Studying a Master of Business Administration has proved to be one of the finest moves for both Jessica Redman’s career progression and personal development.
Not only did it accelerate her rise to the position of Group Learning and Organisational Development Manager at international health partner, the nib Group, but Jessica believes her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Newcastle has made her ‘a better person’.
“Studying an MBA is the best decision I made because I now know what I am capable of, personally and professionally,” Jessica said.
“It’s given me incredible self-awareness, leadership knowledge and business strategy tactics.
“The MBA strengthens your ability to evaluate opportunities, prepare for threats and plan for the future.
“You gain skills that don’t just apply to business. You gain skills you can apply to life.
“Having the MBA study experience behind me has made me a better leader and a better person overall.”
Jessica began her studies in 2018 after completing an online Graduate Certificate in Business Administration. She was determined to learn deeper business and leadership strategies that would help her take the next steps in her career and was successful in securing a prestigious Women in MBA (WiMBA) Scholarship.
She said while she wasn’t sure exactly what the next career step was when she started the MBA, one of her core beliefs was pursuing lifelong learning and the MBA delivered increased competitiveness and employability.
“No matter what the next step in my career was, I knew I was going to need the qualification and knowledge that came with further study,” she said.
“I knew enough about business operations at a surface level, but not at a deep level where I could understand all facets.
“I really believe lifelong learning is a critical skill and studying the MBA allowed me to learn things that weren’t my forte, like accounting.
“I wouldn’t be able to understand accounting at all without an MBA and it’s really important knowledge to have once you start operating at that senior manager level.”
To find out more about the University of Newcastle’s MBA, click here.
The MBA paved the way for Jessica to advance from an Organisational Development Specialist to her current role as nib’s Group Learning and Organisational Development Manager.
Her responsibilities include leading a team of business partners and specialists to implement employee learning and development initiatives to build greater capability for the organisation.
Jessica said one of the valuable elements of the University of Newcastle’s MBA program was the flexibility of being able to combine online and face-to-face learning, which made balancing work, life, planning a wedding and study commitments manageable.
“The blend of classroom and online learning was perfect for me while I was travelling a lot for work,” she said.
“I never felt like I was missing out on the university experience while I was studying online and then to have the experience of face-to-face learning with peers was really special.
“The majority of the MBA is centred around learning core leadership skills and thinking about how to tackle change in organisations and how to think strategically at a leadership level.
“It all leads to a crescendo of these capstone modules that summarise what you have been learning.”
Jessica valued her study experience at the University of Newcastle so much, she is now on an advisory board guiding the MBA program and actively participates in the WiMBA network to encourage more women to seize the opportunity.
“I remember the doubt you can feel when you’re thinking about postgraduate study,” she said.
“It can feel daunting and seem like a long commitment.
“I encourage people just to get started because you’ll quickly find out you really do want to pursue it and it ends up being the best decision you can make.”
To find out more about the University of Newcastle’s MBA, click here.
