[Doofer]

I'm looking into getting an MBA. I have seen some articles/blogs that say the payoff doesn't justify the cost, but I think it might be a good idea for me.

My situation: I am a corporate accountant (not a CPA). I've been at the same company, in the same job, for over 12 years. Never been promoted. Having plateaued like that, there were a couple of internal jobs in finance but outside my department at this company that I applied for and did not get, and I think a big part of it was "he's been doing the same job for too long". When I've had job interviews externally, which I've had from time to time, I find myself having to dance around the question too. Kind of feel like I've become almost unemployable elsewhere because of it and I need something to kickstart my career.

One thing that worries about the MBA is my age. I'm 40. Say I enroll in a 3 year program next year at 41 and graduate at 44. That's getting close to a point where I have to deal with ageism in the hiring process. I dread getting out of an MBA program having spent $50-$100k and possibly facing a bleak job situation.

Advice? Any MBA grads here?

[Kissinger2014]

At your age, an executive MBA would likely be your best route. It's only one year.

Unless you're getting into a top 15 schools (which given your age, is unlikely since they prefer people in their late 20s/early 30s), getting an MBA is typically not a worthwhile endeavor. The price tag and time away from work are too big of an opportunity cost.

If you want to do something financial related, you could try getting an CFA. It's considered a 'self-study' MBA and has quite a bit of credibility, at least in the U.S. You need to pass three exams to earn a CFA and each exam, along with the study materials, costs around $1300.