"Perhaps most significant to my current role, the MBA taught me to successfully deal with people which is hugely beneficial to my job now.”
Rahayu Permatasari graduated with an MBA in International Business from the University of Birmingham in 2011. Originally from Indonesia, she is currently employed as the Oil and Gas Project Manager for Cameron in London, United Kingdom. Headquartered in Houston, Texas and employing an 18,000 strong global workforce in over 300 locations, Cameron works in partnership with oil and gas producers, drilling contractors, pipeline operators, refiners and other process owners, marketing and supplying over 60 unique product brands. We recently caught up with Rahayu to find out the impact the MBA is having on her life and career.
My career
After graduation, I secured my job as Project Manager with Cameron; it was imperative to my job that I had experience in leading a multi-cultural team. Through studying my MBA in International Business at the University of Birmingham, my exposure to students from all over the world helped me develop different ways of thinking, both because of cultural and professional differences. This experience contributed to my success in obtaining my current role.
Why Birmingham Business School?
Once I was certain I wanted to study in the UK, I checked to see which university had the best reputation for the MBA and had a reputation for having a diverse student body. Both reputation and exposure to people from different cultures were important to me so I decided to attend the Birmingham Business School.
There is a very positive and open attitude to teaching at the Business School; you build a very strong relationship with your tutors and in particular, your dissertation tutor, all of whom give you endless support throughout the whole MBA process. The MBA team and the academics invested a real interest in their students; their friendly attitude made me feel welcome and, for someone who was new to the country, this made my transition to the UK very easy.
As a result of the MBA, I learnt strategy at a managerial level and leadership. Perhaps most significant to my current role, the MBA taught me to successfully deal with people which is hugely beneficial to my job now.
Making the most of the support available
I remember the careers team fondly as they were a great help when applying for my job at Cameron; I was taught how to tailor my CV for the job, had a mock interview and as I successfully passed each interview stage, I received further coaching from the careers team in interview technique.
"The MBA team and the academics invested a real interest in their students; their friendly attitude made me feel welcome and, for someone who was new to the country, this made my transition to the UK very easy."
Challenges
I found the financial modules of the degree very challenging as I had no previous experience in this area. Through the support of my peers who had a financial background and the tutorial support from the academics, I gained a comprehensive understanding and finished my degree with a distinction.
The Birmingham experience
One of my favourite memories was the residential trip to the Lake District, England’s largest national park. After spending a number of days with my peers, the academics and members of the MBA team and participating in a variety of team building activities such as managing a high rope, I truly bonded with my peers.
Tips and advice
Work hard, be open-minded and have a positive attitude. You must be adaptable and learn to both listen and respect other people’s opinions. You will meet a range of people in the working world and will need to learn how to manage them; the MBA is a wonderful place to start.
Find out more
MBA International Business
The Birmingham MBA