MBA Alumni Profile: Sandra Wenning, Manchester Business School

Sandra Wenning already had a wealth of international work experience when she joined Manchester Business School last autumn to begin an MBA programme.  A German national, born in Peru, she'd worked in both Germany and Spain.  So what made her decide to study for an MBA, and why choose the UK?

I wanted to get a qualification that equipped me with the systematic approaches and analysis tools that I need to pursue my future career in marketing.  I was keen to study in an English-speaking country to polish up my language skills, to better meet the needs of my employers, and I wanted to gain an international perspective on business.

I chose to study at Manchester because it is consistentlyranked among top European MBA Programs and is a world leader in international experience on its course.  I liked the supportive environment, which suits my personal way of working, and I was glad of the extra time on the programme to undertake the International Business project.

The Manchester MBA is longer than many European programmes at 18 months.  Students spend the extra time undertaking a number of external business consultancy projects, the most demanding of which is the International Business project, which sees students forming multi-national working groups and traveling across the globe to work for some of the world's biggest corporations. The quality and experience of fellow students is also valuable, and was a factor in Sandra's decision to study at Manchester.

I was glad to work with students of my own age, who had a similar level of work experience.  Working in a global market place means working in teams composed of people with different cultural and educational backgrounds. This is not always easy, not because of language barriers, but because of different approaches to solving problems and different ways of interpreting situations. In Manchester I daily work in international teams. What could be better than actual daily experience to provide me with the skills I need to work in a global market?

Seventy percent of students on Manchester Business School's MBA programme come from overseas, with students from every continent.  And what are Sandra's plans for the future, when she graduates in 2005?  Students at Manchester Business School are supported throughout their stay by Career Management Services, who work to help students understand their own skills and abilities, and the employment markets they'll be returning to, and a growing number of students work outside their home country.

Generally speaking I would like to work in Europe. I would not mind working in Germany - after all I really enjoyed working and living in Cologne before going to Barcelona - but I would also love to work in the UK or in Spain. As the markets are continually growing together knowing people from abroad will benefit me in all cases.