Success and failures are part and parcel of life, they teach you the most and learning is the key to helping you rise from the ashes like a phoenix.” –Shipra Sharma
My Journey
I was born and raised in incredible India and have lived in 5 different countries, including India, USA, Canada, Serbia and England. I left home at the age of 17 and went to Vancouver, Canada to pursue my Bachelor’s degree in business and communications. During the programme I went to Harvard University in Boston to study management for a semester. I then worked in a variety of sectors, from telecoms to fintech, and felt it was the right time to move to the UK and pursue an MBA. I was working for TELUS which is Canada's leading telecom giant headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. I supported 18 cities across British Columbia and was involved in identifying and addressing strategic priorities.
Pre MBA
Prior to the MBA, I also backpacked to 26 countries, which exposed me to diverse cultures and nationalities. I am an adventure junkie and enjoyed my time skydiving, bungee jumping, ziplining, scuba diving, and snorkelling in Australia and New Zealand. Travelling has helped me to break out of my comfort zone. I enjoy helping people so I partake in marketing workshops, public speaking, offer peer mentorship support and volunteer for local charity initiatives such as UNICEF. Before coming to Manchester, I also enjoyed volunteering for the clean the beach drive as I was passionate about contributing my time to a sustainable environment.
The MBA so far
I’m currently in my first year of the MBA programme and the experience so far has been full of learnings. It’s great to be around ambitious and goal-oriented individuals. During the pandemic, I have learnt to be more resilient and adaptable to the ‘new normal’ way of working. I have met fantastic individuals in my class and I am really looking forward to sailing along my MBA journey. I have now completed two client projects, which have taught me to work under pressure and time management. They are a great learning experience that drive you out of your comfort zone.
Up to now on the programme I have enjoyed working on the Capita case competition. I was elated to be on the winning team. The interaction with my fellow classmates who are from different backgrounds and cultures is inspiring. The MBA has presented an amazing opportunity to meet new people. Now Covid-19 restrictions in the UK have started to ease, I am enjoying all the class socials that we are able to participate in.
