Despite Brexit and other unsettling events, London continues to maintain its charm for MBA aspirants, especially for students and alumni of the Full-Time MBA at the Imperial College Business School who provide at least 5 reasons including networking and job opportunities, the presence of an international community with a wide variety of cuisine, entertainment and culture.
Full-Time MBA student Supitchaya Jirachaisakul from Thailand, previously Client Manager at Nielson, Bangkok, points out in the school blog that with global companies becoming increasingly diverse and international, cities like London, where such firms are based, provide ample opportunities for career progression and change.
“In London, there are investors, employers, and multiple opportunities to network on your doorstep,” she says, highlight the number 1 reason, the plethora of networking and job opportunities the city offers.
Alumnus Alexander Rodriguez Melo concurs with her on the job prospects in London being “a massive attraction.” He says, “London is not only one of the top financial centres in the world but is fast becoming one of the most important technology hubs. It tends to be ahead of most of the world in terms of trends, technology and policy making,” he adds.
Alison Lane, who relocated from New York and built up her London network at events organised by the Imperial School’s Careers & Professional Development Service, says, “I met an alumnus who connected me with other alumnae in his class, who in turn put me in touch with a contact from a large firm. Now they’re the number one company that I want to work for.”
Daniel Rose says, during the program, he was able to get connected with “amazing people from around the world” who enriched his intercultural understanding. “It was also great to mix with the Executive MBA students in the electives as they bring a completely new viewpoint and a lot of experience into the classroom,” he adds.
The second reason is that It’s the start-up hub of Europe, according to Imogen Berman and Jared Ruddy, MBA alumni who co-founded the London-based strategy and innovation firm Think Plan Thrive. “Opportunities in London are amazing. You can be at Imperial in the morning, go to a networking or start-up event, come back to classes and then go to something else in the evening,” Imogen says.
“You’ve got so much on your doorstep – like Google Campus and General Assembly, for example, to help you learn and build your network. Jared and I established much of our network for Think Plan Thrive going to interesting events,” she points out.
Jared says he was offered a great scholarship from another leading business school outside London. “I turned it down to go to Imperial. That’s how important being in central London was for me. London has a mindset – it’s constantly pushing forward and at the forefront of change,” he adds.
Imperial’s Enterprise Lab supports start-up entrepreneurs and innovators. Business Coach in Residence Dr Chris Corbishley says, “Whether they hope to become the next Elon Musk or lead innovative organisations such as Google. We help them to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and connections that will propel them through their chosen career.”
The 3rd reason is that London is truly an international city attracting the brightest minds from across the world. With 37 nationalities represented in the current Full-Time MBA class at Imperial, students get enough opportunities to learn about business on a global scale and cultures while sharing stories with fellow students.
An induction week at the beginning of the academic year, with several social and team building activities, helps the students build lifelong friendships and networks. Alumnae Tatiana Nikiforova refers to the challenge to live in the city far away from family and friends. “But remember, your classmates will literally become your family for a year and your lifetime friends. They will treat you as a family, you will be invited to Christmas and National Holiday parties that will make you feel very much included in the culture,” she says.
The 4th reason is Imperial College itself. “Imperial’s reputation as a leading university for engineering, science and technology was a big part in choosing to study an MBA here. One of the things I really liked was the fact that in the core modules there’s a lot of innovation content. A lot of business schools offered innovation as electives but I like that it was fundamental to what we learnt,” says Rob Thompson has a background in engineering and is using his MBA to explore innovation & strategy opportunities.
Alison claims that entrepreneurialism is also built into the program. “We’re encouraged to think outside of the box in a different way and think strategically instead of rushing to the group for a solution which often happens in corporations. “Even though I’m on the corporate career track, I can use entrepreneurship styles of thought in any corporate role,” she adds.
The 5th reason is the never-ending possibilities for good food, cultural activities and entertainment. “Living in London gives you a never-ending list of places to go and things to do. The sheer variety of restaurants, museums, shops, theatres and people in London is immense and very few places in the world can match this,” says alumnus Alexander Rodriguez Melo.
For Adrienne Fung, a current student from the US, apart from the great restaurants, bars, shows and events, there’s the added bonus that London serves as a great hub for travel all around Europe. Almost every nationality of food is represented in London, from Argentina to South Korea and, of course, the classic British menu.(Image Source:Pixabay.com)