I started working at Google in 2021 as an Associate Product Marketing Manager in our London office. It was a dream role for me, and I got the role after 10 interviews.
Three years later, I left to pursue an MBA in Artificial Intelligence from Wharton with the goal of building a portfolio career. At the time I had no idea what it would be like, I just wanted to have more career options in the future.
As higher education spaces are being transformed by AI and the creator economy, it is understandable that some may feel that they are no longer as valuable as they once were. But that’s not my experience. My unconventional background became my strength.
Now, as I prepare to graduate this month, I’m building a true portfolio business and am grateful to have earned my MBA.
I wasn’t worried about leaving Google, but there were moments when I questioned my decision.
I had no qualms about leaving Google. However, I wondered how I would fit in at a business school with a focus on finance.
At first, I wondered if this was the right choice. I thought everyone would be doing a type of modeling that I hadn’t heard much about before and that I would have to spend a lot of time getting started.
Although I had some analytical skills early in my growth marketing career, I realized that financial metrics were very different. I had to learn things like salary caps and discounted cash flow, all the things I had heard of but never built myself.
At times, I felt like I needed to focus and stick to the program even though I could have been more social with my friends.
I started building a new career in graduate school
Having an unconventional background was an asset for me, as AI skills weren’t necessarily something everyone around me had or really understood.
The biggest drawback of graduate school is that the emphasis is on researching how to make products rather than actually making them. I wanted to actually give something to real users.
I addressed these challenges in my second year by starting to build Moonlight Club, a newsletter and ultimately a community for multihyphenate women looking to build their income, audience, and career options. I learned that pursuing an MBA doesn’t have to mean stepping back from building.
This MBA has opened me up to paths I had never considered before.
I’m still building Moonlight Club. From newsletters to in-person events, this could be a true portfolio business. It’s absolutely possible to pursue a business idea without going to business school, but the MBA introduced me to the ecosystem.
I was exposed to avenues I had never considered before, such as search funds, newsletter businesses, and fractional consulting models. Hearing stories from classmates and guest speakers about how they built these careers expanded my sense of what was possible and clarified what I wanted.
There are many paths that don’t necessarily make sense to the average mid-level professional until they experience them. That was my MBA program. Gave me the courage to carve my own path
Getting an MBA was worth it to me
Tuition at Wharton is about $135,000 a year, including tuition, fees, room and board, and more. I paid for it with a combination of savings, vested equity from a previous job, family support, and student loans. I am proud of my decision to pursue an MBA and believe it was worth the investment.
I did not take on any outside work during the academic year. That’s because I wanted to spend my time experimenting with riskier ideas like Moonlight Club, joining an AI product management incubator, doing hackathons, and building real networks.
If you’re considering an MBA, find a school that aligns with your values and learning style and supports your desired career path.
The best way to understand culture, opportunities, and exits is to talk to the community, so talk to students and alumni of the schools you target.
Do you have a story to share about earning your master’s degree? Contact us at tmartinelli@businessinsider.com.