Your degree will improve the companys professional image when you work with clients.

Problem: Your studies will take time away from work. Solution: Online classes can be completed in your free time and will give you skills to help you do better work.

Problem: Paying your tuition will be expensive for the company. Solution: Actually, paying your tuition may cost less than hiring a new employee with the degree you are working on and training the new recruit. Your degree will make the company money. In the long run, your employer will save by funding your education.

Getting your company to sponsor your Executive MBA

Login| Register

With several years of managerial experience behind you, the next step in your career is an Executive MBA. You are looking to strengthen your analytical skills, develop your leadership potential, add an international dimension to your experience and strengthen your skill set to deepen your understanding of the broader business environment.

It is obvious to you that the company will reap benefits from the company project and the tools and ideas that you can put to work right away. But how do you convince your boss, the HR Director and the CEO that the time spent away from the office, in addition to the considerable tuition fees, are a good investment for the company?

Put together a business (school) plan

If you haven't already negotiated an Executive MBA as part of a sign-on package when you joined the company, it is unlikely that your current proposal will be signed off over an informal lunch. More often there are several supervisors who will have to sign off on the project, perhaps even the company chairman, so a document which outlines your proposal, explaining your motivation and underlining the corporate benefits, will be invaluable.

Candidates are advised to prepare the ground during performance reviews on a regular basis. Opportunities and available options within the firm should be regularly discussed both formally during reviews, and informally with mentors.

You might be a step ahead if the company already sponsors Executive MBAs and can judge their value, but otherwise you need to convince them that a given school and the commitment of your time will ultimately be to their advantage.If there are other employees who were supported by the company to do an Executive MBA, you should try to talk to them to discuss their experience and learn about internal attitudes to such training.

If the Executive MBA to which you are applying has a company assignment or electives that the company can influence, then this is a strong argument for their support. Assignments linked with your own company provide an excellent opportunity for hands on practice, and create immediate value and leverage for your company. Here are a few questions to help your thought process and a few suggestions to get you started:

What will an Executive MBA program bring you?

- New managements skills and techniques to move towards increased responsibilities. - Strategic thinking, critical analysis, and a 'bigger picture' understanding. - Better communication and team building skills. - Networking opportunities with candidates from other functional areas, companies, industries, regions and countries, enabling you to acquire a sharpened global vision.

What are the reasons for having chosen a specific Executive MBA program from a particular school?

- Examples of alumni experiences either from your own company or the school - Faculty - Geographical distance - Format (modular, weekend, etc)-this is particularly important as you will be able to show your employer that you will be away from the office for only a limited number of days/weekends - Cost. What will your participation in an Executive MBA course bring the company? - The opportunity to carry out an in-company project is beneficial to both the participant and the company. Don't forget that you will be able to discuss issues with your classmates, thereby obtaining new perspectives on the problem at hand. - Your ability and commitment to share your knowledge with your managers and colleagues. - With your developed analytical and strategic skills, you will be able to contribute more efficiently and effectively to the future development of your company.

Don't scare your company! Show your managers the way:

- Support needn't be all financial. Companies can show their support by being flexible and allowing you to take leave for you to be able to attend classes and complete modules. - A lighter workload can also be part of the deal enabling you to study and work on your projects during specific office timings. - If the company finds the fees daunting, you can offer to pay the 'extras' such as travel and accomodation costs while the company pays for tuition. Show your company that you can be trusted - Talk about your commitment to share the knowledge and skills you acquire. You can suggest workshops or brainstorming sessions that you can organize once you have completed the course. - Suggest signing an agreement specifying the time you promise to stay after the successful completion of your course. - Show your company that you can project yourself within the company in the next 2, 3-5 years. Draw up a suggested career plan.

Stay ahead of the game

Don't forget that the business schools themselves have application deadlines to respect, so laying the groundwork several months ahead should give you time for final negotiations and conditions. It could also be that you are competing with other candidates for a limited number of sponsorships, so a formal request should ensure you will be considered when the time comes. During that time you may also need to network with the people signing off on the sponsorship - political landscapes can be tricky.

Loyalty is a two-way street

Business schools encourage companies to support candidates who are eager to gain personal and professional growth, while contributing to the success of the organization. Companies that sponsor managers show their commitment to helping employees reach their personal career goals. Encouraging learning and development builds loyalty and encourages personnel to stay with the firm. This can work both ways.By showing your company that you are keen to remain with them and share the value of your learning experience, they will quickly offset your absence from the office every other Friday, or a week away to attend a seminar.

The fact that an Executive MBA student maintains his or her professional commitments is another argument in favour of the program. The Full-time MBA in comparison often signals your imminent departure, so be ready to leverage the continuity of the Executive MBA. Employers can be gently reminded that it is better to keep you by supporting your studies than lose you altogether.

Staying in touch

Once your company has signed off on your studies, it is important to keep them informed of your progress. You are about to juggle professional, personal and academic responsibilities, and will greatly appreciate the support of your colleagues, both emotionally and practically during the length of the program. Giving updates to the company also helps the employer to recognize how you have changed, and the new skills that you have developed. This will be felt in terms of new challenges and responsibilities in line with your career ambitions. Your degree will improve the companys professional image when you work with clients. Problem: Your studies will take time away from work.

Solution: Online classes can be completed in your free time and will give you skills to help you do better work.

Problem: Paying your tuition will be expensive for the company. Solution: Actually, paying your tuition may cost less than hiring a new employee with the degree you are working on and training the new recruit. Your degree will make the company money. In the long run, your employer will save by funding your education.

Getting your company to sponsor your Executive MBA

Login| Register

With several years of managerial experience behind you, the next step in your career is an Executive MBA. You are looking to strengthen your analytical skills, develop your leadership potential, add an international dimension to your experience and strengthen your skill set to deepen your understanding of the broader business environment.

It is obvious to you that the company will reap benefits from the company project and the tools and ideas that you can put to work right away. But how do you convince your boss, the HR Director and the CEO that the time spent away from the office, in addition to the considerable tuition fees, are a good investment for the company?

Put together a business (school) plan

If you haven't already negotiated an Executive MBA as part of a sign-on package when you joined the company, it is unlikely that your current proposal will be signed off over an informal lunch. More often there are several supervisors who will have to sign off on the project, perhaps even the company

chairman, so a document which outlines your proposal, explaining your motivation and underlining the corporate benefits, will be invaluable.

Candidates are advised to prepare the ground during performance reviews on a regular basis. Opportunities and available options within the firm should be regularly discussed both formally during reviews, and informally with mentors.

You might be a step ahead if the company already sponsors Executive MBAs and can judge their value, but otherwise you need to convince them that a given school and the commitment of your time will ultimately be to their advantage.If there are other employees who were supported by the company to do an Executive MBA, you should try to talk to them to discuss their experience and learn about internal attitudes to such training.

If the Executive MBA to which you are applying has a company assignment or electives that the company can influence, then this is a strong argument for their support. Assignments linked with your own company provide an excellent opportunity for hands on practice, and create immediate value and leverage for your company. Here are a few questions to help your thought process and a few suggestions to get you started:

What will an Executive MBA program bring you?

- New managements skills and techniques to move towards increased responsibilities. - Strategic thinking, critical analysis, and a 'bigger picture' understanding. - Better communication and team building skills. - Networking opportunities with candidates from other functional areas, companies, industries, regions and countries, enabling you to acquire a sharpened global vision.

What are the reasons for having chosen a specific Executive MBA program from a particular school?

- Examples of alumni experiences either from your own company or the school

- Faculty - Geographical distance - Format (modular, weekend, etc)-this is particularly important as you will be able to show your employer that you will be away from the office for only a limited number of days/weekends - Cost. What will your participation in an Executive MBA course bring the company? - The opportunity to carry out an in-company project is beneficial to both the participant and the company. Don't forget that you will be able to discuss issues with your classmates, thereby obtaining new perspectives on the problem at hand. - Your ability and commitment to share your knowledge with your managers and colleagues. - With your developed analytical and strategic skills, you will be able to contribute more efficiently and effectively to the future development of your company.

Don't scare your company! Show your managers the way:

- Support needn't be all financial. Companies can show their support by being flexible and allowing you to take leave for you to be able to attend classes and complete modules. - A lighter workload can also be part of the deal enabling you to study and work on your projects during specific office timings. - If the company finds the fees daunting, you can offer to pay the 'extras' such as travel and accomodation costs while the company pays for tuition. Show your company that you can be trusted - Talk about your commitment to share the knowledge and skills you acquire. You can suggest workshops or brainstorming sessions that you can organize once you have completed the course. - Suggest signing an agreement specifying the time you promise to stay after the successful completion of your course. - Show your company that you can project yourself within the company in the next 2, 3-5 years. Draw up a suggested career plan.

Stay ahead of the game

Don't forget that the business schools themselves have application deadlines to respect, so laying the groundwork several months ahead should give you time for final negotiations and conditions. It could also be that you are competing with other candidates for a limited number of sponsorships, so a formal request should ensure you will be considered when the time comes. During that time you may also need to network with the people signing off on the sponsorship - political landscapes can be tricky.

Loyalty is a two-way street

Business schools encourage companies to support candidates who are eager to gain personal and professional growth, while contributing to the success of the organization. Companies that sponsor managers show their commitment to helping employees reach their personal career goals. Encouraging learning and development builds loyalty and encourages personnel to stay with the firm. This can work both ways.By showing your company that you are keen to remain with them and share the value of your learning experience, they will quickly offset your absence from the office every other Friday, or a week away to attend a seminar.

The fact that an Executive MBA student maintains his or her professional commitments is another argument in favour of the program. The Full-time MBA in comparison often signals your imminent departure, so be ready to leverage the continuity of the Executive MBA. Employers can be gently reminded that it is better to keep you by supporting your studies than lose you altogether.

Staying in touch

Once your company has signed off on your studies, it is important to keep them informed of your progress. You are about to juggle professional, personal and academic responsibilities, and will greatly appreciate the support of your colleagues, both emotionally and practically during the length of the program. Giving updates to the company also helps the employer to recognize how you have changed, and the new skills that you have developed. This will be felt in terms of new challenges and responsibilities in line with your career ambitions. Your degree will improve the companys professional image when you work with clients. Problem: Your studies will take time away from work. Solution: Online classes can be completed in your free time and will give you skills to help you do better work.

Problem: Paying your tuition will be expensive for the company. Solution: Actually, paying your tuition may cost less than hiring a new employee with the degree you are working on and training the new recruit. Your degree will make the company money. In the long run, your employer will save by funding your education.

Getting your company to sponsor your Executive MBA

Login| Register

With several years of managerial experience behind you, the next step in your career is an Executive MBA. You are looking to strengthen your analytical skills, develop your leadership potential, add an international dimension to your experience and strengthen your skill set to deepen your understanding of the broader business environment.

It is obvious to you that the company will reap benefits from the company project and the tools and ideas that you can put to work right away. But how do you convince your boss, the HR Director and the CEO that the time spent away from the office, in addition to the considerable tuition fees, are a good investment for the company?

Put together a business (school) plan

If you haven't already negotiated an Executive MBA as part of a sign-on package when you joined the company, it is unlikely that your current proposal will be signed off over an informal lunch. More often there are several supervisors who will have to sign off on the project, perhaps even the company chairman, so a document which outlines your proposal, explaining your motivation and underlining the corporate benefits, will be invaluable.

Candidates are advised to prepare the ground during performance reviews on a regular basis. Opportunities and available options within the firm should be regularly discussed both formally during reviews, and informally with mentors.

You might be a step ahead if the company already sponsors Executive MBAs and can judge their value, but otherwise you need to convince them that a given school and the commitment of your time will ultimately be to their advantage.If there are other employees who were supported by the company to do an Executive MBA, you should try to talk to them to discuss their experience and learn about internal attitudes to such training.

If the Executive MBA to which you are applying has a company assignment or electives that the company can influence, then this is a strong argument for their support. Assignments linked with your own company provide an excellent opportunity for hands on practice, and create immediate value and leverage for your company. Here are a few questions to help your thought process and a few suggestions to get you started:

What will an Executive MBA program bring you?

- New managements skills and techniques to move towards increased responsibilities. - Strategic thinking, critical analysis, and a 'bigger picture' understanding. - Better communication and team building skills. - Networking opportunities with candidates from other functional areas, companies, industries, regions and countries, enabling you to acquire a sharpened global vision.

What are the reasons for having chosen a specific Executive MBA program from a particular school?

- Examples of alumni experiences either from your own company or the school - Faculty - Geographical distance

- Format (modular, weekend, etc)-this is particularly important as you will be able to show your employer that you will be away from the office for only a limited number of days/weekends - Cost. What will your participation in an Executive MBA course bring the company? - The opportunity to carry out an in-company project is beneficial to both the participant and the company. Don't forget that you will be able to discuss issues with your classmates, thereby obtaining new perspectives on the problem at hand. - Your ability and commitment to share your knowledge with your managers and colleagues. - With your developed analytical and strategic skills, you will be able to contribute more efficiently and effectively to the future development of your company.

Don't scare your company! Show your managers the way:

- Support needn't be all financial. Companies can show their support by being flexible and allowing you to take leave for you to be able to attend classes and complete modules. - A lighter workload can also be part of the deal enabling you to study and work on your projects during specific office timings. - If the company finds the fees daunting, you can offer to pay the 'extras' such as travel and accomodation costs while the company pays for tuition. Show your company that you can be trusted - Talk about your commitment to share the knowledge and skills you acquire. You can suggest workshops or brainstorming sessions that you can organize once you have completed the course. - Suggest signing an agreement specifying the time you promise to stay after the successful completion of your course. - Show your company that you can project yourself within the company in the next 2, 3-5 years. Draw up a suggested career plan.

Stay ahead of the game

Don't forget that the business schools themselves have application deadlines to respect, so laying the groundwork several months ahead should give you time for final negotiations and conditions. It could also be that you are competing with other candidates for a limited number of sponsorships, so a formal

request should ensure you will be considered when the time comes. During that time you may also need to network with the people signing off on the sponsorship - political landscapes can be tricky.

Loyalty is a two-way street

Business schools encourage companies to support candidates who are eager to gain personal and professional growth, while contributing to the success of the organization. Companies that sponsor managers show their commitment to helping employees reach their personal career goals. Encouraging learning and development builds loyalty and encourages personnel to stay with the firm. This can work both ways.By showing your company that you are keen to remain with them and share the value of your learning experience, they will quickly offset your absence from the office every other Friday, or a week away to attend a seminar.

The fact that an Executive MBA student maintains his or her professional commitments is another argument in favour of the program. The Full-time MBA in comparison often signals your imminent departure, so be ready to leverage the continuity of the Executive MBA. Employers can be gently reminded that it is better to keep you by supporting your studies than lose you altogether.

Staying in touch

Once your company has signed off on your studies, it is important to keep them informed of your progress. You are about to juggle professional, personal and academic responsibilities, and will greatly appreciate the support of your colleagues, both emotionally and practically during the length of the program. Giving updates to the company also helps the employer to recognize how you have changed, and the new skills that you have developed. This will be felt in terms of new challenges and responsibilities in line with your career ambitions.

The key to having your employer pay for your education is to convince them of the benefits to the company that result from your new skills. There are a variety of direct benefits of employer-funded education that you should point out to your HR manager if s/he is not already aware of them. These include increased loyalty, reduced employee turnover, increased productivity, ability to take on new projects and the opportunity to show leadership skills. (For related reading, also see Dealing With 10 Co-worker Personality Conflicts.) Tutorial: Education Savings Accounts The idea that higher education increases productivity was made famous by Gary Becker, who won a Nobel Prize for his work on "Human Capital Theory." This idea was further confirmed by Dr. Arnaud Chevalier in his brief entitled "New evidence that education does raise productivity." What these studies boil down to, and what you have to get your HR manager to understand, is that your successful completion of further education will impact the company's bottom line positively. You will be more productive, as these studies show, and you will be able to take on additional projects that you previously would have been unable to attempt. This will enable both you and the company to take on additional work and bring in extra revenue. How Your Company Can Help Many large companies have a partnership with a local college or university. This can enable very company-specific training that can be highly beneficial to both the company and the student. Some companies will offer a scholarship to employees and their families to assist with higher education costs. This is usually offered as one of the benefits in an employee compensation package, and can be quite attractive. Typically this is a cheque given to the employee upon proof of enrollment. Your company will also be able to take advantage of tax credits and deductions that come from funding employee education. So long as that education meets IRS guidelines and is accepted in your trade or industry, there should be no issues. Naturally you will want to consult with a professional tax preparer to determine the extent of eligibility before making a claim. The most common form of assistance is a tuition reimbursement plan. For example Starbucks offers qualified employees up to $1,000 to help defray the costs of further education. The convenience store chain QuickTrip offers up to $2,000 for qualified employees. A reimbursement plan means that upon proof of enrollment (or proof of successful completion) your company will supply funds to support your educational endeavors. Discussing Education Funding With Your Boss 1. Pick your degree/diploma or designation/certification 2. Pick your course(s) and your school/college 3. Create a list of ways your company will benefit:

You will add new skills to workforce. You will be more productive and therefore able to increase company revenue. You will be able to take on new assignments and generate additional revenue. You will be able to take on a leadership role within the company. Your degree/diploma will present a more professional image/prestige for the company. You can mentor new employees and spread new skill set to other employees.

4. Anticipate questions or concerns that your HR manager might have. Try to answer questions in such a way that your answer leads back to a benefit for the company.

Concern: time away from work. Answer: Night classes or online classes will fit into your free time, which will add new skills and increase productivity. Concern: company expense. Answer: Tuition may cost less than hiring and training new employee with the degree/diploma/certification. Your education will make money for the company.

5. Practice your Q&A and be prepared. Take your notes with you into the meeting with your HR manager. 6. If your employer refuses, don't give up. Try again next quarter. Education Contract With Employer If your employer does agree to reimburse your tuition ,you may be asked to sign an "education contract". You will want to read this document very carefully and discuss with your HR manager any clauses that you either don't understand or don't agree with. Do not sign if you disagree with the terms of the contract. (For more, see Should You Head Back To Business School?) For example, you may be asked to commit to staying with the company for a certain length of time. The company does this because they don't want to fund your training for another company (i.e. they pay for your education and you leave for a new job with another company). Know what you want and if you feel the time commitment is acceptable (perhaps up to a year), then sign the contract. You will also want to know how the tuition will be refunded. Will the company pay your tuition directly to the university or college or will they give you a cheque? Other questions include: will they pay you immediately or at the end of the education contract time period? Will you be required to maintain a certain grade point average, and if so what happens if you do not meet this requirement? Another important question is what happens if you have to stop attending classes? This could be due to problems of a personal nature, health issues, family matters or other circumstances that suddenly arise and prevent you from completing your course or degree. Will you be forced to repay the tuition that has already been paid? The Bottom Line The benefits of employee-sponsored education to you are obvious - you get the education without being out of pocket for tuition and other expenses. The benefits to your company will (perhaps) need to be made obvious to your boss. You can point to studies showing how those companies that fund employee education and training gain from increased loyalty, reduced turnover and increased productivity. Upon successful completion of your training you will be able to take on additional projects and bring in extra revenue. As an added bonus you will be able to show off leadership skills and improve company morale. For additional reading, also check out Keeping Up With Your Continuing Education. Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/professionaleducation/11/convincing-work-fundeducation.asp#ixzz2NVXmSPtp