Utilising the CareersPlus services to build a long-term career plan

Executive MBA participant, Aikta, explores how the CareersPlus services have supported her in developing a long-term career plan and boosted her confidence in bringing those ideas to life. 

The pursuit of a postgraduate qualification has always been one of my professional goals. I utilised the lockdown as a period to explore the options available to me and decided to embark on the Executive MBA at Warwick Business School (WBS). The timing felt right, as I was a qualified chartered accountant and had developed deep professional experience through working in professional services and industry. My motivation for undertaking the MBA was to broaden my skillset and commercial acumen beyond my current capability as a finance professional. I selected WBS based on the professionalism demonstrated right from the initial enquiry stage. The access to a dedicated CareersPlus service is just one of the huge benefits of studying the Executive MBA at WBS as it provides access to experienced and qualified career coaches.

The Executive MBA has opened my eyes to different ways of working and perspectives from senior professionals working outside of finance. As an accountant, I’m trained to look at issues in a certain way and I wanted to challenge that and broaden my scope of thought. One of the biggest benefits for me has been working with my peers, hearing and learning from their experiences and being able to share thoughts and experiences in an open and collaborative space. I’ve also enjoyed engaging with colleagues from all over the world and seeing the varied cultural experiences which provide a further level of insight. Speaking up in class or in the group presentations has allowed me to improve my presentation skills and confidence when presenting, as well as helping me learn how to tailor my delivery to an intended audience. I’ve also developed my negotiation and influence skills in the process. These skills have translated to the workplace where I have observed a change in my day-to-day interaction and presentation skills. Ultimately, they are providing the foundation for me to achieve both my short and long-term professional goals.

The Executive MBA programme means I can access one of several highly experienced Careers Coaches through the CareersPlus services. This access to a dedicated Careers Coach has been invaluable to me. Through the coaching process I’ve been able to really articulate my thoughts about my purpose and career strategy. Once I had articulated these, my coach and I were able to nail down the long-term vision required to maximise progress and achieve a change of direction. I received a boost of confidence from the validation of my ideas and bringing these ideas to life. By developing a strategy for how to approach my career goals, discussion of available options to me and the skills I need to focus on developing, my coach has effectively provided me with a blueprint for approaching my long-term career goals and refuelled my purpose. The coaching has also helped me identify the power and influence I already have and how to utilise this to further myself.

In addition, the sessions organised by the CareersPlus team have also proved highly insightful and beneficial. These are well advertised, well scheduled and very well-tailored to the needs of MBA students. A host of outstanding guest speakers have presented sessions on a range of topics including; Building the Business of you, Crafting an authentic identify at work, Competing through paradox and Negotiation skills. These are all designed to slot in well alongside the technical learning to provide a comprehensive student experience that develops hard and soft skills.

In summary, the Executive MBA has been a whirlwind of a journey that has stretched me and pushed me out of my comfort zone. The work is hard and intense but getting stuck in and going through your key milestones will leave you feeling invigorated and with a real sense of accomplishment. The support from your peers and the WBS network will help you navigate your way through the challenges and although tough, the journey will be fun and you’ll come out a totally changed person.

Find out more about the Executive MBA programme here.