Alexandra

My name is Aleksandra and I moved from Serbia to Paris in 1993 to study at the American University of Paris. After a course in international economics, I joined FINACOR as an International and Domestic Emerging Markets Broker. After almost a year I joined BNP Paribas as a Futures and Equity Derivatives Trader and moved up to Project Manager in a span of almost ten years. When I was at BNP Paribas I also completed an Executive MBA from INSEAD.

As a student of international economics at the American University of Paris, I was surrounded by great teachers in a truly international environment. However, my studies were mainly theoretical and I did not go for any internships. That is why, nine years after graduating from there, I realized that I would need to further my studies and decided to go for an MBA.

Even though I was young, I had a good GMAT score and could have gone for a full-time MBA I could not leave my job at the time and so I  decided to go for an EMBA so that I could do my studies and work side by side.

Another reason for an MBA was that I wanted a degree that would give me a deeper knowledge of business helping me study business from the point of view of a decision-maker, something I did not do at the age of 18. Moreover, coming from Serbia and having studied in Paris, I wanted to further my international exposure with a degree that is widely recognized, something like the MBA that INSEAD offered me.

In the long run, I got what I was expecting when I joined INSEAD as right after graduating I received a top executive position at USB in Moscow looking after its business in Russia and Ukraine.

The main difficulty I faced during my preparations was lack of time. I had a young family at that time. Shuffling GMAT applications, work, and family at the same time was a long and difficult process. In addition to that, I had stopped school nine years ago and was a bit rusty with regards to studies. So getting back into study mode was a bit difficult. But with the help of the MBA Center and Dr. Hubert Silly, I managed to face all the obstacles and prepare for the GMAT.

As someone who is very ambitious, when I applied for the MBA I was only a product manager in charge of IT projects at BNP Paribas and it was difficult to express my ambition while remaining realistic. I’m very thankful to Dr. Hubert Silly and MBA Center who gave me all the necessary support including time and dedication to prepare for the GMAT and get a good score and also find the right approach in the essays, letters, and interviews.

The Executive MBA that I applied for meant that I had to spend short periods on campus over a long stretch of time. However, these short visits to the campus were the most fruitful periods of that time. I was surrounded by some of the best minds in the business in the form of the professors and my classmates. The world-class facilities provided to the students, the well-researched curriculum and the state of the art classrooms were well appreciated by the diverse body of students. Having lived in France already, I did not find integrating into the school very hard. It was a memorable experience all in all.

First, look for the right program. For example, when I mentioned that I had a career in finance and wanted to continue a career in the same, I was advised to study at the University of Chicago, London Campus. But even though Chicago is a key player in the finance industry and American degrees are well perceived, I decided to go for INSEAD even though it is seen as a dual management MBA with a lesser focus on finance.  I realized that INSEAD was more likely to give me what I was expecting, mainly, preparing me for a more strategic position in a financial institution, which is what I ultimately got. 

Second, take help from professionals. It is difficult to prepare for an MBA once you have a family and start working long hours. Working with Dr. Hubert Silly and MBA Center helped me a lot as they supported me throughout the lengthy admission process.