October 11th, 2007
Just do it
Posted by Matt
Under: Matt Campbell, Student Blogs
The American writer and self-improvist Dale Carnegie once wrote,
‘Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.’
This is extremely useful advice to the potential EMBA student, if you are even thinking about an MBA; it is likely that you have the motivation. Just do it, as one famous sports brand once declared.
In my first months at Oxford, it is again motivation that I have found to be king – make sure you bring plenty with you. The EMBA is tough, especially if your day job demands a lot from you – which, chances are, it does. However, the rewards are extremely rich – as a young professional I have already found myself using much of the course content back at the ranch, I have even handed one essay directly to my boss as a recommendation for future investment.
For me, coming from a creative industry my ambition was to get better at the business side of things. Whilst the assessment criteria (GMAT, Essays, and Interview) defines whether you have the latent ability, the classroom at Oxford provides you with frameworks that begin to piece together all the small parts of acumen that you had, and your overall business knowledge become much more complete and useable as a result.
The school is immaculate, the resources plentiful, the faculty members quite brilliant…even lunch is passable. Where I have found most inspiration is from my course mates. I am the youngest on the EMBA currently, and I have learnt so much from the group work, general conversations, class interaction, and very occasional social excursions. Discussing businesses, and how people make decisions in the real world has been equally as valuable as the teaching itself.
Constantine said:
These comments sound quite interesting… I am considering applying for the EMBA in 2009 and it’s good to see how ‘insiders’ think about it.
Talking of age: Are there people in their low-40s there? Do they seem to be equally motivated as you are?
Thanks in advance
Dave Floyd said:
I too am contemplating 2009 admission although leaning towards full-time vs. executive program.
I have heard that in the full-time program there are a handful of 40 year olds - this was encouraging as I would be 42 if accepted for Fall 2009 term.
Edward said:
The average age of EMBA V (2008-2009) is 37; I would say the entire class is very motivated at all age levels.
Jeff said:
I am also considering applying for the 2010 MBA or 2009/10 EMBA program. I am still unsure whether I should apply for the full time program as I considering a change in my career (the company will provide no funding).
Is there career support available for current EMBA students to help establish a change in career?
Can you please comment on your Entrepreneurial Project with your firm?
Thanks and all the best!
Edward said:
IMHO, the EMBA is best suited for senior managers who are currently practicing looking to help develop and enhance their management methods. The full-time MBA is probably better designed for a career game changer — but this is just my opinion. I would advise contacting the MBA Office and speaking to an Admissions Manager.
There is career support on the EMBA but it is of a different nature than the full-time MBA. Again, I would strongly advise speaking to someone in Admissions regarding your plan.
As for the Entrepreneurial Project, this is a key part of the EMBA experience. Oxford places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship; at the end of your first year you complete a presentation and business plan to be presented to an actual investment board. The objective of this exercise is to teach you how to develop a business plan and pitch a business.