I am planning on enrolling in a part-time MBA (non-M7 but best program in the state) while staying in Big4 Audit with the plan to be out of Big 4 upon completion of the MBA. Goal is to move into Associate Role at MM IB or into a F500 Rotational Role. If I go IB, the end goal would be to move into a PE role after that. All of this is fluid because who knows what I will be looking for in 2-3 years. Are there any reasons to believe that it's not a reasonable expectation? I'll finish as a Big 4 Mgr with CPA/MBA. I'll be doing this on my own dime so I am exploring the opportunities that past graduates had on the table before I officially enroll. Below are some questions that I really don't
1. As you can probably tell, I am definitely not interested in staying in audit for my career. The whole idea behind the MBA as it will re-brand myself as being more than an accountant/auditor. Does it make much sense to stay in audit while I am working on the MBA or should I be looking at other opportunities? I am getting promoted to Senior here in a few months and have started talking to people in TAS to learn a bit about their career plans and how they got into TAS. Based on the conversations I have had with them, I have considered making a move into that service line. The issue is that I do not believe I would be able to start the MBA for another 2 years if I transfer in because I can definitely see the transistion to a new service line being overwhelming when combined with the part-time program.
2. Am I really shorting myself that much by not going M7? I have thought about applying to Booth/Kellogg/Wharton but the thought of 2 years not working and $100k of loans is daunting to say the least. That also doesn't even take into consideration that my undergraduate transcript is probably a big hurdle in getting accepted.
3. Is it insane to think I can do a part-time MBA program during my S2-M1 busy seasons? My counselor is on board with my plan for the MBA and believes I can acheive it since it is a 3-year program and should only require about 10-12 hours during the week. My current client load is setup where I think it would be possible but I know that could be turned upside down in an instant.
I appreciate any and all thoughts related to this. I plan on submitting my application in November/December and I am going to start studying for the GMAT as soon as I get through quarterly reviews this month.
Thanks!