Why did I choose to build an audience instead of going for an MBA?

Captured by Pablo García Saldaña

At one point in my life, I convinced myself that I couldn’t have a career without an MBA degree, but the next moment something strange happened.

A random question hit my mind, “What if you put the same efforts into building an audience either on LinkedIn or Twitter(X)?” I was like Whatttttt? 👀

Even if I have completed my graduation in computer science, my whole career has been shaped by the internet let me tell you how,

• I got my first job interview call through LinkedIn in the 2nd year of engineering.
• I got my first freelance writing gig through Medium.
• I got my first well-paying ghostwriting job through Twitter(X).

I have seen the magical side of putting out your proof of work on the internet, but even after writing 300+ blogs, 15+ ebooks, and 1000+ social posts, I was having self-doubt about how things would work out without an MBA degree.

And, the core reason behind this self-doubt was not being surrounded by the right set of people. I was randomly getting asked by people “Why am I not going for an MBA?” and then I started asking the same question to myself also which ultimately led to going into a self-doubt trap.

You must have heard this sentence, “No one is coming to save you”. That’s when I decided to get out of the trap and find a way out.

If you widely observe how career choice works in our society, you will discover that people mostly go after pre-defined paths like Govt exams, IIT, NEET exams, and quite a few percent of the population choose an unexplored path like copywriting, film-making, etc.

So, whenever you notice someone recommending you a career option, they either see someone making tons of money, or getting social recognition through that process.

For example, today you can see many people starting to create content on the internet because India has been seeing a boom in the creator economy in recent years. Parents are pushing their children to make a career in non-traditional domains.

Coming back to the question I started this story, from the start of my career I have mostly fallen for non-traditional ways, not sure about the exact reason.

Like, I never thought of pursuing engineering, but one random day I followed a newspaper ad and that led to joining an engineering college, similarly I never knew one day I would be making my living by writing on the internet.

No matter what you plan, the universe has different plans for you.

There are pros and cons to every decision you make, whether I would have gone for an MBA or continued building an audience, I will miss something in both scenarios.

If I had pursued an MBA,

1. I had made connections with people in the physical world.
2. I would have discovered new things about marketing and advertising.
3. I would have spent time socializing with people.
4. I would have joined Big4 or any MNC or any firm/agency.

But, if I continue an audience building,

1. I will have control in my hands to decide which opportunity to say yes to without staying unemployed for a long time.
2. I will have options to generate income through multiple sources.
3. I will be able to work with my favorite person/brand.
4. I will have an opportunity to help others in making their career.

Note: I am not undervaluing an MBA as a career option, The intent to share this story is to share about a major career decision loop I was stuck in for a while.

No matter what you choose, atleast get 100 rejections before deciding to quit.

With that, thank you for reading my story, it’s time to say goodbye, I will see you soon with another story.

If you ever feel the need to connect with me personally, I will be available at ashandilya64@gmail.com.

You can also find me on LinkedIn.