Nestlé Germany employee Janina Bethscheider knew The Open University was the only choice for her when it came to studying for her MBA. Not only did the OU offer a triple-accredited qualification, but it also happened to be where her dad had achieved his own MBA when she was at high school.
Janina says she is working smarter than ever in her job as a Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager at Nestlé, thanks to the skills she developed during her MBA.
“I was looking for a business school which met my criteria – full-time yet flexible distance learning, English-speaking, and with an international network. The OU met all of my requirements,” she said.
“It was also recommended to me by OU alumni, including my dad, and this reinforced my decision. Experiencing the same learning pathways that my dad did made me feel so proud. However, it meant that he was the most challenging and critical discussion partner that I had during my MBA studies. I never once regretted my choice.”
Putting skills immediately into practice
Janina says that her MBA has transformed her approaches at work, making her more efficient and reflective than ever before.
“Based on my OU studies and related experiences, I’m working more efficiently,” she said. “Plus, I’m more target-oriented and self-reflective – I scrutinise, challenge and analyse situations and business issues that I’d never have given a second thought to before.”
She added: “The OU MBA is really practice-oriented – you apply learned theories by means of individually experienced management issues. This makes it tangible and applicable in your everyday life and work. You do not learn theories so that you know them, ready to apply sometime in the future. You learn theories by directly applying them to your own business challenges which is incredibly useful.”
Discovering self confidence
Janina admits that it wasn’t all plain sailing. At the start of her MBA, the self-doubt began creeping in and she wondered if she would manage.
“I wondered, how would I ever manage such difficult tasks and complete this MBA? But thankfully the OU provides plenty of support to help you manage ‘impossible’ tasks,” she said.
“I’d had difficulty understanding the questions and issues. But my first assignment turned out to be my best-assessed one throughout my studies! I put this down to the learning material I’d received from the OU, as well as my helpful tutors and fellow students, and the residential schools. The assessment result really gave me self-confidence and motivated me for all TMAs to come.”
“The OU gave me the flexibility I needed”
As many students do, Janina had a lot on her plate during her studies, balancing a full-time job, her MBA and her personal life.
“Balancing everything required efficient time management. Every spare minute was taken up and accounted for in my schedule. I must say a huge thank you to my family for their support and understanding – it wouldn’t have been possible without them.
“If you’re thinking of studying, you can achieve anything you want to. The OU is a perfect partner to allow you a flexible and individual learning journey, within a great and diverse international network.”
“The MBA helped me become a self-motivated, confident person”
Not only did Janina learn how to approach her studying in the best way, but she also learned the importance of looking at the ‘bigger picture’ during her MBA.
“Whatever the topic, I learned to take a step back and experience the different viewpoints of all stakeholders, to gain the big picture,” she said.
“Discussing complex issues with my fellow students and tutors always helped me to uncover the different viewpoints within our peer group.
“Now, in other areas of life, I always avoid one-sided views on issues, explore other opinions and challenge my assumptions before I formulate my own views and decisions. I have never experienced such a steep learning curve before in my life!
“During my MBA studies, I went on an incredible development journey, which positively influenced my professional and personal life. This MBA helped me to individually grow into a self-motivated and confident person who challenges my assumptions and ways of working.”
After a period of parental leave, Janina is now looking forward to seeing where her career takes her in the future.
