MBA students have always asked themselves questions about how they could apply the training and learning they had access to in their jobs. It is undoubtedly of interest to all postgraduates given two factors that contribute to this special demand: the effort and sacrifice they have made, since a large majority of postgraduate students combine their studies with work; secondly, the natural cost per se of the course.
But from OUR EDITORIAL STAFF once again we go out there, looking in the testimonials of MBA students and alumni, what things of interest they have to tell us that are useful for our AEEN family.
We are not going to give names or quote interviews, we will only detail the conclusions that we have obtained from this review of the opinions of former MBA students.
1º) Mostly they talk about how a degree changed their career in terms of personal and professional evolution from the moment they managed to graduate.
2º) Some think that they felt stronger, it is understood the same as the security that gave them knowing that they were well qualified to face new challenges, be it a promotion in the company in which they work or to climb positions in new opportunities in the market .
3º) It is notorious how some postgraduates have explained, in reference to the professional improvement that “came on them” with more work and responsibilities, which ultimately had to do with the conviction that once the MBA is finished, all its graduates are at their best because they have had to be outside of their comfort zone, both intellectually and culturally.
4º) This does not imply that despite the best personal and professional conditions with which they find themselves once the MBA is finished, they do not have to face obstacles, mainly coming from adaptation to change, derived from new experiences due to the type of work they have to do especially if they have made a change in sector and are in an unknown activity in which they have to be trained. But even in these circumstances, the training provided by an MBA is very solid and has prepared them for this type of contingency, precisely because one of the most discussed topics in the programs has to do with change, managing it, adapting to new scenarios, etc. It is also true that they are trained in crisis and conflict management.
5º) It often happens that a person who was in the consulting world finally enters the consumer sector. Situation that happened to a postgraduate (we do not give names) who relates this way and we find her experience of great interest: “I had ventured into enough industries and companies to realize that this new job of packaged products for the consumer was where I really wanted to be, as I loved the really fast paced and tangible nature of their products. I also really liked that they constantly have to innovate.”
However, she struggled to make the transition from consulting to industry without an MBA. But she just wasn’t getting the professional responsibilities she wanted, so she decided to take a break from her career and pursue an MBA. And this was what totally changed her perception of the environment, because she met for the first time the network of former human resources students from that school, which seemed to her of great interest and also very powerful.
6º) A former student of an MBA describes as something of the most important thing that had happened in his life up to that moment, the moment in which he had to apply his learning to develop a commercial strategy in his new job, something that he had never accomplished, but thanks to his knowledge and the support of the new team in which he participated, his role ended up being very worthy and recognized by the management. And he highlights the classes he took in Business School, particularly on data analysis, which were essential for him to design the strategy, learn in practice what the appropriate analysis approach is, but the most interesting thing is that thanks to his good performance in a short space of time, he was able to lead a work team for the management of Big Data, being something that he currently masters and does every day.
7º) An MBA gives graduates a different view of what things require immediate action and what can be deferred: that is, the choice of priorities for the decision-making process.
Learning to apply what you studied in the MBA, is the instrumentation that is based on the development of an analysis-based approach to determine where action is required. And this is a different approach for some organizations, which do not yet have a scientific approach to the tools that need to be used to improve management in all their departments.
8º) Some graduates insist on a substantial improvement in communication skills, that virtue that is sometimes so difficult to carry, especially at times when a conflict has arisen. But when the bases that support good communication have been well learned, it can then be applied with the criteria and prudence that every organization requires, so that it fulfills the task per se of communicating and well, in addition to being part of the philosophy and corporate culture of the company. An MBA graduate can give a great boost to this communication element because he will be eager to see the improvement that open and direct communication learned in the MBA is beneficial for interpersonal relationships and to achieve greater personal effectiveness of all members of the staff. .
9º) Encouraging change can be done because the MBA has trained you to be flexible and adaptive.
The benefits of an MBA apprenticeship
There are innumerable benefits derived from learning and training for the professional practice that has been obtained in an MBA. Some of them are:
– Learn to create value through business creativity, leadership and problem solving.
– Learn to work with a global team of professionals, inside and outside the company.
– Learn how to manage within the applied concepts of disruptive innovation.
– Learn the application of early problem detection, user innovation, customer understanding and more.
– Know how to relate to entrepreneurs, investors and others from the diverse innovation ecosystem.
– Being in a position to apply itself respecting the lines of action learned, which must always be oriented towards whether it is contributing to solving an important problem or if it is being done in a financially sustainable way.
– Be fully aware that there are many ways in which the MBA will help you in your future career, which makes you capable of applying the concepts of organizational behavior, as well as improving the mechanics of strategic thinking to be able to adopt methods to improve results about the processes and/or projects that are being worked on.
Characteristics of personal and professional improvement after an MBA
The key features of an MBA program is that it enables its graduates to transform their knowledge into concrete applications on the job. It will provide you with the necessary learning to manage a business. Additionally, the MBA provides a safe learning environment for the student to practice and hone their business skills. An example of this is the use of simulation models, tools that provide graduates with knowledge that facilitates them alone (their job) or as part of a team, the opportunity to make decisions about the execution of a given operation. And the learning obtained in the MBA allows the postgraduate to collaborate better with other members of the team and/or department, as well as to relate better with middle management and with the external relations of the company. Learn to apply the actions taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of the team and also of the company.
A substantial learning element of the MBA is learning how best to manage real-world scenarios while already knowing how to make the tough decisions that need to be addressed in any business.
But an MBA also gives postgraduates added value in terms of their collaborative work culture, because they know how to learn from others, including team leaders or senior staff, what it is ultimately making them do is a kind of accelerated consulting practice that will make it easier for you to move on to positions of greater responsibility.
An MBA serves as an enabler for higher levels of management. Keep in mind, that even in professional job sites, an MBA is required even to be considered for open managerial positions. This shows the prospective employer that the applicant has been “certified” in the advanced concepts of running a business because he has successfully completed his MBA.
The MBA gives graduates the opportunity to improve applying their managerial skills and soft skills, working in teams and analyzing companies in real-world settings because they have had good preparation, and also excellent experimentation in constant contact with colleagues, coordinators and of course, teachers. What is certain is that the learning curve during the MBA increases significantly and very quickly with the application of their knowledge. That it gives satisfaction to apply what has been learned, although it is usual that there has to be a period of adaptation of how that knowledge in this particular company in which it works has to be integrated, adjusted, etc. For which you will need training, study and training in new procedures, but you have the advantage of extensive knowledge that will go down to your job until in a very short time you become an expert in what you do.
When a student has made the decision to pursue an MBA, he cannot take it lightly. After all, it is a significant time and financial commitment. Motivation to secure the MBA program you pursue is a critical first step toward later application on the ground of everything you’ve learned, everything you’ve listened carefully to, all the teamwork discussions with peers, of the final thesis, of the dedication to attend extracurricular classes that broadened his horizon not only of knowledge, but of ways of seeing how to act and in what sectors.
An MBA is a lifelong learning experience. When it is studied and when its knowledge is applied in professional practice. But all MBA postgraduates always maintain a bond with colleagues, with their postgraduate institution and strive to continue learning, because if one good thing of all the benefits that an MBA has is to have created a habit of study and permanent learning, which is the way to achieve improvements in personal and professional life.
This information has been prepared by OUR EDITORIAL STAFF