A Google engineer’s journey through IIT Roorkee’s online Executive MBA programme
Amit Jha, a Sr. Cloud Customer Engineer at Google, recently enrolled in an online Executive MBA (EMBA) degree at IIT Roorkee in an effort to pivot his career towards technology management and product management roles. In a candid conversation, Amit shares his experiences and thoughts on the programme so far (Amit is currently in his 3rd term), highlighting the long-term value in terms of learning outcomes and applicability.
Exploring and mastering new areas
“I definitely see long term value in this course. The areas that I have never learned like finance, marketing, these are areas which I had zero clue about because I’ve mostly been confined into my cocoon of software and technical work”. According to Amit, the programme offers a significant body of work that can be leveraged to gain a well-rounded understanding of several key business areas, specifically for tech professionals who don’t have experience running a business. He adds, “It exposes tech folks, at least people like me, into areas which we have never thought of, simple things like how do you read a quarterly statement for a company? How do you understand the balance sheet? How do you understand the different decisions that are made based on the financial conditions? What goes into brand building?”
Flexible learning experience
Amit also appreciates the flexibility provided by the Executive MBA programme. He mentions that the online platform worked well for him, allowing him to learn from his phone and watch videos while on the move. Furthermore, the EMBA leadership at IIT Roorkee accommodated requests related to exams, such as stretching exams out over three weekends instead of two.
Learning from visiting professors and guest lectures
One of the highlights for Amit has been the guest lectures from experts with extensive experience in the field. “I have enjoyed learning from people with over 30 to 40 years of experience and not just in one area, but multiple areas and have worked in top leadership positions. So that has been useful” he says.
These interactions have deepened his understanding and have been instrumental in broadening his perspective on various aspects of management.
Why an Executive MBA over a traditional MBA?
While traditional MBAs focus on definitions and old-school approaches, the Executive MBA programme at IIT Roorkee’s primary goal is to match executives’ learning needs. Moreover, IITR is collecting feedback and making necessary updates in the EMBA curriculum to incorporate more strategic content and add experiential study content that is better suited to the needs of professionals like Amit.
So far, the online Executive MBA from IIT Roorkee has been helpful in preparing Amit for the next steps in his career. The programme succeeds in breaking down barriers between technology and management, providing a comprehensive, flexible, and enriching learning experience tailored for individuals like Amit, who are eager to make a transition in their professional lives.
Click to find out more about IIT Roorkee’s Executive MBA programme
