Partner Sites


Logo BusinessBecause - The business school voice
mobile search icon

Women In Business: I Left India For Career Success, Gender Equality And A Copenhagen MBA

Swati Seth is enjoying a career trajectory in Denmark, that she couldn’t have expected back home

Thu Aug 4 2016

BusinessBecause
Swati Seth had not considered a career in Denmark prior to her MBA. But after one year at Copenhagen Business School she decided to stay.

As a woman in India, Swati was scared to walk the streets at night. In Denmark, she’s empowered, equal and enjoying a career trajectory she couldn’t have expected back home.

Part of the 2014 MBA class where 80% of students stayed and found roles in Denmark after graduation, Swati turned down two other offers to take up a senior HR role at Danish computer software firm Sitecore. From its Copenhagen headquarters, she’s now developing the company’s entire talent strategy, working on initiatives impacting hundreds of people worldwide.

Swati worked as a psychologist in Delhi before her transition into HR. Now, with the knowledge from a Copenhagen MBA on board, she’s flying the flag for women in business.

Why did you decide to stay and work in Copenhagen after your MBA?

I definitely fell in love with Copenhagen. It’s such an easy, livable city.

There’s equal opportunities for men and women and there’s not a lot of disparity in salaries. It’s actually empowered me to be the individual that I like to be. Plus, the MBA enables you to approach a lot of big organizations. And most of us found good jobs in good organizations that pay pretty well.

It’s very international. I found a good social circle; a great network of alumni and friends. I wouldn’t trade this for anything else!

What advice do you have for others looking to do the same?

The Danish labor market depends a lot on networking. And most of the people who quickly got jobs after the MBA were people who had done a massive amount of networking, from February onwards.

Tap into the alumni network. From the moment you join the MBA, attend all the networking events that you can. Do research on who the executives you’re going to be meeting are, what they’re talking about, what organizations they’re from and why those organizations interest you. You have to have a sort of sales persons’ approach.

This was all broken down to the last detail by the Copenhagen MBA careers module.

Coming from India, how did you find adapting to life in Denmark?

Adapting to life in Denmark was an easy transition. In India, women are a little bit restricted in all aspects of the term, but Copenhagen gave me the freedom I was craving for. It presented a security net that helped me develop myself in ways that were not possible in India.

While the cultural difference was vast, the MBA definitely supported me. I found friends of 17 different nationalities, and we all navigated our way through the MBA together. That kind of camaraderie is hard to match!

What should Indian applicants think about when deciding to pursue an MBA in Europe?

The problem with the Indian education system is that it’s based on rote learning, not application.

That is something that I struggled with in the beginning. I was really good at memorizing concepts, but the model that we learn on the Copenhagen MBA is all about learning concepts and applying them. Here, your assignments range from group work, to projects and an integrated strategy project where you’re paired up with an organization which will give you a real-time problem that you have to solve.

Indian students should come with an open mind, and do their research really well. They should definitely speak to MBA students beforehand on what they can expect. And look, not only at business schools, but also markets where they would be looking for jobs.

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at Copenhagen Business School in particular?

I’d had multiple roles in HR but I didn’t have an understanding of economics, finance or business in general. I thought it would be a good idea to get an MBA to bridge the gap between the skills that I had and the skills I wanted to acquire.

I was looking at countries where the economies were stable, it was easier to get a job and companies would sponsor your visa. And I was looking for a one-year program with a focus on leadership.

The Copenhagen MBA had a leadership course - the Leadership Discovery Process - which was very unique. And coming from the Copenhagen MBA, people look at you differently; they know that you’ve gone through an intense, rigorous course.

RECAPTHA :

91

a1

94

4e