Everyone wants an interesting job that is both challenging and satisfying. In my experience, achieving this sometimes means you have to change direction or pursue new opportunities, but with an MBA behind you, you’re not limited to one type of role or one business area. It’s a great way to progress your career and explore new avenues, or to discover where your interests lie.

That’s probably the biggest driving factor behind my original decision to study for an MBA back in 2005. I was at a point in my career, a few years out from an engineering degree, when I wanted to progress my career, but I wasn’t exactly sure how.

After various in-house training courses, I realised I needed to brush up on my business knowledge. I felt that with a better business head on my shoulders, I would be equipped to take on new roles, drawing on strategic skills and a broader understanding of the entire organisation.

An MBA seemed the ideal solution, and I chose to study at University of Limerick. It’s where I sat my undergraduate degree, so there was some familiarity, but I also liked the three-day block structure. A lot of part-time courses run one day a week, but I felt three days a month would be easier to fit around work and family and with young children at the time, getting the right balance was important.

Fortunately, my course was sponsored by my then employer, Dell, and I was released to study during the working week. This meant I could totally focus on the MBA for the duration of my time on campus. My manager at Dell was very supportive and in fact there were several Dell employees on the MBA course, so we were able to study together and assist one another throughout the programme.

Since graduating from UL in 2007, my career journey has been incredible. As predicted, the MBA rounded out my skills in corporate strategy and finance, but even more importantly, it gave me the confidence to explore new roles.

Consequently, I stayed with Dell for a further three years, during which time I was promoted, and then made the switch to Boston Scientific. In my new position as an Engineering Manager, I was heading up a team of engineers and drawing heavily on my MBA learning.

Thanks to the modules on strategic leadership, as well as the focus on developing soft skills, I was able to direct my team successfully to meet objectives. Not only did the MBA equip me with the tools for effective people management – it also gave me the confidence to try new things.

And when my department at Boston Scientific was bought out by Stryker, this flexibility came to the fore. The transition involved a great deal of change, but I was able to support my team to adjust smoothly to new processes and differences in culture, ultimately making the merger a great success.

I’m very adaptable in my approach and that’s one hundred percent down to the MBA. The course is structured to push you out of your comfort zone, with various course work and assignments that require you to work with others. By collaborating with students from different backgrounds and industries, the MBA really promotes a flexible mindset, which has been a great advantage throughout my career.

That’s why, in 2015, when I was looking to further advance my career, I was able to switch direction, moving to work for Amazon as a Continuous Customer Improvement Manager. It was a huge leap, moving from a technical field to a customer facing role in a totally different sector, but I was ready for something different.

Once again, the MBA was key to achieving my ambitions. With core skills for leadership and a broad business perspective, I was empowered to realise my goals, confident that no area of business was ‘out of bounds’.

Sure enough, the move to Amazon has been hugely rewarding and over the past seven years, I have held four different roles. I love working in this constantly changing environment and with such a large organisation, there are always different opportunities arising in different business areas or global locations.

With MBA tools for effective change management at my disposal, I’m always ready for the challenge. The business models were particularly useful in helping me navigate change along the way, but change management is also about being a good leader. In this respect the MBA has enabled me to excel, supporting me to manage people and motivate others through seismic changes such as those arising from the global COVID pandemic.

Looking back at my career to date, it’s clear that the MBA has been instrumental in accelerating my professional progression. The course helps you lay down strong foundations in all areas of business, with case studies and practical course content providing vital feedback on where you would like to direct your energy.

I certainly used the course as a stepping-stone, fast tracking my capabilities and following up with diverse roles to cement my MBA knowledge with real-world experience. That’s why I’ve leapt at the chance to take different roles within Amazon, and of course in such a large organisation, there’s plenty of opportunity to move around.

When I started out in engineering, I couldn’t have imagined myself in my current role as head of customer experience, however the MBA helped me to join the dots; to round out my offering with broader business expertise.

That means I’m not limited to any one specific area or discipline. I can move around from engineering to customer service – who knows, maybe I’ll even make the move into retail! The MBA has given me the confidence and the skills to try any role that interests me. I’ve always been motivated to succeed, but with the MBA behind me, I’m also willing to take a risk every once in a while – so I can make those exciting career leaps with confidence.