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Accelerate Your Career with an Online MBA

Durham University Business School graduate Robin Hume (pictured) has used his online MBA to accelerate his career progression. Here, he discusses the learning opportunities presented by his studies.

Briefly outline your career history to date

While studying for my undergraduate degree at Northumbria University, I completed a placement year at PSA Peugeot-Citroen, which gave me an insight into corporate life. Upon graduating, I took the position of information systems manager for the national education charity SGOSS.

Following this, I moved to Datum360 as a project consultant, working with energy and process companies across Europe, Australia, North America, Asia and the Middle East. I then moved to US software company Bentley Systems, initially as a senior consultant, and then senior product manager. I moved to Capgemini Invent last year, as a managing consultant in the energy and utilities team, and I’m very excited about the challenges ahead.

Why did you decide to pursue an online MBA at Durham University Business School?

Durham University’s reputation was impossible to ignore when comparing MBA programmes, and it was underlined after I visited DUBS and met the academic and programme staff.

The course struck me as being very well thought out with a view towards mixing traditional management disciplines (such as finance and people management) with forward-looking modules such as technology innovation and business analytics. The flexibility to study some modules in person was also a key reason for choosing this course over similar programmes.

Why did you decide to study an online MBA over the in-person equivalent?

I was very pleased with my career progression before joining the MBA, and therefore did not want to pause this while studying. Completing the online MBA also provides the opportunity to apply the learning into ‘live’ situations, which enabled it to quickly become part of my everyday work. I could see tangible and continuous improvements in my own performance.

How did you incorporate the skills you were learning in the online MBA into your career?

Studying the online MBA provides the tools for structuring your thoughts and approaches to tasks and challenges. And I found this to be something I could quickly incorporate into my day-to-day work. Being able to structure my strategic thinking in a way which allows me to consider all necessary aspects, as well as communicate my conclusions clearly, has made a big difference.

I have been very fortunate through my MBA journey, and after graduation, to have been able to work for organisations which encourage the asking of questions and challenge convention. This has made it much easier to put my learnings into practice and continue to grow.

Did you see a noticeable difference in your career after studying the Durham Online MBA?

I was happy with my professional growth from a technical point of view before choosing to pursue the MBA, however, I wanted to progress into management positions in the short and medium-term. To this end, I believe the MBA has had a marked impact. It has given me the tools to lead with much greater impact and, as a result, I have progressed more quickly than I would have otherwise.

The other benefit the MBA provides is confidence. The structured thinking allows me to understand information more quickly and ask more pointed questions. Having developed and practiced these skills in the course’s safe environment, and tested them incrementally as I studied, I’m now much more comfortable in situations where I do not have in-depth knowledge.

Did you attend any of the Business School’s networking events while studying? Did the networking opportunities at the school influence your career?

I attended networking events among cohorts before the pandemic, and the Business School was fantastic with keeping these going virtually through lockdowns. I found them to be very beneficial and learned a lot from fellow students with varied backgrounds and careers.

When applying to join Capgemini Invent, I contacted a fellow student who had worked there in the past. His honest and detailed advice convinced me to progress the application and, when I had accepted the offer of a role, he put me in contact with some of his former colleagues who were still at the company. This helped build my internal Capgemini Invent network before I had even started!

Are there any other ways the Durham Online MBA benefited your career?

Studying the has connected me with people who live all over the world and come from different backgrounds, but share common aims of growth, continuous improvement and business excellence. This feeds into the culture of encouragement and collaboration the Business School fosters within a cohort, and between others too.

I feel as though I could work in the US, Australia, Nigeria, China, the UAE and many other countries, and have a network of peers I could call on for advice. If I needed help, I have built friendships with experts in tech, finance, consulting, engineering and more, and I would be very comfortable calling them if I needed guidance, and would be very happy for them to do the same with me. Durham University Business School and my employer Capgemini Invent, have a global mindset - which I value immensely.

To find out more about the Durham MBA attend one of their upcoming open events, visit www.durham.ac.uk/business/events to book your place.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Durham University Business School .