BACK TO SCHOOL
What I learned on my journey to an MBA Craig Plaatjes Craig recently started studying towards an MBA at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland, after leaving his job as Electrical, Control and Instrumentation Engineer at Zutari.
Standing on the stairs of Sarah Baartman Hall in 2016, engineering degree in hand, I never imagined that I’d be signing up for round two of academics just five years on. But here I am doing my MBA at one of the best programmes in Europe – with lots of research and preparation, and even a stab at crowdfunding, behind me. Here are the things I found to be important in my pursuit of joining an international programme.
Understand your Why When you start such a journey, your ‘why’ is the proverbial compass needle that helps clarify your direction ahead. You need to have a clear and definitive answer as to why you want to pursue a particular degree at a particular institution. The goal is not to have a 100% accurate answer but rather to create a bit of clarity regarding what you want to achieve, what your values are, and the skills you want to sharpen. I chose IMD because of its incredible reputation for leadership development and that’s a particular area I wanted to continue improving.
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Studying abroad is not simple or cheap, so having a clearer purpose will influence your drive and will keep you motivated. German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, stated it quite eloquently – “those who have a why to live, can bear with almost any how.” The other critical point is that admission boards will want to see that you have clear reasons and a well thoughtout plan. Your authentic answer to “why this course?” and “why this institution?” will lay the foundations for your entire application.
