‘One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.’
-Henry Miller (1891 – 1980)
As an integral part of our full-time MBA program at the UWA Business School, my cohort undertook a four day Study Tour up to the Pilbara (from Karratha to Port Headland) to see the resources industry that fuels our state and tour the facilities of UWA’s corporate partners ATCO Australia, BHP Billiton, Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCIWA), Hedland Port Authority, Rio Tinto and Woodside, who were very accommodating and generous with their time.
As I looked out of the bus window at the endless flat landscape of red dirt and blue sky, I thought to myself, this wouldn’t be out of place on NASA’s Twitter feed of pictures from their Mars rover. I’ve only lived in WA for 2 ½ years of my adult life, spending my formative years in Texas, but had never undertaken the trek to the Pilbara. I’ve heard various stories about working up there, but went into this experience with a completely open mind, ready to take it all in and learn everything I could.
If you are considering enrolling in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) then you’ve presumably given thought to the ‘why do it’ question. For some it is because they want to change career (such as move out of nursing or engineering into management or consulting), for others they wish to advance their career and achieve that MBA dependent promotion. Others, particularly those who have come into managerial roles from a technical background, seek the holistic perspective and business acumen that an MBA degree offers.
Clearly the reasons for doing it vary and are not mutually exclusive, but the benefits are many. Graduates invariably talk about the degree as being a life-changing and transformational journey. Aside from acquiring business acumen, participants also talk about their enhanced confidence, the professional and personal development outcomes and the networks that it creates (leading to enhanced career opportunities, life-long friendships etc.).
When opportunities present themselves grab them, and when they don’t, create them!
The streamers and confetti from my celebrations have barely landed and here I am writing again for the MBA. Why? Because I loved my journey through it and it’s been my utmost privilege to complete my Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the UWA Business School. But what’s so special about the MBA and why choose the University of Western Australia?
The MBA transformation
It’s probably no surprise to you that an MBA is a superior tool to use for professional transformation. Just like how you’d go to the gym for a personal trainer to undergo a major body transformation. The MBA lecturers are your trainers, but better yet, you have your own personal cheer squad – your peers!
OK. So you’ve started your MBA at the University of Western Australia and are working through the 12 units towards your post graduate qualifications. At times it can be a hard slog, balancing full time work with afterhours study, but in the end it will be worthwhile. Then again, you don’t have to wait until the end of your MBA to reap the benefits on offer. Want a fun way to get through a few units, whilst at the same time gaining knowledge and experience that is not available at home? Try studying abroad.
As I’m sure you’re aware, an MBA represents different things to different people. For example, it could represent a formal education in business management; or a qualification to complement your years of work experience; or a ‘ticket’ to explore your prospects in other sectors. One thing that you may not realise is that, on the journey to the end point, an MBA offers a variety of learning experiences – most notably the opportunity to study abroad.
Darren Glass, BHP Billiton Scholarship Recipient
Life in the UWA Business School’s MBA Full Time program continues at a frantic yet fulfilling pace. Amazingly, we are already half way through and when things are moving this quickly, I think it’s important to occasionally stop and take stock of what we have achieved and what lies ahead.
In 5 months this cozy cohort of 20 have completed 6 units; Accounting, Organisational Behaviour, Economics, Negotiation (a few elected to break away and do Global Energy and Mineral Markets), Operations Management and Managerial Finance. Each unit has opened our eyes to a new world and a different way of thinking. Already, I have been able to apply some of the new skills I’ve learnt. For example, the daily negotiation with my 3 year old over the day’s attire has been a little smoother! Along the way we have learnt about and grappled with contemporary and complex issues such as the ageing population, big data and internet privacy. Coming from a sporting background I have also grappled with some simpler issues like using excel, power point and reloading a printer.
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