In this series of interviews, current RSM students share their experience from the MBA programme at Rotterdam School of Management. Read the interview with MBA participant Thiago Baiao.
Why did you choose RSM for your MBA?
I have already lived in the Netherlands for 10 years, and bought a house in Amsterdam with my wife a few years ago. I like how things are organised in the Netherlands, it’s safe here, and people are friendly. I already wanted to do an MBA, and saw RSM had a great reputation. I was postponing it because I was happy at work, but now I’m doing the MBA with more experience and more maturity to take full advantage. Now that I’m here I know how to make full use of the MBA and dedicate to learning as much as possible rather than just adding it to my CV.
What has been the most challenging assignment or activity?
It’s challenging to figure out what I want to do after the MBA. I think I want to go into operations and supply chain but I’m not sure. We have coaches and exercises but I should dedicate more time to it. It’s also challenging to work in teams, if you make an effort to make things work with everyone being satisfied in their roles. It’s tricky to get a diverse team from various cultures and functions working on assignments with different expectations if you want to get things right. You have to communicate and manage expectations, then you can compromise and get satisfactory results.
How has the Personal Leadership Development programme affected you?
This was an unexpected, big surprise, and very valuable! This support helps people figure out what they want to do, and become better in the work environment. In the MBA, we don’t just learn about business, marketing, and finance. We have one-to-one coaching sessions to help with professional and personal growth. I’m taking all opportunities to make the best use of it.
Read the full version of this article on the website of Rotterdam School of Management.