“MBA”–though a seemingly short acronym holds a profound significance for students about to embark on the programme this autumn. For me, the Cambridge MBA programme will be another highly valuable chapter of my life, in helping me to transition from a local fund manager role to a management position in the banking industry.
How to make an efficient, well-prepared start to the MBA is a question coming up in many students’ minds this time of year. Having attended the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Programme, I have thankfully gained both the confidence and a holistic approach to academic preparation to benefit my upcoming MBA journey.
Pre-MBA career path and post-MBA plan
Prior to starting my MBA, I have been long committed to Siam Commercial Bank PCL (SCB), one of the four largest local banks in Thailand. Starting off in SCB Asset Management Company as a research analyst, I developed my expertise in the fixed income investment area and was promoted to a fund manager two years later. After working as a fund manager for four years with local expertise in the Thai fixed income market, I have now been awarded the full company scholarship to reach my academic potential at one of the top MBA programmes worldwide. The Cambridge MBA will notably advance my career at SCB, significantly benefit the bank and above all I hope-my country-as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015 deadline looms.
Post-MBA, I will return to the SCB to leverage the business insights, management skills, and corporate network I intend to advance at Cambridge, towards scaling their international bank concept in the years ahead.
EAP Course – the best preparation for MBA year
As an international student, I have sought the best ways to make myself physically and mentally ready for the life-changing MBA experience ahead. Towards this goal the Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Programme has proved to be the perfect English-speaking environment in which to immerse myself and get a taste of the authentic UK higher education learning atmosphere.
Spending a five-week period on the EAP course, I have received far more than I anticipated. The course has provided me with an immense opportunity: to boost my English skills, settle into a new city, and obtain a sense of the real “Cambridge” with its unique collegiate experiences. The Pre-sessional EAP course works by providing an ideal combination of intensive English language course content, practical soft-skill workshops and enjoyable social programmes, all of which are tailored to best fit each student’s lifestyle.
In special workshops designed for MBA students, I have enhanced my business-related skills such as presentation, problem solving, and analytical skills by working in teams with my fellow MBA students on business case solving assignments. It has been a great chance for me and the other 12 MBAs attending the program to build up lifelong relationships and embark on our collaborative learning even before the term starts. For me, the EAP prepared me not only through enhancing my language proficiency but also in giving me the real sense of the discursive learning style found on the MBA.
Now I readily look forward to the commencement of the Cambridge MBA 2014-15 and to making the most out of such a diverse, dynamic, and ambitious environment in the coming year. I realise that all of my dedicated efforts in the past few years eventually paid off, the moment I was admitted to start my MBA life at Cambridge Judge Business School.