uplIft: Jan 27, 2022

Perspective

Change

“We all experience change, either by choice or by circumstances. It’s pervasive. No one can escape it, and no part of our lives is change-proof. Be it our professional lives, our relationships, our finances, our skills, our mind and even our thoughts.

If we offer resistance, it’s like a headwind and causes turbulence in our life’s flight. If we work with and facilitate the change, it’s like having tailwind. It smoothens the flight, and even ensures we reach our destination sooner than expected.

Next time we face a changing dynamic in any part of life, it’s worth thinking how can we make it work for us rather than against us”

PROFESSIONAL Conundrum

Does an Exec MBA have value?

Typically, an Exec MBA is done while you continue to work and thereby has a lower opportunity cost (though there are full time variants as well). It is often expensive (costing $30,000-100,000+), especially from premier domestic & international institutes, and requires a stretch to pursue as you balance family, work and studying – all at once.

As I assessed an Exec MBA based on my own research and discussions with many of who have contemplated and pursued it, my takeaway is that the the decision to pursue it depends on what you seek from it.

Knowledge Seeking: If you seek knowledge then it can be one of the ways to learn while you work. However, I will argue that with the plethora of online and open learning opportunities abound (especially since 2020), you can almost handpick the specific courses/ subjects you would like to double click on (at a fraction of the cost) and learn about rather than do a pre-convened exec MBA curriculum. It’s even more pertinent today as job opportunities are abound, and does not require us to necessarily have an MBA to land a good job. If we talk about learning from the peer set, there too the learning from a full time MBA is far greater than an Exec MBA that’s pursued while working, simply given the time you get to spend with your cohort.

Brand Rub & Networking: If you seek a brand rub or a wider network, then the Exec MBA can offer a propeller effect to our careers if done from a good & known institute. It helps meet the entry criteria for a number of top jobs, where pedigree is an important criteria to even be considered for the role. However, an Exec MBA pursued for a tier B or C institute may not do much in this regards. Also, other things being equal, unless your Exec MBA is from a premier institute, it weighs a bit lighter as compared with a traditional MBA.

Career Pivot: Exec MBA can be a great way to pivot careers by changing the industry and even geography of work. For instance, if you have been working in the banking industry and want to pivot to ITES or Healthcare OR have been based in Asia but want to work in Europe, an Exec MBA offers that potential path (though there are no guarantees).

Overall View: It’s worthwhile to evaluate your life stage, finances and career goals before investing time & money in an exec MBA. Doing an Exec MBA will almost never harm your career prospects, but how much benefit it offers depends on where you are in your career and what you seek. All else being equal, a full time MBA offers a more immersive learning experience, a greater brand rub and network, though it has a high opportunity cost. 

POint to POnder

What’s the biggest change you are experiencing in your personal or professional life? How can you make it into a tailwind?