How to Advance Your Career: Exploring Monica's Journey in Pursuing Her Master of Business Administration.
By: Beau H.
At Schwab, we believe investing in our people helps them grow, whether that means building on existing expertise or exploring a new field. One way we support that growth is through education reimbursement, one of the employee education benefits that helps cover eligible expenses for approved education and training opportunities. Like other education assistance programs, this tuition assistance benefit is designed to help Schwabbies develop new skills, expand their knowledge, and advance their careers.
Professional growth looks different for everyone. For some, it means researching the best certifications to get for career growth or earning new licenses. For others, it means setting professional development goals like deepening their understanding of a particular area of business, or returning to school to gain new perspectives and broaden their skillset. Regardless of the path, Schwab encourages employees to take ownership of their development and provides professional development opportunities and career growth opportunities that help make those goals more attainable. For employees and job seekers exploring how to advance their career, education benefits can make continued learning more attainable.
For Monica K., a Sr Manager within Talent Acquisition, pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) became an opportunity to challenge herself, expand her business knowledge, and strengthen the partnerships she builds every day. Her experience demonstrates how continuous learning can create meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth.
From Talent Advisor to Sr Manager
Monica began her Schwab career as a Talent Advisor and has grown through a variety of experiences and opportunities that shaped her career path for Talent Acquisition. Throughout her journey, she has supported multiple areas of the business while creating relationships with leaders and partners across the firm.
Reflecting on her career path, Monica shared:
"I started out on our Service & Support group serving Advisor Services and Participant Services. Then I transitioned to the Investor Services group where I support three regions within the Branch Network, Schwab Wealth Advisory, and a few other business groups. I work directly with the candidates to help connect them with the firm and with my hiring managers and business partners for anything hiring-related. In addition to that, I have been fortunate to take part in a lot of different projects that support Schwab's initiatives and future goals."
As her responsibilities continued to stack, Monica found herself increasingly curious about the broader business challenges her partners were navigating. While Talent Acquisition remained her primary focus, she recognized the value of developing a deeper understanding of the business functions she supported. She wanted to add on to her professional experience, strengthen her ability to contribute to strategic conversations, and better understand how different parts of Schwab work together to drive results.
That desire to keep learning ultimately led her to explore graduate education.
Why Get an MBA While Working?
Making the decision to pursue an advanced degree while working full time is not one many people take lightly. Choosing to pursue an MBA while working full time requires time, commitment, and support both inside and outside of work. For Monica, the decision came from intentionally evaluating her long-term professional goals and thinking about how she could continue growing as a business partner and leader.
Before joining Talent Acquisition, Monica earned a bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of Arizona. Although her career path did not take her into a traditional marketing role, she realized that many of the concepts she studied were still relevant in her day-to-day work.
As she continued advancing in her career, she began looking for opportunities to deepen her business knowledge and broaden her perspective.
"I started to look at my professional trajectory and things that I wanted to have a deeper understanding of. I could've gone a few different ways, but I chose to get my MBA or Master of Business Administration."
Rather than selecting a fully virtual program, Monica chose an in-person MBA experience. The classroom environment provided opportunities to engage directly with professionals from different industries, backgrounds, and functions. Through those interactions, she gained exposure to new ways of thinking and problem-solving that extended beyond her own area of expertise.
The program provided more than academic knowledge. It gave her access to discussions, perspectives, and real-world business challenges that she could immediately apply within her role at Schwab. Learning alongside professionals from a variety of industries helped her consider problems from different angles and expanded her understanding of how leadership decisions impact organizations.
By combining classroom learning with practical experience, Monica was able to continually connect what she was learning in school to the work she was doing every day.
Is Getting an MBA Worth It?
One of the most common questions individuals ask when weighing the benefits of getting an MBA is whether the investment of time and energy will ultimately be worth it. For Monica, the value extended far beyond adding another credential to her resume.
As she continued progressing in her career and eventually became a Sr Manager within Talent Acquisition, she found that her MBA strengthened both her confidence and ability to engage in strategic business conversations.
"I got way more comfortable with in-depth conversations with my business leaders. I was able to bring additional context to conversations that I wouldn't have necessarily had and the research and case studies or resources that backed up my opinion when I felt strongly about something. It made me more comfortable researching things that I didn't fully understand and it also kind of brushed the dust off of things I hadn't done in a long time when it came to presentations and different Microsoft tools while gaining exposure to new technologies."
Beyond the technical and academic components of the program, Monica developed skills that continue to support her work today. The experience strengthened her critical thinking, enhanced her ability to evaluate information, and increased her confidence when discussing complex business topics. It also reinforced the importance of approaching unfamiliar challenges with curiosity rather than hesitation.
The degree also helped her better understand significant business events and organizational changes happening around her.
"(The master’s degree) Was pivotal in understanding Schwab going through acquisitions. I understood a lot more of that because of the education that I was getting. I did take undergraduate finance courses, but going through more finance courses after having some real-world experience with personal finance and having more exposure to corporate finance, really helped me get more in-depth and granular with my business partners than I would've previously felt comfortable with."
For Monica, the biggest impact was not that she suddenly became an expert in every subject. It was that she developed a stronger foundation for understanding the business, asking thoughtful questions, and connecting talent strategies to broader organizational goals. Those skills helped her become an even more effective partner to the leaders and teams she supports.
The Value of a Strong Support System
While earning an MBA created meaningful opportunities for growth, Monica is quick to acknowledge that the program would have been much more difficult without support from the people around her.
Balancing work responsibilities, coursework, and personal commitments requires careful planning and discipline. Studying while working full time takes intention, and even with strong time management skills, pursuing an advanced degree while working full time can present challenges along the way.
Fortunately, Monica felt encouraged by both her leadership team and her colleagues throughout the process.
"I would say a huge motivator for me to do it when I did it was I truly felt like I had the support of not just my leadership but also my team and my local peers. That was a huge factor. It came into play a few different ways. I didn't have to miss a lot of work or anything like that, but they were there for so much emotional support as you're going through the challenges of trying to balance everything."
That support extended beyond simply accommodating schedules. It created an environment where pursuing growth was encouraged and celebrated. Knowing that her leaders and teammates believed in her goals made it easier to stay committed during the more demanding periods of the program.
Monica's experience highlights an important aspect of professional development: growth is rarely accomplished alone. Whether someone is pursuing a degree, earning a certification, or developing a new skill, having people who encourage and support those efforts can make a meaningful difference.
Monica's Advice for Anyone Considering an Advanced Degree
For those considering additional education, professional certifications, or specialized training as part of their employee career growth, Monica encourages thoughtful planning and honest reflection about the commitment involved.
While she strongly believes the experience was worthwhile, she also emphasizes the importance of understanding the time and energy required before making the decision.
"What I would encourage people to do is make sure that you have a strong support system – personal support, professional support, and don't underestimate the commitment. It is worth it, and you will be better for it. I'm much better at time management, and I'm much better at having competing priorities and competing thoughts than I was. I would encourage it, but I would also tell individuals it is a lot of time, energy, and effort. I would encourage people to do it to learn, not for the three letters behind their name. Do it because you want to be better."
Her perspective serves as a reminder that education is about more than obtaining a credential. The greatest value often comes from the learning process itself: developing new skills, gaining different perspectives, strengthening problem-solving abilities, and building confidence along the way.
For Monica, pursuing an MBA was an investment in herself, and one that continues to influence how she approaches her work, collaborates with business partners, and leads her team today.
At Schwab, we're committed to employee career development and helping employees grow in the ways that matter most to them. As a company that prioritizes employee development, we know how jobs with tuition reimbursement can open new doors. Whether you're exploring a new career path, pursuing an advanced degree, earning a professional certification, or building skills for the future, resources like education reimbursement can help support your journey.
If you're exploring companies with tuition reimbursement or searching for tuition reimbursement jobs where you can grow, discover the many benefits and opportunities available at Schwab and see how you can continue learning, growing, and creating your own rewarding career.