I’m entertaining the thought of pivoting my career by earning an MBA, but can’t tell if I’m being delusional or not. I’d appreciate if you could give me a reality check on if I should even continue researching how to pursue this path.
Profile:
34M, Chinese American, US citizen, based on the west coast.
Also gay and a 1st generation college student if that matters
Education and Scores:
BA in Biology (3.61 GPA) from an Ivy League School
MS in Entomology (4.0 GPA) from a Big 10 School
GRE score equivalent to 161V and 161Q when I took it in 2013 without preparation
Probably irrelevant, but I also have one first author scientific publication in a peer reviewed journal that has been citied over 50 times from my master’s research.
Work Experience:
8 years working as a biologist for an Agriculture Department primarily doing regulatory inspections (e.g. pesticides, quarantines, organic farms, etc). Currently earning 155k/year, but my salary is mostly capped now and promotion opportunities are almost non-existent (the last open position for a promotion in my department was in 2020).
My work experience involves some supervisory experience but it is not a management role. It centers around knowing state regulations/laws and applying them when doing various types of agricultural inspections.
This is my first job out of graduate school.
Extracurriculars:
Unfortunately I’m lacking in this area, but can look for volunteer opportunities.
Recently had a certification to teach high school biology if that counts.
I was the department wellness coordinator and I am also part of the department equity committee at work. I am also the graphic designer for my department.
Background:
I know my profile is completely unrelated to business when compared to other MBA applicants. My initial education and career path was driven by my desire to study what I found interesting and then working in a related field afterwards. I have no regrets about my former path but now I’m wondering if I want more out of my career rather than remain in government. I was thinking an MBA from a top school can facilitate a complete career pivot from where I currently am.
Why I want to pivot:
I currently work 4 days a week in an stress-free environment with phenomenal work-life balance but my opportunities for professional growth is limited and my skill development is stagnating in this role. I’m also feeling bored in my career. I no longer feel driven to stay working in my field of study like I did in the past. I mostly just want the potential to earn more money as my husband and I are expecting to grow our family in the next few years.
So what’s the verdict, am I being ridiculous by even thinking I can get into an upper MBA program and pivoting careers? I appreciate any insights you have.
