Student Experience, Action Learning, MBA – Page 2

If you’ve always dreamed of leading a globally successful venture, a career in entrepreneurship might be for you. Entrepreneurs need to combine a variety of skills when launching a new product or venture—yet figuring out what entrepreneurial skills are necessary in an evolving business world can be tricky. An MBA offers the perfect chance to discover the top skills you need, getting the chance to test out your ideas before entering the real business world.

Here are five entrepreneurial skills you’ll build during an MBA.

1. Data-driven decision-making

While entrepreneurs need to be brimming with innovative ideas and creativity, these ideas should also be carefully researched. Successful entrepreneurs will need to embrace data-driven decision-making when carving out a plan for a new venture. Ghanaian MBA entrepreneur Awal Suddeeq, Asia School of Business (ASB) alum and founder of cosmetics manufacturing business, Kasi Naturals, enhanced his technical acumen during his business degree.

During the Entrepreneurship Trek, part of the ASB MBA Summer Associate Program (SAP), Awal travelled to his native Ghana to take part in content analysis and market research to inform his brand. The ASB MBA offers courses like ‘Data, Optimization Models, and Decisions’ and ‘Data Science for Managers’ to help students sharpen their data skills. “I was able to apply the marketing analytics tools I’d learned [at ASB] directly to my business and see the value of my company increasing multiple times,” he says.

2. Adaptability

Adaptability is one of the key skills of an entrepreneur that’ll help you thrive in an uncertain climate. ASB MBA alum Vedant Biyani (pictured) learned the true meaning of adaptability during his business degree. Having always been interested in personal hygiene, he decided to turn this interest into a successful venture that could benefit society. Vedant’s idea was to use UltraViolet-C (UVC) lighting to sterilize personal items.

Leveraging the knowledge and business exposure gained from the ASB MBA Action Learning curriculum—where students undertake five immersive projects with ASB’s corporate hosts across the 20-month MBA—Vedant created an initial prototype during his MBA. He adds that trying to start a new company during the pandemic was challenging at times but by embracing the ‘Smart’ skill of adaptability and perseverance, he eventually made waves in the market. His product is now being used by some medical clinics and even a Middle Eastern-based police force.

3. Willingness to take risks

The scariest aspect about launching a new product is that you can never guarantee its success—however, those that can use this risk-taking attitude to their advantage will reap the rewards. During the ASB MBA, students can learn to take risks and embody the skills of an entrepreneur during the ASB101K Entrepreneurship Competition.

Offering two distinct tracks for students and startup founders, the ASB101K invites students and entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia to tackle a gap in the market or problem to be resolved. Budding entrepreneurs can get involved in pitching their product to a panel of experts while receiving tailored advice to improve their ventures.

4. Openness to new perspectives

Pursuing entrepreneurship will mean being open to new thoughts and ideas. Receiving feedback from peers helps to fine-tune your ideas and build your entrepreneurial skill set. This is something that Zoe Tate, an entrepreneur who’s set up social enterprise initiatives in the sustainability sphere, learned throughout the ASB MBA Action Learning projects.

During the consultancy-based projects, she worked in teams with a variety of people including those from the traditional corporate world, as well as unconventional entrepreneurs like herself. One of the MBA projects involved leading a market entry strategy with an e-commerce platform in Myanmar.

“It’s interesting to speak to people who have diverse ideas and think differently—something that definitely comes to life during the Action Learning projects,” she says. She also credits the diversity of different cultural perspectives as something that helped her in her entrepreneurial ventures. On average, 23 different nationalities comprise the ASB MBA.

5. The ability to understand system dynamics

To thrive in the future world of work, learning about system dynamics will be key. “System dynamics talks about the relationship between how an action generates a reaction, and how this reaction will generate another action and another reaction,” explainsLoredana Padurean, faculty director for Action Learning at ASB.

Thinking about an issue holistically is something that founder of data sciences company Vasavah and CEO, Matthew Roman (pictured), embraced during his Action Learning projects. “The biggest things that keep me up at night were—what are we not thinking about? What are we not anticipating?” he says.

Using this embrace of key ‘Sharp’ skills like system dynamics has informed the way that Matthew leads Vasavah, which helps clients in the power and retail sectors to automate and analyze data.

Entrepreneurship is about more than just having good ideas. Studying an MBA program with an emphasis on practical learning can help you to learn the entrepreneurial skills you need to become successful, all while building a global network.

Sri Lanka has fallen into a deep and unprecedented economic crisis that has sparked huge protests and seen its president quit after fleeing the country. This scenario could be replicated elsewhere, with the IMF warning that other countries could be at risk of similar troubles due to high debt levels and limited policy space. Prof. Hans Genberg, Professor of Economics at Asia School of Business tells us which countries are at risk and what are the solutions.

Listen to the full interview below.

If you’re a challenge-hungry MBA who wants to make a real impact in the world, a career in sustainability might be for you. Southeast Asia (SEA) is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change globally, which means that businesses across the region are looking to implement sustainable changes at a rapid rate.

By 2030, SEA is predicted to unlock $1 trillion in economic opportunities linked to sustainable initiatives, according to a report by Bain and Company. MBAs who can combine an understanding of environmental issues with leadership and managerial skills will be well positioned to take on top MBA jobs in sustainability.

Here are five of the best MBA jobs in sustainability emerging across Southeast Asia, and how going to business school can help.

1. ESG leader

As countries across SEA implement more environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures, businesses within the region are improving the visibility and management of ESG risk factors. One MBA alum, Mathias Varming from Asia School of Business (ASB) in Malaysia, leveraged his previous work experience in climate change mitigation and used his MBA to lead ESG at energy company Ping Petroleum in Kuala Lumpur.

Mathias is leading the company towards a Net Zero agenda and helping Ping Petroleum to prioritize sustainability concerns. ASB MBA students can also study courses like Energy: Markets, Public Policies, and Sustainability and Sustainable Business, learning about areas like how to balance profits and purpose and understanding complex policy issues.

2. Sustainable finance manager

After securing $665 million during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are investing in post-covid green infrastructure projects in SEA. The funding is being used to support the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF)—a platform managed by the ADB that helps governments to scale investments in sustainable transport, water sanitation, and climate-resilient agriculture.

This green finance project is one area that MBA grads with an aptitude for finance and sustainability might look to if they’re interested in roles like sustainable finance manager or investment analyst. ASB has previously worked with the ADB as part of the business school’s Action Learning (AL) curriculum. Across the 20-month ASB MBA, students participate in five consultancy-based projects with ASB’s global hosts, solving real-world business challenges like implementing green investment strategies.

The ASB MBA also prepares students for roles in green finance through courses like Financial Analytics and Innovation, where students can learn the financial and data tools necessary to combat climate change.

3. Environmental consultant, ecotourism sector

As pressing climate issues take center stage, the ecotourism sector continues to grow. Ecotourism is a mode of responsible travel where tourists seek to minimize their impact on the planet and local people. Malaysia, for example, is home to several ecotourism hotspots, including the Taman Negara National Park and Batu-Batu Island. Jobs in ecotourism can vary from environmental consulting at firms or government bodies that support ecotourism, or leading social enterprise startups.

As part of the ASB MBA, students can participate in two-week sustainability practicums. One practicum involved students travelling to an ecotourism destination, the Tengah Island Conservation Center in Batu-Batu Island. To understand the environmental challenges that face businesses in the region, students worked on renewable energy generation, waste management, and pollution control.

Having this sustainability-focused knowledge will be crucial when entering careers in environmental consulting within the ecotourism sector. ASB MBA grads can then enhance their consultancy skills even further through courses like Communications and Advanced Strategy.

4. Sustainable supply chain manager

As many corporate firms move towards their sustainability goals, it’s become increasingly important to implement environmentally and socially responsible practices into the business supply chain. MBA grads can take advantage of these changing business priorities, leading the way in reducing companies’ carbon footprint all the way from design to distribution.

The ASB MBA helps prepare students for this career through implementing sustainability teachings in core courses like Supply Chain Management and Operations Strategy, exploring areas like sustainable food production. Students can also learn about managing sustainable supply chains throughout the practicums. Previous practicums have focused on improving the sustainability of the palm oil supply chain, with students analyzing data from palm oil mills, farms, and collection centers.

5. Sustainability analyst, renewable energy sector

By 2030, it’s estimated that there could be around 1.7 million jobs in the SEA renewable energy sector. The Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) has set targets to source 23% of the primary energy used within the region from renewable sources like hydropower, wind, and solar power by 2025. MBAs might look to jobs within this sector like sustainability analyst, using data and research to stay ahead of changing trends and lead on business strategy.

The ASB MBA can help students learn how to use data analytics to drive sustainability through courses like Data, Optimization Models, and Decisions and Data Science for Managers. Big Three consulting firm McKinsey work on sustainable initiatives across the SEA region and are continually offering exciting MBA jobs across Southeast Asia. MBAs could apply for sustainability solution analyst or climate analyst roles in Singapore City or could land roles like energy solution analyst in Kuala Lumpur.

For anyone looking to launch a career in Asia within the burgeoning sustainability sector, joining a hands-on MBA program can equip you with the environmental knowledge and leadership skills to direct businesses towards climate goals.

Read the full article here.
This article was originally published on BusinessBecause, a network helping MBA students make connections before, during and after their MBA.

Vedant Biyani (MBA Class of 2020) harbors a dynamic entrepreneurial spirit, which ASB helped further strengthen. One of his innovative ideas, developed during his time at ASB, helped to build a cleaner and healthier society, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ASB: Tell us a bit about how you were inspired to build the product that you’ve built.

Vedant: To be honest, I’m a bit of a germaphobe. Even prior to the pandemic, I was very particular about personal hygiene. During my summer internship at Signify, a leader in the lighting manufacturing space, I came across the concept of UltraViolet-C (UVC) lighting for sterilization. I researched and found out more about the uses, features, and advantages of UVC lights.

Initially, my idea of creating a sterilizer was for my own personal use, but with the pandemic, I realized this could benefit the whole of society. Before the pandemic, no one really thought about sterilizing their phones, groceries, or other items. For me, the pandemic justified the need for sterilizing things we use on a daily basis, and that’s when I realized that UVC lights have a huge potential in the market. With the help of my team, I developed an initial prototype at ASB, and as the pandemic continued, so did the need for my product.

Initial prototype of product developed at ASB

How did you kickstart your product and what were some challenges you faced?

As soon as I returned to India in 2020, I registered my company and set up a bank account. I even wrote to government labs to get assistance with testing the product and applied for startup certificates. Imagine starting a new company, building a physical product, doing sales and managing logistics while the entire country is sitting at home trying to figure how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

After facing some initial hurdles, with a few personal investments, I created a sterilizer with UV lights, which helps people disinfect objects. The product resembles a microwave, and you can put anything inside it—phone, keys, groceries, spectacles. I believe there’s a high market potential for my product, with very few alternative options. It is a familiar product for many of us now, but at the start of 2020 a select few had heard of this.

Final product that launched to the market

How has ASB helped accelerate your journey?

ASB taught me to be comfortable working in new geographies, new industries, and diverse teams. The Action Learning experiences trained us to learn quickly and identify impactful decisions. Through Action Learning projects, ASB gave me the opportunity to travel to 10 countries and gain a lot of exposure in a very short span of time—something I wouldn’t have done otherwise! I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work on different projects where I met wonderful corporate hosts and team members, and this gave me a lot of confidence to pursue entrepreneurship where there is a lot to learn along the journey.

Bill Aulet’s Disciplined Entrepreneurship course that I took at MIT also played a huge part. Although the MBA program is more geared at helping students pivot into new employment opportunities, a big part of what motivated me was the support and encouragement I received from Professor Rajesh Nair (former Professor of Practice, Innovation & Entrepreneurship) to start my own venture, which gave me a lot of confidence.

Tell us about the recognition your product has achieved since its inception.

I began listing my product on platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. Once I listed the product, it started selling automatically. I realized I was actually solving a market need. Soon after, I was even contacted by doctors who wanted to disinfect objects considering they were constantly on the field and exposed to germs, bacteria, and viruses. The good thing was that I had managed to convince a government lab to vet my product. I am happy to share that our products are being used by not only by individuals but also a few medical clinics and a police force in the Middle East.

What else was next in your entrepreneurial journey?

While developing this product, I joined Entrepreneur First (EF), the world’s leading talent investor, and started a predictive maintenance company. EF is a highly selective program that is designed to found globally important technology companies from scratch.

Joining the EF program

My partner and I were building a technology enabling manufacturing companies around the world improve reliability and efficiency of their production assets through IoT for data acquisition, proprietary AI for predictive analytics, and an end-to-end platform for actionable insights. Eventually, I left the venture and currently, I am working as partner and driving sales and operations for two businesses that make raw materials for steel manufacturing.

My family has been in raw materials for steel making since three generations. Along with the old venture we have started a new business with a few other partners. We are developing novel products that offer techno-commercial advantage for steel manufacturers.

What skills did you gain at ASB that helped you as an entrepreneur?

One of the biggest traits every entrepreneur possesses is being optimistic and having self-belief. Of course, having a stable job while pursuing your venture gives you a sense of security and stability, especially since risk-taking is a huge leap of faith against the odds. I feel my circle at ASB really celebrated my achievements as an entrepreneur.

While I was at ASB, Professor Michael Frese assigned us the task of reading through some research papers, which I was irritated by initially, thinking, what do research papers have to do with entrepreneurship?

But then I happened to read a paper which talked about celebrating the risks and failures associated with entrepreneurship—and how in environments where even failing is celebrated as success, there are a higher overall number of startups and success, like in the Bay Area—and I realized that it’s so true as an entrepreneur to celebrate your failures too!

Being among a community of like-minded people who celebrate failure and growth at ASB

Any advice for future MBA students who want to pursue an entrepreneurial path?

I have two pieces of advice. Firstly, know that being an entrepreneur is probably the most impactful thing you can do, even if your friends or family tell you otherwise. Secondly, being an entrepreneur is about working hard and remaining hopeful. There are a lot of challenges you will need to navigate to start and keep your business afloat, but it’s worth it!

Whether or not you dream of entering a sustainability role, joining social impact or sustainability projects during an MBA degree can benefit your career.These sustainability projects are often challenging, requiring MBA students to think strategically about the best way to solve problems that have plagued the planet for years. It will ultimately require more than just an interest in environmental issues to be successful in these practical learning initiatives.

Here are five career benefits of joining MBA sustainability projects.

1. MBA sustainability projects will build your awareness of environmental issues

Whether you work for a finance or tech firm—more and more businesses are striving to become more sustainable. Participating in MBA sustainability projects is a sure-fire way to broaden your understanding of complex environmental issues. At the Asia School of Business (ASB) MBA in Kuala Lumpur, students can take part in sustainability practicums as part of the Action Learning (AL) curriculum.

These sustainability-focused practicums involve the MBA class going onsite for a week to address a topic such as how to promote sustainable production in the palm oil value chain, or tackling sustainability challenges in the ecotourism sector. The 20-month ASB MBA is formed in partnership with the MIT Sloan School of Management and works alongside the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, as well as ASB’s Center for Technology, Strategy, and Sustainability, to weave sustainability teachings throughout the entire curriculum.

Penny Leong, ASB MBA student, participated in an eco-sustainability business practicum that saw her travelling to Batu-Batu Island—an eco-island resort in Malaysia—to work on renewable energy generation, waste management, and pollution control. “It’s tremendous work to keep an ecotourism resort going. It takes technology and human capital efforts to make an eco-resort sustainable,” she says.

Penny learned about aspects like how the island generates energy, the sources and usages of water, and how the construction of the island helps to conserve energy. The ASB MBA also offers courses in Energy: Markets, Public Policies, and Sustainability, which can help to solidify students’ learnings from the practicums.

2. You’ll apply creativity and innovation skills

Solving environmental issues requires more than just an understanding of why they’re happening. You’ll also need to use creativity and innovation to figure out solutions to the problems. Creativity and initiative rank amongst the top skills for 2025, according to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs survey.

As part of the island management team in the ASB MBA sustainability project, Penny had to figure out a way to educate the tourists on the island about the importance of the island’s sustainability efforts. “My team and I experienced a walk-through experience as a guest to understand how the management engaged guests,” says Penny.

Penny and the team then used this knowledge to design the guest engagement experience to be easy, accessible, and attractive to tourists. Students can apply the skills they’ve learnt from ASB MBA courses like Operations Strategy and Introduction to Entrepreneurship, as well as an Entrepreneurship Trek module that stretches throughout the duration of the program.

3. MBA sustainability projects will enhance your problem-solving skills

A major challenge for many sustainable businesses is identifying how to align profits with their purpose. Gaining first-hand experience of solving this problem during MBA sustainability projects will be important when gaining careers in sustainability and beyond. “From the Batu-Batu practicum, I tried to figure out the initial problem and then I asked questions that I thought I already knew the answer to.

For example, I asked the management team about what sustainability means to them,” says Penny. Renato Lima de Oliveira, assistant professor of management at ASB, believes these problem-solving skills will be valuable for a variety of careers. “There’s a market for sustainability leaders in conventional companies, which are aiming to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as green disruptors that are coming up with new business models and value propositions,” he says.

4. Sustainability projects can enhance your leadership skills

If you want to go far within any company, you’ll need to demonstrate strong leadership skills. One of the ways that ASB students build these skills is through leading in real-world projects like the business practicums or Action Learning (AL) initiatives. In AL projects, MBA students take part in five consultancy-based projects across the 20-month MBA at global partners like AirAsia, Accenture, or Maxis.

Renato says that through sustainability-themed practical learning ventures, students are taught how to make a real impact in the global sustainability challenge. During the practicum, Penny gained important leadership lessons. “Empathy is the key in management leadership—from problem-identification to problem rethinking,” she says.

Following her ASB MBA, Penny wants to continue in the learning and development and coaching space but intends to apply her sustainability knowledge in her daily life. Some ASB MBA grads enter exciting MBA jobs across Southeast Asia like chief sustainability officer or go on to lead environment, social, and governance (ESG) at renewable energy firms.

5. You’ll improve your data analysis skills during MBA sustainability projects

Businesses undergoing digital transformation are continually searching for leaders with strong data skills. Practicing data analysis skills in the MBA can help you to stand out in a competitive landscape. ASB MBA students can apply their knowledge from courses like Data, Modeling, and Decision-Making throughout sustainability projects. In the Batu-Batu practicum, collating data on energy conservation, waste management, and trash collection was an important part of the project.

“I learned that the purpose and objective of collecting and analyzing data have to constantly be revisited in order to stay relevant to the problem-statement and hypothesis,” Penny says. Whether grads choose to pursue jobs in sustainability or venture into more traditional business school industries—the skills and networking experiences students gain throughout MBA sustainability projects can provide lifelong benefits.

Read the full article here.
This article was originally published on BusinessBecause, a network helping MBA students make connections before, during and after their MBA.

Pre-pandemic, supply chains were invisible – but the disruptions over the past two years have put these mysterious networks into the spotlight. We discuss how supply chains have been impacted by the three Cs – Covid-19, conflict and climate change – as well as how businesses need to adapt to the challenges with Associate Professor Dr. Shardul Phadnis of the Asia School of Business.

Listen to the full interview below.

Zoe Tate (Class of 2020) talks about the value that ASB’s MBA program brings to entrepreneurs with a desire to make a difference. Zoe Tate, a successful entrepreneur, discusses how her background in business inspired her to take up an MBA degree. You can also watch the webinar recording on YouTube here.

ASB: Tell us a little about your pre-MBA journey and why you chose ASB to further your career.

I came to Malaysia in 2011 and for six years after that, I set up business initiatives in the form of social enterprises in the sustainability space. From ethical fashion brands to an education startup, I did it all! While working, I came across ASB and when I read about the program, I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity for me to upskill myself. I found out more about the school through their Action Learning (AL) program, when an ethical fashion initiative I was running was a host for one of the school’s AL projects.

This project helped me understand the hands-on nature of the MBA and what the students did, and while working with them, I realized this was the next step for me. That’s when I decided to apply to the MBA program as a full-time student. Post-MBA, I’ve had the opportunity to join the United Nations Capital Development Fund – an intersection of financial inclusion, market development, and a general mandate for pursuing sustainable development goals.

ASB: How would you describe your entrepreneurship journey at this point?

As an entrepreneur, I think it’s impossible to fully step away from your work and the impact it starts to make in society! While I am constantly engaged with other initiatives, I always keep an eye on my startups, which continue to run till date.

My role in the UN also helps me dedicate my knowledge to inclusive innovation and consumer empowerment. All of these factors have helped me see opportunities to promote entrepreneurship around me. I am also working with incubators to help startups grow and to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

ASB: Can you tell us a little about the impact of having unconventional classmates and entrepreneurs like yourself, as part of your cohort at ASB?

As an entrepreneur who’s never had formal employment contracts or even a typical resume, getting admitted into the ASB program was a huge personal win! Typically, MBA programs admit students that come from traditional and conventional corporate backgrounds, but at ASB, there’s a great mix of diverse professionals, which makes a huge difference to the class composition.

I like the fact that in addition to their backgrounds, they select students on the basis of attitude, potential, and skills. This helps individuals interact with a huge mix of people who have different backgrounds and experiences and I think that’s very relevant for the world we live in.

Having self-starters or people who are involved with family businesses, in addition to those working with multinationals or large government organizations, brings in a dynamic balance in terms of perspectives. After all, the program is largely dependent on the discussions and collaboration you have with your classmates, so it’s interesting to speak to a large group of people who have diverse ideas and think differently – something that definitely comes to life during the Action Learning projects.

ASB: Can you share some examples of how dynamic and diverse the Action Learning projects were and how they’ve helped you in your journey today?

In general, I think Action Learning is a great initiative as it helps students mimic the life of an entrepreneur. The Action Learning projects put students in charge of clients and give them control over defining the scope of their work – much like starting your own business! I had a great time during my Action Learning projects as I had the opportunity to work with people who also had an entrepreneurial background; in other words, people who really think of the bigger picture.

Entrepreneurs tend to think more holistically – from a business development perspective, how they’re going to deliver results, position themselves in the market etc. On the other hand, if you have classmates who are used to working only in large corporate organizations, they tend to have a different approach, style, and attitude when it comes to meeting challenges and executing the work.

People from corporate backgrounds tend to dig into details more, and are more process-oriented – so it’s great to learn from them as well. I was part of one project with an e-commerce platform in Myanmar. The objective was to undertake a market entry strategy.

Within the team itself, two of us were entrepreneurs and the other two came from a more traditional corporate background, so there was a split in the way we thought. At the end of the day, that really helped to balance the project out in terms of both the final deliverables and learning experiences.

ASB: Would you like to highlight any support you received from ASB in terms of fostering entrepreneurship?

As a startup business school, ASB’s curriculum and experiences offered by them are co-created by the faculty, staff, and students. Whenever I reached out for ideas, support, or feedback, I’ve always received immense assistance. It is something that’s very essential for every entrepreneur, as this fosters a more broad way of thinking. This really energizes people with an entrepreneurial spirit, to have the space to explore and discover beyond the limits of the course.

ASB alumAmanda Silver has made bold choices when it comes to academics and her career. Discover how her time at ASB helped her clarify her choice and find her career fit at the Good Jobs Institute. Amanda Silver (Class of ‘21 alumni)is a fiercely driven individual with an inspiring story. After a successful start to her career, she decided to pivot into doing an MBA.

During her MBA, she turned her attention to pursuing research opportunities, which landed her a summer research role with anMIT Sloan professor –with the end game of getting into a PhD program. She achieved her goal – she was offered a spot in not one, but two prestigious PhD programs.

To everyone’s surprise (including her own), she turned those offers down to join the Good Jobs Institute as a Fellow, working with renowned influencer and thought leader Professor Zeynep Ton (Professor of Practice, MIT Sloan Management and President, Good Jobs Institute), which she describes as a “dream job”. Discover how Amanda landed these incredible opportunities and the role her time at ASB played in helping her clarifying her vision and find her ideal career match.

You have a background and interest in psychology. What made you decide to do an MBA?

After my undergrad degree, I moved to Detroit, Michigan for 3.5 years. I worked with start-ups trying to build themselves from the ground up. Through that experience, I realized that while I may have a lot of experience in the early stages of a business, I don’t have a lot of experience in sustaining businesses to stay competitive in the long-term.

I was interested in learning more about that; I wanted more exposure to financial markets and accounting, especially coming from a liberal arts background, that I felt like I really needed to have to do more impactful work in the future.

Before coming to ASB, I was at these jobs where I was getting positive feedback, but I was also relying on that external validation to feel good about my work and staying in jobs where I wasn’t very fulfilled because I didn’t want to let anyone down. I was more of a passenger in my career, without much of a plan. I wanted to decide what I was going to do next, based on what was right for me.

Being able to come here (to ASB), you just have this open space, and you can be a blank canvas. You can take these courses you wouldn’t have imagined taking, talk to people you wouldn’t have imagined talking to. And through the support and mentorship of the professors and the friends that I made here at ASB, it just became so clear to me what I wanted to do with my career.

How did you hear about ASB, and why an ASB MBA?

I learned about the opportunity to join ASB through my Venture for America fellowship, where there had been a few alumni already who had gone through the ASB MBA. I first spoke to Katherine Robinson (Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Company and ASB Class of ‘18 alumni). She had such amazing things to say about the program and what it was like to live in Malaysia, and I basically applied the next day!

One of the things that really appealed to me was that ASB is still a young school. If I was looking to go to school in the US, there are these rigid systems, infrastructure you can’t really change, and I come from a start-up background, so I’m always happy being in ambiguous environments, places where there is a lot of change, and be part of building something.

Katherine said to me: ASB is young, but you can have an impact on this school. Your voice as a student matters here, and you get a lot of exposure beyond the U.S. context as well, and I was just really excited to be outside of the U.S. bubble, see different parts of the world, and have classmates from all over, which has just been an amazing thing.

While at ASB, you also had a chance to pursue incredible research opportunities while being a student at ASB. How did you end up with these amazing opportunities?

When anyone first starts an MBA, there is a little bit of a shock factor of being in the classroom again. I definitely felt a little overwhelmed, and how I responded to that feeling was trying to reconnect with what brought me there in the first place – which was my passion for workforce issues – for creating good jobs for more people.

After my first Operations class with professors Charlie and Loredana, I wanted to dive deeper into the topics we covered in class. Since I love writing, I translated some of those learnings into an article that I posted online, more for my own learning than anything else.

I sent the article to both of them, sort of as a way to say, thank you, here’s what I learned. I got a WhatsApp message from Professor Loredana immediately after, asking if I had time to talk about the article. My first reaction was that there was something wrong with the article and I needed to apologize! I thought that maybe there was something about my learning in class that I shouldn’t have disclosed on the internet.

But she responded saying, “No, no, we want to invite you to be a research assistant,” which was completely out of the blue for me – I wasn’t expecting to be offered a job, and I felt very humbled and very validated that by putting my passion out there, I was being recognized for it.

Tell us about how you got two prestigious PhD offers?

In my first semester at ASB, I started to become infatuated with the idea of doing a PhD after my MBA, and part of it was just being so inspired by the professors that we’ve had, their career paths, and the work they’ve been able to do on subjects they care so much about.

So, in my head, that was going to be my path after ASB, and I was committed to it and was going to make it happen. I had talked with Professor Charlie and Professor Loredana about my interests, and they were very supportive of my path. I had several discussions with Prof. Charlie on what I could do to make myself look like a good PhD candidate, and one of those ways was to be a research assistant at MIT Sloan over the summer.

Andrew Foley (third-year Cornell PhD Student, MBA alumni ‘18), a fellow Venture For America alumni, was also instrumental. I had no idea how to apply for a PhD, so knowing someone from ASB who went on to do a PhD was helpful, and he provided really relevant advice. What I didn’t expect was how generous he was in terms of having calls with me and really preparing me for this very selective process.

Professor Ambra Mazzelli, Assistant Professor of Management and Organisations, ASB, International Faculty Fellow MIT) was also instrumental, giving me feedback, reading my personal statement, helping with introductions, and providing coaching.

I was accepted into two of the three PhD programs I applied for, at the University of Toronto and at the Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill. This was only possible because of the support I received at ASB.

So why did you decide not to accept these two PhD offers?

It was the shock of the century! But I realized I can work on the cusp of academia without necessarily being a student myself. I came to realize: Did I really want to be a PhD student for the next 6 years? It’s a huge commitment; if I’m not ready to make that commitment and be happy doing that, I needed to figure out what will make me happy.

I decided to pursue an opportunity at the Good Jobs Institute as a Good Jobs Fellow. The timing was serendipitous. Sarah Kalloch (Executive Director, Good Jobs Institute) runs the institute where I did research work with Professor Zeynep over the summer. She said, “We’re looking for a full-time employee starting in June. Do you know of anyone?”

As soon as I read the job description, it was like seeing myself on a page – like the job description had been written just for me. It felt like a dream job had fallen into my lap, where I could be part of an organization making tremendous impact on the lives of low-wage workers, and I couldn’t let this get away from me.

How did your work with ASB’s professors lead you to work as a research assistant with MIT Professor Zeynep Ton?

None of it could have happened without ASB. There is something so powerful about the connections you make here, and the people who just care about you as a person. In one of the conversations I had with Professor Charlie, he recommended Professor Zeynep’s book The Good Jobs Strategy. I finished it within a day or two – it was just the perfect book for me given my interests in operations and quality jobs.

He was incredibly generous to send Zeynep an email about how I had fallen in love with her research, and it was months of waiting – she was super busy, and I sort of lost all hope. I was a little desperate and not sure what I would do for my summer job. Just before the deadline, she responded saying: I don’t have a project for you, but I’m willing to make this work.

It was an amazing opportunity – I went from not having much research experience to doing research with one of the top professors in one of the top schools in the country. We spent a lot of time talking about compensation strategy, and how different organizations set compensation for their workers, doing a literature review and reaching out to companies to ask them about their starting wages.

Zeynep knew about my passion for writing and research, and so we decided to work on a note, which is sort of like a case study, about the topic of “unskilled” work, and that note has now been published by MIT, and is now used in the classroom to educate others.

Any last words of advice for MBA students or prospects considering a pathway into research or thought-leadership?

For all of these opportunities I’ve had, it’s been helpful to focus on respecting my own judgment. It’s easy to go down a career path and wake up one day unhappy and wonder why you’re doing this work. It’s about knowing yourself and what will make you feel fulfilled, staying curious, and pushing yourself to get better.

Introduction

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or interested in landing your dream job, it takes most human beings approximately 7 seconds to look at your resume or CV and make a decision. This includes stakeholders, potential partners you may be interested in working with, or a recruiter looking at your resume out of a list of 100 job applicants. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) use even less time to reject resumes that don’t include keywords from the job description.

Yet, crafting your resume does not have to be a daunting task. There are tried and tested methods for resume writing that will give you a competitive edge. We spoke to the Career Development Office (CDO) at Asia School of Business (ASB) for advice on taking your resume to the next level and some common mistakes to avoid. Here are their 6 top tips:

1. Understand how to structure your resume

“The structure of your resume is the first thing that your recruiter or business connection will notice,” says Calvin Tan, Manager at the CDO. A typical MBA resume should not be more than one page-long with your work experience, education, and additional information such as awards or publications.

In the Asian market, a 2-page resume is generally acceptable as well, provided the content is well structured and articulated. “You may optionally include a summary of your professional profile at the beginning. There is no need to include all your completed online courses completed under Education, as you can reference these in your LinkedIn profile.”

2. Use the XYZ formula to craft your work experience

The XYZ formula, also highly encouraged by recruiters at Google, is great for showcasing your key achievements in a quantifiable way. It goes like this:

“Accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z.”

X = What did you achieve? Y = How was it quantified (i.e., revenue, profits, scope, etc.)? And Z = What actions did you do to achieve X?

An example XYZ sentence would be:

“Increased quarterly sales by 17% via designing new conversion-focused Facebook ad imagery.”

It’s not just revenue or profits when considering metrics for Y. Calvin reminds us to consider other metrics such as:

- Scope: How many teams of people worked on this project? Did the project have a budget?
- Efficiency/Productivity: Were you able to cut costs or save money by a certain percentage? Did you reduce the number of hours a team or individual needed to spend on a task?
- Quantity: What amount of output did you produce? How many cold emails did you send per day? How does this compare to your colleagues or the average?
- Leveraging others: Can you find teams that leveraged your work to produce outcomes? (E.g., You designed collaterals for campaigns leveraged by the marketing team.)

3. Alternatively, use the CAR method to craft experience

The CAR method (Challenges, Actions, and Results) helps you highlight challenges in your past work experience, the actions you performed to overcome them, and the positive results that occurred when you met those challenges. All these elements need to be present, irrespective of the order.

“This method prevents you from wasting bullet points on mere job descriptions”, says Calvin. “Ideally, you should only spend 20% of each point describing the challenge, 60% focusing on actions, and 20% on the outcome,” adds Calvin.

4. Highlight transferable skills when changing industries

It is a myth that many jobseekers or entrepreneurs will stay in the same industry their entire careers. Transferable skills are key when migrating between industries. This is especially important in a fluctuating economic environment, as the pandemic has made evident. “Be strategic with how you tailor your content to prepare for any career pivot(s) you are making,” says Calvin.

“If you are pivoting into a different industry or role, build a case for your pivot – highlight transferable skills that are relevant to the role. You can also use relevant internship experience or add content under the Additional Info or Interest section.”

5. Maintain a database to tailor different versions of your resume

Every job description has customized requirements, and you need to tailor your resume accordingly. “Maintain a ‘library’ with tailored versions of your resume divided by industry, function, and/or location,” says Calvin. “It’s as easy as creating an Excel file for the database to keep track of your bullet points, so that the content is easily searchable. It also helps to incorporate categories such as skill set, category, and theme.

You can easily select bullet points from this database to tailor your resume for different industries or job roles and highlight significant points that help in crafting a cohesive and compelling story. For example, if you are applying for a Project Management position, you can utilize bullet points that showcases relevant competencies such as stakeholder management, organizational skills, communication, and resourcefulness.”

6. Proofread, proofread, proofread!

It is very easy to skip important details, especially if you’ve read your resume multiple times. Make sure your resume contains keywords from the job description. Include relevant work experiences that show proven success. Always use a spell checker and grammar tool and have multiple parties proofread it.

If your school has a VMock account, run your resume through the software. Your resume must be easy to read – avoid padding it with too much content. Provide context for any acronyms or jargon, so your reader can understand these. Resume writing is a useful cornerstone skill that will benefit your entire career, and we hope these tips on resume writing will help your resume go a long way!

What does it take to launch a career at AirAsia, one of Southeast Asia’s leading low-cost airlines? You’ll need to brush up on your networking skills, knowledge of new technologies, and leadership qualities to build a career at the innovative airline giant.

Since AirAsia, a brand worth around $535 million, has launched several new ventures over the years—including a super app, ecommerce service, and food delivery platform—they’re increasingly looking for talented MBA graduates who can adapt to fresh business challenges.

So why does AirAsia love MBAs? We spoke to Ivan Ramdani, who works at AirAsia Indonesia and secured sponsorship from his employer to pursue an MBA at Asia School of Business (ASB), to find out.

Here are four ways that an MBA degree can help you build a high-flying AirAsia career:

1. With an MBA, you’ll gain exposure to new business industries that will support your AirAsia career

One of the best things about an MBA is that you’ll gain an insight into business industries you may have little knowledge about, preparing you for careers across an array of sectors. On joining ASB, Indonesian-born Ivan was excited by the prospect of learning about how different companies work as well as joining a program that’s delivered in partnership with top US school MIT Sloan School of Management.

He wanted to learn new business skills to progress his career at AirAsia Indonesia, as well as gain the knowledge to launch a business one day. Through Action Learning (AL), a component of the ASB MBA where students undertake consultancy-based projects with global companies, Ivan supported business development at OneLink Technologies in Myanmar.

He helped the company to develop a roadmap that could help them to compete with giant ecommerce players like the Alibaba group. “I learned that if we know the strengths of the brand, the value that we can create for customers, and how these two points are transmitted well to our customers, the customer will help us to fight the giant,” says Ivan.

2. You’ll learn a blend of people and technical skills that can help you succeed in your AirAsia career

If you know how to combine your technical skills with an understanding of business and leadership, you’ll feel confident when facing new business challenges that demand a grasp of both areas. On the ASB MBA, students learn about leadership principles in courses like Leadership in Times of Crisis, while learning technical skills in Financial Analytics and Innovation.

Ivan put these skills into practice during his international AL projects, particularly during his time with the Myanmar-based tech company and Maxis eCommerce in Kuala Lumpur. “One of the key ‘Smart’ skills (requiring a high degree of mental and emotional ability) I learned from ASB was how to communicate with the stakeholders and how to deliver these ideas to them,” he notes.

On the ‘Sharp’ skills (requiring constant sharpening and updates to remain useful and relevant) front, Ivan became skillful at financial modelling, which he says is key to planning business growth at a firm like AirAsia.

Armed with this blended skillset, Ivan has since transitioned from his pre-MBA role as business process manager at AirAsia to project manager for business development at AirAsia Digital, and more recently, AirAsia Food in Indonesia. He says that learning how to adapt to new situations throughout his AL projects and MBA courses has helped him to pivot to several different jobs at AirAsia.

3. By interacting with your diverse MBA class, you’ll learn how to leverage a variety of perspectives in your AirAsia career

In your future AirAsia career, you’ll regularly work alongside people from all walks of life. On average, the ASB MBA is made up of 70% international students and 26 different nationalities, so there’s plenty of opportunity to get to know people from different backgrounds to you.

“I was already used to working in a diverse environment with colleagues from Malaysia, India, and Australia during my AirAsia job,” notes Ivan. “But joining ASB gave me the skills to adapt to those from different cultures, overcome the communication barrier, and adopt an open mindset when it comes to new perspectives.

4. You’ll build an MBA network that can help you thrive in your AirAsia career

Due to its location in Malaysia, the ASB MBA has strong ties to AirAsia—many ASB MBA alums have launched careers with AirAsia after graduating. For Ivan, this MBA network meant that he had plenty of ASB alumni to contact if he wanted to gain advice about entering different areas of AirAsia, such as when he moved from project management into business development post-graduation.

Ivan also boosted his MBA network by connecting with ASB and MIT Sloan faculty and classmates working at different companies who could offer advice. “My MBA network has helped me progress at AirAsia. When I need a new perspective on a problem in Indonesia, I can connect with my MBA network in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, or even North America, asking how they’d solve a certain problem,” he says.

Whether you’re looking to build an AirAsia career, or you want to pursue a variety of exciting career paths in Southeast Asia, embracing adaptability will be key to leading companies located within a fast-paced and evolving region of the world.

This article was originally published on BusinessBecause, a network helping MBA students make connections before, during and after their MBA.