Changing Career Goals: An MBA Profile

One year on after graduating from business school, Yan Yan Chen tells TopMBA.com about the difference her MBA degree made to her career.

An MBA alumnus of the HEC School of Management, Yan Yan Chen graduated in one of the most difficult times for MBA grads. However, having those three letters after her name meant Yan felt the impact of her MBA on her career immediately. “My school name and MBA degree enabled me to approach a lot more companies and job opportunities as opposed to before,” she says. “More importantly, my MBA experience made me certain about my ambition and determination.”

Yan is currently working as a consultant for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, but that isn’t where she began her post-MBA career. “I started in the strategy team at Areva T&D, China, where I learned about both the power utility industry and equipment manufacturing industry. I also got exposure to renewable energy fields, like wine energy and biomass. It was right after the Chinese government’s plan was laid out to upgrade power infrastructure and green technology became a buzzword across the country.”

After working for half a year with Areva T&D, the company was sold, so Yan moved onto Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in China, where her focus was on the energy and utility sector. “Consulting was my career target and I knew I would have to detour and adapt rather than getting there straight from school in such bad economic circumstances,” Yan says. Yet she has still been able to apply much of what she learnt in the business school classroom to her career.

MBA career skills

“Most of the knowledge and skills I obtained through classes like strategy, accounting, finance, investment, economics, organizational behaviour, marketing and negotiation, are being frequently used in my career,” she says. “I would love to continue in consulting, but during the next decade I would like to try NPO work in energy related topics that can make human life better.”

Yan initially applied to business school because she wanted to have more business exposure beyond R&D (research and development) project management. But during her MBA, and after a career planning self-assessment, Yan realized what she ultimately wanted to achieve. “Before my MBA, my career goal was to be in a general management role for a high-tech company, because I was at a relatively junior position. But during the MBA, I realized consulting is more fulfilling and also a better choice for a post-MBA profession, so before graduation I set out a plan to make it happen.”

MBA networking

Many MBA alumni speak of the value of the MBA network they gain during their business school studies, and Yan is no exception. “The MBA network is the closest group I can observe, learn from and practice with,” she says. “Where they come from and where they go became a reference for my career decision. We exchanged ideas and information, and some of us became quite good friends and still keep in touch.”

Yan would definitely recommend others to pursue an MBA degree, but she also advises people to do so with caution. “The school name and the timing count,” she says. “So, if it’s a reputable school, with a great alumni network, and it’s good timing, an MBA does give you a boost. When the timing is bad, there are examples of MBAs who didn’t get through the crisis and reach their goals.”

It’s only been a year since Yan left the business school classroom, so she hasn’t yet been able to recoup the full amount of the financial investment she made, but she does feel she has received a return on investment from her MBA, both in a financial and non-financial way. As a successful MBA alumnus, her advice for MBA students approaching graduation and looking to re-enter the job market is: “Make a well-informed career decision, have a career plan, and do your homework on companies and industries that you are aiming for. With diligence and the right mindset, your efforts will pay off.”