Post-MBA Corporate Options
Hi All,
I'd like some advice regarding post-MBA career paths, especially pertaining to corporate vs. consulting or investment banking.
Some background knowledge: I graduated with an undergraduate petroleum engineering degree and am currently working as a reservoir engineer in a mid-sized E&P oil and gas company in Houston. I'll be hitting my two year mark in a week and am a cross-roads. I enjoy the industry and my job, but am hating the location flexibility (don't like Houston as a city) and the boom/bust cycle of this industry.
I'm starting to look at the possibilities of business school to escape from that, but after doing some research and talking to some people I've realized that without a clear post-MBA target I won't get anywhere so this is where my questions begin.
I have no interest in consulting or investment banking due to the lifestyle they bring. I am more interested in working in corporate again - preferably in corporate strategy/finance as an end goal but would enjoy product management at a tech company. I'm trying to move away from energy and attempt to pivot into tech. How realistic is that pivot if I manage to go to a M7 school? Because my undergrad is petroleum engineering, I am very specialized - is it realistic to attempt to pivot into both an entirely new industry and function? I am okay with doing consulting short term or something as a hopping stone but it is not my long-term goal for sure.
I hope some of you guys have similar experiences that you can share! It's kind of daunting because I've been browing these forums and so many discussions are regarding post-MBA exits into consulting and investment banking. In addition, I don't see too many people with pre-MBA experiences that don't seem as narrow/specific as my specialization is, and all the people in my industry that I talk to end up coming back either into the Big 4 majors or as energy consultants + investment bankers.
TLDR: Kind of lost regards to what an MBA can get me. I'm not looking for a super cushy job but more of a specific industry + function and am wondering if it's realistic to pivot to that.
Thanks in advance!
