| |19 JULY 2024HIGHERReviewcan access from anywhere; work, home or elsewhere whilst travelling. Of course, part-time study also enables participants to continue to earn a salary. Career AccelerationEMBA students are typically ambitious. They want to see the time and cost of study translated into professional career acceleration and growth. It is quite common for a student's career to progress during their studies and there is certainly no need to wait until after studies are complete.Applying What You Learn ImmediatelyDoing an EMBA enables students to apply what they learn in class immediately back at work. Assessments are applied in nature and some may specifically relate to the student's employer. Consequently, this enables the completed work to be showcased back at work and sometimes even implemented.Soft SkillsThe best EMBA Courses focus upon the development of the students' soft skills (as well as the hard skills). These include the ability to speak to an audience with clarity and confidence. Furthermore, fine-tuning listening skills as well as building empathy. The importance of building empathy was emphasized by Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft in his book `Hit Refresh' as a part of the cultural change within Microsoft.Learning from State-of-the-Art Academics and PractitionersTypically, Faculty teaching on an EMBA bring many years of work experience into the classroom. This has been attained working full-time in the Public or Private Sectors or through undertaking consulting. Therefore, the real world of business is brought into the class and is looked at through the `lenses' of models, frameworks and theory. Many also bring applied research into the learning including works published in quality academic Journals. The latter helps to add academic rigor into the degree.Building A Professional Network for LifeDoing an EMBA is an ideal way of building a professional network of peers for life with student peers and Alumni. As is often commented: `It is not what you know but who you know that counts' for career progression. The best EMBA Courses offer many opportunities for you to network whether inside or outside of the classroom with current students and Alumni.Turbo-Charging a CVAn EMBA helps to turbo-charge a CV. Having an EMBA on a CV might just be the difference between a person getting the job if he / she is compared with someone who has a similar track-record of work experience but does not have one. For any Selection Panel, having an EMBA denotes that the person applying can cope with a high workload and is therefore effective at time management. Generally, the person being considered has been able to balance work, home and study.Extended Professional DevelopmentDoing an EMBA enables a student to focus upon their professional development over an extended period of time. Although it's likely that participants will undertake much shorter Executive Development courses later in their career, this opportunity through studying across 18 months is not likely to be repeated again. That's why it's often grabbed with both hands!It is often said that: `Doing an EMBA is the best strategic investment decision that you will ever make.' Why don't you do one and find out for yourself?!The author is Dean EMBA and Professor Strategy at S P Jain School of Global Management. He has designed, directed and taught on EMBA Courses across several countries including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and latterly the UAE.Doing an EMBA enables students to apply what they learnin class immediately back at work. Assessments are applied in nature and some may specifically relate to the student's employer.
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