Why should you choose to study for an MBA?
Deciding to study for an MBA is an important step which not only can shape the careers of business professionals, but also helps them redefine their personal goals. For Ellen, a current student at ESCP Europe’s International Management MBA, the choice to study for an MBA was very clear from the outset. Holding an LLM in International Business Law from King’s College (UK), and working in Deloitte, advising multinational clients on their M&A activities, as well as inbound and outbound investments, was exciting. However, she wanted something more:
During my experience, I felt that I wanted to broaden my scope and move, actually do a career shift from legal consulting to strategy consulting or management consulting – and that’s why I chose an MBA.
How do MBA students learn?
Many MBA programmes focus on experiential learning. At ESCP Europe, there are company consultancy projects which enable students to get to know a sector or a specific function. There is one project in each semester. Fabio worked for Reply, a software company based in Europe. He notes that:
We had to assess the impact of new wearable technologies, evaluate, and continuously assess. For me it was a totally new way of working… It was really challenging. We had the chance to deal with a completely new and unexplored topic.
Meanwhile, Ellen had the chance to develop a new insurance product at BNP Paribas. She says:
We had to find technology and possible partners in order to predict possible damages… We had to research the possibility of creating an on-demand insurance product, or discover whether or not to apply dynamic pricing… There were stressful periods, but it was a unique way to discover a new field, and to learn how to work in a multicultural team.
What does it take to gain MBA admission?
The most important thing for Fabio when applying was to practise for the SHL test. In his case, the preparation took a month and a half. He says it was challenging for him to answer correctly and at the same time to keep track of timing. He made it his aim to complete at least half of the test.
I bought a package online and it was really cheap; I had the possibility to practise every day. My test was held in Italian.
One of the advantages of the SHL is you can take it in your own language.
Ellen, on the other hand, did not take the SHL, because she had already taken the GMAT and TOEFL. The most challenging part for her was preparing for the second part of the admission process: the interview. She explains:
You really have to know why you want to undertake an MBA, what are the main drivers, be able to explain what you want to do afterwards, and how an MBA fits into your career path.
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