, you'd never lead with 'Hi, my name is Mike and I'm well endowed', or you'd get slapped (trust me).  You'd talk about shared interests, passions, etc. and things that generally qualify you to do well on a date/be good in a relationship leaving your other traits to be discovered in the future.  Almost as a cherry on top on the sundae.

So, remember despite what your grad school tells you don't lead with 'I'm an MBA from...' otherwise you might get yourself slapped.