Women @ Ivey MBA

by: Cecilia Liu

The society has developed in a way that swipes away more and more the differences between men and women, which is one reason why more and more women are stepping out of the traditional roles and showing up in MBA programs and active on the business management stage. On the other hand, women are still shouldering some unique pressures, or even more of them than are men, once they choose to step onto such a competitive career path.

It has to do with the role definition of men and women at work and in personal life. At work, performance measurement for women is no different from for men; actually, diversity and equality at workplace is more of a trend and something good employers have to maintain. On the other hand, women’s share of family responsibilities, in general, have remained larger than the share of men during the course of societal change towards more women participation in management roles. For women in management to deliver an overall increased magnitude of responsibilities from both work and life, and perform well, they need to develop their own strategies, both short-term and long-term.

A few thoughts for those women who are currently contemplating on pursuing an MBA. First, do your due diligence. Conduct your in-depth market research on the functions and industries that you want to focus on for your future career. Make a self-assessment of your past and become able to articulate your strengths and weaknesses and post-MBA career plan. Then come to a clear answer as to why you want to do an MBA at this point in your career. This whole thinking and evaluation process will help you clearly define your goals for pursuing an MBA, go for it for the right reasons, and choose the right school.

Next you need to secure all the supports and resources necessary for you to complete your MBA. Better have the timing work in your favor. If you are in any kind of serious relationship, make sure the other part of the relationship is willing to provide you serious mental and spiritual support for your effort. You also need to plan yourself so that you enjoy sufficient financial capability to sustain the whole MBA program. The more resources and support you have, the better you will be off.

Third, you can count on the fact that you will need very good time and stress management skills to make the most out of your MBA program. So if you already have such skills, start to sharpen them by picking a good book to read, talking to incumbent MBA’s about what an MBA life is like, and getting mentally ready for a big challenge ahead.

Last but not the least, women do face the unique burden of building and raising a family, if they choose to go through that course. No matter this comes before or after the MBA program, the extra work and responsibilities are real and significant. As such, female MBA students had better make good career planning to work around this issue, so that they are not strained when this piece of task has to interrupt you suddenly from your career. Again, timing and social support are the two biggest factors you want to give deep thoughts on.

Your MBA decision is a big one. Make the most out of it. And enjoy it!

Cecilia Liu
MBA Candidate 2008

Balancing MBA and a Family

Traditional MBA program is quite a demanding experience, here at Ivey the workload is kicked up a notch yet, due to the fact that it's delivered in one year format. So how can somebody manage not only to be successful at Ivey but stay effective at managing their family as well? I had a chance to pose the same question to Grace. Grace moved from China with her family to start her one year Ivey MBA experience.

"When I decided to do my MBA a year ago, I was concerned if I could survive the program at Ivey while taking care of my son. I understood that it was an ambitious decision for me to pursue an MBA as a mother of a four-year old son. The first moth at Ivey proved that it was particularly difficult to commit to both MBA coursework and motherhood.

However, I was able to successfully manage my time to fulfill my commitments thanks to my parents' coming over from China to look after my son for me during the day and my increased time management skills over the course.

Now, even though I feel the MBA program at Ivey is quite intensive, I dedicate one to two hours every day after dinner to be with my son telling him stories, teaching him songs, or playing games with him. On weekends, I typically spend a whole day taking my son and my parents to nearby parks, beaches or farms. I enjoy very much the time with my family and I feel that I can balance my study and life very well." (Grace Shi, Ivey MBA Candidate 2008)

So here you have it, managing both family and MBA is tough but none the less doable. Grace and four other classmates of mine, all with families and kids, are my role models when it comes to effectively managing one's time while balancing personal and professional commitments.

George