Should I Tell My Employer About My Distance Learning MBA or Keep It a Secret?

I am new to citehr. I am currently pursuing a distance learning MBA in HR from IGNOU and looking for a new job. When I go for an interview, should I mention that I am pursuing an MBA or should I keep it to myself for now? I am asking because I know some people who have concealed their ongoing studies from their employers.

In my first job, a colleague of mine was pursuing a part-time weekend MBA but never disclosed it, not even to the employer. However, one day, another colleague found out, and it became a topic of discussion in a meeting that he was keeping it a secret. In another instance at a different company, a female colleague was doing a distance learning MBA from an institute but chose not to share this information with anyone, including our employer. I happened to visit the same institute to inquire about their distance MBA program (as I was interested in pursuing it as well) and coincidentally saw her there. She then asked me not to inform our employer about her studies.

Similarly, in my MBA batch, some classmates mentioned that they hadn't informed their employers about their MBA, leading them to make excuses to take leave during exam periods. However, I fail to comprehend the strategy behind concealing this information from an employer. I am unsure of the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing or hiding one's distance learning MBA from a current or prospective employer. I am confused about whether it would be beneficial or detrimental for me to inform an employer that I am pursuing an MBA. Please guide me on what steps I should take.

Transparency with Your Employer

Please never hide anything from your employer; it will come back as a boomerang if they come to know about this.

Secondly, I don't understand why you would hide something that could help your employer. You would be gaining new skills that could enhance the talent base of your current employer. Every employer encourages talent and new skills. Therefore, I don't think you should hide it; instead, inform them. They should be pleased to see your motivation and eagerness to grow in the future.

I agree with Soumik Mukherjee. There is no need to hide such things from your employer. If you hide information about your studies today, how will you be able to request leave for your exams in the future, if necessary?

I totally agree with your assertion that you don't understand why people hide their studies from their employer. Even I don't understand their premise. This ties in with Soumik Mukherjee's response, with which I also completely agree.

In my view, what my staff do in their time is none of my business as long as it doesn't compete (directly or indirectly) with my business, is legal, and doesn't impinge upon their performance and the time that I pay them to do their duties.

Thinking about it, I wouldn't be mortally upset or angry if my people didn't tell me that they were enrolled in or studying a part-time course.

Why?

Because it's their life, and they are at complete liberty to choose for themselves and act accordingly. After all, I only pay them for their services and time during our mutually determined working hours. I DO NOT own them or their thinking process or their ambitions or their TIME!

But, yes, if they did tell me, nothing would make me happier! I would go out of my way to ensure that they get all the support and time needed to complete their education for which they are investing their time, effort, energy, and money.

Are you kidding me? I TOTALLY RESPECT people who work full-time and study part-time. Why? Because that's how I earned all my college education in Australia.

To me, nothing is more demonstrative of a person's enthusiasm, zeal, motivation, ambition, and self-belief than working full-time. When their peers are busy whingeing about their life, this person picks themselves up after a hard day's work, re-energizes themselves, and hits their books, classes, or assignments. What a fantastic, productive, positive, and totally success-oriented way to utilize our most precious commodity - TIME!

So, answering your question, by all means, please make complete disclosure to your prospective employer about your part-time education. And, if they have an issue with it, perhaps you should reconsider joining an organization that is hesitant and perhaps not supportive of its people's self-development, particularly when it isn't costing the organization a single penny!

You may not know it yet, but Your Thinking and Life-Decisions have Destined You for Life-Success!

Good Luck & I Wish You All the Very Best!

Questions on Distance Learning

Are you ashamed of your distance learning? Why did you enroll in a Distance MBA-HR program? Do you want to follow your own path or others?

I will start with my third question first. What I mean by this is that you should not do or think what others make you feel or suggest, but rather pursue what you want to do and what your heart and consciousness tell you. You are not a child anymore; you are an educated person and a Management Student now, whether you are studying regularly or through distance learning.

Second, you did not enroll in Distance Studies without reason. You wanted to continue your studies but couldn't opt for regular classes due to various reasons. We can suggest and direct you, but ultimately, the decision is yours to make, and it matters a lot. With every right or wrong decision in life, we are accountable, not others whom we have trusted or who have advised us. Therefore, we must make all our decisions on our own.

Third, if you are not ashamed of your distance learning and are confident with it, there is no need to hide this from your recruiters. We all know the value of distance learning and the reasons that lead one to choose it. I also agree with Mr. Sareen. You shouldn't be scared of the thoughts rolling in your mind these days but must prepare yourself for interviews. Your confident answers, knowledge, and understanding of concepts matter and can be appreciated by recruiters.

There are many successful and well-settled people who have completed their distance study/MBA and are working with reputed companies. I know many of them personally. Therefore, I won't say distance study is bad or that one needs to hide it. In short, you are unnecessarily worried and scared of something you haven't experienced. If you believe in yourself and prepare, you will never face it. Best of Luck.

I am discussing a similar problem, "DISTANCE STUDY," on another thread where I have shared my views on Distance Education/Study and would like to share it with you here too. Hope this will help boost your confidence.

https://www.citehr.com/418933-how-fi...ml#post1932485

Regards