Working full-time with balancing studies is a hard thing to do. Listen to how the Part-Time MBA at D'Amore-McKim School of Business and the program's flexibility paid off for Tim.
Q: What is your current profession and what led you there?
A:I am currently an application development manager at Raytheon. I have been fortunate enough to rotate in and out of several positions throughout my career, across functional disciplines and with increasing responsibly.
Q: What were you hoping to get out of the Part-Time MBA program? What were some of your specific goals?
A:I wanted to learn more about organizational behavior skills, how to interface and manage people as well as aspects related to human resources, since my background didn't cover a lot of that. There was also financial knowledge that I wanted to strengthen when it came to capital budgeting, analyzing projects, and approving those projects. Plus, I wanted the skills to be able to successfully present projects to senior leadership. The D'Amore-McKim School of Business gave me that practice in the classroom to present to large audiences and it's truly been helpful in my career. Finally, I was hoping that this program would make a difference in my career. While I was in the program, I was promoted three times, so I would say overall my goals were achieved.
Q: Were you able to take the skills from the classroom and bring them into your work environment seamlessly?
A: At the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, they use real life examples. In addition to case studies, you're surrounded by professors and students who are here actively presenting and participating, making the content come to life. Then when you come across those instances in your career, it's second nature to put those learned skills into practice at the workplace. The Part-Time MBA program provided me with a foundation for analysis that I now use when I'm proposing new projects or ideas to senior leadership at my company. It's also been useful for the visual contributors who work for me. When they have a great idea, I'm able to provide additional firepower to get the backing that they need.
It's good for me to be able to teach individuals on my team how to do the financial modeling and the financial analysis, then even further, justify why their projects are worth pursuing.
Q: Did both the curriculum and the faculty provide first-hand insight?
A: The majority of the content that you learn in class is based on case studies––real businesses, real examples, real problem solving. When you're not discussing case studies, you're discussing other issues that may arise from student work experience or faculty work experience.
The faculty, with their broad network, have the ability to bring in guest speakers and talk about the changing working climate. One topic that really resonated with me was how we must adapt and innovate as business leaders. If we don't, then we're dead in the water, and we'll subsequently cease existing as a company. I've taken that back to my teams, emphasizing how we must continue to innovate, and continue to think differently about problems and problem solving.
Q: As a working professional, you needed an MBA program with flexibility. Is that what you found at D'Amore-McKim?
A: Absolutely. The D'Amore-McKim School of Business really does allow you to study at your own pace. You have up to seven years to complete your Part-Time MBA degree, although you can do it in as little as two. That really gives you the flexibility for not only continuing professionally, but to carry on your personal life as well. In terms of how many classes you take a semester, again that's up to the individual. For me, it was important that I wasn't confined to a schedule that didn't allow breaks, or the option to take one class a semester, or to shift the order of classes.
There is also flexibility in terms of the topics that you want to learn. D'Amore-McKim has an array of specializations that you can take with their Part-Time MBA, letting you focus your education on the specific area you choose to pursue. Additionally, there's great flexibility with your peers and professors as far as meetings and extended office hours. All of these reasons really set this program apart from the rest.
Q: Did you participate in any student clubs, such as 360 Huntington Fund, or IDEA? If so, could you please tell us about your experience and how it added value for you??
A:I was a member and manager in the 360 Huntington Fund. Through this experience, I was able to learn more about the investment industry and practices, without leaving my day job. As a manager, I practiced influencing others without authority, coordinating a team's assignments, and coaching members to improve skillsets.
Q: What would you say to a prospective student considering D'Amore-McKim for their business degree?
A:The education is great. What a D'Amore-McKim business degree does for your career is excellent. But the student and faculty network you build, and the friends you meet, are unparalleled.