Does an MBA Matter in the Real Business World?

57% of Executives Say the Advanced Degree is Nice, But Not Necessary In TheLadders.com Survey

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 28, 2005 -- With the average salary of business school graduates now topping $82,000, and some elite schools boasting average graduate salaries well into the $100k+ range, it may seem that getting a Masters Degree in Business Administration is the ticket to financial security. But does having an MBA really impact your success in the business world? According to a survey conducted by TheLadders.com, the worlds leading $100,000+ job website, 57% of executives said the degree is valuable, but not essential.

A total of 1,521 executives in the $100k+ job market responded to the survey, which asked: How would you rate the value of an MBA in your business? While the 57% majority characterized a business school diploma as a nice addition, but not necessary," 26% said it was very important" to have the degree. Only 17% said it was altogether unimportant" to have an MBA in the current business climate.

An MBA can be a fantastic credential for executives; its not just a diploma, its an entire network of shared experiences and overcome challenges," explained TheLadders.com founder and president, Marc Cenedella. But no degree can guarantee success 'in the arena. Its important for executives to focus on how an MBA enables job success, not just cocktail party bragging rights. A diploma on the office wall doesnt mean youll reach the penthouse."

The survey of registered $100k+ executives was conducted on TheLadders.com Web site from February 16, 2005 through February 24, 2005. The margin of error is ±2.6%.

Now reaching over 270,000 readers and featuring over 17,000 new $100k+ job listings each month, TheLadders.com is the largest online job search service catering exclusively to the $100k+ market. Marc Cenedella founded TheLadders.com in July 2003 after a tenure as Senior Vice President, Finance & Operations, at HotJobs.com, ultimately shepherding that companys sale to Yahoo, Inc. (NASD: YHOO) in 2002. In May 2004 he was named Entrepreneur of the Year by award-winning marketing newsletter, MarketingSherpa, which cited TheLadders.coms unique business model as a key to its sustained growth.

About TheLadders.com, Inc.

Based in New York, TheLadders.com, Inc. is a privately held company offering online job search services to the $100k+ employment market. The company operates specialized job search Web sites for the sales (www.salesladder.com), marketing (www.mktgladder.com), finance (www.financeladder.com) and HR, legal and operations (www.upladder.com) industries, produces a series of industry-specific, weekly e-newsletters, and maintains the worlds first customer service blog (http://askmarc.salesladder.com/). The company also produces an electronic newsletter providing job market insights and data to executive recruiters (www.recruitladder.com). Backers of TheLadders.com include Matrix Partners and a group of private investors including the following individuals: Kevin Ryan, CEO, DoubleClick (NASD: DCLK) and Board Director, HotJobs.com; Tom Matlack, Megunticook Management; and Robert Chefitz, NJTC Venture Fund. More information on the company can be found online at www.theladders.com.

# # #

Visit TheLadders.com at www.theladders.com

For more information, please contact:

John Roderick        

john@jroderick.com            

631-689-3038

Adam Isserlis        

adam@theladders.com        

646-375-2055