By Sunbir Alam, Microsoft Corporation and Business School alumnus
BSc Business Management, Birmingham Business School
Should I go to business school? It’s a question for many students choosing their degree, as well as professionals at some point in their career. Choosing a degree subject and pursuing graduate education are major commitments and should not be taken lightly. They require you to take a step back, think about who you are, where you are in life and reflect on your future goals.
With fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, big data and genomics poised to change the world, technology should be on your radar now more than ever.
At first, a business degree may not seem like the logical choice for a career in technology, but this couldn’t be any further from the truth. It requires more than sheer technical prowess to succeed in the tech world. You need to be just as good with your business acumen, or you’ll be left behind.
The personal and professional rewards you can reap through a business education are invaluable, and the possibilities it can open up for you are limitless. If you’re considering business school but aren’t sure if it’s the right path for you, here are five reasons why you should study business if you’re thinking of breaking into the tech industry:
- The opportunity to gain invaluable experience early on – the undergraduate business degree is unique as it provides the opportunity to work in industry straight after your second year. Whilst at Birmingham Business School, I landed an offer to join Microsoft between my second and final year. I then went to work at eBay and Google and had secured an offer to join Microsoft back even before graduation. Not many universities will offer you the opportunity to venture out in the real world before even having completed your studies. It will certainly set you apart in the job market from the rest of the candidates who have also just graduated but may not have any experience.
- Fast track your career by accelerating your learning – you have the opportunity to study modules extremely relevant to the tech industry in great depth, such as negotiation and contracts, corporate law, marketing communications and consumer behaviour, finance and economics, entrepreneurship, to name a few. You also have the opportunity to tailor your degree by choosing modules in the fields that interest you the most, whilst having access to some of the smartest and most accomplished academics in business academia.
- Develop as a problem solver and lifelong learner – Birmingham Business School adopts the case study method to teach problem-solving. Strategic management teaches you many of the relevant theories and frameworks used to tackle complex strategic problems which you may face when working with clients, customers and partners. You are also taught to be data-driven through business analytics modules and learn to consume enormous amounts of information under time pressure and filter what is relevant and what is not.
- Grow as a leader – Birmingham Business School’s vision is to promote curiosity and thought leadership for responsible business. You are exposed to the importance of business ethics to ensure you become a responsible leader. Group projects also enable you to experiment with different leadership and managerial styles by allowing you to learn how to communicate effectively, persuade and influence.
- You build a lifelong and global network – Birmingham Business School has a global approach to business and is highly international, offering you the opportunity to be exposed to diverse viewpoints and learn by leveraging on the insights and experiences each student brings. You will ultimately leave business school with a global network and become part of an alumni community who is always willing to help and support you with your professional and personal journey.