After building a career in the non-profit space in New York City, Vaughan Bagley (Oxford, ‘19)
moved across the pond to attend Oxford for her MBA. By gaining exposure to a well-rounded business curriculum, Bagley gained a broader business mindset that has enabled her to look for a career outside of the non-profit space. But her time in business school also gave her the chance to reflect and build her own self-awareness, which has helped strengthen her confidence in her future career.
MBASchooled: You’re originally from Washington D.C., and went abroad to go to get your MBA. How did that enrich your MBA Experience?
Exponentially. Being at a school with an 800-year history of excellence and academic rigor, surrounded by classmates from 62 different countries, is not an experience you can get in the States. The ability to travel to exotic, new countries without any jetlag, to witness firsthand the conversations that ensue when so many cultural perspectives are represented in the classroom, and to go to a school so richly diverse in professional backgrounds was exactly why I chose Oxford, and I am so happy that I did.
MBASchooled: What was the most important lesson you learned in business school?
Business school, and particularly the weeks since graduation, has allowed me to think deeply about who I am and what I have to offer in my next role, and in my career as a whole. I distinctly remember sitting in my Rethinking Business course in January of this year, discussing the growth and evolution of hybrid business models in today’s society, and the power that they possess to create new avenues for experimentation across disciplines. It is up to us to see this time of flux in the business community as an opportunity, and to figure out where within that flux we want to sit. Thought-provoking conversations such as these, both inside and outside the classroom, have forced me to reconsider my own personal goals and the field in which I want to achieve them. As a result, I have a newfound confidence in my ability to find the right path, even if it takes a bit longer than I want it to.
MBASchooled: What part of you has undergone the most transformation as a result of business school?
Coming from the nonprofit sector, getting my MBA was a steppingstone into the unknown. Throughout the year, I learned a great deal about what excites me, what I am passionate about, and what I am not – and have become much more accepting of myself in the process. I now know that you can throw me into just about any situation, and I will figure it out, and I know that while many of my questions were answered this year, I am left with even more questions than what I started with, which I think is exactly the way it is supposed to be.
MBASchooled: You were very active in student leadership activities, such as Co-Chair of the Women’s Leadership Alliance, and co-ambassador for the Global Network for Advanced Management, what did you enjoy and learn from these experiences?
As co-chair for the Oxford Women’s Leadership Alliance (OWLA), I was able to curate events throughout the year that inspired my female classmates, taught them something new either about the world or about themselves, and helped them make connections, both with each other and within the wider university. Through bi-weekly discussion sessions, a mentorship program, and skills workshops, we were able to foster a community of women within our cohort who were there to lift each other up and share in the unique challenges that come with being in a male-dominated MBA program, going into mostly male-dominated work environments. This allowed me to get to know so many of these women on a deeper level, and form relationships I will always cherish. As part of this leadership team, as well as in my co-ambassador role for GNAM, I was also able to deepen my relationship and sense of connection to the school through meaningful partnerships with administrators, while also learning from my teammates in unexpected ways.
MBASchooled: Prior to business school, you worked in the non-profit sector. How did you manage to get up to speed and learning new concepts or ideas, and how did your experience in the non-profit sector help you in school?
Working at two small, scrappy nonprofits gave me a great deal of insight into how to manage cross-departmental teams, and how to fundraise and sell an idea or program. Donor fundraising is very similar to investor pitches, and the marketing, strategy, and operations skills I garnered in the nonprofit sector will undoubtedly serve me in any future role I take in the private sector. As far as getting up to speed, I wish I had done more over the summer to prepare for the corporate finance and economics courses, but thanks to my amazing and very supportive peers, we were able to make it through together.
MBASchooled: How has your outlook on yourself and your own career changed as a result of your MBA Experience?
Before coming to the MBA, my experience was mostly in nonprofits so the MBA completely expanded my horizons to the vast array of possibilities that exist in the corporate world for those who are interested in living a life of meaning and impact. As a result, I have decided not to go back into nonprofits (at least not right away) but rather, to explore some of these other avenues for social change. This is a very different path than I originally intended, but I am excited by the vast array of possibilities it will bring.
MBASchooled: As you re-enter the workforce, how do you see what you’ve learned in business school helping you as you navigate your career?
First of all, as someone who had no finance or accounting experience, I am coming into the workforce now with greater confidence in my ability to conquer any challenge that is thrown my way. I know that I have a better handle not merely on the jargon, but also on the basics of each of these areas of expertise – so while I couldn’t pass as an accountant, I know how to ask the right questions of my accountant in a way that I never would have before.
Similarly, the lessons I learned in the classroom gave me a clearer picture of the inner workings of a business – how to navigate times of transition, how to understand and respond to competition, and how to foster a community of innovators and risk-takers while also being cautious and strategic when considering the timing, the team, and the partners needed to achieve success. The MBA forced me to see things differently, and consequently, gave me the foundation for leadership going forward.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for other students on how they can make the most of their MBA Experience?
I commend people who have time to write in a journal or a diary. I have never been that person. But during the MBA, I started writing in a line-a-day book – something I highly recommend you do to remind you of this year (or two years) and all that you do and accomplish – as before you know it, it will all be over. Secondly, I created a google doc and added to it every Sunday with my rose, bud, and thorn for the week. It is easy in business school to forget all the amazing experiences you have, the people you meet, the speakers you learn from, and the ideas you have in and outside the classroom. Doing one or both of these things will help you hang onto those moments and strengthen the lessons you take with you following the MBA.
MBASchooled: What is one skill that you recommend MBA students build (or strengthen) when they are in business school to prepare them for their future career?
One of the challenges of business school is finding ways to work with people who might not be your ideal teammates. While you are not going to be best friends with everyone in your cohort, finding ways to foster and develop mutual respect over the course of long (sometimes very stressful) group projects can often be more difficult than it sounds. While occasionally you will find teams that fit together like a glove, more often than not you will hear of or experience those where one person is constantly trying to shine brighter than the rest, where someone doesn’t take their responsibilities seriously, or where personal dislikes cloud professional judgment. Learning how to not be that person, and rather, to be the person who mends fences and encourages a team mentality — that is an art I don’t think any of us have mastered but business school is the perfect place to practice.