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Or basically any independent contributor role, where you’re giving specific parts of the project to go off and execute, and someone else is responsible for the big-picture view, and for communicating with everyone across the team and department, up and down the chain of the organization?

If so, we invite you to go read this article that illuminates some of the reasons why it can be so challenging to move from the “doing” to the “managing” function. This is from StackOverflow, which is a site focused on software and programming. The article isn’t talking about using an MBA to make the transition, it’s looking at those who are offered a promotion to a management role within their company. However, many of the issues they identify could still be a factor for any of you looking to do the same type of transition through bschool.

The path from engineering into management through the MBA is well trodden, and you can totally make the transition this way. However, you may discover when you actually step into the role of management that it’s much much different, and possibly even disorienting, confusing, or demoralizing at times. It’s because the skillset that’s needed is in such a different domain: You’re needing to use people skills and EQ and communication. It’s not like learning a new front-end library or whatever. The very nature of the job is different.

We’re not offering this as an attempt to dissuade you. Instead, it’s another invitation to examine why are you interested in doing this?

What about your current career path (without the MBA) is dissatisfying to you?

What do you imagine that will be different for you in a post-MBA career?

If you can identify some of these things, not only will it help you double-check your math and confirm your choice that pursuing the MBA will give you what you want, but oh hello, it might also be valuable in some of those “why MBA” type essays.