How I put my UF MBA skills into practice immediately in my job
I had planned on 2020 being the year I would start my MBA for quite some time, but I had no idea that we would be in the middle of a pandemic. I also did not know that I would leave my position of nearly six years for a new one at an entirely different company – the same week. So, when I say 2020 has been an interesting year, I mean that on so many levels.
The past few months have been difficult, to say the least, and I have found myself in numerous unfamiliar situations where I could only rely on my years of experience and ability to adapt to the situation. This is particularly true for my new position.
Couple that with the fact that I am working remote for the first time in my life and I am in uncharted territory.
Take for instance what happened two weeks into my new role. The Chief Strategists tapped me to lead the strategy for a high-profile client. She had drafted a memo pitching them a service based on a new request and asked me to complete it.
This situation did not feel unfamiliar to me as I had just submitted a memo for this exact scenario in my Professional Communications class only days before in the UF MBA Weekend Professional program in South Florida. Not only had I been working on a similar prompt but my professor, Dr. Coman, had provided amazing feedback on my piece. I immediately went to work and started applying the tools Dr. Coman had given to me – formatting tips, edits for concision, general edits, etc.
My boss loved it. She gave it to the owner of the company, who also loved it! And most importantly the client loved it and we were able to win their business. I am now lead on this account and in an amazing position at this new company.
And I have the UF MBA Program to thank for that! When I started this June, I had no idea how helpful and relevant my classes would be to my career, and I did not expect to see a return on my investment so quickly. The best part? I am only three months in. If I could apply my learnings so quickly just starting out, imagine what I will be able to do after completing the program.
