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Why MBA? for the money that's why. What a stupid question right? But if we dig a : 7

little deeper and try to understand why this question is important it may not : 10

sound as stupid. In fact having a clear answer to the why MBA question will help : 14

you get more out of your MBA experience. That's exactly what we'll do in this : 18

video. As a bonus, we'll also cover another related question so watch till : 23

the end. Whether you're tackling the why MBA question in MBA essays and MBA : 32

interviews or simply introspecting at some point in your career it's a : 37

question that can drive you nuts. Here's the big problem if money is your only : 40

answer. Even in the best case if you get a high paying job immediately after : 44

graduating it'll be a while before you can get back the money you've invested. : 48

In the top MBA program, pay the education loan and then start saving. The payback : 53

period for some popular MBA programs can range from five to ten years or even : 58

longer and what if you don't get your dream job after graduation? For those : 62

reasons you're better off if you have a few more equally important reasons for : 65

pursuing an MBA. Here are some common answers to the why : 73

MBA question. Imagine what you think when someone says I went to Harvard Business : 75

School. Your respect for them goes up instantly : 78

and you don't even know if they've gone there to study or to deliver a pizza. : 81

That's the power of branding. Top ranking B schools have strong brand names which : 86

can help you build your personal brand. These B schools have been around for a : 89

long time. They have an impressive list of alumni in the top positions across : 93

industries. The alumni's qualification often figure prominently in the new : 97

stories that feature them. Some MBA grads launch startups that become : 100

billion-dollar unicorns over time. Some make multi-million dollar donations to : 104

their alma mater and bring the brand back in the headlines. When you attend a : 108

program like that you benefit from the halo and the positive karma. It helps you : 112

build your personal brand only because of the association with a top school. : 119

An MBA can be a useful degree to break a : 121

few glass ceilings and move up the corporate ladder. This is one of the : 125

reasons why a large number of hospitals choose an MBA degree over the other : 129

postgraduate courses. The variety of topics covered in an MBA syllabus can : 133

help you build a wide range of skills that are useful in a multiple range of : 137

industries. Someone who's been in a technical role for several years and now : 141

wishes to take up a management position in the same field can do so through an : 145

MBA. An MBA graduate from a good university can have an upper hand with : 148

recruiters giving them reference for excellent job openings throughout their : 152

career and yes a higher salary is one of the positive outcomes as you climb the : 156

corporate hierarchy. A generation back it was pretty common for graduates to start : 164

and end their careers in one company. You won't see too many people doing that : 168

today. Interest and patience levels have changed and so have the dynamics of the : 173

business world. Layoffs have become more common which is why many start looking : 179

at a career change when they foresee their career graph stagnating. This is : 183

another area where an internationally recognized degree from a globally : 187

renowned Business School can help. If you see the placement statistics of the good : 191

business schools you'll see a large proportion of career changers including : 196

students who have changed their industry, roll, geography or all three. : 204

Apart from the theory that gets covered in lectures, there's a lot more going on in the MBA : 208

classes and outside that helps students learn the skills that are more nuanced. : 213

Skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication, conflict management and : 218

negotiation. This happens through the various projects events assignments you : 223

will be juggling. There are plenty of opportunities outside the academic zone : 226

that can help you discover your entrepreneurial spirit. Check out the : 231

various student-led clubs on campus. You will find consulting clubs, finance clubs, : 235

dancing clubs, sports clubs, cultural organizations and much more. You will be : 240

spoilt for choice and that's an excellent way to polish your : 243

prioritization, decision-making and time management skills. : 250

an international MBA program has a lot of diversity with students coming from : 254

various cultural backgrounds and nationalities. The percentage of : 258

international students can vary from 30% in American MBA programs to over 90% in : 263

European programs. This huge and diverse mix of students can help you with : 268

valuable contacts in multiple countries without actually traveling to each of : 272

them. During social events on campus you get opportunities to develop contacts : 276

with alumni and students pursuing other courses. You'll get to attend guest : 280

lectures by successful entrepreneurs, CEOs and hear them share their success : 284

stories. You may also get a chance to interact one-on-one with industry : 288

leaders. The kind of reach that an MBA offers in terms of networking scope is : 292

unmatched by any other academic degree. These five reasons are definitely not : 296

the only ones. It's just to get you started. There are many more that you can : 301

think of. Before you do a cart-wheel assuming your job is done there's one : 309

more important question to answer. Why MBA now? Here are the two big : 314

reasons that work for many. The first one is career need. There are several : 318

variations to this. Your roll may have become more demanding and the skills you : 322

picked up in your undergrad degree have run its course which means you need to : 326

reskill to avoid falling back in the race or it could be linked to your : 331

career change plans. The second reason is related to age and experience. B : 336

schools cannot discriminate based on age and experience so they don't have a hard : 339

cutoff for either but if you see the statistics most students fall in a : 344

narrow age and experience bracket. That gives rise to two situations. The first : 350

one is when you are applying for an MBA when you are close to the median age and : 354

experience for the program. In this case you don't need to explicitly cite the : 358

reason admission officers can see it on your resume, but when you don't fall in : 363

the typical age and experience range you will need to explain why you are : 367

applying too early or too late in your career. : 370

Create your why MBA and now answer based on these two aspects. Here's the catch. Just : 375

knowing about the general reasons will not make it the best answer to the why : 379

MBA question because every applicant will talk about some or all of these : 384

points so how can you make your answer better and more impactful than others. : 388

The answer is by not just rattling off a laundry list but by personalizing it : 394

based on your profile and career plans. Admission officers are not trying to get : 399

the right answer. They are trying to understand your : 402

motivations, your ability to think and present the answer like a mature : 406

professional so make it interesting. Bring in your life story, bring in your : 412

personal aspirations and then connect all the dots. Only then you'll have an : 417

answer which is truly yours. If you are struggling with this last part and need : 421

some expert help drop us an email. Our consultants at MBA crystal ball have : 426

helped thousands of applicants answer the why MBA question and align it with : 430

the rest of their MBA application and don't forget to read beyond the MBA hype : 434

to understand what you can expect in your MBA journey. If you have questions : 437

for us paste them below and we'll share some perspectives. Happy introspection!: