got laid off eight months ago from a director of marketing role at a Series C that folded. started seriously looking at full-time MBA programs about two months in when the search started feeling hopeless. wanted to share what I've worked through since then.
there are two very different reasons to get an MBA after a layoff:
reason 1: strategic pivot. you want to move into a different function, industry, or level that genuinely requires the credential or the network. ex: going from marketing into product, from an industry company into consulting, from IC into a role where the MBA brand unlocks doors that otherwise don't open. this is a legitimate use case.
reason 2: hiding. the market is bad and school feels safe. you're exhausted and the idea of two years of structure and community is genuinely appealing. nothing to be ashamed about, but you should name it clearly to yourself, because a full-time MBA to pause a job search is a 150k-250k decision and you will emerge into the same market two years later.
for me personally, I realized I was mostly in camp two. the market is rough for senior marketing roles right now. but the MBA wouldn't actually change my positioning that much. I'm already at the level where it helps less. and the debt load would constrain my next move, not expand it.
I ended up deciding not to apply this cycle. still searching. it's hard. but I think it was the right call for my situation.
if you're in a similar spot, some things worth asking: what specifically changes after the degree that doesn't change from two more years of experience? what alumni network are you actually going to use? are there companies that explicitly require an MBA for the roles you want, or is that a story you're telling yourself?
not saying don't go. saying be honest with yourself about which camp you're in.