Right after the end of my MBA programme, I moved back to Hong Kong, where I was already working before the MBA, to join a risk consulting firm called Blackpeak as the Head of Marketing.
While the move was primarily motivated by personal reasons, I also chose this city so I could fully leverage my degree combined with my existing working experience there. Besides the city offers multiple opportunities for people looking to work in the financial industry, which was my post-MBA career goal.
I won’t lie. It wasn't an easy journey finding a role post-MBA: the MBA degree isn’t a magic wand, especially outside of the UK where it is less renowned. But it did help me find a more senior role and negotiate my salary.
During interviews, I always highlighted the skills gained during the year in Oxford, as I truly believe that the MBA has so much more to offer than a degree on paper. It gave me a broader understanding of how businesses operate, an extremely valuable and recognised skill, especially when applying for a senior position.
When looking for a job after graduation, I would recommend that applicants don’t neglect their past experience but rather try to link it with the MBA degree. Recruiters need to understand our journey and why we decided to pursue an MBA degree. Applicants should also set realistic expectations. For example, if an applicant wants to change location, he/she might want to consider staying in the same industry.
The Strategic Consulting Project (SCP) experience was a great addition to the programme since it allowed me to put into practice what I had learned during the previous year while working closely with an esteemed consulting organisation. In fact, I still list the SCP experience on my resume today.
