How a Part-Time Online MBA is the Perfect Program for a ‘Global Citizen’

Sponsored by Imperial College Business School

In the past decade, Lauren Gerstner, who leads the global social team at software multinational Hewlett Packard, has moved countries approximately every year and a half. So often, in fact, that she says it is “impossible to comprehend staying in one place”.

So, when Gerstner decided to study for an MBA, after seven years of working for companies from Nokia to a small gaming start-up in Berlin, she knew it would have to be a program that wouldn’t clip her wings.

Rather than put her career on hold to study a traditional full-time course, Gerstner decided to join the growing ranks of MBA students choosing to fit in studies around work with a part-time program.

Self-described ‘global citizen’ Gerstner went out in search of her perfect MBA program which, she says, had to meet the following non-negotiable criteria: it had to be global, virtual in nature, and no longer than two years.

“A virtual program was an absolutely ‘must’ for me, because it allows for the consistency of formal learning, while not confining me to a campus setting,” she says.

The Global Online MBA at Imperial College Business School – with its award-winning remote learning platform The Hub gives students access to a bespoke range of interactive learning activities ticked all the boxes. The program was recently ranked third in the world in the QS Distance Online MBA Rankings 2018.

The course’s strong international reputation and a ‘focus on developing an entrepreneurial mindset’ also resonated with Gerstner, who first came across the institution when she spent a semester abroad as an undergrad in London while at the University of Wisconsin.

Fresh from completing her two-year Global Online MBA this Spring, Gerstner explains what the MBA has taught her, how she juggled time zones and managed to balance study with work, including through two job changes and relocations.

Why did you decide to study an online MBA?

I knew the program would not only ground me in more formal business education, but also elevate me and open doors to larger career opportunities. I’m a massive proponent of career growth – of which, education is a fundamental enabling factor.

At the same time, I was also observing how the broader business world was aspiring to attract more women in leadership roles. I knew I wanted to chase every advantage I could to ensure those doors would be open to me.

How do you manage a busy career and studying part-time?

Striking the balance between work and school was at times hugely challenging, but the synergy of being able to immerse yourself in both simultaneously is incredibly rewarding.

I recall a time during the leadership course when we were learning how to manage change inside organizations, and it was so palpable how much of the course material I could apply directly to the context I was facing at work.  

Twice during the MBA program, I changed jobs and geographies, making the sheer amount of energy left to dedicate to school difficult to muster. But in the end, I rallied because I never lost sight of the end game.

I spent my weeks working and the weekends studying, and the spare weeks in between my studies fully recharging.

Can you describe what it was like to be studying while 'on the go'?

Our lives are so often ‘on the go’ these days, especially as work travel remains a constant reality. Luckily, that constant movement breeds flexibility.

I remember several times completing assignments on the plane, rushing to hotels to connect to Wi-Fi, quickly Skype with my syndicate group, and then upload our work in time to meet a deadline.

I’d like to think we were more prepared, but in full transparency, managing the demands of work and school, while also managing communication and collaboration across countries and time zones was sometimes chaotic.

But this is also the nature of life these days, and so I chose to treat it like ‘training,’ an opportunity to master my focus while movement was happening all around me.

How have you applied your learnings from the Online MBA so far?

The learnings from the program have been instrumental in supplying me with a broader base of business knowledge and equipping me with the confidence to engage all aspects, and all levels of leadership.

It’s my belief that so much of how we evolve stems from on-the-job learning, but still, I can’t underestimate how an MBA lends itself to taking risks professionally, reaching for career opportunities that stretch outside the periphery of our comfort zone.