It’s an investment in your career that pays dividends almost immediately. A study by Amarách Consulting found 70 per cent of Masters of Business Administration holders see their salary rise by at least 20 per cent within two years of graduation.
But if you are ambitious enough to invest in yourself, it’s important to choose the right provider.
National College of Ireland’s MBA has a strong entrepreneurial ethos which encourages creativity, innovation and analytical thinking – a huge asset in today’s fast-changing business landscape.
NCI’s MBA is also specifically designed to meet the needs of busy professionals. Classes take place in the evening, as well as some Saturdays, so you don’t have to take your foot off the pedal to drive your career.
Modules are taught by an expert faculty which combines award-winning academics with practical business experience. MBA holders also benefit from peer learning, with mid-career participants coming from a wide range of sectors - a fertile environment for fresh thinking.
[Discover what's involved in NCI's highly-regarded two-year MBA course]
A career set for take off
Tom Kerrigan, manager ground training at Aer Lingus, is in the second year of NCI’s two year MBA programme.
He has worked in the sector for almost two decades.
“Doing an MBA was on my wish list for years, but I’d been too busy to do it. In 2019, I finally made the time,” he explains.
“You can reach a plateau in your career. The MBA is the launch pad for the next stage of it. It was also about going back to education to ensure my skills are current.”
Updating his skillset gives him confidence.
I'm applying what I'm learning to my day-to-day work
“Covid has taught us all that you can’t be complacent about your career, because no one saw it coming. What I wanted from an MBA was a greater ability to make my own decisions around my career,” he explains.
He did his homework before applying. “I really shopped around but meeting Dr Colette Darcy, the dean at the School of Business, for coffee was what swung it. She showed me it was the best fit for me. We all have full lives, busy careers and, in my case kids. NCI’s MBA is not just part time, it is flexible. They realise that MBA students are under enough pressure,” says Kerrigan.
The benefits are already evident. “I’m applying what I’m learning to my day-to-day work but the MBA gives you a helicopter view too, providing the tools to do up-to-date analysis, formulate strategy and just to step back and look at all the angles, whether in relation to financials, human resources or corporate and social responsibility. It’s a huge advantage.”
It’s hard work but it’s also fun, he points out. “Our class is so diverse, with people from all sorts of sectors, it leads to great debates both in the classes and on the coffee breaks,” he says.
Fuelling innovation at work
Jennifer O’Brien is director of cloud business office at Fenergo, a financial technology company, and is in the first year of her NCI MBA.
As a technology graduate she has nearly two decades of IT industry experience behind her. “I worked in a number of tech roles but found that I actually preferred to work in business roles that have a tech aspect to them,” she explains.
She did the MBA to broaden her skillset. “I wanted a more rounded understanding of business. I was working with people from the marketing and sales sides, who were out there selling while we were developing. I would never be asked to produce a marketing strategy but I needed to understand the questions these guys were coming to me with,” she explains.
NCI’s MBA has modules in areas such as cloud, finance, enterprise management and service management, all of which were acutely applicable to her work.
The NCI MBA has given me that more rounded business view I was looking for
“Doing an MBA is not something I had always thought about but, as my current role developed, I wanted to develop my own skill set as well. I didn’t want to do a specific subject master’s degree, but a broad based business one. In meetings, people listen to you when you are able to speak their language - that’s what you learn in the MBA.”
She spoke to a number of friends with MBAs first. “I found that the people who had gone to NCI all spoke very warmly about the lecturers and staff, and I have found the NCI staff to be very supportive too. From a price perspective, which is a significant factor, it was well positioned, where some of the fees at other colleges are eye watering.”
She applies her learning on a daily basis and as a result is increasingly ambitious for her career.
“I want to see what else I can bring to this role and to improve things. I also want to push ahead,” says O’Brien. “The NCI MBA has definitely given me that more rounded business view I was looking for.”
Virtual taste of an MBA
Join Dr Colette Darcy, programme director and dean of the School of Business, for an online event that will take you through the structure and benefits of the MBA at NCI.
It takes place on Wednesday, June 16th, 2021 from 5.30pm to 6.30pm and is a chance to hear from previous graduates and current students. You’ll also find out about the time commitments involved, tips to manage the workload and how get the most from the course, and to ask any questions you have.
Discover more about the virtual MBA event and register your interest at ncirl.ie