MBA Student Profile: Kevin Coutinho, IE

Kevin Coutinho chose an MBA at IEto build on his skills and training for the non-profit sector. He shares his experiences with us here.

1. What were you doing before your MBA?

I worked with the Windsor Fellowship, a not-for-profit organisation, providing professional training and personal development programmes for British minority ethnic communities in partnership with government and the private sector.  I oversaw the management and delivery of programmes targeted at higher education students.      

2. What were your main reasons for deciding to attend business school?

One of the challenges for the third sector (not-for profit) is skills development and investment in training.  I believe that if the sector is to realise its potential, and professionalize it needs the most talented people available.  I wanted to learn how to do things like superior performers.  I believe that a business school will give me a holistic understanding of setting-up, running and growing organisations and allow me to realise this.      

3. What research did you undertake in selecting your school?

I have been looking at business schools since I completed my master's at SOAS.  I spent about 2 years of low-intensity information gathering before seeing which schools were viable options.  I read through websites, reviews and spoke to the few people I knew who had done an MBA.  I also looked at the schools specialisations.  For example IE has a Centre for Diversity in Global Management which matched with both my personal and professional interests and thus raised the School's profile for me.      

4. What were the main criteria in your selection?

- a non-Anglophone environment but English medium programme that would offer me a different range of experiences and develop additional skills than either staying in London or going to the USA
- an international and multi-cultural environment
- 1 year programme
- well recognised institution that would stand well internationally
- IE focus on Diversity and Entrepreneurship - developing old and new skills       

5. How well do you think the MBA is regarded in your home country?

I believe the MBA is a highly regarded professional qualification in the UK.  However, my experience of recruitment in the UK suggests that the focus is more on demonstrating the application of competences and skills rather than on the possession of a formal qualification.   However, qualifications can be a good head start.      

6. How are you financing your studies?

Through a combination of a scholarship and loans.      

7. Were you successful in obtaining a scholarship?

Yes.  The IE scholarship was the first one I applied to and I was fortunate enough to get it.      

8. Have you already been, or do you intend to become an entrepreneur?

Considering my own start-up has become a real possibility since being at IE.  However, I am equally happy to use the skills of an entrepreneur in an organisation where these will add value.      

9. How much do you expect to earn on graduation?

Not sure.  It depends on the state of the market and also the sector I enter.  Even though salary is a factor, I would prefer a job that allowed me to develop transferable skills and experience than one that simply paid more.      

10. What do you expect to do on graduation and where do you expect to be based?

I am interested in the third sector, public/international service and CSR.  I am more focussed on opportunity than location with the caveat that the location is also agreeable with my partner.       

11. How easy or difficult do you expect it to be to achieve these objectives?

I think that the planning and preparation are critical.  As I do not want to be a job seeker after graduation, I need to keep myself aware of opportunities during the Programme.