As my MBA journey draws to a close, I look back fondly at the past year and reflect on the learning and growth that has transpired. During this time, I have been asked regularly, “could you have continued your career without an MBA?” and “is it worth it”? I can now answer both with a resounding yes. With the first question, I could have continued my career and pursued other designations, but there is immense value in the experience of being an MBA candidate at SFU Beedie. The top three reasons that come to my mind are listed below.
- Network effects: Through professors, alumni, and networking opportunities. The more people one meets, the more opportunity there is for engagement, connection and future career opportunities.
- Learning environment: Having a supportive cohort, caring Career Management Centre and engaging professors makes all the difference in this highly intensive program (with 7 courses per term). This strong foundation allows for the exploration of ideas and the ability to experiment with new problem solving approaches.
- Last but not least, the emphasis on “value added” and “so what”: Regardless of whether it was Accounting or Strategy, Marketing or Operations, asking the right questions, probing deeper, identifying stakeholders and what is valuable to whom, while being cognizant that decisions need to be made with imperfect information.
Regarding the second question and the “worth” of a Beedie MBA degree; one can put a price tag on tuition, but there is no metric to measure the relationships we have built that will carry into the future, the care and consideration we have received as MBA students, and the immense skills we have developed to face problems as future leaders. Armed with prior industry experience and newly developed business acumen, I am very excited to reenter the workforce.
Wing Ka is a full-time SFU Beedie MBA Student with an undergraduate degree in Cell Biology and Genetics. Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn or via email wsze@sfu.ca.
