MBA Research: Avoid Herd Mentality

I wanted to be an astronaut when I was in 2nd grade, a writer in 3rd grade, a medical doctor in 7th grade and a businessman when I was 25. Only two dreams became a reality. When you compare the difficulty of achieving each goal, astronaut was a little far-fetched. Starting your own Business, becoming a writer, or dedicating 7-10 years for being a Doctor was difficult but achievable. So why do career experts keep repeating the mantra “Follow your heart”?.

What they really mean is “Follow your heart but figure out your real strengths”. Our heart’s desires are many and the career paths after an MBA diverse. If you follow ‘Expert’ advice, you will be miserable after 2-3 years. Resentment of investing $1,75,000 and 1-2 years on an MBA won’t die down even if you get a high-paying job. The question of “What if” I had taken “that” career path will haunt you. If you define your MBA career path by Employment report then you are limited by the job functions and industries.

Avoid Herd Mentality

Don’t discard the trends in employment but don’t either define your career based on top MBA programs. You might be a wine connoisseur and know the inside out on the economics of vineyard. You just need a professional course that enlightens you on distribution and marketing. Leading Business Schools do not provide an MBA specialization in Wine and Spirit Management. If you follow the ‘practical’ advice – you might choose Wharton or Kellogg, based on the post-MBA opportunities. Your goal of learning about the distribution and marketing of Wines and the management of spirits would not be a reality.

Start with an Idea

If your goal is to start a non-profit organization specializing in rural healthcare consulting – you need expertise in Consulting, Entrepreneurship and Non-Profit Management. With a clear idea on what you want, the search for schools that would develop the skills in these three areas should be the focus.

Know what is missing

It would be impossible to specialize in three concentrations, but your goal with an MBA is to cross the skill gap between your strengths and your weaknesses. If non-profit management sound alien to you but your expertise in consulting has been acknowledged during your pre-MBA experience, the search should be on finding the course that enables skill development in Entrepreneurship and Non-Profit Management. Also, look for programs that provide grants, scholarships, and loan forgiveness as an incentive for your career choice.

Now, your search for an MBA is on what you want and not on what the ‘experts’, ‘Business Schools’ or your ‘peers’ want.