I strongly believe that Sheffield is the best city to be a student

It has been absolutely amazing! I didn’t realise how much I had missed Sheffield until I arrived again. Having been exposed to such an international place again has been very refreshing. Not only did it allow me to stay in touch with people that I had met during my undergraduate years, but also it allowed me to meet fabulous new people.

Returning to Sheffield

Carlo Vidal Miranda

 Choosing to study in Sheffield

Studying an MBA has always been an ambition of mine even before being an undergraduate student. However, after studying my bachelor’s degree in Sheffield, I knew that there was no other place in which I would rather study. I strongly believe that Sheffield is the best city to be a student.

Why Sheffield University Management School?

Naturally, its Triple Crown Accreditation was what first caught my attention. Being a world top 1% business school is not an easy feat. Moreover, the quality of academics and support offered at SUMS is second to none. Not only do you get the chance to take modules with highly accomplished academics in their fields, but also the staff at SUMS are people that embody the values of Sheffield and that are always willing to give you a hand. For me, this is priceless.

Prior to studying an MBA

Before starting my MBA, I was working on the Digital Marketing Consultancy that I had set up straight after finishing my Bachelor’s degree.

Why pursue an MBA?

I decided to pursue an MBA due to various reasons. Firstly, I wanted to polish my skills on how to run a business. Secondly, I was very keen on making the most out of the experiential learning opportunities offered that focus on leadership development. Lastly, I cannot highlight enough the importance of networking and this was another important factor in my decision.

Any concerns prior to your studies?

I admit that my main concern was adapting back to academia. I have always been the kind of person that liked reading academic papers during my undergraduate years. However, I hadn’t done so for the past 3 years and I felt that I was going to be very rusty when I started again. Nonetheless, this was easily overcome by the amazing support from the academic staff. They immediately noted that they understood that we were all in the same boat. In fact, the average years of experience in my course is 7 years. Therefore, it made me realise that it was only a matter of establishing the habit again.

Course highlight

The highlight of my course has definitely been the people that I have met, not only my fellow classmates, but also the academics and staff that I have met. I have always said that by getting to know other people from different backgrounds, you also get to know about your own self.

Favourite thing about Sheffield?

My favourite thing about Sheffield has always been how walkable it is. I am the kind of person that loves going for walks as it helps you free your mind. Also, the fact that you can get anywhere pretty much just by walking implies that you will be burning extra calories which means that you won’t be feeling as guilty after a cheat meal.

Re-adapting to university life 

I must admit that this was my biggest challenge. However, there is a concept that I always apply when I try to establish a new habit and this is called “habit stacking”. I understood from the beginning that the key for pursuing a Master’s degree is to do research on a constant basis. Therefore, I applied habit stacking by devoting a specific slot in my agenda for research straight after doing a habit that I already have, which in my case, was going to the gym. By doing so, it has helped me to re-adapt fairly quickly and seamlessly. After all, it is said that it only takes around a month for your brain to establish a habit.

Skills developed on an MBA

I would say that the skill that I have developed the most so far has been my research skills and it is ironic because, before starting my course, I thought it was going to be my biggest weakness. Furthermore, thanks to the Career Accelerator Programme and the events organised by the magnificent staff at SUMS, I have managed to polish and put in practice my networking skills.

The Career Accelerator Programme

The Career Accelerator Programme focuses on developing soft skills and my experience with it has been great. For me, it has been absolutely important because it has allowed me to polish my networking, negotiation skills, amongst other highly valuable skills. I firmly believe that a strong argument could be made that perhaps this programme is the most important one in the MBA because in life, you may have all the hard skills in the world, but if you don’t have soft skills to convey them, then you are in for a much harder time.

Plans after graduation

This is something that I still haven’t decided yet. However, by being back in Sheffield and developing my research skills, I am considering pursuing a PhD at the Management School. Nonetheless, one step at a time, as I am now focused on the assignments that I need to submit.

How do you think studying this MBA will help you in your career?

This MBA is helpful in my career in a number of ways:

1. Broad business knowledge: This MBA programme covers a wide range of business topics, including finance, marketing, operations, and strategy. This broad understanding of how businesses work can be helpful in my business and in a variety of career paths that I can explore. 

2. Improved job prospects: An MBA makes you a more competitive job candidate and opens up new career opportunities. Many companies value the skills and knowledge that MBA graduates bring, and may be more likely to hire or promote someone with an MBA.

3. Networking opportunities: This MBA programme involves attending events with a diverse group of students, providing opportunities to network and build professional connections. These connections will be valuable throughout my career.

Any advice for students considering your course?

Don’t think that you need an exact plan of what you are doing in your career in order to pursue an MBA. Be stubborn on vision, but flexible on the details. What I love about studying an MBA is that the soft skills that you learn can be applied in absolutely everything that you decide to do in your life, even if it involves a 180° change in career direction.