An introverted girl, who never lived away from her family her entire life, dreamed of doing an MBA in a new country. Naïve, she did not realise what she was up to!
Carrying some past scares and preconceived notions, would she be able to break barriers as a woman?
In the same class as some of the brightest minds, did she feel that she was not good enough?
Surrounded by 45+ nationalities, did she feel unconscious/conscious racial bias on an everyday basis?
Fast curriculum (two-year course compressed to twelve months), would she be able to cope?
In London, one of the world’s most competitive international job markets with the recession coming into full swing, would she get a job and job sponsorship?
Would she be able to transition from a hardcore data science role to a broader and wider role in a tech company?
The answer to all those questions is YES! She felt all those emotions of inadequacy and wanted to run back home!
Making decisions constantly, from the smallest to the biggest- including what to eat, what to wear, what company to apply to, managing finances, studies, job rejections, the list is endless. But, most importantly, how to navigate her way through this highly extroverted environment!
Some of the challenges she didn’t even think about became part of her everyday life.
Then, how did she make it to where she is today?
Just by taking one day at a time.
She joined a group of amazing females who were kicking some great a**! She was empowered and empowered others.
Yes, she felt the unconscious/conscious bias, but most of it came from culture. So, understanding the cultural aspect was the hardest and most beautiful part of knowing people and learning from them. It was the highlight of my Cambridge MBA.
Job in the international market with the recession in full swing, turned out, she made a big tech company wait for a month for her answer. She made it to an internship with CHANEL and the most talked about Blockchain DLT company and finally to Siemens as a Financial Business Partner. All of which she had thought was out of her league, as she had done at one time about her MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School.
By taking one day at a time and truly believing in herself, YES, she did it. I DID IT!
In the end, I wouldn’t have come this far without my father-my strength, my brother – my mentor who helped me break all barriers, and some truly awesome females in the form of my mother, sister-in-law, sisters, friends, classmates, teachers, and managers! Thank you so much.
Cheers to breaking barriers – be it internal or external
Happy International Women’s Day to all the lovely ladies.
Cambridge MBA alumna, Tulika Kaien MBA Class of 2021-22. For more insights into the Cambridge MBA community for women visit our webpage here .