If you’re thinking about how to take the next step in your career, the Master of Business Administration is likely already on your radar. But with the time and financial investment involved, it’s natural to ask: is the MBA worth it?
We asked some of our graduates to share the career goals they achieved thanks to the program and what made the UQ MBA worth it for them. They told us the program:
- equipped them with the tools to pivot their careers in new directions, including consulting
- broadened their skillset and prepared them for executive leadership, C-suite and board positions
- gave them the confidence to start their own business ventures
- expanded their personal and professional networks, leading to new career opportunities
- offered them opportunities for faster career advancement and an increase in their earning potential.
Explore how our graduates leveraged the UQ MBA to achieve their career goals in more detail below.
Is an MBA worth it? 8 career goals you can achieve with a UQ MBA
1. Change careers and transition into a new industry
A common reason many students enrol in an MBA program is they’re hoping to switch careers.
One such graduate was Kevin Balshaw, who had worked as a geologist for almost 20 years before studying the MBA.
“The UQ MBA gave me the confidence to take on complex problems outside of the industry I’d been in for two decades. I’d wanted to try a new career path for several years but felt nervous about making that leap. My MBA has equipped me with the tools, knowledge and support to take calculated risks.”
After completing the MBA, Kevin worked in consulting but is now the commercial director at Queensland Treasury.
Another example is Doug Sheridan, who started the MBA to gain new skills to help him transition out of the defence force.
Transitioning out of defence can impact your sense of identity, professional self-confidence, and mental and physical health. The UQ MBA gives me the opportunity to revitalise myself by developing new skills to launch a career in business by gaining a strong foundation in leadership and management.
2. Broaden your skillset and move into leadership positions
No matter what industry you work in or your field of technical expertise, an MBA qualification can help you develop an understanding of core business concepts that will prepare you to take the next step in your career.
As the general manager (capitol solutions) at QIC, Katrina King agrees the MBA gives technical professionals the skills to move up the ladder.
"While my law and commerce degrees gave me fantastic technical skills, I was eager to develop more strategic leadership skills," she says.
My technical knowledge combined with what I learned during the UQ MBA means that now, I can lead a team of experts to get even better outcomes. The MBA gave me the tools to analyse and solve problems as well as the ability to articulate solutions in a compelling way for boards or executive groups.
Helen leveraged her background in health and the skills and connections she gained from the MBA to land a role as a director and general manager at an allied health practice.
“The MBA changed the way I think about leadership – less about being the expert and more about backing myself to lead and support others, even when it’s outside my technical wheelhouse.
“It’s been rewarding to see how much of the MBA has woven itself into the way I lead and think day to day. I routinely leverage a suite of strategic frameworks from the MBA in my role to enhance high-level decision-making, refine our marketing approach and proactively identify opportunities to do things differently.”
3. Land a C-suite role
Michael Griffin reveals he drew on his MBA learnings constantly while overseeing the day-to-day operational functions of Cubiko in his role as chief operating officer.
A UQ MBA helps you to be able to speak the C-suite language with other executives. You gain a general awareness of every facet of a business, from human resources and finance to marketing and information technology, and a newfound ability to communicate strategies with everyone else at the C-suite and board level.
4. Move into a consulting career
Many MBA graduates use their qualifications to start a new career as a consultant. This was the case for Suzanne Wood, who felt like she was at a crossroads in her nursing career.
"I’d reached a point of minimal returns for effort," she says.
There are limited pathways in nursing with how far you can go in terms of progression past the mid-management level and truly becoming an influential decision-maker. The MBA gave me new skills and greater self-awareness to design and craft the rest of my life.
Pratiti Nath already had a lot of research experience and had launched her own startup when she enrolled in the UQ MBA, but she found the program expanded her knowledge and created new career possibilities.
"I began working as a consultant while studying my MBA and soon joined one of the big global consulting companies in Australia. It was rewarding being able to grow in a new industry and apply the skills I was learning in the UQ MBA. Six months later, I moved overseas and was hired as a senior associate in the same organisation."
Read how a UQ MBA can help you launch your consulting career.
5. Start your own business
Jan Bodnaruk had been working as a civil engineer in the construction industry for 15 years before enrolling in the UQ MBA. With the goal of starting his own business, he was looking to gain practical business and leadership skills.
The UQ MBA has had a massive impact on my career. It gave me the skills and confidence to start my own business. A few weeks after I finished the program, I launched BB Civil.
Read more of Jan’s story
For Scott Barker, the UQ MBA provided the skills, connections and confidence he needed to build Carbon Logica, which has now deployed over $40 million of capital into emissions reduction across the resource sector in Queensland.
“Every assignment became an opportunity to apply theory straight into my business. Rather than working on hypothetical cases, I used our own challenges for growth and business development as the basis for essays, group projects and presentations. This meant that feedback from professors and peers not only improved my grades but also sharpened our pitch and business plans.
“The structured knowledge in areas like finance, strategy, and innovation was immediately applicable as we refined Carbon Logica’s business model and raised capital for investments."
The credibility of the MBA, along with the networks and support it unlocked, played a key role in building trust with the board and shareholders.
6. Fast track your impact and increase your opportunities
Not only can a globally recognised MBA prepare you to move into a more senior executive or leadership role, but it can also accelerate your progress.
Tim Kuusik enrolled in the MBA because he wanted to transition out of consulting. He achieved this goal while still studying.
"I knew my UQ MBA was going to open doors – I didn’t realise it would happen so soon," he says.
"I would never have even been shortlisted for the role of Arq Group director if I wasn’t studying my MBA, but I got the job."
"Even though I hadn’t yet graduated, I had already developed the skills and the confidence to step up to a general management position. That was a pivotal moment for me."
Ashton Tuckerman had a similar experience.
“I fast-tracked levelling up in my career by doing the UQ MBA,” she says.
“When I was around three-quarters of the way through my program, a new job opportunity came across my desk, which I ultimately got. Prior to the MBA, I would have seen such a job and not felt ready for it.”
After successfully getting a new general manager role, which increased my salary, I found my MBA paid for itself.
7. Increase your skills and confidence to perform better in your current role
An MBA qualification can also give you the skills to perform better in your current position. This was true for Sharan Nambiar. Working as the chief technology officer at a Brisbane-based technology company, Sharan applied the theories he learned in the UQ MBA to improve the structure and efficiency of his organisation.
“The MBA provided a feedback loop that allowed me to make improvements at work," he says.
"I would complete assessment based on what was happening at work, learn what needed to change, and then feed those changes back into the workplace."
I used my MBA learnings to restructure the engineering teams that I ran. This restructure resulted in each person having a lot more autonomy, which eventually led to their teams achieving their goals and becoming effective units.
8. Get your first board position
For many ambitious professionals, an MBA is worth it because it’s a stepping stone to their first board position. The program helps them develop the new skills and networks to find opportunities to ‘give back’.
For example, Dr Tina Janamian says she gained the leadership and strategy skills she needed to navigate a boardroom and lead organisations through her UQ MBA training.
"I had knowledge in primary healthcare, but I needed more business acumen in terms of strategy, governance, finance and leadership," she says.
"It’s satisfying to be able to work effectively with health services, care providers, peak body organisations and key stakeholders to use research and evidence to inform policy and practice – ultimately helping to improve healthcare and patient experience and outcomes.
Having a fundamental understanding of governance and strategy – key skills you gain in an MBA – is really important to be able to achieve that."
How the UQ MBA helps you achieve your career goals
What makes an MBA ‘worth it’ is likely unique to everyone, but the UQ MBA is designed to help you achieve your goals by:
- teaching you practical, future-focused business leadership skills, learning from engaging academic experts and working on real industry projects
- giving you lifelong access to one-on-one support from our dedicated MBA Careers and Professional Development Team, plus access to exclusive career events, programs and resources
- connecting you with a diverse range of experienced peers in the classroom, an active community of over 4,000 UQ MBA alumni who share your ambition and want you to succeed and the opportunity to expand your professional networks overseas by studying a semester abroad with one of our international partners (like Harvard Business School).
Are you ready to discover the value of an MBA for yourself?
