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6 years out, not feeling "value" of Harvard MBA.
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Date: June 5th, 2025 2:21 PM Author: Greedy giraffe Work in FAANG PM. My boss only has a bachelors from San Jose State. My teammate only did UC Davis undergrad.
Went to a top 15 undergrad, studied econ, started my career at Deloitte doing digital consulting. Eventually got into HBS, wanted to pivot out of consulting. Landed a PM internship at a FAANG company (think Meta, Google, Apple, but not Amazon), and got a return offer.
Now it’s been 6 years since graduation, and honestly, I’m not really feeling the impact of the MBA anymore. I thought Harvard would put me in this exclusive tier where I’d always be surrounded by other high achievers with polished backgrounds. It felt like that during the program, but not really after.
In tech, especially PM roles, it just doesn’t seem to matter. My boss only has a bachelor's from San Jose State. My team lead did undergrad at UC Davis. I've seen more than person from Liberty University or a for-profit college like University of Phoenix.
Some of the strongest PMs I know used to be engineers with no grad school at all. Others came from sales or customer success roles and just worked their way into product over time.
Many don't even have a super-pedigreed professional background. We have a few PMs who started their careers as engineers at WITCH companies. Some are ex-consultants from KPMG or Capgemini, not MBB or even T2 like Strategy&. This also isn't for a B2B product, but a famous consumer-facing one.
It’s a weird contrast. I’ve got the most prestigious educational background on my team by far. We do have a couple other M7 MBAs, but we’re outnumbered by people from state schools or lower-ranking international schools I’ve never heard of, especially in leadership. Doesn’t seem to affect their performance or how they’re viewed.
People sometimes joke, like “wow, you went to Harvard and we ended up in the same job.” It’s said lightheartedly but it kind of stings. I busted my ass in high school, took every AP, nailed the SAT, and got really good grades. I grinded for a good GPA in college, did well at Deloitte, studied like crazy for the GMAT, crushed interviews to get into HBS.
Then I worked hard again to land a tough PM internship and convert it. And yet, here I am in a team full of folks who didn’t go through any of that.
I think if I had gone into MBB, investment banking, or PE or something more traditional, I’d still feel the Harvard MBA "effect." In those fields you’re surrounded by others from similar backgrounds. Same with biglaw and medicine from what I hear. In tech, no one cares. Not in hiring, not in career progression. It’s all about how well you do the job and your track record.
I don’t regret HBS. It got me the pivot I needed. But 6 years out, it’s clear that prestige doesn’t carry as far in tech as it does in other industries. At least I'm highly paid with good work-life balance.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/comments/1l3dscm/6_years_out_not_feeling_value_of_harvard_mba_work/ |
Date: June 5th, 2025 2:30 PM Author: house-broken yarmulke property what a fag. I hope AI takes his job and he has to eat a bullet. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48989481) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 7:14 PM Author: Wonderful native (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990463) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 7:22 PM Author: Multi-colored Orchid Meetinghouse Coffee Pot I'd be content w/ watching him tear up his "Harvard" diploma and eat the pieces (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990486) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 8:12 PM Author: Odious Plaza Pretty sure this is a troll but not 100% sure. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990633) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 2:32 PM Author: Drab spot started my career at Deloitte
lemme stop you right there, hoss |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:14 PM Author: submissive cruise ship (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990299) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:18 PM Author: Pale base (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990310) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:20 PM Author: galvanic ratface (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990318) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 10:26 PM Author: Greedy giraffe (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48991018) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 2:41 PM Author: Slimy big potus chapel (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48989544) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 4:33 PM Author: Drab spot Aren't these tech PM jobs for women? What is this guy even doing? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48989954) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 4:36 PM Author: Swashbuckling Lettuce being an indian faggot (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48989967) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:13 PM Author: fiercely-loyal becky At least he got to experience the best 2 years of anyone's life during his elite MBA. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990293) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:15 PM Author: Pontificating organic girlfriend generalized bond pretty much whatever he wants. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990303) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:15 PM Author: jet-lagged aromatic point nowag I miss JJC. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990301) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:24 PM Author: laughsome institution It took like 10 poasts to see JJCs name mentioned Shows you most poasters are casuals or joined recently. I've been here since 2010, poasting under a different moniker |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 7:19 PM Author: beady-eyed dun factory reset button Don't call it a comeback, I been here for years I'm rocking my peers, putting suckas in fear Making the tears rain down like a monsoon Listen to the bass go boom Explosions, overpowering Over the competition, I'm towering |
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Date: June 6th, 2025 11:31 AM Author: Bright Excitant Party Of The First Part Corner JJC is mentioned in the reddit comments (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48992096) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:19 PM Author: sticky arousing feces trailer park Please tell me that PM is Product Management (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990315) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 7:22 PM Author: Multi-colored Orchid Meetinghouse Coffee Pot post-menopausal (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990487) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 6:22 PM Author: Stirring ungodly useless brakes You can put a value on partying with future leaders of the free world (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990327) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 8:13 PM Author: razzle-dazzle khaki therapy nibblets it sounds like you're basically useless and the reason you work in FAANG is because the h bomb veddy powerful (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990637) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 8:14 PM Author: gaped windowlicker “Top 15 UG”
Oddly specific. Reeks of UCLA or Michigan |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 8:23 PM Author: Pale base (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990682) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 8:47 PM Author: Odious Plaza (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990759) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 9:26 PM Author: Drab spot He said Top 15, not Top 30. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5733748&forum_id=2).#48990832) |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 9:50 PM Author: vivacious gaping Am pretty senior in MEGACORP. At my level and above not many fancy degrees. Those who do typically have the MBA but quite a few have just a BA. No one cares nor do we think about it. The redditor guy described it well. I was about the same age as he when I realized my double Ivy degree was taking me to the same places as someone from a directional state school.
You'd be surprised by where many folks come from. MDs, group presidents, practice heads, EVPs, COOs, CFOs. Thinking it's all T25 undergrad and elite MBA is very wrong. |
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Date: June 5th, 2025 9:57 PM Author: sticky arousing feces trailer park I thought people understood that basically the sole purpose of Ivys and other schools is for OCI. The better the school, the better the OCI. Or maybe if you want to do research. EVPs don't get recruited at OCI. Why would someone think that some job that's basically a 20 year grind has anything to do with OCI? Other than the fact that directional state U grads basically don't get jobs and just live in ignominy half the time. it's this guy's fault for going into Product Management. the idea that there's Product Management OCI is kind of a joke anyway. Why do they need some fag with an MBA that everyone hates? Just hire an Engineer or a Woman. |