Choosing a particular postgraduate degree or a destination can someone seem hard for students. This column gives you real life students experiences in international institutions. Khaled Mekawi completed his master’s degree in Germany at Gisma Business School in partnership with Kingston University of London.
He described the experience as “great, I got the experience and knowledge that I needed to take on more responsibilities in my job”. However, Khaled believes that the postgraduate program was too similar to what he learnt during his undergraduate years except for a couple of modules, so it might have been worth considering majors with a specialization in order to get the most of the degree academically.
As for the international experience, Khaled says he “got to meet people from different backgrounds and got an idea of their mentalities, morals, beliefs, and what drove them to be as successful as they are, I got to build connections that will hopefully last for a long time, and most of all I got to experience one of the most advanced countries in the world and see how they run their business which will be helpful in the future”.
It seems that the network of acquaintances and friends created during the master’s program was just as important as the teachings for Khaled.
While Khaled was not able to find a professional opportunity upon graduation, he believes it might be because what he “learned in the program can be implemented on a top managerial level, however, my current career level is not applicable, but I hope this degree can advance me in the workplace”.
When choosing a postgraduate degree, especially when it is similar to one’s undergraduate education, it is important to keep in mind that in-depth specializations and getting out of one’s comfort zone could be helpful in order to make the most out of the experience on an academic level and later on, on a professional level, as a new and added skillset is always an added value for employers.
You can check out other alumni close-ups in this segment.