Well, I have said it before, and I am saying it again – we live in difficult times. But the more I think about it, maybe “difficult” is not the right term to use. I think the right word to use here is “challenging”, and “challenging” isn’t as bad as “difficult”. And what challenges give us, are opportunities.
This “opportunity” (and I know it might seem crass to term COVID-19 as an opportunity or as something positive, because it is definitely not positive, and I wish it never happened!) might not have been a choice and was forced on the world by COVID-19, but this is not the first time that the world faced a widespread pandemic and it will not be the last. Every time we faced something like this (global pandemic, world wars, etc.) in the past, we have come out of it stronger and better prepared for the future, so we might as well try to make the best of a bad situation now too.
Companies and individuals around the world are seizing on this opportunity that the challenge of COVID-19 has provided. New ways to think and work, new processes and operations, new businesses and technology, new products and services, and finally, new ways of managing events.
One of the sectors that have suffered greatly, at least in the short term, is Event Management. I mean, one of the basic ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19 is social distancing, and that is the antithesis of a successful event.
The following are some of the challenges and/or solutions that event managers have come up with in dealing with COVID-19.
Cancellation: Events are being cancelled, primarily because the fear and risks are real, and it is always better to be safe than sorry! However, the silver lining is events still need to take place, especially in the corporate world. New products and services still need to be announced and launched, Comic Con needs to take place to announce new movies and television shows, and to keep the fans hooked.
A royal wedding event in times before Covid-19
Opportunity: While events like “grand weddings” might be a thing of the past, at least for the immediate future, the opportunity still exists to plan for a classy, intimate, and yet a memorable wedding. After all, the wedding day will always be one of the most important days in a couple’s married life, and couples still need to get married (life doesn’t come to a halt because of COVID-19) and make their day special. A grand wedding reception can always be planned for when things return back to normal, until then, recordings of the wedding can be shared with extended friends and family. Planning for an intimate, yet memorable wedding can challenge the creativity of an event planner, but in this case, it is the challenge to overcome.
Technology: That was on the personal side of things. I believe it is a lot simpler on the corporate side. Technology has made it a lot easier to plan corporate events and products launches. Earlier this month, Samsung had their Galaxy Unpacked August 2020 event, and unlike previous years, their entire audience – from the media, to reviewers, to creators – joined them virtually. Also, most of the product launches looked like they were pre-recorded and professionally edited (I felt it gave it a more completed look overall, polishing out the rough edges that were visible in previous years).
Virtual audience at Samsung’s Unpacked 2020 event which went fully virtual
A similar strategy was adopted in this year’s Democratic National Convention, in the United States of America. Apart from the day’s presenters, most of the key speakers, spoke from their home through pre-recorded messages for the nation. Only the candidates, whose acceptance speeches had to be live, addressed a greatly reduced live audience. And even here the event was planned in such a way that it tried to adhere to COVID-19 safety measures – like having the live audience being seated 6 feet apart and wearing a mask.
Democratic National Convention 2020
Events similar to Comic Con have adopted a similar strategy to Samsung, having invited their audience to participate online, hosting pre-recorded interviews of creators, developers, and stars that the audience can view. While at the same time, having interactive sessions through video conferencing/streaming with live chat options with the stars and creators of new shows.
Staffing and Salaries: With the cancellation of events comes loss of business and revenue, and by extension (maybe) downsizing and layoffs. Because, lets face it, if companies don’t earn, they can’t pay. For those that have not been affected by downsizing, the beautiful thing about being an event management professional is the ability to work from anywhere, at least most of the time. All that is needed is your mobile phone and your laptop (and something, or someone, to occupy the kids).
Training and Planning: For the bigger event management firms that have a large clientele, this time is a great opportunity to train their staff and plan for the future. All events take time to plan and having the right vendors in place with an optimised supply chain will go a long way in bring down costs and the turnaround time in executing a successful event. Because once things go back to normal, I have a feeling that there will be a rush of back to back events, to make up for lost opportunities.
You can chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information on all the programmes we offer, application process, and for information on discounts we might be offering at this time.
Once I started writing this blog, I realised my folly. The topic of my blog might sound simple, it was anything but, especially for me – (1) my knowledge of Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management (PLSCM) is entirely academic, and (2) I am not African, nor have I ever worked or even visited Africa.
But I do know that Africa is the future and has the potential for dramatic growth (if she is able to tap into that potential), and effective management of PLSCM will play a pivotal part in this future, given the resources in raw materials that Africa has.
And hence my topic, and my folly, and something I felt needed to be done.
What I didn’t realise when I picked this topic was the resources I had on hand. As of today, Robert Kennedy College (RKC) has a very large number of students from Africa who are doing or have successfully completed our 100% Online MSc programme in Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and this is the resource I tapped into when writing this blog.
I conducted an online survey of these students (of which about a hundred participated) and asked them about the challenges they face as PLSCM professionals in Africa, the image below indicates a country wise breakup of the response we received from our students to the survey.
Country wise breakup of the survey response received
The following are the top five responses I got back from the survey. Now, while this blog is Africa-centric, I find that these challenges are universal, and effect Africa as a whole, other developing nations, and even the developed or “first world” nations to some degree.
Top 5 challenges facing PLSCM professionals in Africa
Infrastructure – is the foundation on which a strong PLSCM function is built. The whole point of having a streamlined and efficient PLSCM department is to effectively purchase (at best costs) and move raw materials and finished products from point to point in a timely and less resource intensive manner. Efficiency also means having the products readily available, while at the same time not leaving them idling in a storehouse somewhere. To enable this, state of the art, physical infrastructure is needed – from roads and railways to airports, seaports, and safe and secure areas (such as industrial zones, etc.) for manufacturing and storage.
“A change in policy is required as there is a lack of willingness by African governments to invest in infrastructure development.”
Current student of our MSc programme in PLSCM
Corruption – the universal bane to businesses, and something that is global, encouraged and fostered by everyone involved, willingly or unwillingly. It is easy to blame a corrupt official for delays and holdups, until palms are greased to get thing moving without looking at the reasons why. Are you encouraging the behaviour by paying the bribe? Is your competitor paying bribes to hold you up? Why does the official need the money, is he paid enough? Are the laws strict enough to prevent corruption?
“Effective specially designed civic education programs at the grassroots level, to empower the people to make the right choice of leadership to drive the change that is needed.”
Graduate of our online MSc in PLCSM
Policy Change – As one of my former managers once told me “If you are comfortable then you are not growing”. And while this is true, who doesn’t like being comfortable? From our survey, this seems to hold especially true in Africa. For policy changes to take place, something big should have happened for the powers that be to even consider a change, and even then, comities have to be put in place to suggest the changes and then review the suggested changes, all this taking forever. By the time the policy change comes about, it will usually be outdated.
“A paradigm shift from traditional procurement method to e-procurement method. Also, government policies need to be critically reviewed across the board in order to encourage small and medium scale enterprises in Africa. Manufacturing sectors should not be left out as well as they are the process owners.”
A suggestion from one of our online MSc in PLSCM student
Stuck in time (Slow to incorporate modern methods) – A follow on to the previous point, it is not just the people in power who are slow to incorporate change, but also the people who do the work who are slow to embrace change as well. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. But what people don’t realise is, it is not about fixing it, it is about bettering it. People get comfortable and don’t want to change or learn new ways of doing things, and then complain about the people above them making life difficult by not embracing change and current best practices.
“Changes in technology are associated with high set-up costs. Financial constraints are a major drawback, especially in some developing economies, when it comes to capital projects. Modern procurement is now taking place online, but many companies still haven’t adopted to these technological changes. Most functions now and procurement is done online while in Africa most countries still do their procurement manually. This is basically because of poor infrastructure, weak strategic alliances and reluctance to change that makes people not adopt these changes.”
A thought from one of our MSc PLSCM students
Cutting corners to save time – another universal truth. After doing a job for a period of time, we begin to believe that we know best, and can make a process better by cutting corners. But what we fail to understand is that we are but a single, small cog in the machine, and a process is in place to help the whole machine run smoother. By cutting corners and not following the process, all that might be achieved is to throw a spanner in the works. If you believe there is a better way to do something, take it to the management and make you case, it might just increase the efficiency of the whole machine.
“Build Collaborative supportive systems and structures that work for both governments and stakeholders.”
Suggestion from a graduate of our online MSc in PLCSM
These are just some of the most basis challenges that a PLSCM professional faces in Africa. I am sure there are a lot more complicated and technical challenges out there that will confound even the most seasoned PLSCM professional. Constantly learning and getting your knowledge up-to-date is required to stay ahead of the curve. Robert Kennedy College, through our exclusive partnership with the University of Salford, UK, offers a 100% Online MSc in Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management to better prepare you for the challenges to come. Here’s what our students said about this in our survey:
This is what our students had to say when asked during our survey
You can also chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information on the programmes offered, application process, and for more information on any discounts we might be running in this rather strange period of our lives.
Marketing, like everything else in the world is constantly changing and evolving overtime.
From cave painting to word of mouth. From messages on scrolls to pictograms. From picture advertisements in magazines and newspapers to video ads in between your favourite TV programmes.
And the evolution continues!
I mean, how many of us subscribe to a physical newspaper anymore? Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, just to name a few, have pretty much killed broadcast television and cable tv.
We live in the world of binge watching, instant news (and in some cases fake news), and WhatsApp forwards! If you blink, you will be left behind!
So, how are we to effectively market our products and services, or advertise to the masses in this fast paced, limited-attention times?
Digital Marketing is the answer, and here are six reasons why I think you should choose a career in Digital Marketing!
High demand While there are similarities between Digital Marketing and traditional marketing, the difference between them is substantial and cannot be overlooked. To do the job right, a specialist is required, and most companies accept this to be true. Digital Marketing is still a relatively new industry/vertical, and the number of specialists available is still very limited. It follows that a qualified and competent Digital Marketing professional is highly sought after.
Richness of choice within Digital Marketing Most people these days have limited choice in the career path they wish to take. When a company recruits for a job vacancy, for most roles, they will have an abundance of applicants, however, Digital Marketing being a new field, the opportunities available will be among the best in the market. Also, there will be a lot of opportunities within the various verticals of Digital Marketing. Here’s a few of them:
Web properties – websites, blogs
SEO – Search Engine Optimization
Paid marketing (PPC marketing) – Google search ads, Display ads, Affiliate marketing, social media paid ads
Social media (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook channels, etc.)
Email marketing
Mobile marketing
Show me the money It all comes down to the salaries and pay packages, and that’s the bottom line! People venturing into Digital Marketing will be the ground breakers, the trailblazers, the pioneers of the industry, and will have the potential to earn huge. For example, just before the lockdown started, a quick search for Digital Marketing job opportunities in the United States, listed jobs for freshers starting from USD 55’000. I think that is a pretty good place to start your career from.
Minimum entry requirements Digital Marketing is still a very new field, and people working in the field have very little experience in it and are still learning how to effectively develop and execute a digital marketing strategy. As everyone in digital marketing is still relatively new and mostly learning by experience, the entry requirements are comparatively lower than most other job profiles. So, now is the time to get into Digital Marketing and build a career.
Diversity in the workplace When the word “diversity” is used, most people think ethnic diversity. And that is true here as well, but it is also means so much more in Digital Marketing. In the morning, you could be working with extroverts who may be creators, creating ad campaigns and YouTube videos, who push their creative ideas across. And in the afternoon, you could be working with introverts who may be from Data Analytics or SEO or Website Development. This is just an example. The point is, working in Digital Marketing, there is a place for every kind of personality and the opportunity to work with every kind of personality!
Creativity If you are passionate about the work you do (no matter how boring it may sound to someone else) then the potential for creativity exists. But the thing about Digital Marketing is, no other field of work encourages creativity and “out of the box thinking” quite as much as Digital Marketing does.
Now these are just some of the more obvious reasons to take up a career in Digital Marketing, and I am sure there are a number of other very obvious and/or more important reasons to make Digital Marketing your career. Perhaps you are building upon your previous Marketing career? Let us know in the comments below if you are already “in” and have some insights to share, I am sure it will help people make an informed decision.
You can also chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisers for more information on the programmes offered, application process, and for more information on any discounts we might be running in this rather strange period of our lives.
It’s almost the end of June. We are halfway through 2020 – a year that brought with it some unique challenges for everyone. It’s a good moment to reflect on the first half of the year and do a mid-year evaluation of yourself, your goals and how far you have progressed towards achieving them. You may want to re-evaluate strategy, pace up or slow down a bit (the workaholics out there :)).
Fawn Annan
We couldn’t agree more with our MBA Media Leadership graduate, Fawn Annan, who believes celebrating women graduates of RKC and showcasing their achievement and standing in the community is a great way to encourage and increase women’s participation in Master’s education. The very reason we started our Women’s Day Series dedicated to RKC’s women graduate and future graduates! Allow me to introduce you to the woman who wears several hats – that of CEO and Digital Media Publisher, of Mother, of Grandmother and of Wife – Fawn Annan!
Getting back into education
Your story of getting back to do a Master’s degree
Vidhi Kapoor (VK):What was the driving force behind your enrolling for an online degree? Who inspired you? What motivated you?
Fawn Annan (FA): I needed to find new publishing models for my business and also wanted to use the credentials to transfer my career to more speaking and book publishing.
VK:What were the thoughts/situations/people/challenges holding you back from starting (if any)? How did you overcome them?
FA: Business priorities. Many but put this as a life-changing priority.
VK:What surprised you the most when you started your studies?
FA: How much work one course take up in hours but the enjoyment I experienced did surprise me.
VK: Do you feel there are unique challenges women face when deciding to get back into education?
FA: No, given its graduate-level online studies there was a difference.
Getting the degree
The work to get the degree – what did you learn, how did you balance, what would you do differently
VK:Which programme did you do? Why?
FA: MBA in Media Leadership — That is my profession
VK: What is the single most important thing you learned during the programme?
FA: Learning is a lifetime journey
VK: How did you balance work and studies?
FA: My child is a father; my husband is retired; my business partner was very supportive and allowed me to take time to work on my studies a portion of each week and a portion of each weekend.
VK: Any particular challenges to being a woman and studying online, or do you think all students face the same ones?
FA: All students face the same ones.
Life post-degree
What changed, if anything?
VK: What’s new in your life since graduating/starting your studies? Any visible impact already?
FA: Yes. Published my first co-authored book, Digital Transformation in the First Person, and have had many more speaking opportunities than before.
Fawn’s first co-authored book – Digital Transformation in the First Person
VK: Anything you are doing differently now because of the things you learned?
FA: Yes. Our digital transformation was far more successful because I had the different models to try out in agile development. My business partner, a seasoned CIO, was also far more attentive to what strategy advice I had to offer.
VK: Do you feel that getting a Master’s degree or doing other online programmes can reduce gender discrimination in the work place?
FA: Credentials do help.
Advice for other women
Or other students, really.
VK: Imagine you could send a message back in time to your pre-degree self: what would it be?
FA: Expand your mind as much as you can. Building credibility starts with knowledge.
VK:Imagine you could send an object back in time to your pre-degree self: what would it be?
FA: My degree
Fawn’s ‘Nerdy’ that she bought at her graduation at the University of Cumbria 🙂
I hope you got some very useful advice and insights about our Online Masters from Fawn. I am sure you draw inspiration from her story and feel motivated to embark on your own journey towards the Masters.
After a long day, I settled down for some binge-watching on Netflix (you may be a Prime fan). I had been watching this series Ozark and wanted to watch something different that evening. Netflix had some recommendations for me – similar dramas, suspense thrillers that Netflix thought I would like based on what I had been watching. I stopped to wonder how Netflix generates content recommendations that appeal to my taste and do so for millions of other users globally.
How do algorithms work to find me my recommendations?
I am equally fascinated by how fashion brands like Burberry provide ‘personalised’ experience and buying suggestions. Not to mention how the retail and tech giants like Walmart, Amazon and Google seem to know more about you than your own mother.
All these companies have one thing in common: Big Data and Analytics.
What is Big Data?
The concept of big data has been around for several years. The term big data refers to data that are so large, complex, and comes in so fast that they are difficult to process using traditional methods. It gained momentum in the 2000s when industry analyst Doug Laney articulated a new definition for big data as three V’s: Volume, Velocity and Variety. Companies are evolving from being “knowing” organizations to “learning” organizations.
What is Data Analytics?
Big Data Analytics in simple terms can be defined as the application of advanced analytical techniques to big data. These techniques might typically include variety of tools like statistics, data mining, AI, predictive analytics and natural language processisng (NLP). The hottest trend in business intelligence today is amalgamation of these two technical entities: Big Data and Big Data Analytics.
Why is Big Data Important and why are companies using Analytics?
Gathering big data is not enough, you also need to know what you do with it. If data are the crude oil then analytics is knowing how to refine them. into actionable business insights unleashing their potential. Most of the top-performing organizations identify data analytics as to the ‘differentiating factor’ from the competition in the industry. Here’s it is how:
Boost customer acquisition and retention
Many companies are now using data analytics to understand and predict consumer behaviour. The information is in turn being used in advertising algorithms. Amazon found another use of such data – maintaining customer relations by providing faster and more efficient customer service.
Marketing Insights – focus on targeted adverts.
In the modern age, personalization is highly valuable and a differential factor for consumers. Real-time analytics have made it possible for companies to deliver more targeted and precise service and product options to their users.
Product Innovation and Development
Data Analytics provides valuable information and reveals the future trends. Companies can take advantage of big data to branch out to different avenues and open up new revenue streams. Amazon’s Whole Foods and Amazon’s Fresh are perfect examples of how Amazon utilised the analysis of consumer grocery buying behaviour from its huge supply chain database. It applied this acquired knowledge to diversify and establish new innovative businesses.
Risk Management
One of the basic premise for any business to be profitable in the long run is its ability to identify and mitigate business risks. The wide variety of innsights provided by data analytics come in handy for institutions to develop better risk management solutions. The future is to be able to carry out real-time risk analysis.
How can you build your career in Data Analytics?
Have you got a knack for numbers and an analytical mindset? Data analytics may be the right fit for you. As an analyst, you will be responsible for analysing and understanding the trends in big data and help improve business processes. You can launch your data analyst career with these simple steps:
Earn an Information technology, CS or statistics bachelor’s degree
If you are just starting off your career, earning a bachelor’s degree is a great place to launch your career in the right direction.
Gain analytics work experience
No education degrees are useful unless they are gainfully applied. Gain valuable experience while in school or after. Entry-level positions will provide you with much needed on-the-job training which is otherwise difficult to obtain.
Advance your Analytics career with a Masters
Work experience and a bachelor’s degree may get you to a certain level of success. For further career development and growth in the field and into the management, you should consider pursuing a master’s degree programme in data science, data analytics or big data management. These programs will provide exposure to the latest trends and knowledge.
How can we help?
Robert Kennedy College offers 100% Online MSc Data Analytics in exclusive partnership with the University of Cumbria. With an in-depth curriculum, you will study data analytics, advanced databases and learn new trends in digital marketing and artificial intelligence. The University of Cumbria is ranked 8th in the world and is recognised by the British government. Trust me, with such credentials until its belt, you do not need much (big data) analytics for choosing the University of Cumbria as your online graduate school. Join us today!
Continuing with our blog series featuring our female students, we asked our students to share their experiences with us – the challenges of getting back to school, of managing work and study along with family, and the unique challenges they faced being female students.
Ms. Ilse Baxter is a graduate of our MA programme in Leading Innovation and Change (MALIC) through our exclusive partnership with York St John University, UK. This programme has been discontinued and has reincarnated as a 100% online MBA programme in Leading Innovation and Change.
Ms. Ilse Baxter
Now, let us see what she has to say!
Who is …
A short profile
Sahil Devasia (SD): Who are you, really?
Ilse Baxter (IB): I am a forty-something, beach and nature loving South African who divides her time between Sandton, Johannesburg, Cape Town and my happy place – Hermanus. I have always loved music and the arts – and danced professionally for a short period in my early twenties.
My under-graduate studies were in the sciences – I studied computer science and maths – but balanced this with English literature studies just to keep sane. 🙂
I have over my career had the privilege of working in SA, the UK and the USA. These days I am a director of a niche management consulting company – heading up the Business Transformation practice. We have for more than 10 years helped clients in the Financial Services and Retail sector grapple with some of the toughest challenges they have had to face. I am absolutely passionate about the topic of Business Transformation! For fun I love travel, reading, yoga, painting, music and I’m a bit of a foody – so love love love all the wonderful restaurants and wineries SA has to offer or just cooking at home with friends and family!
Getting back into education
Your story of getting back to do a Master’s degree
SD: What was the driving force behind your enrolling for an online degree? Who inspired you? What motivated you?
IB: I don’t consider myself an academic at all – I never have. I am very practically/experientially minded by nature – but I have always been insatiably curious about things around me. In this – I guess I was inspired by my mother. At 88 this year she remains as sharp as ever, curious (and incredibly informed) about the world around her and eternally questioning and seeking to understand more.
In my forties I started feeling the need to back what I had learnt practically/experientially with a relevant and meaningful post graduate qualification. I didn’t just want to “tick the box” by adding a few letters behind my name – I wanted it to be something that really contributed to my practice and reflected my areas of interest. It took me a couple of years to find something that I felt reflected my interest areas and allowed me to study in a way that made sense it my personal and professional obligations…… enter MALIC.
SD: What were the thoughts/situations/people/challenges holding you back from starting (if any)? How did you overcome them?
IB: Firstly – TIME!!! How do I balance an incredibly busy life of running a consulting practice, helping clients through some of the toughest challenges they ever have to face (not a part time job), being there for my team, being present and there for my husband and family – and still find some time for myself (especially with all the pressure out there to stay fit, well and to achieve the illusive “balance” we’re all chasing)?!
Secondly – a PERSONAL CRISES. I had already been accepted into the programme. Literally the week I was due to start – my husband (and business partner – he is the Managing Director of our company) had a major stroke. This was a crisis not just personally – but for our business too. Initially he was paralysed on the right-hand side of his body. Also – the man I married spoke 6 languages. The stroke rendered him mute for about 6 weeks (language centre in the brain was at the locus of the stroke). And then we had to start from scratch – learning how to say vowels etc etc. It has taken years to recover his current facility in terms of both speech and writing. He recovered 100% physically quite quickly. But the language journey is one they told us could take 10 years. Nearly 4 years later now his speech and writing has largely recovered in English and he is starting to grapple with French and Spanish again.
My instincts at the time was to just cancel commencing with my studies. But – as always – it was my mum and husband that insisted that I continue. So, I asked for a reprieve to start with the next cohort (3 months later) and set out on a 3 year journey of learning.
To be honest – studying kept me sane. It gave me something outside of my circumstances to focus on. Our business has had to transform to adapt to our new circumstances – and in doing so it has thrived. We have had to adapt to our new circumstances – and although without a shadow of a doubt it has been the toughest thing I have ever faced – we have survived and thrived through it. Studying under these circumstances was – despite seemingly impossible circumstances (many clients and friends thought I was mad to continue) – the best decision I have ever made.
Thirdly – PEOPLE’s PERSPECTIVES (clients, family, friends) – asking me WHY I FELT I NEEDED TO STUDY FURTHER – you’ve already mastered this topic – what difference will this make to your life? Ultimately the decision to study was a very personal one. My job requires me to pour everything I know into helping my clients – this drains you physically, emotionally and mentally. In truth – I knew I needed something to build up my own internal stores – to inspire, challenge and grow again – so that I could be a better leader, a better advisor and a better practitioner. It has done all that for me and more!
SD: What surprised you the most when you started your studies?
IB: Firstly – That despite a seemingly impossible load – client assignments, running a business, study, family – there IS time if you really want to do something. Something shifts and what seems impossible becomes imminently possible.
Secondly – How I could draw on my work experience to enrich my studies and how I could draw on my studies to enrich my practice …. not at the end of the process – but from the very first module.
SD: Do you feel there are unique challenges women face when deciding to get back into education?
IB: Time I think is the biggest one. The practice I lead is (not by design) predominantly female in profile. I have over the years observed the challenges (both practically and emotionally) that professional women face in terms of balancing professional demands and aspirations with family responsibilities (and aspirations) and the need to look after themselves (mentally, physically and emotionally). How do you take care of all these aspects of your life without compromising any of them? Is it ok to prioritise something that is seemingly just for your own benefit (aka potentially “selfish”)?
Getting the degree
The work to get the degree – what did you learn, how did you balance, what would you do differently
SD: Which programme did you do? Why?
IB: MALIC. Three reasons really:
It most closely matched my areas of interest.
It supported my area of practice.
It is set up in a way that allowed me to schedule my study obligations in a way that worked for my personal and professional circumstances.
SD: What is the single most important thing you learned during the programme?
IB: Not one – sorry! I loved studying again! In fact, I am considering going further after a “Gap Year” :). I absolutely loved doing research! (I never knew I would) This is opening up new potential opportunities as I move into a next stage of my career.
Most importantly – I discovered “I CAN”. I can do something for me without negatively impacting everything else that is important to me in my life. “I CAN” continue to grow and learn and evolve – even in my late forties 🙂
SD: How did you balance work and studies?
IB: Very very carefully! 🙂
Probably the most important advice I was given was in our first module by Dr Radu Negoescu. He encouraged us to do a plan and to contract with friends, family and colleagues. I took this advice to heart and “contracted” a way of work with my husband, friends, family and our team.
I am a morning person – so my plan involved getting up at 4.30 every morning and studying for 3 hours. Then having breakfast with my husband. before going to clients or attending to our business and team. I spent every evening with my husband or with friends and family. I also agreed terms for weekends.
By thinking through what it would take and how I could manage the impact on my life consciously – I had a routine that worked for us, my husband, our friends and family knew what they could expect from me (and what not) – so I could avoid feeling guilty for not getting to people/obligations and I had wonderful alone time every morning where I could focus on my studies.
One of the practices that evolved early on in this process was taking a photograph of the sunrise and just allowing myself to appreciate beauty, the privilege of doing what I was doing and the opportunity to enjoy that very special time of the day on my own. Although I am not studying anymore – I still love that time of day!
SD: Any particular challenges to being a woman and studying online, or do you think all students face the same ones?
IB: I don’t see any difference personally. The trick is finding something that you are interested in (not just something that is going to become a chore), a pattern that works for you and then sticking to it and a programme that is well organised and well enabled technologically!
Life post degree
What changed, if anything?
SD: What’s new in your life since graduating / starting your studies? Any visible impact already?
IB: A LOT has changed! 🙂
It has helped me focus on our value proposition from a practice perspective – and this focus really resonates with our clients! Our business has grown by more than 30% in the past 2 years as a result.
It has really changed my confidence in engaging with clients on certain topics. I am in the process of starting to write (journals) – something I have always wanted to do. I have started a complementary business – which tackles some of the findings from my dissertation. Exciting times ahead!
SD: Anything you are doing differently now because of the things you learned?
IB: I think the experience has really strengthened the approaches we take in our business practice. I’ve been able to draw on course content and also dissertation findings to really sharpen our focus. I also think that it has shifted many perspectives for me at a personal level. Not least of all what I can achieve when I set my mind to something! 🙂
SD: Do you feel that getting a Master’s degree or doing other online programmes can reduce gender discrimination in the work place?
IB: This is a tough question for me. Over the span of a 20+ year career I have never felt that I was on the receiving end of any overt discrimination at the workplace. This doesn’t by any means mean that I haven’t been on the receiving end of challenging or seemingly unfair situations.
I strongly believe – especially in the world we live in today – that we all have increased pressure to stay on top of our game. To continue to evolve, to respond to the world as it changes around us, to continue on a journey of being the best we can be – whatever that is. For me personally focusing on this mission is more important. In this mission – getting a Master’s degree is definitely a key enabler.
Advice for other women
Or other students, really.
SD: Imagine you could send a message back in time to your pre-degree self: what would it be?
IB: You CAN do this! (That doesn’t mean it’s not going to be super tough along the way & it doesn’t mean that you are not going to have days where you feel like quitting – it just means that if you persevere you will see the rewards!)
You SHOULD do this! (You deserve to give back to yourself – this investment is one of the best you’ll ever make!)
SD: Imagine you could send an object back in time to your pre-degree self: what would it be?
IB: Wow! These questions are something else! A beautiful tea pot and special cup! 🙂 This degree was earned over innumerous cups of tea!
Closing thoughts
SD: Anything else you would like to add that could help with the goal of increasing women’s participation/access to a Master’s degree?
IB: What may be useful is “support groups” – places where women considering studying, or current students can mix with current and past students – sharing experience, approaches, methods, etc., etc. (maybe these should be separate groups)? The diverse spread of students makes time zone/occupation etc. pairing a real opportunity – regardless of the hours people choose to study.
Now’s a good time to start
If you have been thinking about getting your master’s degree, proving to yourself and others that you CAN do it, now would be a good time to take the plunge. Have a look at our list of programmes and see if we have anything that could help.
You can also chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information on the programmes offered, application process, and for more information on any discounts we might be running in this rather strange period of our lives.
The University of Cumbria’s quality education has been ranked in the top ten of universities worldwide, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, the only global performance tables that assess universities’ impact against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The university ranked 8th out of a total of 676 participating institutions worldwide and first in the UK for Quality Education SDG, which measures universities’ contribution to early years and lifelong learning, their pedagogy, research and commitment to inclusive education.
In other notable categories, the university’s gender equality credentials were recognised when it came joint 81st out of 547 participating institutions for ‘Gender Equality’ and 69th out of 268 institutions in ‘Life on Land’.
Overall, and as a relatively young university making its first submission to these rankings, it achieved an overall rank in the 201-300 range of 766 institutions, firmly residing in the top 40% of institutions worldwide.
THE believe that universities represent the greatest hope of solving some of the world’s biggest challenges.
The THE Impact Rankings are designed to shine a light on the commitment of universities around the world to making a positive social and economic impact within their communities and globally, through their work towards achieving the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; from providing inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting good health and wellbeing, to ensuring gender equality and taking action on climate change.
By participating, universities demonstrate the important role they’re playing in championing a better and more sustainable future.
Professor Julie Mennell, Vice Chancellor, University of Cumbria
Professor Julie Mennell, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cumbria, said:
“As a university focused on serving our region’s needs many of the metrics within traditional (UK) rankings do not necessarily reflect our work or involvement within the communities that we serve or the impact we have globally through our local, national and overseas partnerships.
“Given the university’s mission and values, we felt it was important to participate in these specific rankings to more accurately highlight the world class outcomes achieved by our students and staff”
“Against the backdrop of the current worldwide crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an opportunity for universities around the world to collaborate and help to refocus the global economic agenda on sustainable development in its truest sense.
“The University of Cumbria is committed to creating a sustainable legacy and joining our colleagues around the world in championing a brighter and more equitable future”.
Many of the university’s key international partners have come forward to offer their congratulations in response to the news.
“We would like to congratulate our partner, the University of Cumbria, for this outstanding performance and well-deserved recognition. The university’s continuous and relentless commitment to quality education and sustainability in all of their endeavours is an ongoing inspiration to us and our hundreds of international students worldwide.”
Professor Hamzah, CEO, Vision College, Selangor, Malaysia, commented:
“Vision College is proud to be a partner in providing both opportunities and a continuous sustainable effort in this region where we operate. I am confident that our students and staff have reasons to celebrate on your recent success and I look forward towards mutually beneficial outcomes of our collaboration”.
Reacting to the news, Mr. David Chew, CEO, FAME International College, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia said:
“The recent achievement of University of Cumbria – being ranked in the World’s Top 10 “Quality Education” (in The Times Higher Education Impact Ranking 2020) – is definitely well deserved, and FAME International College, Malaysia, is honoured to associate with such an esteemed partner.
This achievement highlights the university’s serious endeavours in developing, maintaining and providing high quality education to empower individuals and equip them with the knowledge and wisdom to build a better and more sustainable environment. Well done!”
Hsu-Cheng Chua, Dean of the Office of International Affairs, Shih Chien University, Taipei, Taiwan, added:
“As one of our most valuable partners around the world we are delighted that the university has been recognised for the quality and impact of its education. The University of Cumbria is a popular choice for our students because of the excellent learning environment and the dedicated and fully rounded support they provide. For us, it is definitely the best choice in the UK.”
Dr. Yvonne Klose, Director DAA Wirtschaftsakademie, Dusseldorf, Germany, concluded:
“Great news, and indeed, justified! Our partnership with the University of Cumbria reaches back to 2011. Since then we have been sending cohorts of our business students to the university to accomplish their final year. The students graduate with great results and take on successful careers in various areas of business. This year we will crack the 100 mark of successful graduates within this partnership.”
This is the second edition of the THE Impact Rankings, which launched in 2019, and included 766 universities from 85 countries.
Top of the list was New Zealand’s University of Auckland, while three Australian universities complete the rest of the top four: University of Sydney, Western Sydney University and La Trobe University.
Japan is the most-represented nation in the table with 63 institutions, followed by Russia with 47 and Turkey with 37.
I promise this is not another COVID-19 update, myths and truths or uncovering the facts where and how this deadly disease started, blog. There is more than enough information out there – and I’m talking about reliable sources only – enough to overwhelm most of us.
These are challenging times for us as individuals and for society at large – humanity some might say. The global pandemic has changed the way nations operate and has impacted the global economy. The greatest and gravest impact of the pandemic, however, is on the healthcare systems around the world. With about 3.8million COVID-19 cases in 210 countries and territories (as of May 9th, 2020), the healthcare systems worldwide are immensely stressed. (https://covid19.who.int)
Healthcare systems are hit hard both directly and indirectly (too many patients at the same time, too many doctors becoming patients, lacking resources, inability to attend to other conditions, etc.)
The World Health Organisation said so much:
Countries will need to make difficult decisions to balance the demands of responding directly to COVID-19, while simultaneously engaging in strategic planning and coordinated action to maintain essential health service delivery, mitigating the risk of system collapse
WHO, March 2020
So, if this is not an update, nor a myth-busting blog, what is it?
I would like to focus on the positives of this situation from an educational point of view, thinking especially of those who envisaged a career in the healthcare sector, people who are looking to switch careers, or someone already in the healthcare sector looking to verticalize their career path. Now is the time to “quarantine” and study!
Choosing a career for yourself might be one of the biggest decisions you take in your life. Some of us are fortunate to follow our passions and interests and make a successful career out of it. Sometimes after pursuing a career for a whole number of years, we realise that it is not something we want to do for the rest of our lives. We’ve got to rationalize our interest and weigh the pros and cons a career offers. If you have been thinking what’s in it for you, here is what a career in the healthcare industry has to offer:
Humanitarian side
While every profession tends to serve society in some way (well at least that is what I like to believe), in my opinion, healthcare is the noblest. The potential of changing and saving lives puts you on a higher pedestal as a professional compared to any other. If you have an innate desire of helping others and uplifting humankind, healthcare is the right place for you.
Tremendous Growth Opportunities
Surveys and labor statistics reveal that healthcare is one of the fastest growing industries with an estimated addition of 1.9 million new jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare occupations was projected to grow 14 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Healthcare occupations are projected to add more jobs than any of the other occupational groups. This projected growth is mainly due to an aging population, leading to greater demand for healthcare services.
Challenging situations like the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 have created a need for strong healthcare leadership. The present outbreak is far from over, and the healthcare sector is operating at maximum capacity. There is an urgent need to adequately plan and utilise limited resources. At the same time, it has become all the more imperative for the healthcare systems worldwide to be prepared for any future events, as the COVID-19 pandemic is definitely not the last one.
The sector offers a number of growth opportunities that are wide ranging, beyond the conventional patient care field of being a practitioner, nurse or therapist. There are opportune avenues for both horizontal and vertical growth in the sector. As the healthcare paradigm continues to evolve, there is a greater demand for innovation in healthcare technology, guided by the vision and sharp business acumen of a strong healthcare professional.
Dynamic
Most days, a healthcare professional will bring new challenges and should bring with them joys and job satisfaction. Demand is changing and so are the roles in this industry which adds to its dynamicity.
Flexibility
Healthcare offers flexibility in three ways. First the flexibility on choice of profession. You have a plethora of options to choose from: patient care services, government relations, human resources, planning and development to name just a few healthcare management positions you can get yourself into.
Then you can choose the environment you want to work in. The healthcare management professionals are not limited to jobs in just hospitals. There are great career opportunities in consulting, state and federal agencies, insurance, laboratories and universities.
Thirdly, this industry is not bound by borders. The experience in the field is highly regarded across nations making you a valuable asset wherever you go (with few exceptions where licensing might be necessary).
Competitive Salary
Last but definitely not least, healthcare sector jobs are well paid and rewarding in the monetary sense as well. On an average, the median salaries of healthcare professionals are higher than the annual wages of all other occupations. (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm)
A master’s degree could provide you ‘the edge’ to make a move into or to grow within the healthcare industry. The enhanced knowledge and multifaceted skillsets will allow you to make progress by leaps and bounds in the field.
Because let’s be honest – who hasn’t had a bad “boss”? Highly competent people with tremendous skills in their profession, parachuted in leadership positions without preparation. That “joy and job satisfaction” we were mentioning earlier are highly impacted by leaders who are not fully prepared to lead other people too.
Our online master’s degree programmes will help you understand international perspectives and also how to analyze the constraints and trade-offs in developing and implementing national health strategies, health care financing, economic evaluation, the role of effective change management and technological development.
Chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information on the healthcare management programmes offered and the application process. Remember to ask about our “quarantine” discounts and check your eligibility.
On behalf of the entire RKC team, a special thanks to all healthcare professionals across the world for working tirelessly to keep our communities safe. Our gratitude to all of you responsible citizens for staying home and helping stop the spread. #thankyouheathcareworkers
In today’s world of “social distancing”, online education has taken on an unprecedented importance. To remain professionally relevant, we must constantly find ways of self-improvement and adding more value to the organisation we work for. Online education is one of the easiest ways through which we can achieve these goals, all while maintaining social distancing!
Who are we?
We have been around for more than 20 years, and in the world of online education, that makes us one of the pioneers!
We have partnerships with multiple British universities to exclusively deliver some of their most popular Master’s degree programmes online.
Until now, one of the unique value propositions of RKC’s online programmes has been the one-week mandatory residency programme, which was conducted either in the university campus in the United Kingdom or the college campus in Zürich, Switzerland.
However, due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and to cater to the changing requirements of our students, RKC and its partners have moved to an online delivery for the residency as well, therefore all our Master’s degree programmes are now 100% online.
OnlineResidency™ at work
There’s a caveat here – we really do like, and know students benefit greatly from, face to face residencies. It is likely that, as the pandemic ends, some of the programmes may go back to face-to-face residencies for new students.
What does an “OnlineResidency™” look like? We’ve just finished our very first delivery this last week, and, some small technical challenges aside, given how everyone is online and video conferencing these days, we believe the experience has been successful and useful to our students, who learned about designing and conducting research for the Master level dissertations.
Which programme is right for you? Not a question I am able to answer via a blog post, I’m afraid, but if you want to find out, you can get in touch with our team of admission advisers who can have a look at your profile and give you some advice. Chat LIVE on WhatsApp with our Education Advisor today! Or, if you have already made up your mind, click here to apply.
Robert Kennedy College takes immense pride to share a recent development in the university rankings world. Our exclusive partner – the University of Cumbria – has been ranked 8th in the world by Times Higher Education. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ranking uses 3 calibrated indicators: research, outreach and stewardship to provide comprehensive and balanced comparisons.
At its heart, the UN has 17 Sustainable Development Goals that call for an urgent action by countries –developed and developing – for global partnership. Sustainable Development Goal 4 stands for Quality Education i.e. ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Despite the considerable progress on education access and participation over the past years, 262 million children and youth aged 6 to 17 were still out of school in 2017, and more than half of children and adolescents are not meeting minimum proficiency standards in reading and mathematics.
The Times Higher Education Ranking on SDG 4 – quality education – measures universities’ contribution to early years and lifelong learning, their pedagogy research and their commitment to inclusive education. This second edition includes 766 universities from 85 countries. Metrics and the percentage weightings given to each metric for arriving at the ranking are as follows:
Research on early years and lifelong learning education (27%)
Proportion of graduates with teaching qualification (15.4%)
Lifelong learning measures (26.8%)
Proportion of first-generation students (30.8%)
University of Cumbria – Lancaster Campus
There couldn’t have been a better timing for this impressive ranking to be announced, as we also announce that the University of Cumbria Online MBAs are now being offered 100% online. Yes, you read that right! Now you can study and receive British government approved, Swiss quality education – all 100% Online. This is, however, a limited time offer. Enrol today or chat with one of our advisors on WhatsApp now.
