What my masters in management taught me

Joseph Makondo
Student, Hult International Business School, Boston campus, US

I grew up in Cameroon, did my first degree in International Relations at Wartburg College in the US, and the Master’s in International Business at Hult appealed because of its interdisciplinary nature. The school has an atmosphere and initiatives that encourage an entrepreneurial mindset and Boston has an extensive network of prestigious schools and important businesses.

The most valuable lesson has been the capacity to collaborate with others. Collaboration is crucial and presents challenges that are amplified when working in diverse and international teams.

Most surprising are the practical efforts put in place to resist homogeneity. We’re put into different teams for every two courses we take, and you understand early on the diversity of Hult’s student body — from mechanical engineers striving to become financial analysts to a marketer starting a coding workshop.

I hope to work for an international organisation where I can contribute to tackling multi‑layered issues.

Marianna Sargsyan
Graduate, Prague University of Economics and Business

Originally from Armenia, I took a break after my first degree to gain practical experience but always intended to do a masters abroad to develop a global mindset. I started exploring the schools offering the MiM throughout the Cems alliance. I liked the combination of quality and affordability of the degree at Prague University, as well as the beauty and the rich history of the city.

Most valuable were the networking opportunities, international exposure and the highly competitive people I studied with. The Cems MiM also allows students to apply knowledge through internship and real-life business projects. It surprised me how up to date the curriculum is, such as the Applied Multivariate Statistics course, where we learnt programming language R. It helps students be competitive in securing jobs. Even in the middle of the pandemic, I got a job offer right on graduation and I hope I’ve come out of the MiM a better-suited candidate for the world that we have now.

Julia Ciaciek
Student, SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore

I’m co-founder of a Singapore-based sustainability start-up targeting waste management. I enrolled to equip myself with management and interpersonal skills to take my business to the next level. It’s a cosmopolitan city and at the forefront of innovation with a strong start-up ecosystem.

The school has an interactive and practise-oriented approach and working in a multicultural environment has strengthened my cultural quotient. During the programme, you have the opportunity to work and connect with people from all over the world. The number of modules on sustainability, the support offered with entrepreneurial pursuits and the care packages prepared for the students before their exams were all surprises.

I hope to apply what I have learnt during my studies to scale my start-up in Asia. The aim is to empower people to adopt a more sustainable way of life.

Fiammetta Gindro
Student, Nova Schools of Business and Economics, Lisbon

I’m a judo black belt from Turin with a strong passion for travelling and I decided to do a MiM because it helps students discover where they can excel and have a meaningful impact.

Nova has a bright, sunny campus and Lisbon offers affordable living. In recent years, the school has focused on improving the quality and relevance of its training, promoting mobility and internationalisation and structuring an internationally recognised quality assurance system. In a place for people, opportunity and dialogue, I’ve grown in confidence, developed insight and learnt to aspire to improve the world.

It surprised me that such a big space at Nova is given to ideas and ideals, so that they can flourish safely, and freely. I’m eager to work with people who strive for positive change and to create cross-cultural synergies.

Therese Seiringer
Graduate of Durham University Business School

Originally from Austria, I worked in a bank as a project manager before enrolling on the MiM in Durham. After graduating in 2019, I worked in private equity and I’m now head of sustainability at Vodafone Germany.

The collegiate system, programme flexibility and rankings made Durham my first choice. I fell in love with the city too, and my time there was the best year of my life so far. I was inspired to always keep looking for a purpose in the work I do, to think big and have trust in myself. I was surprised at the diversity of the programme — it was so international and all those different perspectives made us understand global business concepts better.

I now work in an international corporation and often think about the skills we learnt in the Organisational Behaviour module when dealing with challenging situations.

FT Masters in Management ranking 2022 — top 100

Find out which schools are in our ranking of Masters in Management degrees. Learn how the table was compiled and read the rest of our coverage at ft.com/mim.