I had been working in Analog Devices for close to 10 years when I decided to pursue an MBA. Although I loved the work I was doing as a Wireless Architect which was a deep technical engineering role, I had a keen interesting in marketing, strategy and in leading a team. I wanted a seat at the strategy table and wanted to advance my career in that direction while keeping one foot in the technical realm.
I knew it would be difficult to move upward, particularly into a new field, but I was motivated to try something different and advance my career.

After speaking with my supervisor about these goals they suggested undertaking an MBA programme to gain the leadership skills and breadth of knowledge required for a senior role. Many leaders at Analog had completed an MBA before progressing into leadership roles, as the company is keen to facilitate educating and promoting technical staff to senior positions. This was the perfect opportunity to gain the skills that I required, and I knew that it would open all the right doors for me.

While I was now certain that obtaining an MBA was the best way to progress my career, I was still unsure whether I would find one that would meet my specific needs. My goal was unusual as it combined two very different fields and was highly specific to my progression within Analog Devices. I needed to learn both general business theory and more specific marketing and strategy related methodologies, and I wasn’t aware of any one programme that offered both.

I was delighted, however, to find that the UL MBA provides students with a wide range of elective modules to choose from, allowing each student to tailor the course to their own needs. This meant that I could focus on the subjects that I needed to progress along my desired career path such as marketing, economics and strategy.

I was also interested to learn that there was an international module, where students learn first-hand how different cultures do business. The programme exposed us to a wide range of senior business leaders. It was very inspiring to hear how they were putting the theories we learned in our modules to practice in the real world. Seeing these strategies used in a different way really broadened my understanding of them and has allowed me to effectively utilize those business theories within my specific circumstances in Analog Devices.

After graduating the MBA, my career accelerated, and I moved to Product Marketing Manager role in a few short months. I now hold the position of Marketing and Applications Director, a role I have always wanted that straddles both marketing and technical domains. Before the MBA, I would have never had the confidence to apply for either of these positions, much less the skills and knowledge to truly succeed in them.

As Marketing and Applications Director, I find myself using the skills and tools I acquired from the MBA on a daily basis. I now feel confident performing tasks such as managing change, negotiation and building frameworks after learning the theories behind each over the course of my MBA.

The sales skills and knowledge I learned at UL have also been particularly useful, as I can effectively engage and communicate with the sales team using motivational tools and terminology that they understand. This enables the sales and marketing teams to work closely together to achieve the company’s goals.

I am very fortunate to be working in a company like Analog Devices that understands the value in upskilling employees. The technical knowledge I acquired in my previous roles was paramount to my success in obtaining these leadership roles and has helped me communicate effectively with both staff and customers. I can say with confidence that the MBA from the University of Limerick has opened doors for me and my career has accelerated faster than I could have imagined.