Choosing to pursue an MBA is a major investment. Find out how to maximize your ROI with ESSEC Business School.
What makes a Master in Business Administration (MBA) valuable is its ability to accelerate your vertical and horizontal career growth. Yet, program acceptance is only the first step. These four strategies can help ensure your investment is worthwhile.
#1 FUTURE-PROOF YOUR INVESTMENT WITH DIGITAL SKILLS
According to Larry Medina, Head of Career Services, Corporate and Alumni Relations at ESSEC Business School Asia-Pacific, employers value people with digital skills.
Digital transformation, which has only grown in importance during the pandemic, is difficult and McKinsey reports that although 80 percent of enterprises have attempted projects, only around a third succeed — in fact, it’s harder for larger companies. What businesses need is people capable of leading the change.
Programs like ESSEC’s Global MBA cater to this by offering a specialized Strategy and Digital Leadership track. This equips participants with the know-how to improve organizational performance and manage the changes brought about by digitalization.
There are also opportunities to exercise these skills, like at ESSEC’s Digital Week Competition in France, where participants work on a consulting project for a digital challenge that real companies face. At the end of the week, the participants present their ideas to a panel of company representatives, applying their digital knowledge and client management abilities.
The push for blended learning, coupled with a staple of group work in the ESSEC curriculum, also means GMBA participants graduate with the ability to smoothly navigate online platforms to communicate and manage projects.
#2 TAP ON THE MYRIAD OF CAREER SERVICE OFFERINGS
Most business schools will offer the basics of curriculum vitae (CV) reviews and career fairs to help MBA participants prepare for their job search and network with potential employers.
Some, like the ESSEC GMBA program, go a step further by assigning participants a dedicated career coach for the course of their studies, so they can tap on the knowledge of an experienced professional – with a background that matches theirs — for advice on how to carve out their own journey.
There is also Career Week, where participants will have three interviews: with a recruitment manager, a headhunter, and a career coach, to get objective feedback on their strengths and weaknesses, as well as insider tips on how to succeed in their careers.
Actively engage in initiatives like these even if they may be outside your field of interest, GMBA participant 27-year-old Armand Louis Paul Thieblemont, from France, says.
For example, although he has no plans to pursue a consulting career, he found a consulting workshop approach extremely useful because “they taught us clear tools that you can use not just in consulting, but in absolutely every industry” as well.
#3 FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO BOOST YOUR GLOBAL MOBILITY
“Cross-cultural skills are also in demand, and [employers] like candidates who have lived, worked, and studied abroad or in various countries,” Medina shares.
ESSEC’s GMBA program offers plenty of options for global exposure with its intercampus mobility. This allows students to pursue their studies in both France and Singapore and understand both the Asian and European way of doing business. Additionally, international field trips immerse students in different socio-economic and cultural contexts.
No doubt, this contributes to why ESSEC has been ranked top 20 in the world for its international course experience by the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2020. With a career progress rank that is within the top 50, its employment statistics speak for itself: 52 percent of GMBA graduates changed sector, 54 percent changed function, and 46 percent changed their country of work.
#4 CONNECT WITH THE ROBUST ALUMNI NETWORK
Finally, there is also the power of alumni relationships. “We always advise that the number one priority should be networking. That’s the top priority for getting a job,” Medina shares.
He adds: “Oftentimes, our alumni interact with candidates over coffee chats and talk to them about what their career aspirations are.”
At ESSEC, that’s a network of over 70,000 strong and counting, simply because the school has been around since 1907. Recent graduates of the GMBA program have taken up positions in Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore and Shopee, just to name a few. There are many more in established organizations across the globe.
So look out for those with a similar background or who have taken a path similar to your aspiration. Reach out for advice or connections — and don’t forget to follow-up at the end.
Remember, the structure of an MBA program is designed to set you up for success, so make full use of the resources at hand to convert your qualification into the key to your dreams.
Interested in the ESSEC Global MBA?
Please fill out the form on the right to receive by email the link to download the ESSEC Global MBA brochure.