MBA Student Credits Whitman Program for New Job Offer

Sheung Au ’24 MBA found the online MBA program at the Whitman School through extensive personal research of review sites and motivation to continue her education at an advanced level while managing her busy schedule. Au lives in the Bay Area of California and works full time while caring for her 5-year-old son. She has been the senior demand planner at GoodEggs, an online grocery startup, and credits Whitman for her recent job transition.

In October, Au began a new role at Zeiss, a German-based medical technology company that specializes in optical systems and medical devices. Au says that after seven rounds of interviews, her educational background at Whitman made her stand out from other candidates: “The reputation of the online MBA and the experiential skills that Whitman has given me allowed me to receive and accept this offer.”

Au anticipated finishing her MBA and graduating from the Whitman program in Spring 2024. Until then, she continued to enjoy the coursework and opportunities provided. Au went to Stockholm in August 2023, where she studied and observed large international companies through the residency program that the online MBA program offers. Au gained valuable insights into the world of startup business during her trip. She said she acquired a deeper understanding of the challenges that startups face when they scale up, which is the same situation her former company is facing. Au said the residency program is also a good opportunity to interact and connect with students and her professors. “The material that we studied at the residency is very relevant to my career, and the opportunity adds a lot of value to the program,” Au says.

The online MBA program’s flexibility is just one of Whitman’s attractions for Au. “I’m able to commit to my family and my work and can still get a very good education that contains a lot of relevant advanced content,” says Au. “The content acquired through my classes has proven to be highly applicable in real-world business scenarios.”

For example, Au says she learned various theories in her classes that she has applied within her former role and during the interview process for her new job. Au said that while interviewing with Zeiss, she effectively demonstrated inventory management concepts that she learned in one of her supply chain courses. “The course material has led me to implement important trade strategies into my job. Going forward, I’m excited to apply more concept theories into real business world situations, especially within my [new] job,” says Au.

Despite managing her classes with a busy schedule, Au said that without the online MBA program, she wouldn’t have secured her new job offer: “For me, Whitman has been life-changing."