Why I Went From a BBA to an MBA

There is always a big question mark over pursuing an MBA. Almost every day you’ll hear people asking if an MBA is worth its cost? Worth being outside the workforce for the year? Worth the risk of leaving your secure job? These questions become even trickier to answer if you’ve graduated from a university with a degree in Business Administration as I did.

Like the majority of Business Administration graduates, I used to believe than an MBA was redundant in my case. Why do I need to re-take these accounting, finance, and statistics courses for an excessive fee?

Let me tell you what changed my mind….

There is more to an MBA or B-school than accounting and finance courses. During the course of your B-school you will focus on your career development, such as working on building career connections, finding the type of organisations that fits your personality and aspirations, you will have the chance to experiment and meet people with different work experiences and industries, industries that you might have been interested in from afar but never dared to venture closer. You will have the chance to discover and get to know yourself, not just career wise but also personally!

B-school will provide you with the opportunity to really put your leadership skills to test. You will get the chance to meet, connect, and engage with cohorts and even potential business partners with completely different careers and personal backgrounds.

The reward of an MBA is not that you’ll get to put the MBA title on your CV. Or even as a friend once said, “instead of driving a Toyota up the corporate ladder you’ll drive a Ferrari - in both cases you will get to the top”. The reward of an MBA is the journey it will put you through, the path of self-discovery and understanding it forces you to take. It makes you reflect on your career so far and fortifies you for what’s coming ahead, it’s your key to unlock doors you never knew existed – an MBA will provide you with the steering wheel, knowing that wherever you decide to drive, you will reach the destination that you truly want for yourself.

An MBA is a journey you can cautiously wade into the water … or you can dive in it head first.  

*Bio:

Sarah Boukhari has been working in the Financial services industry for the past five years. She is an American-Palestinain who grew up in Saudi, Qatar, and Lebanon. A foodie  who enjoys genuine dining experiences, she is also a fitness enthusiast. She is thrilled to be starting her INSEAD journey in January 2018.