EMBA - but I have an established career with a young family?
I’ve been trying to figure out what the benefits of an MBA/EMBA would be for someone in my position as a family man with young kids (more on my background below). If there’s anyone on WSO who has been through something similar, I would love to hear your thoughts.
I am happily married with baby kids, have an Ivy undergrad, and am currently working on the buyside at a mega fund. My initial thought about getting an MBA/EMBA was basically: “What if I decide to leave the industry one day and pivot to totally different field? What if I want to start my own company? Wouldn’t it be nice to diversify my network to non-finance people?”. Long story short, I thought about an MBA/EMBA as a hedge for potential future life pivots, if/when I decide to act.
Again, love to hear your experiences. Thank you.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, an EMBA can indeed be a great hedge for potential future life pivots. It can provide you with a broader business and financial perspective, which can be beneficial if you decide to start your own company or switch industries.
However, it's important to consider a few things:
The time commitment: Balancing an EMBA program with a demanding job and a young family can be challenging. You'll need to be prepared to make some sacrifices.
The financial investment: EMBAs can be expensive, and not all companies sponsor their employees. You mentioned you can afford it on your own if you're still working, which is great.
The networking aspect: While you mentioned that your current network is good, an EMBA can indeed help you diversify your network. However, you also mentioned that you're not terribly concerned about the networking downsides compared to a full-time MBA.
The career trajectory: You mentioned that your career trajectory doesn't resemble the 2020 EMBA candidates you stalked on LinkedIn. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - diversity of backgrounds can enrich the learning experience for everyone. However, it's something to consider when thinking about how well you would mesh with the group.
In conclusion, an EMBA can be a great investment for your future, but it's important to weigh these considerations carefully. It might be helpful to reach out to some EMBA alumni to hear about their experiences and see if it aligns with your goals.
Sources: EMBA considerations, What I've learned so far after 1 yr at a top MBA program (If I could do it over):, Can someone break down PE Associate exit opportunities?
Had very similar predicament and thoughts and ultimately opted to take direct promote rather than go to school. Rationale was the networking and "vacation" aspects were greatly diminished by virtue of having kids - I wouldn't be partying and traveling, and I personally would find it hard to relax accruing loans, not making income, etc. while providing for the family. That left me thinking through 1. loss of resume boost, which at the time thought getting a direct promote was a decent subsitute for at least within our industry (not sure how I feel in retrospect, but that's how I felt at the time) and 2. any potential damages if I tried to pivot industries. On the second, I still wonder occassionally, but the thought process at the time was a) the acceleration in net worth by going straight through would facilitate a pivot to something else MORE than if I was locked into high income jobs vis a vis incurring the b school investment (debt and opp cost), b) any job I get later on, even in a different industry, is going to be in some ways based off my current role, not the MBA based on when I recruit, and c) I viewed it incredible unlikely I ever ended up in a place where I actually needed an MBA to advance, but if I did, I could always get an EMBA.
Now in retrospect, I do think it was the overall net correct decision and probably did lead to the overall better career / life outcome for me, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't wonder "what if" from time to time.
Thanks for the response. Certainly lots to consider and I’ve thought through similar things. Think the biggest obstacle for me right now is having to dump baby duties onto my wife. Doesn’t feel responsible.
And good point about the social aspect. I’ve watched a few of these MBA intro videos and they all highlight the socialization aspect (trips to the Pyramids, biking in Southeast Asia, countless happy hours and dinners, etc.). Well I can’t really do that - I don’t want to miss bath/reading time!
Right now I’m 80% sure I won’t pursue one (unless there’s a program that’s mostly virtual with flexible schedule - but then I feel like that defeats the purpose of business school?) But I’m open to new perspectives and evidence to convince me otherwise.
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