Good at My Job. But Was That Enough?

Before CEIBS, I spent more than eight years in B2B sales — client-facing work, problem-solving, coordinating different teams to keep complex projects moving forward. I was good at it. People trusted me with difficult accounts.
But at some point, I started asking myself a different question. Not “can I do this job well?” — I knew the answer to that. The question I kept coming back to was: “do I want to be in this position for another ten years?” And when I was honest with myself, the answer was no.
That realisation didn’t arrive in a single moment. It was gradual — a pattern I noticed while preparing the third consecutive year of quarterly reviews for clients. There was already a well-established framework. Each year I pushed myself to bring in additional perspectives, find new angles. But I realised that what I was looking for couldn’t be found by going deeper into the same path. I wanted a bigger platform, broader perspectives, more complex problems. Something needed to change.

Learning to Stop Chasing the Obvious Answer

When I arrived at CEIBS, I had the standard shortlist. Consulting — because it was mainstream. Healthcare — because it was growing. Both were reasonable on paper. But when I looked back honestly, I’d chosen them because they were popular MBA paths, not because they genuinely matched who I was.
That changed after I learnt the concept of comparative advantage — not in the abstract economic sense, but as a framework for thinking honestly about where my specific combination of strengths could create the most value.
I started breaking things down carefully. Many candidates pursuing consulting already had strong structured problem-solving backgrounds or direct industry experience. In healthcare, I had almost no prior exposure. In both cases, I was not the strongest candidate in the room.
So I turned the question around. What was I actually good at — and what did I genuinely enjoy? I had an engineering background. I’d spent years working directly with clients, understanding complex needs, coordinating across teams, translating technical solutions into business value. I was comfortable with ambiguity and I liked working with people.
The answer, when I was honest with myself, was not consulting or healthcare. It was the intersection of technology, clients, and complex problem-solving. That was where I had a real edge. That was my sweet spot.
Once I saw it clearly, I stopped optimising for the expected outcome and started looking for roles that matched what I’d actually identified. I spoke with my mentor — a CEIBS Global EMBA (GEMBA) student working in tech sales — who told me that the best salespeople are the ones who genuinely believe in what they’re selling. That stayed with me. It wasn’t just about finding the right role. It was about finding an industry and a product I could stand behind.
That combination — comparative advantage as a lens, conviction as a filter — led me to where I am now: a sales role in technology, at a bigger platform, in an industry pointed towards the future.

The Question That Actually Matters

If you’re on the fence about beginning an MBA, I’d say this: do not do it because it seems right. Do not avoid it because it seems risky. Both are the wrong reasons.
What mattered most for me was understanding my own “why” before I arrived. CEIBS moves fast — classes, recruiting, competitions, conversations, all at once. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s easy to spend that energy chasing what looks impressive rather than what actually fits.
The real question is not ”can I do this?”. It’s ”do I want to do this?” And whether, when you’re honest with yourself, the answer is yes.