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Working during a full time MBA -- recommendations?

Talk to current MBA students about life in MBA programs (not for app advice/discussion)
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Working during a full time MBA -- recommendations?

by th3509 » Mon Apr 22, 2013 2:32 pm
Suggestions desperately needed. I am starting my full time MBA this fall, and have been saving away for the last two years for tuition and basic living expenses. Unfortunately, over the last year, I had to blow through a lot of the money due to some family and health-related problems.

Now, I am really concerned about living comfortably while I am at school. Does anyone have any ideas for good jobs while you are still enrolled full time in your MBA? My friends recommended bartending since it is a flexible schedule, and decent money, but I really don't want to get into that kind of scene. I want to find something with a flexible schedule and pays decently. Any recommendations from those who have gone through the ranks? I really don't want anything too intensive, since I really want to focus on my studies and getting to know my classmates. Would appreciate any insight and/or recommendation.
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by essaysnark » Tue Apr 23, 2013 7:34 am
th3509, working during your Stanford MBA is gonna be really hard. Besides the fact that you're going to be one of very few people in your class who has a job, you'll find that it's wholly inconvenient. Everyone else will be dedicated full time to school - meaning, the study groups and club meetings and all of that will assume that students have full availability during the day - and often nighttime as well. This is particularly true given how insulated the Stanford community is. Sure, there's all sorts of stuff nearby in Palo Alto and Redwood City and everything, but it's also very easy to come onto campus and just not leave. It depends where you live of course - it's not the same for grad students as it is for the college kids - but still. It's gonna be kind tough.

This is true for ANY full-time MBA. If you're working off campus then you'll just end up missing out (or feeling like you are), and you're going to add to an already-stressful time. Sure, bschool is loads of fun and parties, but it's also really HARD. You wouldn't have made it into Stanford unless you already know how to do the hard work but you may be trying to take on more than necessary. (We **really** don't recommend you try to work during your first term...)

Graduating with debt sucks, we get it - but it's a short-term thing. You'll be graduating from STANFORD. You're gonna be OK. Maybe take some pressure off? If you've been dealing with family/medical stuff then that is scary and we can understand why you're looking at options... but bschool is a-maz-ing. You'll be cheating yourself a little if you don't allow yourself the full experience.

All that being said... some schools have teaching assistantships for second-years. Not all schools have them, and the ones that do tend to be very competitive. Seems like something on-campus might be a better setup for you.

And you've got all summer! You posted the other question about how to prepare... maybe you can take on a second job now and save some more ducats?

Not sure we helped any, but... :-)

EssaySnark

And oh yeah: CONGRATS ON MAKING IT INTO STANFORD!!
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by CriticalSquareMBA » Fri Apr 26, 2013 11:06 am
Hi th3509,

I whole heartedly agree with EssaySnark on this topic. I strongly advise my clients to avoid working during their MBAs if at all possible. I don't want to restate everything they said so I will throw out one more option should you consider this path.

Tutoring privately or through a specialized company can be a good option. Schedules tend to be flexible and while the number of hours may be low in a week, the overall rate makes it a compelling offer.

I hope this helps and I do absolutely understand your situation. Please give it careful consideration but, either way, I'm sure you'll do wonderfully.

Good luck at Stanford!

Bhavik
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by Michael@VeritasPrep » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:02 pm
As I'm sure you realize that will be tough. One thing you could consider doing is some part time consulting work. I had a number of friends who got part time jobs that looked great on their resume during business school by going around to local companies that they thought sounded interesting and seeing if they could get a semi-internship like experience. Not impossible, but you'll definitely find yourself sacrificing some schoolwork in the process.
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