After ten years of working in the advertising industry I decided to pursue a change in my career and switch to in-house marketing management. My MBA experience was instrumental in my career transition as it allowed me to acquire a more holistic understanding of internal business structures, marketing and financial strategies.

I chose HKU MBA as it is a world-renowned university in Hong Kong with over 100 years of history and an extensive alumni network. Not only so, but the programme’s small class size and diversified class profile was also a major consideration factor, as it provided me with the opportunity to expand my professional network beyond the advertising industry.

My overall experience of HKU MBA was fantastic. Whether attending networking events or just connecting with classmates after weekend classes, I made lifelong relationships with talented individuals from different industries who share similar life values with me and still regularly catch up with my MBA friends today.  As an alumnus, I actively attend the alumni events to stay connected with fellow alumni. I find events like educational talks or webinars really inspiring as they push me to think outside the box. I would even say they are an ongoing life learning process!

For me, the guest lecturer courses were definitely one of the highlights of the programme. The topics discussed were always very timely and interesting, and delivered by industry pioneers who gave us fantastic insights into different fields and passed on valuable real-life knowledge useful for our career development.

Communication is key when it comes to balancing a full-time job and part-time studies. I was completely transparent about my class schedule with both my company and family, and they were all very supportive. I would travel during the weekdays for work and return to Hong Kong to attend classes at the weekend. What kept me going was my original motivation for doing the MBA programme, which was to take my career to the next level.

As an action-oriented person, my advice to all prospective students is to stop hesitating and apply immediately. If you feel it is the right thing to do, just do it.

Industry: Marketing Management
Company: AXA
Job Title: Head of Product Marketing & Proposition