Aditya Pratama

1. Why did you choose to go back to school for an MBA? And why did you choose RSM?

Going back to RSM to continue my MBA study has been the stepping stone I was looking for to realise my future professional goals. I see MBA as an enabler to further hone my leadership skills, and broaden my network beyond what I am exposed to at work. Choosing RSM mainly comes down to the proximity to the Netherland job market. Being able to continue my work in the Netherlands has always been a dream of mine, and I see that pursuing MBA at RSM would allow me to do that.

2. How is the International Full-time MBA preparing you to do business in an uncertain world?

The Personal Leadership Development (PLD) component of the MBA assists me to fundamentally shape my long-term goals and principles. In an uncertain world, changes and headwinds comes in many forms and at unexpected moments. To be able to fall back on a strong foundation of life principles during these challenging times will be highly beneficial.

Besides from that, the individual coaching sessions allow me to realise new ways of thinking when approaching a problem. They allow me to see problems from new perspectives and I realise that I have what it takes to solve them. In an uncertain world, I see that these skills allow me to always be flexible and resilient.

3. How would you describe your RSM FTMBA experience so far?

It has been challenging, yet fulfilling. The workload has been nothing short of challenging. The MBA experience is focused not only on academic rigor, but also on networking, self-development, and career readiness activities. This abundance of activities further trains my ability to prioritise tasks and managing the expectations of stakeholders. It has, however, been a fulfilling experience during which I learned not only in class but also from the smallest unexpected situations – like team conflicts.

4. What aspects of living and studying in Rotterdam do you want to keep in your life after the programme?

Freedom of thinking, and exchange of ideas. This is only possible because of the flat, non-hierarchical nature of team discussions in the Netherlands. This approach has its own challenges, but I feel that it really helps teams to listen to every opinion despite any hierarchy, and really aim for a solution that considers every aspect affecting that solution. This is something that I rarely experience in my home country, and something that I want to bring forward.

5. What has been the most inspiring or challenging assignment or course during the FTMBA so far? How did it challenge you?

The Markstrat project gave me a depiction of how marketing budgets are used in real world cases. So far, I have been the one who was allocated budgets from the top down, and then evaluated the metrics so I see things only from my finance perspective. The Markstrat simulation allows me to understand the difficulty of turning resources into financial output. And doing this in a group setting gives the exercise more challenges because decisions are created in many heads! Doing it this way also teaches us how to take shared responsibility, and not blaming each other if things go south!

6. In what way has the Personal Leadership Development (PLD) component of the programme affected you?

It allowed me to understand self-discipline. In the Small Scale Experiment I learned that it’s not about the number of hours needed to completely master new skills but the number of iterations of that skill that help us to master it. Before PLD I had not been exposed to this new technique. After really trying it, I see how it helps me effectively learn new skills. I call this ‘learning through 1000 mistakes’. Every iteration allows me to learn what can go wrong, and how I can improve in the next iteration.

7. How are you planning to create impact through business or in an organisation?

I plan to be a leader with integrity and wisdom. Reflecting on the current situations in the world, we desperately need leaders with both of those. I want to be a leader with principles and the ability to endure short-term hardship for long-term betterment of humankind. Of course, it is not easy to be that kind of leader. That is why I choose to continue my education to become a force for positive change with the RSM MBA.

8. How have you utilised the alumni network so far?

So far I have talked with a couple of alumni during mentoring sessions. The breadth of RSM alumni spread across many organisations is what I hope will help me to get a job. Regarding RSM MBA alumni specifically, I hope I can develop strong relationships with many leaders who are also RSM MBA alumni, and hopefully broaden my network.

9. How has the Career Development Team helped you on your journey?

The Career Development Team has been very helpful in exposing me and my cohort to many career opportunities, ranging from bringing companies in to talk to us, and holding alumni panel sessions. So far, the World Bank sharing session with professionals from the organisation really impressed me because we got to really connect and meet with them exclusively as an RSM MBA cohort.

10. What advice could you give to people who are considering doing an MBA?

You are in for an interesting journey that is unique, and I am sure will not be repeated again for the rest of your life. Learn from every moment that you are here in Rotterdam, and at RSM. Live in the moment, and remember that sometimes learning comes from unexpected circumstances. Always be ready to explore new things!

11. What's next for you?

I plan to continue my career in the Netherlands in the short term. Being able to speak Dutch fluently is my next goal. In the long term I want to go back to Indonesia to serve the country, and bring positive changes!