What to consider when choosing your MBA

Full-time MBA participant Francis Ackah explores the key factors he considered when deciding which MBA programme and business school suited his needs.

Pursuing an MBA is an investment decision which demands time and money. For many, the expected returns range from moving up the professional ladder, to switching industries or moving to another country. Irrespective of motivation, it is a decision that requires careful consideration. I proceeded to pursue an MBA at Warwick Business School (WBS) after researching, holding consultations and weighing up various options. Some of my considerations were as follows:

Why an MBA?

The world has evolved rapidly in the last three years; a health pandemic, an ongoing war in Europe and global economic downturns which recalibrated economies, business landscapes and households. I have been working for more than a decade and I wanted a new challenge. I felt pursuing an MBA provided a platform to acquire knowledge, broaden perspectives and equip myself to navigate the chaos and prepare for the unknown.

Why Warwick?

Values

It’s my belief that an institution’s standards constitute a signpost of what is to be expected. The differentiator in weighing up my MBA options was Warwick Business School’s CORE values.

• Curiosity: Learning as a way of life
• Openness: Embracing Diversity
• Restlessness: Challenging conventions to create real change
• Excellence: Never compromising on high standards.

Reputation

An MBA from Warwick Business School turns heads. It’s a globally respected brand and highly ranked. This value has caught the attention of multinational institutions in search of talent for recruitment which creates employment opportunities for the cohort. For me, this is an important factor.

Diversity

I took an interest in the cultural environment of the University and the Business School. The University of Warwick offered an opportunity to join a community of more than 167 nationalities. The  MBA cohort was made up of 33 different nationalities, and this diversity has proved invaluable for learning. I was enthused to be part of a syndicate group cohort who worked in industries from seven different nationalities, comprising Japan, Hong Kong, England, Saudi Arabia, India, Taiwan and Ghana.

The multiple insights enriched conversations and presented an opportunity to expand my knowledge, broaden horizons and establish relationships.

Sustainability

Climate risk is a global challenge for businesses and society. Warwick Business School has been consistently recognised for its efforts in teaching and researching sustainability. For me, choosing Warwick Business School was an opportunity to expand my knowledge on sustainability and equip myself to contribute to climate action towards Net Zero.

Modules and Teaching Faculty

The teaching faculty included professors of practice who shared with the cohort their professional experience. This, combined with interactions with guest speakers from the business world, gave additional meaning to lectures.

Personally, the opportunity for leadership development was extraordinary. The LeadershipPlus module helped unveil truths about myself which demystified aspects of my personality. Projects executed with syndicate group members under the guidance of a coach offered opportunities to reflect. This awareness altered my thoughts and actions, an experience which cannot be discovered in books.

Personalised Career Guidance

The WBS face-to-face career guidance sessions provided a platform to practice for interviews, discuss career goals, opportunities and challenges. The team offers candid feedback which helped prepare me for opportunities and to make informed career choices.  This cannot be ignored when considering an MBA.

It is not an easy decision to abandon work, family and friends in your home country to pursue a full-time MBA abroad for 12 months. Regardless of your situation, you’ll eventually discover that others have deserted more. So far, it has been a wonderful experience meeting the cohort, members of the teaching faculty and recruiters through CareersPlus events.

I met Himanshu who hugged me; I learnt new things from Bob, Jose and Hossam; I interacted with Nitin from BlackRock. My Warwick MBA experience makes me see things differently; I’m glad I came.

Best wishes as you begin your journey!

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