Posted by: Pats August 13, 2012
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I think it depends on your current job, career goals, and your expectation of work life balance. I would set five or ten year career and personal goals and see if you can achieve them staying at your current job based on career progression, skills and experience you will gain as well as relationships you will build. If you can achieve your goals, then you probably do not need to go to B-school. If you cannot achieve your goals, then ask the question if the Duke business school will help you get where you want to be in five or ten years. Also, ask yourself if you want to be in the same profession or industry or do you want to change them. If you want something different, then Duke business school is an excellent idea.
I was in the same boat five years ago. My wife wanted to go to grad school and I wanted to go to a business school. However, I was in a good company, loved the work, and was making good connections and moving up the ladder. On the other hand, my wife wanted to change her career. It would have been financially extremely difficult for both of us to go back to school. So we set the goals and did the cost benefit analsyis and decided that my wife will go back to school and I will keep on working and try to move myself up the company. In our case, It worked for both of us. We are now where we wanted to be in terms of our work and family.
Sometimes, I think if things would have been different, if I had decided to go back to business school. I do not know if I would have been better off than where I am now but it would not have hurt me by going to a top business school. Also, being married can be both a plus and a minus. On one hand, you get a financial support since your wife has a full time job. On the other hand, it can be tough since you will be so busy both in class and networking, and your wife will be working hard to pay for your school while you are not bringing anything home. We had challenges but now I'm glad about the decisions we made. So just do not think about business school from the career perspective but also look at it from a personal aspect and try to set everyone's expectation.
I was in the same boat five years ago. My wife wanted to go to grad school and I wanted to go to a business school. However, I was in a good company, loved the work, and was making good connections and moving up the ladder. On the other hand, my wife wanted to change her career. It would have been financially extremely difficult for both of us to go back to school. So we set the goals and did the cost benefit analsyis and decided that my wife will go back to school and I will keep on working and try to move myself up the company. In our case, It worked for both of us. We are now where we wanted to be in terms of our work and family.
Sometimes, I think if things would have been different, if I had decided to go back to business school. I do not know if I would have been better off than where I am now but it would not have hurt me by going to a top business school. Also, being married can be both a plus and a minus. On one hand, you get a financial support since your wife has a full time job. On the other hand, it can be tough since you will be so busy both in class and networking, and your wife will be working hard to pay for your school while you are not bringing anything home. We had challenges but now I'm glad about the decisions we made. So just do not think about business school from the career perspective but also look at it from a personal aspect and try to set everyone's expectation.