Journalist goes in search of knowledge and finds new life in equity research
After working as a journalist for seven years, I decided in 2006 that it was time to do something different. Getting an MBA was my first step to achieving this goal.
Before my MBA studies, my business training was limited to some business courses I took as an undergraduate and my experience as a business reporter in the United States. I wanted an academic setting to strengthen my business knowledge.
I chose the full-time programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong because I wanted to learn more about the China market and to build a network in Hong Kong. Midway through my studies there, the university created a double MBA degree in partnership with The University of Texas in Austin. This gave me the opportunity to obtain an MBA degree from both schools. I would spend a year each in Hong Kong and Austin and become part of the alumni network at both universities after I graduated.
I struggled a bit before making the decision to go to Austin because it was a big investment. The cost for one year of study, including tuition and living expenses, was about US$50,000.
I went to my mentor who explained that Texas was a good university and that I would be able to borrow government-subsidised student loans to finance my studies, which made it a good investment.
I decided to go. One of the first things I realised during my first year of studies was how moulded I was in the journalistic way of thinking. I attended talks given by executives with a reporter's mindset. I asked pointed questions about the company, as if I was writing a news story about the event afterwards. This sometimes drew curious looks from the speakers. It took me a while to let go of my journalistic cap and put on my business cap.