By Mike Infante
Hiring managers face a crowded field of credentials, from traditional MBAs to short skills courses and micro-credentials. The question of what they value has become more complex as organisations try to match roles with both strategic insight and practical capability. Education providers such as the International Career Institute (ICI) watch these trends closely, since they influence how professionals choose between a full MBA and targeted skills training.
For many employers, the real focus has shifted from “degree versus no degree” to “evidence of capability and potential.” In that context, MBAs and skills-based learning are no longer simple alternatives; they often work best in combination. A manager might complete a broad-based MBA to strengthen strategic thinking, then return for short, practical courses as technologies, markets, and job requirements evolve.
“There is nothing to compare with the sense of self-confidence that comes from having specialised knowledge and skills,” says Dr Michael Machica, Director of the International Career Institute. He argues that professionals who deliberately build both deep skills and wide management understanding are often better placed to step into roles that demand judgment as well as execution.
How Employers Read an MBA
Many employers still recognise the MBA as a signal of broad business training. Surveys from bodies such as the Graduate Management Admission Council report that recruiters frequently link the degree with capabilities in leadership, strategic thinking, and problem solving, even though they weigh it alongside experience and personal fit. Those findings suggest that the MBA retains meaning, yet rarely acts as a single deciding factor in hiring.
The International Career Institute views the MBA as a structured way to build a wide management toolkit. Its online Master of Business Administration includes units in accounting, analytics, entrepreneurship, markets, marketing, financial management, human resource management, operations, and strategic management. That spread helps learners understand how different parts of a business connect, which matters when they move into roles where decisions in one area affect many others. Employers who seek future leaders often look for that cross-functional awareness, especially in complex, project-based environments.
Recruiters now tend to read an MBA in context rather than in isolation. Dr Machica explains that “employers usually ask how a candidate has used the MBA, not just whether it appears on a resume.” Graduates who can discuss specific projects, assignments, or recommendations from their programme often make a stronger case in interviews than those who rely on the title alone. That emphasis on application brings the discussion closer to the territory of skills-based learning, where concrete examples of work count heavily.
Distance and online delivery models have also changed employer expectations. Programmes such as ICI’s online MBA allow students to study 100 per cent online, complete the degree in as little as a year or at their own pace, and continue working while they learn. For hiring managers, that can signal resilience, time management, and the ability to juggle competing priorities—traits that matter in senior roles as much as technical expertise.
The Rise of Skills-Based Learning
Short programmes and skills-based courses have grown steadily over the past decade, partly in response to rapid change in areas such as digital marketing, analytics, and project delivery. Reports from labour market analysts show rising enrolments in targeted certificates and micro-credentials, particularly among mid-career professionals who want to refresh a specific skill set without stepping away from work. Employers who need immediate capability in defined areas often view these focused courses as a practical signal of current knowledge.
The International Career Institute offers a wide range of business and management courses alongside its MBA, including business management, life coaching, marketing, human resources, and project management options. Many of these programmes concentrate on applied skills assessed through assignments that mirror tasks in real workplaces. That structure allows learners to address immediate gaps—such as learning to manage a team, run a campaign, or coordinate a project schedule—without committing to a full postgraduate degree. As one student remarked, “I decided to enrol with ICI as they provided courses that can be completed from home at your own pace, and staff and tutors have a fast response rate with excellent feedback on your work. Most of all, I was attracted to the Entrepreneurship Project module they offer within the MBA. It is an opportunity to go through the ideation and exploration process of developing an entrepreneurial idea”.
Education advisers point out that employers frequently ask two central questions: whether a candidate can perform the specific tasks a role demands now, and whether that person can grow into broader responsibility later. Short skills programmes can speak to the first question, while qualifications such as an MBA may carry more weight for the second. The balance between the two depends on the level of the role and the expectations attached to it, which is why many professionals now build a mix of credentials over time.
Finding the Balance Employers Want
The choice between an MBA and skills-based learning rarely falls into a simple either–or category. Many professionals now combine the two, using short courses to keep pace with tools and techniques while pursuing an MBA for a wider strategic frame. The International Career Institute notes that its MBA students often arrive with earlier certificates or industry training and view the degree as a way to pull experience and prior learning into a single, more formal structure. Employers then see a layered profile rather than a single credential.
Cost, time, and personal goals continue to shape these decisions. Distance study models, such as the International Career Institute MBA, allow students to continue working while they study, which can appeal to employers who prefer staff to stay in their roles during further education. At the same time, employers increasingly ask candidates to show specific outcomes: projects delivered, processes improved, or teams supported. Skills-based courses that generate concrete work samples can help answer that demand and complement the broader narrative an MBA provides.
A reflective view from the International Career Institute suggests that employers now tend to value a mix of broad understanding and sharp skills. Rather than setting MBAs and short courses against each other, this approach treats them as complementary parts of a longer learning journey. That perspective points toward a practical middle ground: organisations gain staff who can think across the business and execute on the ground, while professionals build a portfolio of learning that speaks to both sides of what employers now look for.
From MBA to DBA: Building an Executive Learning Pathway
For some professionals, an MBA is not the end of their formal education. Those who discover an interest in research, evidence-based decision-making, and long-term strategic questions may later consider a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), an applied doctorate aimed at experienced managers. DBA programmes at institutions such as Henley Business School, Warwick Business School, and the University of Derby illustrate how executive-level doctorates have grown in prominence as a way for leaders to investigate complex organisational challenges in depth.
The International Career Institute has responded to this demand by developing a Doctor of Business Administration programme that sits alongside its MBA in a broader leadership pathway. While the MBA focuses on building core capabilities in areas such as accounting, analytics, leadership, markets, marketing, finance, management, and strategy, the DBA is designed for professionals who want to apply research to real-world business problems. The DBA culminates in a practice-focused capstone project rather than a traditional dissertation. Graduates of ICI’s MBA are eligible to be admitted to the DBA, and the Institute offers options for dual MBA and DBA enrolment so that learners can plan an integrated journey from advanced management study to doctoral-level inquiry.
For employers, this combination can signal both breadth and depth. An MBA demonstrates that a candidate has mastered a broad management curriculum and can operate across functions. A DBA, by contrast, shows that the same person can frame complex problems, conduct research, and translate findings into strategically significant recommendations. In sectors facing rapid change—from digital services to healthcare and professional services—that blend of skills can be particularly appealing.
How Professionals Can Plan Their Learning
Professionals weighing their options often start from practical questions: how much time they have, what they can afford, what their next role requires, and what kind of learners they are. For some, the answer will be a full MBA with a provider such as the International Career Institute, taken in a flexible format that allows them to continue working while they develop a broad management perspective. Others may find that a series of targeted short courses, perhaps backed by a foundational business qualification, fits better with their immediate needs.
The International Career Institute encourages prospective students to think in stages. A mid-career manager might begin with a short project management or business management course to address an immediate skills gap, then move on to the ICI MBA once they are ready for a wider strategic view. Later, if they move into senior roles that demand significant strategic responsibility, ICI’s DBA offers a structure for tackling complex questions through applied research while they remain in their roles.
Sustainable careers are often built step by step, with people adding the right qualification at the right moment. From this perspective, the real question is not whether an MBA is better than skills-based learning, but how professionals can combine different forms of education over time to support both immediate performance and long-term growth.
Ultimately, employers care about what people can do, how they think, and whether they can adapt as conditions change. An MBA and a DBA from a provider such as the International Career Institute can help candidates demonstrate wide management understanding, disciplined inquiry, and the resilience required to complete demanding programmes, while skills-based courses show that the same candidates have up-to-date technical abilities and the initiative to keep learning.
