An Engineer’s wish to pursue an Executive MBA – Geoffrey’s EMBA (intake of 2020) story
With over 25 years of rich experience as a senior engineer and an Operations Manager, Geoffrey Mark Dsa Cardoso had already accomplished a lot in his career before pursuing an MBA. Let’s find out how SP Jain’s Executive MBA helped Geoffrey embellish his already brilliant professional pathway.
Q. What led you to take up an Executive MBA?
Pursuing an MBA had been in my plans right since my Engineering days. I completed a correspondence course in Export Management and wanted to test my childhood ability to visualise STEM subjects and grasp them compared to a more academic subject. This course taught me that management concepts are not a mathematical formula; it is proof of concept. It is up to your imagination to adapt to those concepts and continually improve, making them exciting and satisfying.
However, due to compelling circumstances at the time, I continued down a path that worked in a field of interest and overlapped with my engineering studies. It was fast-paced and demanding, but I excelled and reached levels quicker and faster than my peers due to my interest.
As my career progressed into a managerial role, I relied on technical experience. However, my career took some unfortunate twists, and I soon stagnated. Throughout this period, the desire to do an MBA lingered. The void was evident to me. With the onset of the sudden pandemic and the rapid accelerant and acceptance of distance learning, I decided to take the plunge.
SP Jain provided this opportunity through its well-developed Engaged Learning Online (ELO) systems and its reputed global brand. SP Jain’s Executive MBA provided a conceptual structure through a digitised platform during an unprecedented time when circumstances were conducive and acceptable to do a fully online EMBA.
Q. How has been the SP Jain EMBA experience been for you so far?
The SP Jain EMBA has been an incredible digitised journey, supported by a fantastic cohort of friends and facilitators that fuelled a holistic application of learning across various industries.
The admission experience was welcoming, hassle-free and adaptive. It did not fuel second thoughts. I believe that my engineering background adds value to the cohort and contributes to its rounded, diverse balance.
Q. You are an Engineer by profession and hence, are a ‘non-traditional’ candidate for an MBA. Why did you decide to pursue this degree?
I agree that Engineering and MBA subjects are like chalk and cheese. They start with the same concepts of theory and structure, but one outcome is quantifiable & tangible, and the other is qualitative & intangible. But both are equally fulfilling as one is narrow with set outcomes while the others are broad-based and multi-faceted customised solutions. That is precisely what interested me as I pursued an EMBA.
Q. How are the resources at SP Jain helping you excel in your MBA despite being from a non-traditional background?
The fingertip single point availability of information in Blackboard provided additional insight to learning through research, market data, and references which ignited the thirst to excel in what was required. Simply put, it was a very convenient, user-friendly platform of information.
Q. You are currently studying in a classroom with professionals from different industries and career levels. How is this diversity helping your learning experience?
The cohort diversity at SP Jain, coupled with iterative sessions, shared experiences, and multiple group projects, expose you to how different industries approach common business problems. You understand ways to work through them and how they converge to a single concept.
Q. What do you plan to do after graduation? How is your time at SP Jain helping you build the skills to achieve your goals?
I will continue using what I have learnt during the program to develop my capabilities and expand my network, as I know that learning is a continuous journey. Going back to school has opened my mind to things outside my industry. Thanks to my cohort and SP Jain, I could absorb much more than I expected to get out of the EMBA.
Click here to read more stories from SP Jain’s EMBA students and alumni.
