Studying an MBS MBA helped Alessa Balane find a new home and new career path

Alessa enjoyed studying an MBA in Melbourne so much that she moved here, and now works at a fast-growing Australian startup company.

After earning an industrial engineering degree in the Philippines in 2017, Alessa Balane hit the ground running.

Shortly after graduating, Alessa landed a spot in DHL's supply chain management graduate program.

"From that, I just fell in love with supply chain," she says.

"The craziness of it all and the interesting problems to solve every day. I enjoy the mix of being on the shop floor and crunching numbers and dealing with many people."

From a graduate trainee, Alessa was promoted to Operations Manager then Site Manager, overseeing up to 300 people. She could never have foreseen the challenges that COVID-19 would present to the supply chain sector a short time later.

"It was a great challenge for myself. I had to really step up," she says.

"After that, I thought to myself: 'You know, I've gone through this. I've fought this battle. What's next for me?'"

Why an MBA?

After establishing a solid base of technical knowledge, Alessa wanted to broaden her skillset and confidence in business strategy and leadership. An MBA was a perfect way to fill in the gaps and open more opportunities.

"I came from a technical background, industrial engineering, so I was strong in maths but I really wanted to grow my business mindset and financial skills."

Then came the question of which business school.

One thing Alessa always knew was that she wanted to do her MBA overseas.

"The nature of the challenges businesses face in the Philippines as a developing country are very different than what you'd face in a place like Singapore, or the US, or Australia."

Alessa considered several different business schools around the world, but decided on the Full-time MBA at Melbourne Business School after speaking with Future Learners Manager Nicole Mina.

"I had a 30 minute call with Nicole, and it was a great call," she says.

"She understood exactly what I was looking for in an MBA and how MBS could fill those gaps for me. And I thought, 'yeah, I'm submitting my application right after this call'. And I did."

Moving to Melbourne

Relocating from the Philippines to Melbourne come with a few culture shocks – and the need to acclimatise to cooler weather.

"But honestly, it was a great transition," Alessa says.

"I think Melbourne, being as livable as it is, was amazing for me. Getting around is so easy. I love it, it's just a great city. Everyone's so friendly.

"One thing I really appreciate about Melbourne is the food scene. I thought I would miss Filipino food a lot. But there are quite a few options here too. I've also tried food that I never tried before."

International community, one city

Alessa was instantly embraced by her new MBS community, which she puts down to the rich international student cohort.

"We all walk in, day one, with the same mindset and same experience of not knowing a lot of people. So naturally we form that bond."

Alessa is ecstatic that she can now call students from the US, India, Indonesia and Pakistan friends – as well as fellow Filipinos.

She particularly enjoyed the ways in which everyone had a unique approach to problems, opening her mind to new ideas that she would never have thought of herself.

Confidence boost

At the beginning of her MBS MBA, Alessa felt like an imposter when she saw the type of people she was studying with.

"I felt like I was amongst some of the best and qualified people with lots of experience," she says.

But as she progressed through the program, Alessa began to gain more confidence in her own skills and capabilities.

She was able to reframe the calibre of the cohort from something that was intimidating to a motivating opportunity.

"I wouldn't say that I've got imposter syndrome anymore and I've got the skills to back that up," she says.

"It's really helped me become who I am now."

Career coaching

As an international student, Melbourne Business School's Career Service team was instrumental in helping Alessa adapt to the Australian job market.

The team coached Alessa on Australian workplace expectations and culture, and – where necessary – provided translation advice.

"Australians do speak English, but sometimes you don't understand what they're saying with all the lingo," Alessa jokes.

Alessa was assigned to David Tan, a seasoned executive with more than 35 years of experience across multiple sectors, functions and careers.

“He's just the best. I would send him a text and ask him for advice. ‘I'm applying for this job. What do you think of this?’ He always tried his best to help me out.”

Industry connections

The Career Services team also helped Alessa access an Immersive Business Experience with Tata Consultancy Services.

The Immersive Business Experience is a core subject that gives full-time MBA students the opportunity to gain practical experience by working in teams to solve real business problems that MBS industry partners are facing.

Alessa and her team were guided through the project by an MBS alumni who currently works at Tata Consultancy Services.

Tata Consultancy Services is an Indian company with many locations across the globe. Alessa got a taste of what it's like to work for a multinational company when she was given the opportunity to present to both the Australian and US teams.

"It was a great networking opportunity for me to really kickstart my career."

New life with Lyka

After completing her MBS MBA, Alessa enjoyed the Melbourne lifestyle so much that she decided to make it her new home.

Impressed with her engineering experience and new business skill set, the recruitment team at fast-growing Australian startup Lyka offered her a role as Project Engineer.

Alessa now undertakes various initiatives to drive efficiency and other continuous improvement projects that support the company's goal of improving the pet food industry.

With her own ageing dog in mind, Lyka CEO Anna Podolsky was inspired to found the business to create nutritious pet food for dog owners and improve the health of their pups.

"Anna is very inspirational," Alessa says.

"Just working with her, being in a room with her – she's so humble, but so switched on. She knows her business inside and out."

As Lyka grows, Alessa is also thinking about her own future and how she wants to use her new MBA skills to make an impact.

"I really hope to grow my career in the leadership space," she says.

"I enjoy working with big teams. and I love the challenge of complex problems."

To find out more about studying at Melbourne Business School, visit our Degree Programs and Short Courses pages, or learn about our range of custom services For Organisations.