Do you have enough experience? Starting a degree at university can be a complex process that involves securing placement on campus and completing your education. If you feel that you lack the skills and knowledge to start your degree in a particular area without the help of a professional advisor, you should consider whether you have completed university courses previously that teach you these skills. Many professional advisors will recommend courses such as Business Management, Marketing, or Information Technology for their students to ensure they understand the subject area and have relevant qualifications to start their careers in these areas.
Do you have the qualifications? Studying for and taking a university exam can be an exhausting process. This is especially true if you are studying for an advanced diploma such as an MBA. Not only do MBAs require high classroom preparation, but also comprehensive, hands-on study in an simulated workplace. This means you must have study habits that you can practise, ideally with a tutor. If you feel this is too much work for you, then consider whether you could study for your exams at university level or via distance learning.
Is it worthwhile? As mentioned, the process of studying for and taking a university exam can be a complicated one. Even those individuals who feel confident that they have the basic qualifications should consider if the experience will be worth the effort. After all, the purpose of gaining a qualification in professional management is not just to climb the career ladder; it is also to broaden your horizons and give you an insight into the business world.
If you want to succeed in professional management, then you need to make sure you don’t invest all your energy in just one area. Instead, you should work on all aspects of the professional management curriculum and build up gradually. Studying for and taking a university exam can be hard work and time consuming, but once you’ve completed it, you’ll have a valuable education, a potential within the business world, and a qualification you can take to get ahead in your career.
The exams involved in the curriculum may seem daunting but they are actually very easy. All you need to do is to follow the instructions. For example, you won’t be expected to have the knowledge of corporate finance under your belt, but you’ll have to complete the business side of the course. You’ll probably find the modules easy to follow, which is why professional management students recommend studying via modules because they give you a structured and ordered set of study to follow.
Don’t worry too much about the writing part of the exam – there are plenty of guides and examples included so you can brush up on past and present grammar and spelling. You’ll be expected to read a wide range of materials – this includes research papers and industry reports. You’ll need to be able to read and understand figures and graphs, as well as writing short reports, essays and letters. There are even mock interviews included as well as full sample exams.
It’s important to note that professional management requires the ability to organise, communicate and evaluate information. Therefore, it’s vital that you get the core knowledge you need from your modules and that you learn how to organise and run a team effectively. This doesn’t necessarily mean studying law or accountancy – it could be more towards administration or management, depending upon your course. Don’t let the word ‘professional’ put you off because it does describe the role – in fact, most people in this line of work attend universities or colleges, so it isn’t necessary to have a degree. However, if it’s something you think you might like then find out what you need to study for your exams so you can start aiming towards your Master’s in just the first few years.
