Competitions give MBA students real-world experience

Competitions give MBA students real-world experience

An MBA degree can open up many opportunities for professionals looking to advance their careers. Employers may be attracted to the hands-on experience these graduates take away from their programs.

One avenue through which many MBA students build their experience is participation in case competitions, which challenge business students are to come up with a plan for solving a real-life problem.

A recent competition in Washington, D.C. asked students to come up with a resource plan for an Amtrak installation, and present their plan to a panel of judges.

One member of the winning team from MIT told her school's new website that the competition was a gain exposure to an area of running a business that she wouldn't have been able to see in a classroom.

"It allowed us to experience firsthand what it's like to work on a real-world business strategy assignment and deliver data-driven and actionable recommendations in a high-pressure environment with limited time and resources," she told the news source.

In addition to the practical experience, the winning team also earned $5,000 for their efforts.