The Lifelong Learner: How an MBA Transformed My Career and Life

After graduating with a Masters in Public Relations in 2010, my first boss congratulated me, but also brought me right back down to earth pretty swiftly when he told me that I’d have to continuously dip back in to further education in order to progress throughout my career. I remember feeling dumbstruck at the prospect of this, as I had sworn I was forever done with essays and exams, yet here I was hearing that I’d never truly be fully ‘educated’.I kept this sentiment at the back of my mind, and whenever I find myself at a crossroads and am looking to either level up or make a move, I turn to education. Over the last 14 years, I have completed various diplomas to complement my career in Communications, Marketing and Sponsorship, but at the back of my mind I always knew that I wanted to complete an MBA. I was confident in my areas of expertise, but I felt that in order to progress into leadership and truly get a 360 degree view on business, the MBA would allow me to delve into disciplines like HR, Finance and Innovation, which I previously didn’t have exposure to.

Being a lifelong learner comes with a lot of benefits in terms of both career and personal growth, but it doesn’t come without sacrifice! I knew that I wanted to do an MBA, but the big questions for me were where and when?

DCU stood out for me as I had benefitted from what the University had to offer while studying for my undergraduate degree in Multimedia back in 2005. The course also took place on Thursdays from 2-9pm, which afforded me flexibility at the weekends. This was essential to help with juggling the course alongside full time work and family commitments. DCU’s Executive MBA also put a huge focus on personal development, which sealed the deal for me.

The final question was ‘when?’. Since completing the course, I’ve been contacted by lots of very capable female executives making enquiries as they hope to make the time to undertake it. The truth is that, particularly as a female, there is no ideal time. I started the course a month before I got married, wanted to start the journey of expanding our family, and like many females in their thirties, I didn’t have the luxury of time to waste.

Over the two years of the course, I changed jobs twice, moving into global roles, which required a whole new degree of performance and commitment at work. I went to two FIFA World Cups leading Social Impact campaigns as part of the FIFA Communications team, moved into a new role with PepsiCo working at both the men’s and women’s UEFA Champions League finals in Eindhoven and Istanbul, and I was pregnant with my first child during our final semester. Each of my classmates had their own unique journeys also. Life happens anyway. I think the real question when taking on MBA or any kind of further education is ‘why?’.

If your ‘why’ is strong enough, and you truly believe in the benefits, the sacrifices that come alongside studying part-time become a lot easier. For me, during a huge period of change, the MBA was a constant. No matter what was going on professionally or personally, our class assembled each Thursday. The companionship, vulnerability and war stories shared by my class went a lot further than traditional networking, and is truly a ‘money can’t buy’ perk of undertaking the course.

The practical nature of modules also meant that learnings were relevant and applicable to day to day activities, and I found myself going into work each week with new strings added to my bow. The capstone project, which centres around personal development also equipped each class member with tools to develop self-awareness across the two years of the course. The rewards were reaped both professionally and personally, with all aspects of life improving once we got to grips with our strengths and weaknesses. A tough, but necessary exercise!

Completing the MBA is one of my proudest and most rewarding achievements to date. Since starting it in September 2021, I have seen my career progress in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and I hope that by continuing to apply course insights, it will continue to develop in an upward trajectory. And as for the advice of my first boss, surely I’m finished with essays and exams by now.

Lisa Bergin, Global Brand Communications at PepsiCo and DCU Executive MBA alumna