“Joining MBA Talent was one of my best decisions,” shared Ms. Nguyễn Thị Ánh Phượng, Customer Development at Unilever Food Solutions, and a participant of the MBA Talent 2023 program.
Working in the Customer Development department of Unilever Food Solutions, Ms. Phượng regularly represents the company in working with retail clients to negotiate contracts and develop business strategies for brands within the chain system. This position requires her to have a thorough understanding of the insights, needs, characteristics, and position of each customer to propose appropriate strategies, compete with competitors, and simultaneously achieve the company’s goals.
With the high demands of her job, does the knowledge and skills gained from the MBA Talent help Ms. Phượng work more effectively? Let’s listen to her share through the interview below.
What brought you to the MBA Talent program?
My dream of pursuing an MBA program has been cherished for a long time. However, for a long period, I hesitated and was unsure because I hadn’t found a program that suited me. On the other hand, the tuition fees of reputable MBA programs were also a factor that made me consider carefully.
Luckily, I learned about the MBA Talent program of ISB and Western Sydney University while working at my previous company, Vinamilk. With enthusiastic advice from the HR team at ISB and dedicated guidance from the HR department at Vinamilk, I realized that I had found the right path to pursue my MBA dream.
I decided to spend a year improving my knowledge and preparing for the MBA Talent journey. Fortunately, thanks to thorough preparation, I passed the rigorous selection rounds and won the MBA Talent scholarship – a meaningful milestone on my learning journey.
Tell us about an impressive moment you had at MBA Talent?
The most memorable memory in the MBA Talent journey was the MBA Talent 2023 Final Selection Round. This round required candidates not only to react quickly but also to know how to coordinate smoothly in a group to achieve the highest efficiency. This experience helped me learn a lot of new skills and was also a valuable lesson for my future career.
How do you feel about the lecturers and classmates at MBA Talent?
Throughout the learning process, I realized that the decision to pursue the MBA Talent was one of the best decisions. Not only because of the extensive knowledge that MBA Talent brings, but also because of the opportunity to meet and learn from lecturers and classmates, leading experts in their fields. The lecturers and classmates gave me countless new perspectives and invaluable practical experiences, helping me expand my thinking and create momentum to advance further in my career path.
What I appreciate the most is the quality relationships with my classmates, most of whom come from multinational companies or large corporations in Vietnam. They are talented individuals, full of enthusiasm, always spreading positive energy and maintaining optimism. I learned a lot from them, which not only helped me develop in my studies but also inspired me strongly in both work and life.
What are the difficulties you faced during the MBA Talent journey?
For me, the most challenging thing on the MBA Talent journey was the “problem” of balancing time when we had to both study and work with an extremely busy schedule. Late group meetings, sleepless nights to complete assignments, or early mornings to practice presentations all left a lasting impression. This journey also had intense debates and sincere words of encouragement; these factors blended and created a valuable experience.
However, I was mentally prepared for this challenge beforehand and determined to devote all my time to studying and working. For me, the core thing is the level of determination that each person has for this learning journey. That determination will determine how far you can go and what success you can achieve. Besides, the feeling of victory every time I successfully conquer a subject is the biggest motivation that helps me continue to step firmly on the path of knowledge.
What is your favorite subject in the MBA Talent journey?
I especially love subjects like Financial Reports for Decision Making or Management Information Systems. The knowledge about finance, information management, and digital innovation from these subjects has helped a lot in my current job. They help me have a more comprehensive view of budget management, thereby building more effective business strategies. In addition, understanding more about how to manage information and data also helps me easily handle the daily workload.
What changes has MBA Talent brought to you?
First of all, I have a big change in thinking. Since participating in MBA Talent, my thinking has become more coherent and logical, and my actions have become much more decisive and definitive. In terms of knowledge, the program has given me a solid foundation of knowledge, helping me not only build effective business strategies but also support me in analyzing actual business operations.
Not stopping there, MBA Talent also brings about outstanding development in soft skills. I have become more confident in communication, my persuasion skills have become sharper, and my presentation skills have also improved significantly. These skills have supported me a lot in my daily work, helping me to work effectively and professionally.
Do you have any messages for the next generation of MBA Talent participants?
I always remind myself that “Only learning and understanding can help us develop and go far in life.” Learning does not stop after we leave school, but is a long, non-stop journey. Life is a series of choices; 5 years later, 10 years later, will reflect the results of the choices we made today. I believe that we will never regret choosing to invest in knowledge.
Once you have set a goal, be determined to pursue it to the end. The MBA Talent journey will not be easy, sometimes extremely arduous, but I believe that the feeling of victory in the end will be completely worthy of all the efforts that we have persistently put in.
MBA Talent
