Hi Friends,
Before I share my experience of the journey from under graduation to post graduation, let me introduce myself. I am Sreejata Bhattacharjee from Mumbai, India, a postgrad student currently pursuing MSc in Management (MIM) from Manchester Business School (2011-2012).
After the completion of my under graduation degree in Electronics and Telecommunication engineering (2010), I received the job offer from Accenture with the intention of becoming a technical expertise and know more about the behaviour of the corporate world and started my career as an Associate Software Engineer in Accenture in Bangalore, India.
Why a Msc in Management?
A strong interest in learning fundamentals of management and the various management fields in depth were the main driving forces within me as I had no prior knowledge of any management fundamentals or any background. So I was looking for a course which could give me an edge over others and enlighten me with the knowledge of various management subjects and help me decide the specialization for my career. With an in depth research of various courses in different Universities, I finally decided to embark upon the journey of pursuing a MSc in Management from MBS right after a year of gain work experience.
Why Manchester Business School (MBS)?
MSc in Management courses are offered by most of the universities and so the course structure also varies in each university. The following reasons helped me in making the important decision of coming to Manchester:
- The course structure of the MIM course in MBS is unique and has all core modules which include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) usually treated as an optional module in all other universities.
- The career service of the University of Manchester is one of the best rated in United Kingdom and large number of opportunities and guidance are offered.
- The MBS has a very strong and active alumni network.
- After London, Manchester is the second busiest city which has a large number of career opportunities along with networking and a great social life.
The original thought of the MBS for this course is the main point which attracted me as their motive and vision seemed to be unique.
The Admission Process
The Manchester Business School admission process is not a long process and the admission department is very quick in responding to our queries and admission process. This course does not require any GMAT scores and requires no business background. As English speaking candidate, English language proficiency was not a requirement but due to VISA constraints I had to appear for IELTS examination. The Statement of Purpose and academic recommendations are the two key criteria along with a strong academic background for the entry.
Why MSc and not MBA?
Various networking and social gatherings were organized for us with the MBA as well as PhD students. Having a little chat with them gave me a good confidence over my decision of pursuing a Master in Management and not MBA at this point of my career. Having spoken to various experienced people around me before the decision making process, I came to know that a Master in Management (MIM) course will help me in strengthening my fundamentals in management and business as well as at the same time it will give me an insight in what I would like to do in my future making me capable enough of understanding every aspect of the business environment.
Whereas in MBA degree, it is assumed that we know a lot more about business and its basics putting less emphasis on the fundamentals. With an increase in the competition in today’s world, employers are looking for young and creative minds with basic knowledge of management and so in my personal opinion, masters is the best option for a great start in our career.
Introduction to the Course
Before our course began, we had a pre course induction week which I personally feel helped me a lot in having a clear understanding of the course in details as well as introduced us to their Academic style of writing and citing references as well as made us aware of Plagiarism. The programme director of our course herself welcomed us and introduced us to the course as well as made us familiar with its modules.
Along with the knowledge imparting lectures, we also had the opportunity of having the complete Manchester city tour only for our course with the only intention of knowing our colleagues and increasing our networking cycle. The induction week ended up with a networking buffet where we got to interact with our course director and admission department team also.
The above events were held only for our MSc Management course and I think they have put in great efforts in helping us prepare ourselves for this new beginning of our CORPORATE LIFE.
Mixed feelings
Having the experience of staying away from home since 7 years made me feel quite confident of travelling in a different country but it was actually a big challenge for me. Getting adjusted in a different environment can sometimes become a major hindrance in our success but it all lies in our determination and will power.
So friends, challenges and difficulties are bound to come on our way but managing them with our positive attitude and a smile always on our face are the solution to overcome all those challenges...So keep smiling and good luck!
Cheers.
Sreejata Bhattacharjee
Master of Science in Management 2011-2012
Manchester Business School