Job Title: U.S. Department of Defense Acquisitions Professional, Program Manager
Employer: Booz Allen Hamilton
City and State: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Degrees: B.A. in Politics from Messiah College; Executive MBA in Aerospace & Defense from the University of Oklahoma
First and most importantly, the EMBA program equipped me with the knowledge I needed to operate at a higher level. I gained insight into highly applicable subject matter areas such as information technology, corporate finance, leadership, strategy and entrepreneurship, and I find myself leaning on these insights daily. I think my company has noticed the value of the program. Within the first year of graduating, I was given a career manager role and around a 13% increase in pay.
Undoubtedly, a program like this will be challenging for students and their families. There is no way around this completely, but I did some things that seemed to mitigate the stress quite a bit.
Most importantly, my spouse was very supportive of the program, and I communicated with her my schedule and what I needed to do to be successful. I also made a conscious effort to make sure she knew she was appreciated. At the end of the program, I walked in the graduation ceremony, but she deserved just as much credit for the accomplishment as I did.
Accrue as much time off as you can at work, and don’t be afraid to use it when your family needs you or your spouse needs a break.
I was most effective at studying when relaxed, so I recommend learning relaxation techniques that work for you and combining them with study. For me, this meant creating a relaxing environment where I could study and work on projects. I turned a small room in our house into a home office with my computer, a sofa, pleasant décor, and a comfortable office chair. I often played calm instrumental music while I studied.
I mostly studied at night after our children were in bed. This meant I got to spend some time with them while they were awake, and study time was relatively quiet.
The relationships I developed with my classmates and professors and my conversations with them were invaluable. Our class was small, so there was plenty of time to get to know everyone. My classmates were all seasoned and well-respected professionals with valuable experience. Many of my professors have also worked in the same industry in which I work. This provided an opportunity to voice and develop my ideas and get immediate feedback from both peers and faculty. Many of these ideas I was able to apply at work almost immediately.
Respect and believe in your team and manage up. Don’t be afraid to push back on unrealistic expectations. This will show your team that you have their back. Do it because it’s the right thing to do. As an awesome side effect, your team will accomplish more than you thought possible, and your leaders will respect you for it.
I viewed this as a long-term investment in myself rather than paying tuition. Many of my peers were current or prior military and had access to funding through GI Bill benefits, but it is possible to pay for the program without this. I used a combination of personal funding, corporate funding, and federal financing.
