Reflecting on my MBA journey

I decided to document my personel journey starting back in 2015 when I was selected in the second Torrens University MBA intake. I missed out on the inaugural 2014 intake as I was overseas at the time and although I returned home just as the first online MBA classes started, the faculty didn't believe I had enough time to prepare. Naturally I disagreed but the decision wasn't mine and I had to fall into line.

I left school after just turning sixteen beginning a technical apprenticeship and attending trade school part-time for three years, this actually gave me a solid foundation in business. After all, I was then fourty six and not twenty six when I began this course. After completing my four year apprenticeship, I was a twenty year old seeking to make a living as a tradesman and I found the first six months post-trade as the hardest of my life. By the time I turned twenty one, I was well on my way and a competent tradesman, I still needed to build experience post-trade but I was well on my way.

I didn't complete any real business qualifications until well into my thirties as I had always successfully engaged in work-based learning and never had time to complete more than short courses. That changed after leaving private enterprise after twenty years and I moved into the government sector, I had the availability to undertake certificate and diploma level qualifications that were very reasonably priced and supported in the government sector.

In order to apply for higher levels based on knowledge and skills as a state government employee, I had to undertake tertiary education and so began my undergraduate studies in Training and Development beginning in 2012 as a fourty three year old. That gave me all of 2012 and 2013 plus half of 2014 to complete the qualification. I would never have undertook such an obligation had I remained employed in the private sector.

I then took long service leave throughout the European summer of 2014 as I had already postponed the trip to complete the Training and Development bachelor degree. I only submitted my final assignment the day before departure for Europe so missed out on graduation and I really didn't care. When I returned from three and a half months leave and wasn't accepted into the 2014 inaugural intake, I took a further unit of Organisational Behaviour at my old university in trimester three, a unit that I found very informative.

So whilst I began Organisational Leadership as an undergraduate student at the University of New England, I quit that course to concentrate on the MBA and I am glad I did. My first two units of Accounting for Leaders and Economics and Decision-making nearly did my head in - I struggled with the workload. It was a big step up from undergraduate level but despite the stress, I did ok. Now that I am close to the end of my MBA experience, I want to get on and get some accounting experience on my resume.

Micro-economics is interesting, the final two weeks of a twelve week course were spent on macro-economics, a very important skill-set for both entrepreneurs and managers. I didn't mind accounting so much to begin with, then it got real hard real quick and I struggled a little at the end. Moving onto finance, it really hurt and that was a real struggle with the exception of the financial analysis based on reading financial statements, valuing shares and bonds as I had already been doing that for some time.

Decision-making was by far the most interesting unit, this could possibly be because I did really well in terms of results although one could argue I enjoyed the unit and my interest was reflected in the results. Marketing management was really interesting, there is more to marketing than I initially thought. This was a thoroughly interesting unit and although I don't really see myself engaging in too many marketing activities anytime soon as I'm not involved in small business anymore, this knowledge is helpful for future endeavors. 

I undertook a couple of project management units and this was done in conjunction with the global project management course at the university. In many ways, this was great because we were exposed to full-time project managers who were seeking formal qualifications. These were guys undertaking the Graduate Certificate in Global Project Management and I believe you learn well from peers as the learning environment is less formal and more relaxed.

I had less of a relaxing learning experience undertaking operations management and the strategic management capstone project as I had plenty of issues with the lecturer. This was the only units with the same lecturer - the only staff member I had an issue with. As I am getting to the point where I am paying the last of the course fees off, I need to begin thinking about my return on investment.

I had hoped to have fully paid off my tuition fees before graduation, I have already failed on that goal so I have to be be very careful about my next decision in regards to job hunting. I am looking forward to job hunting and although I had been stressed in regards to future job opportunities in such a depressed job market - offers are not coming in as hoped.