As a woman in tech, my decision to choose the Warwick MBA

Current participant, Najma Tabasum, shares why she decided to join the Full-time MBA at WBS and how the programme has supported her career in tech so far. 

“We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored” - Sheryl Sandberg

Why I chose the Warwick MBA

I’ll be honest with you. I completely loved my job and the career path I was on. I woke up every day excited to go to work and make my contribution towards the organisation's growth. To learn about the ‘next big thing’ in the industry and to interact with both the team I was managing and brand new customers every single day. While I was saying the right things and doing the right things, I realised that the journey to the top was not going to be an easy one.

When my manager asked me what is your over-arching goal my answer was quick, I wanted to be the Director of Partnerships at a Technology firm. I wanted to lead high-performing teams and create a substantial revenue impact. In order to achieve this, I needed to develop not just my industry knowledge but overall business acumen. I wanted to shape and re-shape my leadership skills and learn more about organisational strategies and how they impact internal and external conditions. When I recognised this, I decided to pursue my MBA at a top business school. However, it was extremely important for me to pick the right school which emphasised on interpersonal development through its modules. I was particularly impressed by Warwick Business School’s (WBS) module offering, which included LeadershipPlus, Organisational Behaviour and Managing in a New World. I immediately decided to apply to WBS to pursue my Full-time MBA. Other factors like the outstanding faculty, and its emphasis on diversity and inclusion in their programmes made WBS my first choice. With every interaction with the recruitment team, I felt more and more confident with my decision, as I was supported extensively during uncertain times and was guided every step of the way.

My experience so far

As I reflect on my experience so far, nine months into the programme, I can confidently say that this was 100% the right decision for me. Some key highlights for me in the past year have been learning about the platform economy and digital transformation during our study trip to Aalto University in Finland. We had the opportunity to visit companies to understand some of the challenges they are currently facing and how we can help resolve them as future change-makers.

Our numerous leadership challenges that focus on self-reflection and identifying the type of leader you are to encourage both personal and professional growth. The MBA journey would be entirely incomplete without the rich and insightful engagement with the members of my cohort. Learning from people from varying professional backgrounds and experiences ranging from pilots to lawyers has been truly enriching and I’m ecstatic to take my learnings back to the workplace and accelerate in my career.

Having worked in a global fast-paced industry, as a woman, there have been numerous instances where I’ve had to justify my place in the sector. The MBA has not only helped me build a strong network of leaders but has also empowered me to better tackle these challenges in the future.

Find out more about the Full-time MBA programme here.