MSc Management Alumna Clara Madroszkiewicz talks about why she chose the MSc in Management, how it impacted her career, working at MongoDB, and more. Read her story here.
My Background
My name is Clara Madroszkiewicz, and I am based in Dublin and work as an Account Development Representative at MongoDB, a SaaS company selling document based databases. Apart from that, I am a part-time yoga teacher who loves sea dips and nature.
Clara Madroszkiewicz
Choosing the MSc in Management
The reason I chose Trinity Business school was that after my Bachelor in Arts at The University of Vienna, I wanted to pursue a degree that would deepen my business acumen.
It was clear to me that I wanted to study abroad and specifically in Ireland, mainly because of my fascination with the culture, nature and people. I had visited Trinity College as a tourist on my trips to Ireland and was inspired by its gorgeous appearance and scholarly history.
Having started my research on where to study, Trinity Business School came highly in European and World rankings. The MSc in Management was highly ranked in particular. Knowing that starting my own business is my ultimate goal, the MSc in Management was the perfect choice.
Developing my Career
One of my key takeaways from the master was that management takes a whole lot more than knowing just about business and economics. It requires a holistic approach towards the business but even more so it requires interpersonal skills, listening abilities, ethical judgement, time management and “getting stuff done”, to quote one of my lecturers.
The MSc in Management taught me that working smarter and not necessarily harder, will get you far and that prioritising well being, mindfulness and time spent with friends will ultimately support all your endeavours.
Apart from the hard skills gained during the master - like choosing the portfolio with better ROI - I learned invaluable life skills. Resilience, confidence, strategic thinking and that leadership is an amalgamation of culture, listening, delegating, adapting and leading. This master has without a doubt equipped me with skills for life and a fruitful career.
Graduation day at Trinity!
Applying the MSc in Management in My Work
In a practical sense, I have been able to apply learnings from my time in the MSc in Management at my past and current work places. The ability to understand a business from different angles such a finance, marketing or operations has helped me enormously in my business development role, as I am able to understand the companies’ businesses I work with faster and better.
On a daily basis, I use the active listening skills I learned as well as thinking on my feet. At work, I get to talk to clients from enterprise companies, identifying their business pains, needs and trying to find a matching solution. I engage with clients on social media, while working strategically on key accounts with Account Executives.
I am learning everyday and the supportive culture is just one of the things that I love about working at MongoDB. Without the MSc in Management, I wouldn’t have known how fascinated I am by technology, which is the reason where I am in my career right now.
MongoDB Starter Pack!
It’s funny to think how the things I learned trickle into my daily and work life. When I am in meetings with colleagues where we are working on projects together, I am able to apply the team work I learned from group assignments during my master studies.
The culture at MongoDB is very flat and supportive. If you have an issue you can just slack the managing director, no bother! We are all in this together and that’s why we live by the motto #buildtogther. It’s a very diverse and international crowd, which makes working there extremely fun and interesting. I like that I am challenged everyday and that I have so much room to grow and learn.
Advice
What’s essential in order to step into the management or wider business sector here in Ireland? Networking. Wherever you want to work, whatever you want to do, find (online) events and professional networks that you can connect with. Also, don’t be shy, reach out to that person on LinkedIn who has your dream job and ask them about it. Never underestimate the power of connections and genuine relationships.
Friends for life
Whether you want to become a Googler, join the LinkedIn professional network or work being the big blue Like Thumb; be proactive. Coupled with networking, being proactive, having a polished CV (the Trinity Business School dedicated postgraduate careers team is of invaluable assistance with that) and tailored cover letters, will be crucial. Know your own business, appreciate all the things you have done so far and don’t ever discount even the smallest experience you’ve gathered.
As for your time at Trinity College Dublin? Indulge.
Indulge in that lush green of the west coast, sipping coffee on the campus, the amazing lecturers, the Long Room, the endless fun you will have with classmates & friends. This is such a unique and wonderful experience, which will pass by in the blink of an eye. Enjoy all of the wonderful perks of joining societies, like going to guest speakers, learning new skills and listening to astounding talks.
I would also recommend sitting down with the careers team for individual coaching, it helped me so much in stepping into the professional life. Above all, don’t forget to take it all in and enjoy the experience day by day.
