I am an experienced 37-year-old IT professional from Chennai. I have worked with some of the top companies and always excelled at my work. But currently I am a crossroads. I feel stuck and I am craving for a new challenge and opportunity. I have a 4 year old daughter and ageing parents so I am a bit hesitant about starting over in a new field. Should I pursue an executive MBA or switch careers for growth? Pls advice

Ans: Thank you for sharing your career dilemma to me. It is quite natural to feel that way when it comes to career decision that can affect your personal and professional life. It is honorable that you are looking for new opportunities & challenges through self development even with responsibilities at home.

I recommend you should join the Executive MBA program which will help to open new career opportunities in corporate world. Most of these programs focus on providing you training in strategic sales management, leadership, digital marketing, operations, and networking options along with senior leaders who are also looking for opportunities to strengthen their professional growth with others and it may help you achieve high-level positions in the future.

However, you should do extensive research on the curriculum, costs, pedagogical experience, alumni network, and placement opportunities track record ahead of choosing a particular program before making a commitment. Otherwise, the Executive MBA may not help you and you may not achieve the expected results. You can also take the initiative to engage on social networking sites like LinkedIn to interact with alumni - officials and gain insight into the value and impact of the program on your career that can help you.

To sum up, a choice of executive MBA as a path to career advancement requires a thorough assessment which should be done before you take a step forward. Having a career mentor can be very helpful as well and can be considered as one of the major factors of success on your career journey.