Ioane Afoa

Why did you decide to study an MBA?

I felt like I had the experience already in the operational field, but it seemed to me, although I did have the experience, I needed some sort of higher qualification to be able to really put into practice and get a bit of rationale behind this decision-making that I would make in the business – in terms of concepts, the principles, and also any analytical tools that I may have adopted from the MBA to incorporate into my workplace.

What would you say to somebody who was thinking about doing an MBA?

I’d say go for it. I mean, you got nothing to lose. But it’s also important that you get your loved ones on board, get also, the good support network behind you as well, because you need as much support as you can.

What were the best aspects of studying online with AIB?

Studying online with AIB gave me the flexibility around my workload. I work 24 hours on call. Having a public transport network in Auckland, it’s important that there’s always someone there to be able to be on call from an operational seat. And also, having the ability to jump on the line whenever I get the opportunity to to conduct any studies that I might need. But also, the time difference in Auckland, New Zealand, and headquarters in Adelaide gave me the ability to also try and manage my workload from the time frame difference.

What would you say to somebody else then, who as like, “I don’t know if I have the time, I’ve got a full-time job, kids, family. I don’t know if I can do an MBA.” What would you say to them?

I think it’s finding out what is your why – why are you doing it, why do you choose, why are you thinking of doing an MBA? Making sure that’s a strong enough why to push you through and motivate you to complete the course. But also, just encouraging them.

Benefits that I’ve got out of the MBA has really pushed through my career, in terms of, I can now understand the rationale at a higher management piece as to why they make certain decisions. So, it’s not only career-wise as to why you should be doing an MBA – for those who are thinking of doing an MBA – but also, lifelong lessons as well, valuable lessons that you could maybe adopt, take home, just for yourself.

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