About Mark: Mark is a Southern California native, growing up in the Inland Empire before moving to Los Angeles to attend UCLA where he majored in Economics and minored in Entrepreneurship. After graduation, he worked for a startup real estate development company as a development analyst, hunting down development sites for supportive housing for homeless veterans. After underwriting over $100M worth in development deals and securing $35M in soft commitments from financial partners, he moved to Irvine, CA to work with a local commercial real estate operator in acquisitions and management. There he oversaw strategy, brokerage, and management of a 600k SF 13-property portfolio across all commercial property types. He is passionate about helping building owners unlock maximum value from their properties in order to provide tenants with a first-class experience. He chose UCLA Anderson for its robust network across all industries, for the strength of its real estate program, and to take his career to the next level.

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87% of the UCLA Anderson full-time MBA class of 2026 are pursuing career pivots… and for good reason. An MBA is an incredibly helpful asset when targeting a career switch, and it helps your prospective employers understand that you have the leadership skills, business acumen, and industry knowledge to be a high performer in the industry you’re switching into. However, what if you are truly passionate about the industry you work in now? What if you have already found your “forever career?” Does that mean there’s nothing to gain from getting your MBA? These were a few of the questions I had when deciding to apply for my MBA. Now, as a first-year MBA candidate at Anderson, I can honestly say I have gained invaluable benefits and opportunities even though I am not targeting a career (or even a function) pivot.

One of the most significant advantages of pursuing an MBA while staying in your current industry is the accelerated path to senior leadership positions. Companies often fast-track MBA graduates into senior management roles because they recognize the strategic thinking abilities and comprehensive business acumen that comes with the degree. Thus far in our program, I’ve taken courses on business strategy to learn how successful startups scaled to become major corporations and inclusive leadership to get hands-on experience in working with teams from diverse backgrounds (both professionally and culturally). Additionally, UCLA Anderson has leadership coaching as a part of the program called Leadership@Anderson. In Leadership@Anderson, you get a designated leadership coach that helps you develop and refine your leadership skills in a way that enables an engaged and open approach to leadership. It has personally helped me become a more empathetic yet focused leader that can lead teams rooted in comradery and pursuit of a common goal; these leadership skills will be indispensable as I pursue more senior leadership positions following my time here at Anderson.

Beyond accelerating your path to leadership roles, an MBA provides something equally valuable in today’s dynamic business environment: enhanced job security and professional credibility. While my industry expertise was already developed from years of work experience, the MBA has added a layer of authority to my professional profile that’s hard to replicate in any other way. When you combine deep industry knowledge with the traditional business acumen adapted to a modern working world that an Anderson MBA provides, you become the type of professional that organizations fight to keep; as such, there is good reason why many employers sponsor their employees to obtain their MBA and why 39% of UCLA Anderson’s full-time MBA class of 2023 received return offers from their summer internship employers.

Perhaps the most transformative aspect of pursuing an MBA while staying in your industry is how it expands your perspective far beyond your day-to-day role. Even with years of experience in an industry like real estate, it’s easy to develop tunnel vision when you’re deeply embedded in your specific function or company. The MBA curriculum and opportunities at Anderson have opened my eyes to aspects of the business I never encountered in my regular work – from understanding the capabilities of using generative AI in the workplace to learning about how new government programs are giving way to new business opportunities in the housing sector. This broader industry/business lens has already changed how I evaluate challenges that face the real estate industry currently, allowing me to spot solutions I might have missed before and identify opportunities for disruptive innovation in a seemingly senile industry such as real estate.

Ultimately, if you aren’t planning to switch careers or even switch functions within your current industry, pursuing your MBA can still pose a plethora of benefits, though it may not seem particularly obvious. An MBA serves as a “one-stop shop” for professional development and personal discovery. It can launch your career trajectory while providing enhanced job security and professional credibility. MBA programs also allow you to expand your knowledge of your current industry and explore different sectors entirely. Moreover, it keeps you informed about real-time developments in the business world, helping you discover new opportunities for career growth. For the reasons I’ve discussed above, coupled with my own professional and personal aspirations, I made the decision to return to an academic setting and obtain my MBA. This investment in myself has benefitted me both immediately and will continue to benefit me throughout my career as I continue to advance in the real estate industry.

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• Student Blogger: Mark Yu ‘26
• Undergrad: UCLA ‘21
• Pre-MBA:  Commercial Real Estate – Acquisitions/Management
• Leadership@Anderson: Director of Yield & Special Projects, Admissions Ambassador Corps; Director of Career & Education, Anderson Real Estate Association; Director of Community – External, Asian Management Student Association; Member, Wine Club at Anderson; Member, Entrepreneur Association