MBA in Australia – with the backing of ZLU

The conflict was obvious: working to get a good grade for the paper on Key Performance Indicators, or lying on the beach and swimming in the Australian Pacific? By setting priorities and focussing on task completion it would be possible to do both! And after 2 years as a consultant, a few days in the sun during the MBA programme in Australia had been more than earned. The flexible planning of the time out for the MBA was particularly helpful – not only for the selection of the university, but also for the freedom available when it came to choosing a time frame or combining remote learning and presence at the university.

The practical slant of the courses offered in Anglo-American universities offers a particularly interesting opportunity for somebody coming from an implementation-oriented consultancy firm. Regular case studies, sometimes involving partner companies and the cooperation with professionals mean that the demands are very different from a German university course. Of course, my background of two years working as a consultant with ZLU was a big help in this respect. A structured and goal-oriented approach is also important when it comes to successfully completing an MBA course. And if you are already able to use PowerPoint and Excel, and have picked up some business English in the course of project work, then there will be some spare time to enjoy the sun in the southern hemisphere.

With students from all over the world, the cultural differences soon became apparent – and it is important to learn to come to terms with these. This exercise helped me to become more aware of differing client mentalities, which was something I was able to benefit from immediately after I returned when I was working on a project for an engine manufacturer in Hungary. An international qualification definitely helps to qualify you for international projects.