Hello and thank you for reading my post. I appreciate your time!
I recently took the GMAT and scored a 650 overall (Q46, V34, IR 6). I am caught at a crossroad, where I'm getting conflicting advice on whether it makes sense for me to pursue an MBA at all.
First, let me introduce myself.
I am a 34 year old Indian male with 10+ years of experience in Corporate Communications. I have mostly worked with firms based in UAE, and moved back to India in 2015 for personal reasons. I'm currently working for a Construction firm and previously worked in the Facilities Management industry. I hold a Masters degree in Media and Communications from a leading university in India and scored a CGPA of 8.5 overall. I graduated 10 years ago.
Since relocating, I've put feelers out in the Indian job market, and the common feedback I've received is that a lack of an MBA from a Tier 1 University is holding me back from being considered for the roles I'm applying for, since I already have the relevant work experience (domestic and international), as well as academic credentials (Masters degree).
With in mind, I decided to prepare for the GMAT and took my first exam after a month's preparation (self study). I know it's on the lower end of the scale, but I was hoping to offset it with my professional and academic track record.
Last weekend, I appeared for an interview round with one of the B schools I'd applied to. The panel was patient to hear me out, but gave me the following feedback:
1) At 34, I am too old to pursue an MBA
2) My professional area of interest (Corporate Communications and Investor Relations) didn't need an MBA as such
3) They felt my experience and learnings would offer very little to their program
4) MBA was designed for Finance, Operations, IT, and Marketing professionals, and they advised me to focus on job hunting instead
5) They told me that pursuing any MBA dreams would be a "waste of time"
I was extremely discouraged by their feedback and am questioning whether this sentiment is likely to be echoed by the AdComs of all MBA programs.
Should I give up hope for pursuing an MBA degree altogether?
I'd be very interested to get feedback from candidates or alumni of MBA programs, who've pursued a career in Corporate Communications or Investor Relations, post MBA.
Thank you for reading, and I'm grateful for any feedback or inputs you feel like sharing with me.
Have a nice day.
Regards
Colaxs