The Impact of an International MBA Degree on your Career

Most MBA graduates aspire for an international career that promises to give them exposure to global business and global business communities. Unlike a decade back, the nature of international careers has evolved significantly. International careers can be seen as a continuum – on one end are the traditional international careers that demand employee movement and immersion in newer markets, so as to engage with potential clients and customers. On the other end of the continuum are ‘borderless businesses’ that are going global, catering to different regional or global markets and clients. These firms offer ‘quasi-international’ careers to their employees who deal with international clients and teams, while being located within their home countries.

The pandemic brought a halt to international mobility and thereby the traditional international careers. However, in recent times, changes at workplaces, adoption of technology and demands for newer skills has resulted in skills shortages in many international markets. This has compelled many MNCs to focus on attracting and retaining high calibre talent to address their growing skills shortage across international markets. There is also a surge in digital businesses, and resultant growth in firms seeking talented employees who can cater to growing international clients / customers. In most cases, these ‘quasi-international’ roles become a steppingstone for a future international career. MBA graduates stand to leverage from both these trends and secure an international career if they are able demonstrate necessary attributes to succeed in an international career.

This is where an International MBA degree becomes a differentiating factor! An international MBA degree equips students with key competencies that are demanded by employers. An international MBA is a proven strategy to accelerate international career by equipping students with some critical competencies.

Global Mindset

International careers call for a global mindset and being able to work seamlessly in a multi-country, multi-cultural context. An international MBA degree offers students an opportunity to expand their worldview, appreciate the challenges and opportunities of operating in complex business environments and understand the inter-connected nature of businesses. Such programs help participants imbibe global mindset and develop skills crucial to fast-track international career growth.

International Immersive learning

Most international MBA programs offer an immersion experience for their students. These out of class, immersive experiences further shape students understanding about diversity of cultures, business practices. These immersion programs are known to create lasting impact on the participants and are proven to be effective in strengthening classroom learnings related to international business.

MBA Curriculum

As compared to traditional MBA, most international MBA programs focus on building participant’s knowledge and skills in the areas of international strategy and leadership. Given the current emphasis on technology and digital business, many MBA programs integrate digital and data literacy in their curriculum. This gives participants an edge at workplace, differentiating them as future-ready talent.

International Projects

While students acquire cutting edge knowledge and skills through the MBA curriculum and immersion activities, International MBA programs allow students to work on real business challenges and issues faced by firms in different geographies. These projects allow students to connect and network with business leaders, experts and engage with customers in new markets. The projects are perfect platforms for students to showcase their innovative thinking and problem solving skills, expand their functional and domain knowledge in a risk-free manner. The self-learning format of the projects also empowers students to personalise their learning and enhance employability opportunities.

Adaptability

International MBA program encourage their participants to embrace uncertainty and complexity! By being comfortable with complexity and ambiguity, these students develop ability to adopt and adapt new ways of leading and managing businesses in international setting. This allows firms to take bold decisions and move fast and implement their innovative business strategies.

In summary, an internal MBA programs offers an opportunity of pursuing accelerated career trajectory for participants

About the author:

Dr Veena Jadhav, Associate Dean (MGB), Associate Prof. (Leadership & HRM), S P Jain School of Global Management

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha