Guillermo Olguin Guarda, Manchester AMBS MBA Class of 2025
Guillermo Olguin Guarda, Manchester AMBS MBA Class of 2025Age: 36
Hometown: Santiago, Chile
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University Tecnica Federico Santa Maria, Bachelor of Business
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): More than nine years of experience in diverse marketing roles, being Marketing Manager the last one, within the Beauty and Oil and Gas industries.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I had intended for a long time to do an MBA, but the conditions (Personal and financial) were never given. A few years ago, during the pandemic, I realised that I have a concrete dream regarding my future goals and one of the biggest opportunities to achieve these goals was through an MBA as it is a place where many opportunities to network are presented, it gives you key skill to manage and lead people, and it is also a facilitator to live in an English-speaking country.
Why did you choose Alliance Manchester? What factors figured most prominently in your decision of where to attend?
I chose Alliance Manchester for the following reasons. The first one is the approach of learning by doing that the university applies, it is an approach that has always worked in my life as it is highly effective and has a real-life experience that can be applicable in any situation. The other reasons were regarding the university’s reputation and ranking, which are very strong in the UK and Europe, including the countries where I want to work. Finally, it was very appealing to me to study at a university where you could stay working after graduating in the same country and that had a strong good network of alumni.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2025?
I think my most valuable contribution to the class of 2025 is my experience, I knew from the beginning that I might be one of the students, with the most working experience and within different fields. Therefore, it was very important to embrace the role of the student but also to have the capacity and leadership to share my previous experiences with my fellow schoolmates at AMBS (Alliance Manchester Business School) to complete the different assignments as a work team.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that did not get included on your application:
I am a huge fan of Roller Coaster and Amusement and Themed Parks, one of the main reasons to choose the UK as a country to continue my studies is because the industry is developed here and some truly relevant companies such as Merlin Entertainments are born and based here. After finishing the MBA, I would like to pursue a career in this industry, using the key tools that the program will give to me.
Post-MBA career interests:
I want to pivot my career into the entertainment industry, hopefully in the Amusement and Themed Parks, developing the marketing and selling strategy of the different attractions or products offered by the brands I would like to work for. I have different interests, such as sports, games, outdoor activities, and cinema. In any case, I would like to still stay in the UK for at least a few years after finishing my studies.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I had the chance to have breakfast with Helen D. ( Director of MBA Admissions at AMBS) and if that opportunity presents itself again, I would do it without a doubt, it was the most insightful information I got from the program and the business school, having a really good 1:1 conversation on how does the MBA fit in my career at this point and how my personal goals, where achievable through the career process that the program has in place.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Ask more questions, I was very doubtful about many topics and did not ask enough questions to the admissions team. I could have clarified doubts related to housing, work for my wife, life in Manchester and what was crucial to do before coming here.
What is your initial impression of the Manchester AMBS students/culture/community?
If I could, I would have skipped taking the GMAT test, as I was working full-time and could not take a break to study, it was quite difficult to prepare for the test. Still, I managed to organise myself to study every day and prepare for the test, it helped me to remember my study habits from my undergraduate studies.
My initial impression is that this program is a professional program that asks you to develop skills by taking you on different projects and activities and after you have solved most of them, it gives you the tools to resolve them. So, the learning process is not just giving you information and applications of it, but more on challenging your abilities to later re-enforce them. This is very related to how life works, and it pushes you to defy the status quo. In terms of students, the diversity is very impressive and the culture that has been generated in the class is great, everyone so far is very respectful and likes to enjoy the time that we have together.
What is one thing you have learned about Manchester AMBS that has surprised you?
The one thing that has surprised me the most is the diversity of the University in terms of different nationalities and cultures, it is also interesting to see how societies are formed within various levels of degrees and the number of different societies that exist.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
So far, I am Anxious to see the results of the first year and to start locking network meetings and hopefully lead those to potential internships during the summer in the field of my interest.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
One thing that I am most excited about is finding out which work possibilities will open in the future and knowing that there is a probability of living in other cities, such as London, for the internship in the summer.
