Veronica Jin

About you

What work experience/internships did you have before beginning with Imperial College Business School?

I currently work as a Senior Financial Analyst at BlackRock, an asset management firm. For the last two years I’ve been living in London, and San Francisco before that. Prior to BlackRock, I was working at PwC where I managed projects relating to technology innovation initiatives in finance, in Silicon Valley.

I’m also an avid runner and compete in triathlons. On average I do about 10 races per year – here in the UK as well as abroad.

Why did you decide to study Global Online MBA at Imperial College Business School?

I attended an information session in July 2017. At the time I was debating whether or not to study the Weekend MBA or the Global Online MBA. What convinced me that the Global Online MBA was right for me, was the panel of Ambassadors: past students and faculty, who highlighted the flexibility of the programme. Everything about its flexibility sold it to me.

Programme

How have you found the Global Online MBA programme to date?

I started my MBA at the beginning of January 2018 and my experience so far has been phenomenal. When I was looking to go back to school what I craved the most was the intellectually stimulating conversations with people who see the world differently to you. You get to meet so many people from different industries.

I recall being an undergraduate at university and the bell-curve concept of where you fit into the class – it was extremely competitive. My experience of studying an MBA couldn’t be more opposite. Everyone is so helpful. In group assignments we all contribute differently based on our strengths. During the Accounting Modules, I’ll find it takes me a shorter amount of time to get through the work, because that’s what my background is in. In other assignments, team members might take over, because of their own professional background.

What has been the most challenging part of the programme? 

To be honest work-life balance has been challenging! It’s been a good lesson in time management. I train for triathlons during the week, and then dedicate all day Saturday, and part of Sunday to doing coursework. I’ve gotten into the habit of printing out readings and taking them on the train along with a highlighter, so I can read them during my morning commute.

The best advice I received prior to starting my MBA, was from a recent MBA graduate. They said, “Make sure you don’t fall more than two weeks behind in your coursework, because it’ll be too hard to catch up”.

Using The Hub learning platform

The Hub feels very innovative because it’s been developed in-house. Whenever we have feedback, the improvements are implemented almost right away. For example, when we wanted filters to help find what we’re looking for, they included them.

It can be challenging at times, because of all the notifications, but you get used to that! Overall I love using it. I can sign on whenever I want, whether I’m at work, in a different country, during a lunch break or while I’m getting coffee. It helps with the flexibility of the programme, which is really important to me.

Tips

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about applying for the programme?

One is about timing. It’s one thing to want an MBA, but the other is whether it’s the right time for you to do an MBA. It’s the right time if you know what you want to get out of it, and you’ve mentally prepared yourself for the challenge and the workload.

The second piece of advice would be around choosing the right MBA programme for you. There are so many programmes out there and you need to decide whether the full-time format is right for you, or whether you’d be better suited to doing a part-time MBA, that has more flexibility but the same great experience.

For me, Imperial College is well-known for innovation and technology, which was important to me when deciding which Business School to study with.