5 Ways MBAs Waste Opportunities
Whether you’re looking to change your career field completely, enhance your marketability, or increase your potential, there are many benefits of obtaining an MBA. For most individuals, an MBA is the first step toward a brighter future. However, it’s not just about graduation. What you do during your MBA can make the biggest difference.
Getting an MBA degree can offer huge advantages, but if you waste the myriad of opportunities available during your program, you’ll only get the bare minimum out of your two years. The truth is that the more time and energy you put into your MBA program, the more of a difference it will make after graduation.
To make sure that your MBA sets you up for financial and career success down the road, avoid wasting these five opportunities.
5 Ways MBAs Waste Opportunities
- Joining Extra Curricular Activities
“If your main goal in going to business school is to orient yourself toward a profession or land a dream job, then joining the right professional clubs or taking part in the case competition makes a lot of sense,” said Graham Richmond—co-founder of Clear Admit (a leading independent resource for top-tier MBA candidates) and an education consultant with more than 20 years in the industry. “You really want to be positioning yourself for that job after school.”
However, extracurriculars aren’t just about getting a job post graduation. They’re also about making connections and building relationships with your classmates, faculty, staff, and business leaders in the community. No matter how busy you are with classwork, your job, or your family, not making time to join a club, participate in a competition, or attend a conference is a huge waste of an opportunity.
- Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
An MBA program is your perfect opportunity to step outside of what you’ve always known and to explore different worlds. If you don’t know anything about marketing, taking a marketing course during your MBA is an exquisite idea. Embrace learning skills where you have no experience. Don’t stick only with what you know. It’s vitally important to get out of your little perspective and to embrace the wide world.
“Something dragged you to an MBA program. It was perhaps a desire to outgrow a niche or to jumpstart a career. Don’t lose that,” warned Sandeep Krishnamurthy at University of Washington. “Take smart risks—with yourself and your career. I think we spend too much time talking about vision and too little time talking about dreams. Dreams drive achievement.”
- Building New Relationships
“Business school is a unique opportunity to build an amazing network of friends and colleagues you may have for the rest of your life,” said Roxanne Hori of Businessweek. “Take advantage of all these things. They will enrich your business school experience many times over.”
Making friends and building relationships in your MBA program is what you’ll remember and talk most and discuss years down the road. The friends and connections you make are more than just good people; they’ll be necessary to your future success. The relationships you build will turn into sounding boards, invaluable contacts, and, potentially, business partners.
- Participating in the Classroom
Most business professionals who go back for their MBA think only about graduation, but that’s a mistake. Your MBA is your opportunity to learn more about business, about people, and about yourself. There’s nothing more valuable than the classes you’ll take. One of the biggest mistakes MBAs make is thinking that classroom time is a necessary evil and not one of the best pieces of their program.
Take as many classes as possible and pay attention in all of them. Take classes on managing people, so that you can learn more about being a great leader. Take classes on international business so you can learn how to make a profit in China, India, Russia, or Sweden. Take a class on entrepreneurship so even if you never decide to start your own venture, you understand what it takes to create a business.
“You’ve got a ton to still learn about business and the world,” said Eric Jackson a contributor to Forbes. “Well, good news. You’ll get a chance to make a dent in that ignorance while getting your MBA. Go in with your eyes wide open. Stop snickering and start opening your ear to what concepts they’re talking about in these classes. You’ll thank me a few years from now.”
- Finding a Mentor
To succeed in your career, you need to find and nurture a couple of good mentor relationships. During your MBA, you’ll meet a handful of professors, faculty, and business leaders who will stretch your thinking. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to sit in on their classes or attend their conferences. If you’re smart, you’ll seek out these individuals and build relationships so that you make the most out of your learning.
“Your professor can be one of the most precious and well-connected resources you will ever find,” said Vijay Manickavasagam a Product Manager at Amazon. “Your time at school is a great opportunity to leverage their time, expertise, and network.”
You want good mentors during and after your MBA career. The best thing you can do is actively reach out to those individuals and to cultivate mentors who can help you navigate job offers, salary negotiations, business acumen, etc.
About the Author
Kelly Vo
Kelly Vo is a writer who specializes in covering MBA programs, digital marketing, and personal development.
