An MBA is no small investment, so it’s fair to ask, “Is an MBA worth it?” Esade MBA student Angeliki Malizou shares her initial doubts about doing an MBA along with a few reasons why an MBA is ultimately worth it in the end.
While the benefits of an MBA were clear to Angeliki, she still had some doubts. “Particularly as a woman, I had different worries, crossing my mind,” she elaborates. “I had already started my career and, as a woman, you feel that you have to work extra hard to progress – compared to a man. So, I wondered whether this time within the MBA [was] going to keep me back.” (00:29)
While it can feel risky to pause your career to pursue an MBA, you will most likely reap great rewards as a result. The number of companies that hire MBA graduates is slowly increasing. Women are also seeing a greater return on investment post-MBA. Forté Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on women’s advancement, found that women with an MBA see pay gains of 55-65% of their pre-MBA salary within five years of graduation.
Forté Foundation also reported that 85% of MBA graduates attribute their MBA to advancing their careers. Luckily, Angeliki concurs. “I can confirm that [my MBA is] not a delay to my career, but it’s a real acceleration step,” she says. (00:51) In fact, Esade Business School offers Career Acceleration Programs (CAPs) that provide students with the knowledge, market insights, and tools needed for specific careers in specific industries, including financial services, consulting, tech, and healthcare.
Angeliki says, “The way I was raised and looking at my family, for example – they always wanted to have a job that contributed to society and this is how I grew up. So, this is how I want my professional life to be.” (00:09)
At its core, the Esade MBA empowers students “to become a driving force for change” and to change the world for the better. This is indeed one of the reasons Angeliki chose to do an MBA at Esade Business School. She explains, “I really care about doing a job that is fulfilling for me and [that] has a positive impact on society. I know that this is one of the core values of the Esade MBA.” (01:04)
In line with its mission, Esade offers a range of awards and scholarships to support high-impact students. Its Social Impact Scholarship, for example, is aimed at applicants who have a demonstrated ability to manage projects for a social organization while implementing solutions that benefit society. Its Expanding Horizons Innovation Award is granted to students with proven track records of pushing the limits of conventional knowledge and business practices to expand the scope of their respective fields.
Angeliki received the Sustainable Energies Award, which is awarded to students with leadership within the energy sector. “This scholarship was an acknowledgment of my efforts before this MBA, but also a big encouragement, particularly in this transformational process [of] the MBA,” she explains. (01:25)
It’s one thing to say you want to make an impact. It’s another thing to provide students with the tools and support they need in order to do so – and that’s exactly what Esade is doing.
Another aspect of the Esade MBA that appealed to Angeliki was its focus on teamwork. During the program, students work in work groups, which rotate each semester and are designed to maximize diversity of gender, nationality, academic, and professional backgrounds.
Collaboration is a top skill for employers today. At Esade Business School, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication Skills, and Collaborative Leadership make up the Esade MBA’s 4Cs.
In a true demonstration of its collaborative spirit, in 2015, Esade MBA graduates created and funded a scholarship for new students, inviting them to apply to become a Collaborative Spirit Ambassador and receiving a EUR€10,000 Class Gift scholarship. The Collaborative Spirit Ambassador plays an active role in the Esade community and acts as an ambassador for Esade’s values. Each year, the graduating class passes the legacy to a new generation of students.
So, is an MBA worth it? We’ve found that the answer is a resounding “yes!” While it is by no means a small investment, an MBA can advance your career, support you in making a positive impact, and teach you how to lead with a collaborative mindset in today’s business world. As Angeliki puts it, “I understand the anxiety that this decision of doing an MBA entails at this phase of life. But, having been through it and [doing] the Esade MBA, I can confirm that it’s totally worth it.” (01:40)
Would you want to talk to Angeliki some more about the worth of an MBA, or talk to other (former) students of Esade than go to our MBA Ambassadors page.
