Monday, April 09, 2007

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step!

First and foremost--should you go to business school?

I can't answer this question because I'm not you. Besides the generic reasons of more general business knowledge, more career flexibility, and more cheddah--I think it's important to find your own motivation for going. Although, I don't think it has to be so concrete that you could write your career goals essay just yet. Of course, that's awesome if you already can.

I admit to thinking about business school for a good year before I ever picked up a GMAT book. I think, like most things, an MBA is only as good as what you make of it. Being a career switcher, some of the questions I kept in mind through the whole beginning process is:

Ultimately what do I want to get out of school?
What could I do with the next few years instead of business school?
Where will that get me?
How important is school brand to me?
Am I only thinking of top 5, top 10, or top 30 schools?
How much time and money am I willing to sacrifice (or borrow)?
Is there anything else currently more pressing in my life that will take time away from the application process?


That last question leads me to the most important part of the initial self-assessment: Are you really going to do it?

Talking about business school and flipping through a GMAT book every once in a while isn't enough to get you in. Don't bother half-assing your way through the process, especially if you want to go to a relatively selective school.

A friend's uncle coined his own version of the acronym NATO, which stood for "No Action, Talk Only." (Helps to think of it being said with an elderly Asian man voice.) I use it regularly to describe those aspiring "someday, I'll go back to school" folks who indeed only talk about it. Either decide to do it or decide not to do it. You have to kick your own ass if you want this! I promise you that the application process itself is already incredibly rewarding and marked with milestones of personal acheivement. And that's before you even go to bschool! So before you sign up for Kaplan classes or order countless school brochures, make a conscious mental comittment to getting your MBA! GO BIG OR GO HOME! And please, don't be NATO.

3 comments:

asiangal said...

Go big or go home ... I like that.

But yes, the road to b-school is a long and oftentimes difficult one. Many are called but few are chosen. =)

Boywonder said...

So young...yet so wise. Gluck at USC!

the being said...

thats so true! and wat sucks more is that soon as word of your admit gets around, you get calls from random NATO candidates for "advice". Wat a waste of time!