decide why I'm saying no to a free $200K MBA

@yassi_x_

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Why it worked

The creator provides a personal and relatable perspective on a significant life decision, offering a counter-narrative to the common perception that an MBA is always necessary for career advancement. The clear, structured explanation of her reasoning, combined with her engaging delivery, makes the content valuable and shareable.

Summary

The creator explains why she is declining a fully paid $200,000 MBA offer. She outlines three main reasons people pursue MBAs: industry pivots, resume branding, and networking, and argues she can achieve these goals through her current career path. While acknowledging the networking benefits of an MBA, she believes she can build connections effectively while working and finds the process enjoyable enough to forgo the structured environment of business school.

Structure

1Introduction and context of the MBA offer
2Explaining the three main reasons for pursuing an MBA
3Addressing why each reason doesn't apply to her current situation
4Discussing the networking aspect and its potential benefits
5Concluding her decision and inviting audience engagement

On-screen text

decide why I'm saying no to a free $200K MBA top 3 reasons to go & how they don't apply to me my updated POV for some context my name is Yasi I've been working post undergrad for four years now time flies three years in management consulting and one year in media tech strategy and operations because I worked in consulting I still have the option to go do an MBA program with all tuition paid by my former consulting firm around $200,000 on the condition that postgrad I go work there for another two years I've shared this in previous videos and people called me crazy for not taking advantage of the opportunity but frankly right now more than ever I don't think that an MBA is a right next step for me here's why in today's world I think there are three potentially compelling reasons to get an MBA. 1. pivot into a new industry 2. brand name on your resume as a stamp of approval and 3. network For me, there's also a fourth reason you get to party and rest for two years. Me personally, I'm good. I don't feel that burnt out opportunity cost is too high. But anyways, going back to the three valid reasons I outlined my internal framework is I will only get an MBA if I've proved to myself that I cannot accomplish any of those three things without an MBA. If we were to think through them number one, pivoting. I'm already fortunate enough to be working in tech and media tech at that and any future industry I might want to pivot into, like consumer facing or related entertainment, I don't think a degree will be the blocker. Number two, do I need a brand name on my resume? It's not going to be unhelpful by any means but I think I'll have reached the point of diminishing returns. been I have been blessed with the privilege of going to an Ivy League for my undergrad, working at a prestigious management consulting firm and even now working at a really good company. So the incremental advantage on paper I would get from adding a prestigious MBA program to my resume, assuming I can get it at all, is relatively small. I've also reached the point in my personal development where I think it'll be valuable to detach myself worth and value from brand names. As for number three, building a strong network, that is the only factor that still keeps me somewhat on the fence about going to B school. I see a lot of my peers who are in B school, making close connections with really smart people. Don't get it twisted, I'm optimistic that it's still possible to build a strong network while working in the industry, if anything you have an advantage because you're already doing the job and boots on the ground. However, I am jealous of the structure and time that people in B school have. In corporate, I often feel like I have to go out of my way to find the people I want to speak to and carve out time during my busy workday. But overall, I find that networking genuinely fun and interesting, which makes me think that I'll be fine without an MBA. So that's where I'm at personally. Stay tuned for updates and I would love to hear if you're in a very similar or very different situation about how you're thinking about this. Bye.

Original caption

latest update on how I’m thinking about business school #businessschool #mba #consulting #Tech #corporategirlie

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Transcript

I have just a few months left to decide why I'm saying no to a free $200K MBA top 3 reasons to go & how they don't apply to me my updated POV for some context my name is Yasi I've been working post undergrad for four years now time flies three years in management consulting and one year in media tech strategy and operations because I worked in consulting I still have the option to go do an MBA program with all tuition paid by my former consulting firm around $200,000 on the condition that postgrad I go work there for another two years I've shared this in previous videos and people called me crazy for not taking advantage of the opportunity but frankly right now more than ever I don't think that an MBA is a right next step for me here's why in today's world I think there are three potentially compelling reasons to get an MBA. One to pivot into a new industry to get a flashy name on your resume as a stamp of approval and three for the network. For me, there's also a fourth reason, you get to party and rest for two years. Me personally, I'm good. I don't feel that burnt out opportunity cost is too high. But anyways, going back to the three valid reasons I outlined, my internal framework is I will only get an MBA if I've proved to myself that I cannot accomplish any of those three things without an MBA. If we were to think through them, number one, pivoting. I'm already fortunate enough to be working in tech and media tech at that and any future industry I might want to pivot into, like consumer facing or related entertainment, I don't think a degree will be the blocker. Number two, do I need a brand name on my resume? It's not going to be unhelpful by any means, but I think I'll have reached the point of diminishing returns. Been, I have been blessed with the privilege of going to an Ivy League for my undergrad, working at a prestigious management consulting firm and even now working at a really good company. So the incremental advantage on paper I would get from adding a prestigious MBA program to my resume, assuming I can get it at all, is relatively small. I've also reached the point in my personal development where I think it'll be valuable to detach myself worth and value from brand names. As for number three, building a strong network, that is the only factor that still keeps me somewhat on the fence about going to B school. I see a lot of my peers who are in B school, making close connections with really smart people. Don't get it twisted, I'm optimistic that it's still possible to build a strong network while working in the industry, if anything you have an advantage because you're already doing the job and boots on the ground. However, I am jealous of the structure and time that people in B school have. In corporate, I often feel like I have to go out of my way to find the people I want to speak to and carve out time during my busy workday. But overall, I find that networking genuinely fun and interesting, which makes me think that I'll be fine without an MBA. So that's where I'm at personally. Stay tuned for updates and I would love to hear if you're in a very similar or very different situation about how you're thinking about this. Bye.