Kim Parish (MBA 1990)

Seeking work as HR Director having emigrated from UK

What was I doing when I decided to do the MBA
I had emigrated from New Zealand to the UK and needed to get some traction in the UK job market.  My degree had been in the social sciences and I felt I needed to get a sound business qualification from a British institution to advance my career.  I also relished the prospect of undertaking a course of study which was both academically challenging and rooted in the pragmatic world of management.

Why I chose Cranfield
Unlike many institutions the Cranfield programme was 12mths (albeit very intensive) rather than two academic years.  Cranfield had a reputation for not only being rigorous in its standards and excelling at knowledge transfer but with a complementary emphasis on both project work and personal development.

What I got out of it
The Cranfield MBA enabled me to distinguish myself in the job market.  On leaving Cranfield I secured my first senior management position, ultimately leading to a Board position on a large UK plc as HR Director.  Cranfield left me with the indelible imprint of “business language” and a fairly comprehensive understanding of the major business disciplines.  However, more than that, it gave me the confidence and ultimately credibility to be successful in business.