Meet Julie – MBA graduate!

Why did you choose to embark on an MBA?

I was working in more product/brand roles and really wanted to change direction into a more business management-based role. I didn’t feel that my Fashion Design undergraduate degree was going to get me there and saw an MBA as a course that would help me achieve that.

What were the best elements of your MBA course?

The people I met,  teachers who for the most part were practicing professionals in their field, studying in Paris and Hong Kong, and just how much it exposed me to what I didn’t even know existed.

What have you learnt that you didn’t expect? Are there any surprises?

I enjoy and seem to be good at finance and am not very good at marketing. Good to know seeing as my previous role was marketing.

Has your MBA helped you achieve your goals?

Career wise it has absolutely opened up opportunities that would not have existed had I not done it.  Personally, it led me to opportunities I hadn’t imagined like studying in Paris on exchange for four months. I also wouldn’t have moved to Melbourne where I met my now husband had I not done my MBA.

What advice would you give to students considering a MBA?

Make sure you choose a reputable course, make the most of opportunities such as exchange programs and if you are going into an MBA expecting to be handed a promotion and pay rise on graduation, then you are probably doing it for the wrong reasons.

Do the financial benefits of an MBA outweigh the costs?

In the long run it has for me, but that should not be the only reason for doing it. There are other ways to earn a buck without the stress of study.

How did you choose the right business school/institution for you?

For me it was important it was a course I could do whilst working and it needed to be internationally recognised, which left AGSM and Melbourne Uni as the front runners.  I was living in Sydney at the time, so AGSM was the obvious choice. Having a campus in Hong Kong I could do a subject at and the exchange program were interesting, but not a reason for picking the school. However, they ended up being amazing experiences so definitely something to look out for when choosing a school.

Anything else you’d like to share about the experience?

My MBA was a life changer for me in so many ways and if I could go back in time I would make the same decision to do the course every time.