I never believed in the magical career-enhancing powers of an MBA. Even as a first year Systems Analyst in P&G, I was able to gain exposure from seniors and managers who built fantastic careers with their MBA qualifications but somehow I never saw myself getting one.

The main reason why I refused to do an MBA was because I was contrarian. It did not make sense to pay top dollar when you can self-study the CFA for the fraction of the cost. I also did not believe that anyone should be made to study and take exams for flaky non-technical subjects like Marketing and Organizational Behavior. That's almost like trying to get a Certificate in Common Sense. I have since done worse, wasting hours of my life on Legal Theory and Philosophy in SMU when it is more productive watching paint dry and playing with my Pi Sai.

Another reason why I