Better Prospects - Ms Wang Wei Ting gains management skills and gets a better job after acquiring a Master of Business Administration degree

Enduring two gruelling years of balancing work and studies and investing some $26,000 into acquiring a higher degree has paid off handsomely for Ms Wang Wei Ting. She landed a new and better job six months after she graduated.

In November last year.Ms Wang, 32, now holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) (Merit) awarded by the University of Bradford, United Kingdom.

Previously working as an assistant manager in a water-solutions company for four years, she is now a manager in the projects and contracts department of  acompany in the aviation industry,where she manages and analyses projects to ensure that they are completed within the budget and timeline.

Ms Wang, who has a local degree in civil engineering, decided to further her education to acquire a new set of skills. 

She says: “I pursued the MBA to seek knowledge, upgrade myself and to learn management skills such as human resource management and financial analysis, which are becoming increasingly important in my career, as I progress from a technical background to handling more project management aspects.“ An MBA has enabled me to have a broad perspective of management skills.”

Searched and found 

She spent six months researching which MBA to enrol in by attending many course previews and reviewing many academic rankings. She enrolled at the Management Development Institute of Singapore’s (MDIS) University of Bradford’s programme because the Bradford University School of Management“had a good ranking among the top 100 MBA programmes in the world”.

It is also accredited by The Association of MBAs and the European Quality Improvement System — a school accreditation system that assesses institutions providing management education.She also appreciates the flexibility that the programme offers in allowing students to complete part of the course in the school campus in the UK or through distance learning.

Says Ms Wang: “This is particularly important as I need to travel frequently in my job and be stationed overseas for months, which could be very disruptive to my studies if this option wasn’t available.”

Worthwhile investment

Time management was her biggest challenge as she juggled work and classes, attending twice-weekly lessons.

She says: “You need to set your priorities and know what is more important to you.“ Many times, you struggle to allocate time to work and studies.You also need to sacrifice personal time with family and friends.

”As a piece of advice to those who feel apprehensive about juggling work and studies, Ms Wang, who was 29 when she started the MBA programme,says: “Just go for it when you have the energy. Two years will be over soon.”

In the course of that journey,she wrote a dissertation on marketing and strategic management after completing 14 modules. Financial subjects such as accounting,economics, corporate finance and international business studies appealed to her the most.

She would recommend the degree to others as it is well structured and there is lots of support from MDIS, and she feels it is best suited for professionals with at least five years of working experience. As for herself, she feels upbeat about her professional path.

“I believe the MBA will certainly enhance my career prospects in moving from a technical role to a managerial one,”she says, adding that her current job offers better prospects, More challenges as well as a better remuneration package.Investing in further educationis worth it, she says, because abasic degree is no longer enoughin today’s workplace.She adds: “An MBA will put you in a more advantageous position and come in handy, be it now or in the future.”

- By Janice Goh

Source:[Sunday Times The Learning Ladder 19082012 ] © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. 

Reproduced with permission