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Why Becoming an Industry Thought Leader Starts with a Graduate Degree

Posted by Shelly Quance on 6/29/17 6:51 AM

  June 29, 2017    

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Industry Thought Leader. You see the term popping up in the business and start-up worlds. But what exactly is it? And why is thought leadership so valuable to your career?

Industry thought leaders are people who create new ideas and cast vision in a specific industry. They’re connectors and innovators who inspire audiences with their strategic thinking. There’s no straight path to becoming an industry thought leader. But the most successful leaders have at least a graduate-level education, which gives weight to their words and helps them build their personal brands.

Take a look at a few highly influential thought leaders — and find out how choosing a graduate school is a great launchpad for becoming a top industry expert!

Explore our informative digital resource page — A Guide to Financing Graduate  School!

Seth Godin

MBA in Marketing

Marketing guru Seth Godin is famous for his books, blogs, and business expertise. He received his MBA in Marketing, and after years of working as a brand manager and founding his own book packaging business, he created his now-famous idea of permission marketing. He’s a prolific writer and speaker, and his books are well-respected in the marketing industry. Forbes Magazine writer Carine Alexis named his 2016 book, All Marketers Are Liars, as one of six essential books every marketer should own. Seth’s experience in marketing was undoubtedly shaped by his graduate degree, giving him the experience he needed to become one of the biggest thought leaders in the marketing industry today.

Note: Interested in research-intensive study? Check out our resource — A Guide to Research-Based Graduate Programs at West Virginia University.

Rita Gunther McGrath

Masters of Public Administration

Rita Gunther McGrath is a renowned public speaker, leadership consultant, professor, and expert in business strategy. She holds an MPA and a Ph.D. and speaks on organizational leadership, business innovation, and adversity.  A master’s degree in Public Administration prepares students for a career in public service and helps them develop and implement public policies and programs. This graduate degree — along with her experience — undoubtedly shaped McGrath’s innovative and thoughtful leadership skills, earning her a spot on the Top 10 Thinkers list in 2013 by Thinkers50.

Roy Atkinson

Master’s Certificate in Advanced Management Strategy

Roy Atkinson is well-known in the tech support world. He’s a popular speaker at HDI conferences and blogs regularly at ThinkHDI.com, the association for technical support professionals. Atkinson has an active network on social media, where he offers expertise on IT service management and customer support. Atkinson’s background shows that a graduate-level education in Business Management can complement expertise in another field, providing the skills needed to build a brand and manage a business. Atkinson’s tech experience coupled with a certificate in management strategy prepared him to be a leading industry expert in the customer service and IT support world.

Note: Are you wondering how you’re going to afford your graduate education? For some guidance regarding funding a graduate program, check out our guide — A Guide to Financing Graduate School in 2017.

Sallie Krawcheck

MBA

Sallie Krawcheck is an industry expert on finance, tech, startups, women in the workplace, and more. She’s a bestselling author, has over 48,000 followers on Twitter, and is the CEO and co-founder of Ellevest. She earned an MBA from Columbia Business School, which served as a starting point for her incredibly successful career in business. Because of her background, education, and experience, Krawcheck offers a unique voice as a female thought leader in the business world.

Becoming an industry expert doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to build the experience, expertise, and brand that set you apart from everyone else in your industry. But what’s one thing most leading industry innovators have in common? A graduate degree or certificate!

Here at WVU, we know that preparing for the GRE can be a stressful and overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together a resource to make the preparation process just a little bit easier: The GRE Cheat Sheet — A Guide to Acing the GRE.

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Topics: Graduate School Resources, Industry Research & Advice


Posted by Shelly Quance

Shelly Quance has spent almost 20 years working in higher education marketing communications. She currently serves as Director for West Virginia University’s Office of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment where she works collaboratively with College leadership to develop, implement, and evaluate creative and effective comprehensive communication and marketing plans to increase graduate student enrollment.

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About the Blog

Deciding what graduate school to attend can be daunting at times, and navigating the admissions process can be that much more difficult. We hope to make the journey from considering graduate school to enrolling in a graduate program easier by publishing content that will be helpful to you as you discern if, when, and where, to pursue your next degree.

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Learn about useful GRE information, practice tests, and prep courses available to you.

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