Tony Hall is a successful accountant who has recently completed a Full Time MBA from the Bradford University School of Management. Here he shares his thoughts on how the course and the school have transformed him both personally and professionally.
I think many people will laugh when they hear I decided to move my family from Bermuda to Bradford, but it’s proved to be a decision that has benefitted us all. I’m a trained accountant and I’d been working in Bermuda for six years, but I had big ambitions for my future career and I knew that I’d need an MBA from a quality school to succeed in my goals.
I was lucky enough to be in a position where I could take some time out from my career and I decided it was an ideal time to go for the MBA I’d been considering. I did a lot of research about what was on offer around the world, but ultimately decided to opt for Bradford because of its reputation as one of the best schools in the world.
I’ve never had a reason to regret that decision. The standard of teaching has been hugely impressive and it’s also been a fantastic area to live in for my family.
The impact the MBA has had on me has far exceeded my expectations. It has transformed me both professionally and personally and has had a major impact on the way I assess and approach challenges.
It’s all about the experience you get here. I now have a much wider set of skills and a far deeper understanding of business. I already know this will help me throughout my career and my personal life and suspect I won’t fully appreciate the true benefits until four or five years down the line through the decisions I make.
One of the school’s biggest strengths has been the international make-up of the student population and the additional services you receive away from the academic programme.
I’ve met some great people on this course. It’s a mixture of really interesting people from around the world and they will now be friends forever.
Another aspect I’ve loved is the extra support. There’s a lot of time spent on personal development and it’s enabled me to really address my strengths and weaknesses. The careers service has also been excellent and it’s really helped me with everything from my CV to interview techniques.
I was always going to stay in accounting, but they’ve helped me to understand how best to market myself. I’ve now secured a job as a financial controller within industry and it’s all thanks to the School. The employer said the fact I’d gained a Bradford MBA was a major factor in giving me the job.
I always believed an MBA would transform my career and it has delivered that. However, the one thing I wasn’t expecting was the experiences and personal development you get and that has had a far bigger impact on me overall.
An MBA should go well beyond learning to manage and grow a business. It’s about developing a much wider pool of knowledge and that is reflected in the skills you acquire and the decisions you make. It really is a transformational process and I’d recommend this programme to everyone.