Jessica Beaton chose an MBA at Hong Kong’s HKUST Business School over top-ranked b-schools in the US
“Where do you want your next job to be?”That’s the question American Jessica Beaton was asked when deciding between a full-time MBA program in Asia or back in the United States.
After several years working in editing in China—including setting up Asia-based travel and lifestyle website CNNGo Shanghai—she decided she wanted to stay in Asia.
Jessica chose an MBA at Hong Kong’s HKUST Business School to strengthen her all-round business understanding and make a transition over to the business side of media.
After graduating, she landed a job at Dentsu X, a global media agency in Singapore. She gained a place on its leadership program, and has since worked her way up to become the firm’s head of business.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at HKUST?
I wanted to continue to work and develop in Asia. Knowing that, it didn't make a lot of sense to leave to go to an MBA.
Around the same time, I had a number of friends come through with their international business schools to see China and Hong Kong on career treks. The Asian schools were trying to impart an understanding of Asia-based companies and operations in just two weeks. I didn't want to be a tourist as I would be if I went back to school in the US, I wanted to continue to live the experience.
How did your MBA help you take your career forward?
On a practical level, the marketing classes gave me great hands-on experience to showcase a portfolio that made career switching much easier. Also, you can play the ‘student card’. This gave me access to more people and conferences than I could have hoped for, allowing me to get insight into the industry before even starting my job search. This preparation allowed me to engage key contact in a targeted and informed manner as I entered the industry
How are you applying your MBA learnings in your current role?
Within the agency structure, the more senior your role, the more senior your client-side counterparts are. To be a real partner you need to understand their business and think of it like they do. Their success is your success.
The MBA program gave me the background to be able to work with clients across different levels, to understand their operational needs and ultimately work with them not simply on delivery, but also planning long-term strategic initiatives.
What advice do you have for anyone considering an MBA?
Have a serious think about and map out answers to important questions. What do you want to be doing in five years? Where do you want to be? What are the skills you need to have to get there?
While I took a pretty non-traditional path coming out of the HKUST MBA program, I knew going in the skills sets I needed to get out of it and the credibility it would give me to shift industries.
Finding your direction before you start will help to narrow down the list of schools you apply to, as well as help you focus your energy once you're there.
Student Reviews
Excellent Supporting Staff
HKUST campus is a very scenic place. However, the best part of the university is the professors and administrators. I have had numerous instances where I have approached them outside their office hours and asked them for help. I have always received full support, and they have helped me escape some very tricky situations. I will miss the faculty and especially the UG Hall 5 Residence Master. I am grateful for his help during my undergraduate program. I will recommend people choose HKUST for their bachelor, master, or Ph.D. studies. Do experience the hall life and you will never regret it.
Stressful university
Vibe
Students in HKUST is really competitive, they study really hard.
Environment
Nice sea view and modern campus
Teaching
Many professors are from mainland, whose accent are difficult to understand sometimes.
Harsh grading from most of the professors from my department
Opportunities
HKUST provides many opportunities and guidance for students on careers and extracurricular activities
Hard working and motivational
Major selection activities are very competitive. 1st/2nd year students work hard to get into popular majors they want. If you enjoy working in a competitive environment, this is a great place. Great ocean view with sports facilities and activities ready for you. Many programmes and social clubs available to boost your cv, learn practical skills for future jobs and interviews.
Good for academics but not that good for student life
Professors and teaching staffs definitely know what they are teaching and have strong knowledge in their discipline; Academics can be quite tough and stressful for students as everyone works very hard and course grades are rather competitive; Student societies exist but are not extensive. Activities are also mostly non-existent.
The nice schoolmates
I like the canteen in my school. Friends are sitting together and chat with each other freely, making it a harmonious place to have lunch. Sometimes the professors will also come here to have lunch, some talented schoolmates will talk about academic knowledge with them.
Students take precedence over everything else
I started out as an undergrad in September 2015, and jumped right into their PhD program after finishing up my first degree. I think that itself is a testament to how special a place HKUST holds in my heart. While the stunning beauty offered by its campus, lined by the sea and mountains, was the first to capture my heart, I have grown to love pretty much everything about it with time. What I appreciate the most about it is that the needs, strengths and shortcomings of each student are carefully evaluated to help him/her customize the coursework while ensuring that the degree requirements are met. The student mentors, advisors, instructors and professors are more than willing to give it their all to help out the students. While the atmosphere can certainly get a little competitive, I never saw it take an unhealthy turn; I believe a certain degree of competition, competitiveness and stress might be necessary to drive us towards our goals. If you want to receive the best care and advice and grow into an independent and confident individual, HKUST is the right choice for you! I can guarantee that you won’t regret becoming a part of the family!
