MBA Alumni: Emma Partridge / Kate Yarbo
Hear from two of our Executive MBA students, Emma Partridge and Kate Yarbo, about how they found the experience of starting their MBA at UEA.
Emma Partridge, Head of Strategy at CEFAS
The unknown can be daunting. If you can, I would recommend attending a taster day to understand what the course will be like. It will reduce your nerves and confirm that you are making the right decision before embarking on your MBA journey.
The MBA has increased my confidence to pursue a career in consulting as well as provided me with skills which helps provide NECS clients with valuable pieces of work, such as critical thinking, pulling in resources from multiple sources to enhance outcome and by starting projects from a basis of applied theory helps assure clients are comfortable with proposals. One major benefit for me, was the fantastic network of fellow MBA students I am still in contact with and the continued support by lecturers at the Uea. On a personal note, I have some wonderful memories from my time at the Uea and working with a fantastic group of lecturers and my fellow cohort. The MBA has helped my take my career in a purposeful direction and to the next level.
Kate Yarbo, CEO of Ryes Education and Children’s Homes
I can't begin to tell you how different I am 10 months into this journey. With the coaching, support and guidance from all the module leaders I am growing in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. The MBA isn’t simply about learning new concepts and ideas to take back to your workplace, it’s also about realising lots of the ways you`ve worked for years do have theories behind them, there is a reason you are doing things that way, and here’s more knowledge to move those processes forward.
Each assignment is a learning curve with no pressure but very useful guidance beforehand, coaching through it and feedback afterwards. Each one is built on the one before and I clearly feel the clear aim of everyone involved in this MBA is to get me successfully to the end.
My advice to anyone new at this would be to believe that the MBA is about helping you achieve your goal, not about lecturers sitting back an judging your sometimes very poor attempts at creating an academic piece of work. They don’t judge- the hardest critic will be yourself, and as long as you can laugh at your attempts you should love being part of this experience.