At the height of the global Covid-19 pandemic, marketing professionals are flocking to online graduate school programs to further their education.

Despite the chaos around the world, there could not be a better time to earn an MBA to advance your career. Now that so much of our work is conducted online, many of the top graduate schools in the country have dramatically expanded their online course offerings — making graduate school a much more convenient and affordable option for marketing professionals looking to boost their resume.

Also because of the pandemic, there has been a massive increase in the demand for MBAs. Earning one now can help you stand out amongst other graduates in future job searches, helping you land high-paying marketing jobs that will lead you down a career path filled with success. 

Programs are now fully online — you can earn a degree without ever leaving your house

One of the best reasons to earn your MBA amid the pandemic is that the top MBA programs are now conducted fully online. This is a much cheaper option than traditional graduate school since you will likely only need to pay for tuition and school supplies. This can also be much more convenient for people with families or for people who need to stay at home because of the pandemic.

Another benefit to online programs is that they can even be faster than regular in-person programs. If you look for an accelerated MBA course, you could earn your degree in as little as one year!

There are scholarships and financial aid available

A lot of professionals are hesitant to earn their MBA due to the high cost of tuition; however, that is not always the case. In fact, there are numerous scholarship and financial aid packages available to help individuals pay for their graduate degree. The best way to secure this financial aid is by scoring high on the GMAT or GRE. 

Since you will need to take the GMAT or GRE anyway to get into most graduate school programs, you may as well work hard on it to earn scholarship money that can help make earning your degree much more affordable.  To boost your odds at earning a high score on one of these exams, you should take an online GRE prep course. These courses help you structure how you study for the exam you are taking to help you earn a much higher score.

Experts predict a recession and an increase in demand for MBAs

As in other economic recessions, the demand for people with MBAs is expected to increase dramatically in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. If you are still worried about making ends meet while you earn your degree, you can take an online program that allows you to enroll part-time. While you might earn your degree a bit more slowly, you will be able to work at the same time to help cover your additional expenses.

Marketing jobs are becoming more competitive — an MBA can give you an edge

Now that marketing has been changed completely because of the Covid-19 pandemic, well-paying marketing jobs are harder than ever to come by, meaning that you will face some steep competition while hunting for a job. Since travel is restricted and people are being kept home for their safety, digital marketing has only gotten more important. 

If you earn an MBA to help stay on top of the new trends in digital marketing, you will stand out from the competition and you will be a much stronger applicant for lucrative marketing jobs.

If you cannot commit the time it takes to earn an MBA, another good option that can give you a lot of the same skills as an MBA program is a graduate certificate program. Certificate programs can be completed very quickly and cheaply and can also help give you an edge in your job hunt.

By the time you are done, you will likely be graduating into a recovering economy

Assuming you take the standard two to four years to earn your MBA, by the time you graduate the economy will have made at least a partial recovery. If the economy recovers enough, you will have a much easier time finding a well-paying marketing job — especially with your brand-new MBA!

Once businesses can again begin to grow and as operations return to normal, they will require many highly trained marketing professionals. If you have earned your degree, you will be able to fill that role and begin a successful marketing career.

You will gain access to a massive network of alumni

With more people than ever attending graduate school, you will be able to develop and join an incredible network of thousands of alumni. These alumni can help you find job opportunities, offer advice, or help you land a high-paying job at a respected company.

Sometimes, the most important thing is whether you land a job is knowing the right person. Making connections with a lot of alumni from your program can make the difference between launching yourself into a successful career or beginning a difficult job hunt.

Conclusion

While you might think that earning your MBA is the last thing you want to do in the middle of the global Covid-19 pandemic, there actually could not be a better time for you to further your education. While it may be difficult, you will be preparing yourself for a lifetime of marketing success if you take the time now to work hard and earn your degree.

To help guarantee your success in graduate school, make sure you take advantage of all the different resources that are available to you. Prep courses can be extremely beneficial when you are applying to schools, and alumni networks are a fantastic tool after you graduate.  Many schools offer ways to get in contact with alumni who may be willing to help you navigate through your career after your graduation — never be afraid to ask for help or advice!

About the Author: John Ross is a certified learning and development professional and the founder of Test Prep Insight, an online education company dedicated to helping students and professionals advance their careers.