In the early days of a career, you focus your training and education to develop a functional specialty. As an Olin Executive MBA, you are equipped to solve multidimensional problems at the level of the enterprise, outside the functional silos. With these new competencies come expanded career possibilities and the need to manage your career consciously and strategically.
At Olin, you'll develop the self-awareness and skill sets to navigate your desired career path. Often, an Executive MBA will discover a strength that leads in a new direction – for example, a physician who discovers a talent for finance and moves from patient care to negotiation of hospital expansion opportunities. The top leaders in organizations that support the Executive MBA frequently report that their sponsored employees are weighing in on different subjects, asking different questions and seeking out mentors in areas outside their previous specialties.
Olin’s goal is to assist our Executive MBAs in making career choices that maximize their contributions to their organizations, enable them to apply their newly-acquired business acumen and realize their personal goals.
Assessment and Professional Development Planning
Starting just after admission, long before the first day of class, Executive MBAs undergo a series of self-assessments to determine their strengths and define their leadership styles. Executive MBAs create personal development plans that shape their career strategies and identify areas for growth. In addition to assessment, Olin’s personal development process includes:
- Coaching for professional and leadership development
- Peer assessment and feedback on team and leadership skills
- Optional skill-building workshops
- Course material on leadership, influence, negotiation, cross-cultural management, and team development
Career Coaching and Resources
At Olin we include voluntary and confidential one-on-one personalized career coaching opportunities and tailored to your personal and professional background. Interactive role play will take you through the key stages of genuine engagement: self-discovery/awareness, communication/branding, engagement/networking, and closure/interview.
In addition, you'll have access to the resources of Olin's Weston Career Center. Visit their website for more information.
Olin Connections
Strategic networking is an essential component of career advancement for all executives, whether they are actively exploring new opportunities or building influence in their organizations and communities. The Olin network is unsurpassed. Your connections will grow from Executive MBA classmates out to more than 15,000 Olin alumni worldwide, including the graduates of our Executive MBA Shanghai program. Add to that the richness of the Washington University environment with its potential for connections across disciplines, and you have the career advancement network of a lifetime.
Transformation
Many executive students report a promotion while they are in the program. Some report a transformation. The Olin Executive MBA provides skills, methods, assessment, support and connections that lead down surprising pathways. One Executive commented halfway through the program, “I’ve learned so much already that I don’t even know the person I’m going to be when I graduate.” Another said, “I feel that I’m becoming my true self.” Knowing that we can transform ourselves encourages us to develop others, which in turn creates momentum in our organizations.