Yadira Contreras, a Bath MBA, runs mobile recruitment company Assured Labor’s service EmpleoListo in Mexico. Since its launch in 2010, EmpleoListo has been solving a real need in Mexico by connecting job seekers with employers via mobile phones (so that consistent Internet access isn’t necessary to find a job). In less than 18 months from launching, EmpleoListo became one of the largest job sites in Mexico.
Contreras opens up about her daily life at EmpleoListo, her experiences at Bath and gives advice to MBAs who are looking to do the same thing as her one day: change the world!
What do you do during your day-to-day work as an Operations Director?
I have to say that being Mexico’s Operations Director for fast-growing start-up like Assured Labor’s EmpleoListo is a challenging and exciting job. My position is not limited to deal only with the Mexican market issues. I am not only responsible for Mexico’s office performance, but also for contributing to the company’s growth. My day-to-day job can be summarized in planning, executing, assessing, learning, teaching and proposing.
What advice do you have for current MBAs who look to get into a similar line of work?
Keep learning and work with a company you believe in. An MBA provides you with a great deal of tools and knowledge, but it never is enough. As Operations Director, you are not only responsible for achieving goals, but you have to keep your eyes open and identify growth opportunities for the company by optimizing the current processes or a business opportunity.
How do you think your Bath MBA affected your ability to do your current role?
First, the Bath MBA helped me to consolidate my experience and knowledge of business, reminding me that I should keep a practical, strategic, innovative and open mind at all times. Second, Bath’s multicultural environment prepared me for my job at Assured Labor: joining a multinational and multicultural company was a natural step for me. Third, it made me realize how much I love my country and what kind of job I wanted after the MBA. Luckily for me, I found it.
Why did you choose to attend Bath?
When I decided to study abroad, I attended a UK university fair in Mexico City. From all the universities I met there, the University of Bath was the only one who kept constantly in touch and guided me throughout the admission process. But that wasn’t the only reason I chose Bath. After a lot of research and comparison, Bath turned out to be a prestigious university in the UK and highly-ranked in Europe. I got a positive reference of Bath from a fellow Mexican studying his PhD at that time, so that was very important also. Finally, the university had a number of scholarships and some of them aimed at Latin-American students (I was granted two of these scholarships).
Were you involved in any certain programmes/student clubs at Bath?
I think the Bath MBA programme is highly demanding. However, the international lifestyle of Bath – inside and outside the school of management –brings diversity, fun and networking into your day-to-day life. I took part of some languages programmes and tourist visits organized by the university. I just simply enjoyed every moment at Bath.
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