Yulia Jin has already built an impressive professional career. As a young mother, she is now about to complete her studies in the Swiss-Asian MBA programme. In this interview, she talks about how she manages to stay on top of her busy schedule.
Yulia, please tell us a bit about your professional background.
Yulia Jin: After graduating from Jiangsu University of Technology in 2010, I returned to Shanghai where I had the pleasure of meeting a Swiss couple and becoming their assistant, thus starting my connection with Switzerland. In addition to helping them with the problems they encountered when they first arrived in China, I also followed them as a sales assistant in Asia for two Swiss companies. After three years, they decided to return home, and I was invited back to Switzerland to learn French and experience the country. In June 2017, I was appointed by the Swiss Embassy in China to take care of the implementation of the Sino-Swiss Business Roundtable at the World Intelligence Conference (WIC 2017) in Tianjin. Since the first edition in November 2018, the Swiss Centers has been one of the official partners of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Switzerland. I gained valuable experience, improved my skills and added a lot of confidence to my work.
Given your impressive track record, what made you choose the Swiss-Asian MBA programme at FHNW?
In the course of my work, I have been involved in hosting many delegations of MBA and EMBA students from Chinese and Swiss universities. Our arrangements always impress many participants, and they gather a lot of insights from the companies which opens their eyes about China as a big market.
Gradually, an idea came to me that I would also like to broaden my horizons by combining what I have learned with practical applications through an MBA study. This would not only help me in my personal career development, gaining the skills and knowledge needed as a manager, but also give me the opportunity to network and discuss business management with other professionals, and deepen my understanding of multicultural business and management. I became interested in the Swiss-Asian MBA programme when I learned about it by chance from a fellow student from my hometown at a SwissCham Shanghai company visit event. The Swiss-Asian MBA programme fully met my expectations in terms of flexible schedule, rigorous education standard and pragmatic course design. And as a doer, I immediately submitted my application.
What impressed me the most was the fact that many Swiss and European professors had experience living and teaching in China and Asia. Because of that, they could better explain and convey Eastern and Western business ethics from different perspectives.
What are some key learnings from the Swiss-Asian MBA that have stuck with you?
The programme provides a broad business and management education covering areas such as finance, marketing, IT and strategy. The mix of individual assignments, group projects and case studies helped me to improve my leadership, problem-solving and communication skills. In addition, the Swiss-Asian MBA programme has a strong focus on innovation and variation, which is important to stay abreast of new technologies in the industry and be prepared for new trends and developments.
Equally important are the people I met in the study programme. We are a diverse group of students, many of whom are corporate managers and even company founders. In addition to the lectures and professors, I learned a lot from the questions asked by the participants and from their interactions. In my opinion, asking intelligent questions is in itself an exercise in critical thinking and reflecting.
By joining the Swiss-Asian MBA programme, I have made a lot of new, like-minded friends and we can talk about everything from business management to parenting strategies. My German classmate Ina congratulated me when she found out I was promoted to Deputy General Manager and then said something that I could not agree more with: “As women in the workplace, we should encourage each other and celebrate ourselves more, because life is tough enough”.
As a young working mother, what advice would you like to share with people in a similar position?
First, you need to have a supportive work and home environment. A work environment that values work-life balance and the full support of your family and those around you can make it easier for working mothers to continue their careers. Second, continually developing skills through training, workshops and on-the-job learning can help us keep up with trends and understand industry dynamics. In terms of education, pursuing a higher degree, such as an MBA, or earning a certificate in management can help you demonstrate your knowledge and skills to employers. In the workplace, you should have initiative, consistently set new goals for yourself, even if it they are small, and stick to your efforts. Finally, I think it is necessary to always expand your network. Only with a strong professional network can you provide support, advice and opportunities for other working moms who want to continue to develop their careers and themselves.