Dupe
What I would say that each year of good experience (especially of such experience where, as you say, lifestyle is unsustainable) makes the marginal utility of MBA less. Employer pays for what you can do, not for your diploma. ANd when employer will choose between a guy with MBA but without relevant experience, and another guy with good experience but no MBA, the choice might be not in favor of the first one. And if you get canned… There are much less really experienced people than inexperienced MBAs in the market now, so don’t worry. Especially if you obtain the CFA charter (which is likely given you 're on this forum 
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Neud Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What I would say that each year of good experience > (especially of such experience where, as you say, > lifestyle is unsustainable) makes the marginal > utility of MBA less. Employer pays for what you > can do, not for your diploma. ANd when employer > will choose between a guy with MBA but without > relevant experience, and another guy with good > experience but no MBA, the choice might be not in > favor of the first one. > > And if you get canned… There are much less > really experienced people than inexperienced MBAs > in the market now, so don’t worry. Especially if > you obtain the CFA charter (which is likely given > you 're on this forum ) Understood, but this assumes that two years of associate level work is really that significant. when you’re comparing four years of average work experience for a guy going into b-school and an additional 1-2 years post b-school to the 6 years plus 1-2 you would have without it, the difference in experience isn’t that significant. Furthermore, this doesn’t account for the fact that without b-school, you’re probably either applying for jobs through a headhunter or through a company’s website, whereas if you went to b-school, you search for jobs by calling up people you met at alumni functions. Pretty big difference…
I see it differently, actually. People often leave to business school in order to return to the same position level (new associate) they would be promoted to the year of their departure to B-school or at worst next year. Maybe, in USA it is more like you say, but talking from European perspective, I dare say 2 years of relevant experience are valued above MBA right now.
Sorry to take so long to reply. It’s probably a lot closer than I’m making it seem, but in the end, I think it comes down to industry. For Sell Side, PE, traditional asset management I think an MBA is important, but for trading I don’t think it’s necessary or really that helpful…
ahaha, but let me ask you this: You say that a trader at a prop firm can transition to a HF or BB with the necessary contacts. I don’t think its that easy without the MBA. I mean if you were trading at a commodities prop firm, then I could see the move. But if your experience is in options, like mine is, its more difficult. Most HF’s don’t trade equity options as a strategy by itself. So you would have to probably sit on a different products trading desk (convert arb maybe) and I don’t see how they would trust you to trade a new product without an MBA.
You don’t need a CFA or MBA to be employed as a trader. Frankly, you don’t even need a bachelor degree.
former trader Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You don’t need a CFA or MBA to be employed as a > trader. > > Frankly, you don’t even need a bachelor degree. Hedge Funds and Investment Banks You’re talking about gutter level trading arcades that don’t require a college degree.