I completed my MBA… now what?

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Som Seng

UMassOnline Som Seng My last exam for the MBA program was on December 17th. I didn’t think I could do it. I was dealing with some sinus issues and by the time I got out of work, which was at 5 PM, I was ready to go to bed. But, I had to tackle a 5 hour written exam. I drank a cup of coffee, logged on to my class, and surprisingly the 5 hours went by fast. And, I WAS DONE! It was a great feeling after a challenging semester and a long 5 years.

What’s funny is that for 5 years it’s been my goal to complete my degree and once I was done I was already looking for another goal, instead of taking it all in. So with this post I want to TAKE IT IN. What an accomplishment? Not to toot my own horn, but working full time and going to school part time takes a lot of motivation, determination, and hard work. Also, I had a great support system so that was very helpful. To those that are working full time and going to school part time, or those that have graduated, kudos! Kind of reminds me of when I was back in college during finals. When you accomplish the impossible… 5 or 6 finals, papers, group projects all in 1 week. Whenever I feel like I can’t do something, I think back to finals and realize if I can get through finals, I can get through anything. And, now finishing my MBA while working full time is an experience that I will look back to confirm that I can do anything in the future.

Now that I have reflected, what will I do with my MBA? First of all, achieving my BBA and MBA is something that I can always be proud of. I’m the first in my family to earn my bachelor’s and master’s. This sense of accomplishment and learning is something I can always carry with me. Second, I will not be making a career move because I love my job! Not many people can say that, but I have the best of both worlds. I love what I do and I love the people I work with. My manager is incredibly supportive and is constantly helping me work on ways to grow professionally. However, what this MBA has done for my career is give me more confidence. Coming out of college, you’re a bit of a lost soul, and now with 7 years of professional experience and an MBA under my belt, I feel that I will be successful in anything I put my mind to. My professional experience has taught me that honesty is my best friend. What do I mean by that? Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, learning when to say I made a mistake and learn from it, and always being accountable are crucial to your success and ultimately the success of an organization or project. My MBA has given me the tools to think strategically, better assess partners, projects and problems, and lastly to continuously improve what I do!

Comments

3 Responses to “I completed my MBA… now what?”

Apostolos K. on February 6th, 2010 9:33 am

Congrats on finishing your MBA

One journey ends, and another begins. I am finishing up my Instructional Design degree this semester. Personally I am looking forward to some rest after I graduate, and possibly even get back to calligraphy (something I’ve wanted to pick up for a while, but I’ve had little time)
Som Seng on February 8th, 2010 8:47 am

Congratulations on being so close to graduation! That’s exciting with the calligraphy. I’ve always been very interested in fashion and was thinking about looking into it in the fall. You’ve inspired me to go for it!
Greg on February 9th, 2010 4:22 pm

Congratulations Som!