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4 Reasons MBA Student Activities Will Help You Stand Out In Your Career

If you’re looking to build a strong set of business skills that can set you apart from other MBA graduates, here are four ways MBA student activities can make the difference

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Thu Apr 25 2024

BusinessBecause
When it comes to boosting your MBA return on investment (MBA ROI), student activities have a lot to offer.

From pitching to investors in international competitions to taking the lead in student associations, business school offers great opportunities to develop your experience, expand your network, and upskill.

For two MBA students at CUHK Business School, extracurricular activities have helped them do just that. Kevin Yu is studying for an MBA with a concentration in Business Analytics, while Sidan Wang is studying for an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship.

BusinessBecause sat down with Kevin and Sidan to find out the four reasons why MBA student activities can help you stand out in your career.


1. Build leadership skills with MBA extracurricular activities

Leadership skills are developed through experience. While MBA classes offer leadership development opportunities, MBA extracurricular activities provide a real-world environment to test these skills.

“Leadership experience should be an integral part of anyone’s MBA experience. You don't learn how to be a leader unless you try it yourself first,” says Kevin.

At CUHK MBA, there are many extracurricular opportunities for cultivating leadership skills. For Sidan, this meant taking on the roles of class representative and the chair of external affairs for student associations. 

“I helped to organize sports activities and major events for the MBA program to help with connections and resources,” Sidan explains.

These events facilitate networking across the cohort and require necessary skills for leadership building, such as decision-making and problem-solving skills.


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2. MBA activities promote business networking with alumni

Building a diverse network is a cornerstone of the MBA experience. Strong connections with professionals from different industries and career stages can lead to invaluable career insights and open doors to new opportunities.

As the oldest business school in Hong Kong, CUHK has built an extensive alumni network over the last 60 years. Through events such as dinners and talks among current students and alumni, the LEAP Adviser Scheme (LAS) enables students to learn from the career paths of CUHK MBA graduates and build lasting connections. For alumni hoping to continue developing their business skills long after graduation, the Alumni Audit Program offers various learning opportunities to catch up with cutting-edge business concepts.

Career insights are not the only benefits of alumni networking. As Kevin prepared for the global Turner MIINT (MBA Impact Investing Network and Training Program) competition, he actively tapped into the CUHK network.

“I've had the privilege of receiving mentorship from a lot of alumni. In our competition, my team consulted with quite a few alumni and professors who gave a lot of very useful advice. Having that firsthand career advice has been fantastic,” says Kevin.

The Turner MIINT program, co-produced by the Wharton Social Impact Initiative and the Bridges Impact Foundation, is an experiential learning opportunity for MBA students. It allows them to practice impact investing by sourcing and conducting diligence on early-stage impact investments while competing for financial investment. 

For Sidan, the opportunity to take part in the competition was not only impactful in her business education, but for her future career plans too.

“The MIINT competition helped me to determine that I want to get into the impact investing field. I would not have gained this knowledge if I was not in the MBA program at CUHK and if I didn’t participate in these competitions,” says Sidan.


3. Improve business communication skills through MBA extracurricular activities

Strong business communication skills are essential for MBA students seeking high-level roles after graduation, together with leadership skills and a solid network. 

An essential part of effective communication is adaptability. When it comes to negotiations and effective leadership, the ability to communicate with professionals from different backgrounds and perspectives is key.

“I thought I knew how to work with other people, but when I got into the MBA program, I realized there are so many kinds of people in this world. Through competitions, I learned how to interact with all the people around me—it’s a real learning experience outside of class,” says Sidan.


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4. Develop a well-rounded skill set in MBA competitions

Just like internships, student clubs and competitions enable students to build technical expertise and essential soft skills to thrive in the business world.

Competitions such as hackathons have been a way for Kevin to improve his coding and programming skills. These intensive competitions have tight deadlines of 24 to 48 hours, during which participants have to build a solution to a problem. Working under strict time constraints, students exercise critical business skills such as time management and performing under pressure.

“I'm a beginner in terms of coding but hackathons allow me to upskill and provide a taste of entrepreneurship as a lot of hackathons have to do with new business ideas,” Kevin explains.

While hackathons need participants to stay focused in a tight timeframe, competitions such as the Turner MIINT require sustained perseverance and stamina over a much longer period.

“Unlike other competitions that only last for weeks, MIINT lasts for almost a year, so you have to be very persistent with it,” Sidan explains.

Perseverance and the ability to perform under pressure are valuable skills that business professionals should strive for, as shown by research at the University of Pennsylvania.

Whether your MBA ambitions are to grow an international and diverse network, build technical and interpersonal skills, or prepare for future leadership roles, actively participating in MBA student associations can give you a competitive edge.

Student Reviews

CUHK MBA

Student

Verified

23/09/2022

Blended

One of a kind

I studied Bioinformatics at CUHK last year. It was the only Master's degree in Hong Kong in this field. This program developed my analytical skills and equipped me to be a Bioinformatician in a very practical way. I enjoyed my year here and met classmates from different parts of the world. If you are thinking to enhance your profile, this degree program would be a good option.

Student

Verified

19/11/2021

On Campus

general education courses, unique college system, large campus

The university facilitates multi-dimension and interdisciplinary learning. In social science faculty, we need to choose courses as our faculty package from other departments (architecture, psychology, sociology, etc.) to learn more than our major required courses. We are also required to finish general education courses, which aid our critical thinking and humanistic sensibilities. I do recommend the social science broad-based program, and the professors I met so far are all responsible and erudite.

Student

Verified

28/10/2017

LLM

The faculty of law is relatively new. You do not need to have a LLB to pursue a LLM, which is special. The taught programme is great for mature students who want to obtain legal knowledge. CUHK has good teaching staff too.

Student

Verified

20/10/2017

Amazing Campus and Great Educational Environment

Not only is CUHK's main campus breathtaking, it provides for a good educational environment for students. The university is well-equipped with modern and up-to-date facilities to help students with their study. We have 8 libraries in total around the campus; one for media, one for architectural studies, the medical library and the law library. The Professors are always helpful and are happy to talk to students when needed. Moreover, the college system within the university brings forth the uniqueness of CUHK. Each student belongs to a different college, and in that students are able to meet different peoples from different countries and students from different faculties. I think CUHK provides for a well-rounded university life for all students.

Student

Verified

17/10/2017

exthrillating

One of the most down to earth places in HK. A great opportunity to learn and embody the local culture. Also had one the most beautiful campus in Hong Kong up on the hillside. Glad to have graduated here.

Student

Verified

5/10/2017

Innovative and Supportive

My university provided me with all the support I needed, and encouraged me to be up to date with all the new developments in the world. They also provided me with the incentive to excel at what I do, and they take much pride in my achievements. I have had a very rewarding university experience.

Student

Verified

2/10/2017

Small, New But Friendly Law School

To being with, I think the campus of CUHK is the best and the biggest in Hong Kong, with fresh air and trees everywhere. I am an undergraduate Law student at CUHK and I think the teaching here is great, with very friendly and nice professors and the new Lee Shau Kee Building. In terms of the courses offered by CUHK, as one of the largest universities in Hong Kong, CUHK is an all-rounded university, offering a wide range of courses to students. Students may take the introductory courses of discipline other than their own major, or even declare a minor. For law electives, due to the small amount of intake, the variety of law electives are not that huge. However, the Faculty is offering some international programmes, which can be treated as law electives, but at the same time, provide us with an opportunity to travel and know more about the legal system of another country. The career support from the Faculty of Law is also amazing. The Faculty will organise CV Sessions and talks on how to get an internship from law firms or mini-pupillage from barrister's chambers. Each student will also have a Distinguished Professional Mentor, which is a current legal profession, providing us with practical advices and updates of the legal field. Finally, from my personal experience, I think the students in CUHK are friendly and genuine. As Law students, competition is inevitable for grades, GPAs, vacation schemes and training contract. However, I think the competition in CUHK Law School is a positive one, in a sense that help us grow together, instead of fighting with each other no matter what. That is the biggest reason why I am having a very good time here in CUHK Law School.

Student

Verified

30/09/2017

A place to explore your interests

As a law graduate from CUHK (both undergrad and post-grad), I realise that I had many opportunities to explore my areas of interests (legal and non-legal both). The faculty/university requires us to take a certain number of non-law electives, and offers a plethora of courses to choose from. Personally, I took 3 modules in Korean --I can't say it's made me highly proficient, but it's definitely given me a good foundation (I can walk into a Korean restaurant and confidently order food, at the very least). The fact that language courses are offered also provides students who are more financially constrained an opportunity to learn a language without having to shell out a premium for a decent language course. On top of that, we have a range of law electives as well. I know of classmates who have developed lasting interest in different areas of law because of the electives they took in school. The two electives that I would say have changed me is (i) mooting and (ii) family law. I think my experience in an international commercial arbitration moot competition has helped tremendously in formulating legal arguments and legal writing. On the other hand, taking a family law elective has made me very interested in the family law practice, especially in terms of child rights. For these experiences which I have gained, I'm grateful for the opportunities provided by the school. One main issue most students I know have is with the way our GPA is calculated and the lack of transparency in terms of how the honours system works. As our GPA is marked on a curve. it's highly unrepresentative of what we have achieved as individuals. Given that our GPA is the only criteria that is looked at when we apply for the compulsory post-graduate law course (mandatory should we want to practise law and/or be trainees in Hong Kong), it will put our own students at a distinct disadvantage when we compete for limited spaces with students from schools where GPA is not on a bell curve.

Student

Verified

27/06/2022

On Campus

Valuable time in CUHK

I like the learning environment and people at CUHK. Surrounded by hills and Tolo Harbour, CUHK provides a balance between nature and hustle. You can always escape from the busy study life and meet your friend around the big campus for different activities.