Book excerpt: Discover the secrets and tips to get the business education you need, the faster and cheaper way. The average debt load for graduates of the top business schools has now exceeded $100,000. For most young professionals, this means spending the first half of their career in the red and feeling pressure to take the first position offered to them so that they can start paying off their debt. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Author and businesswoman Laurie Pickard discovered a way to get the business education she needed to land her dream job while avoiding the massive school loans that plague so many. In Don’t Pay for Your MBA, she shares all that she learned so that others can benefit as well. Pickard discovered that the same prestigious business schools that offer the MBAs so many covet also offer MOOCs (massive online open courses) for low or even no cost. Within these pages, you will learn how to: Define your goals and tailor a curriculum that is geared toward your dream job Master the language of business Build a strong network Choose a concentration and deepen your expertise Showcase your nontraditional education in a way that attracts companies Don’t fall for the lies that pressure countless graduates every year into MBA programs and insurmountable debt. Self-directed online learning can fill gaps in your training, position you for promotions, and open new opportunities--at a fraction of the cost!