Leaping out of my comfort zone and back to full-time study

After leaving his home country and taking sabbatical from work, hear about Asim Yakub's experience returning to full time study with the Full-time MBA at Warwick Business School. 

Taking a sabbatical from work at a mature age to come back to full-time study, in highly uncertain times, was an audacious move for me but I live by the motto that the best opportunities are found in challenging situations. I didn’t just step out of my comfort zone, I leapt miles from it by giving up an executive level career in the education sector in my home country, Pakistan and enrolling for an on-campus MBA programme at Warwick Business School (WBS).

Shortly after arriving in the UK, hopes of attending on-campus were interrupted due to a lengthy lockdown across the UK caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Naturally, trepidation followed but the WBS programme team amazingly and instantaneously shifted the entire delivery online. The best communication technology, well planned lessons, highly qualified professors and a dedicated programme team came together to deliver powerful, effective and interactive sessions.

The MBA programme at Warwick Business School has exceeded my expectations by equipping me with academically rich knowledge through a research-based education, taught by the best professors and practitioners, combined with leadership coaching and experiential learning via syndicate work.

Meeting and making friends with a diverse cohort from all around the world has also been an enriching experience, which will provide lasting connections into the future. Albeit virtual, the group assignments, online workshops and the chat feature during classes gave impetus to expanding my social network significantly. One of the highlights was participating and winning a cash prize in a case challenge hosted by a US university. We were a four-member geographically diverse team representing WBS, which met for the first time (virtually) to enter the challenge. It was sponsored by a US company seeking a market penetration strategy for an innovative new product aimed at managing canine health. The WBS bond and culture worked like clockwork in establishing instant team efficacy that led to our success over several other global teams.

The outstanding support from the CareersPlus team has helped hone my interviewing and networking skills, in an unconventional, virtual paradigm, which may have become the new co-existing normal. I have the confidence to offer my transferable skills and thoughtful leadership to a global stage.

I cannot wrap up this blog without acknowledging the immense support from my family, that trusted my judgment, accompanied me to the UK and have encouraged me through every step of this incredible one year MBA journey. With their relentless focus, cooperation and patience, alongside my own, we’ve come thus far, now at the verge of completing the MBA qualification and looking optimistically forward to better times and a healthy journey of life.

I highly recommend the programme to anyone, everyone, at any stage of their career, looking to enhance their capacity to be a Change Maker because change begins by being bold…it begins with an MBA from Warwick Business School.

Find out more about the Full-time MBA here.