Earn had a whole life ahead of him in Thailand. He was working in a digital marketing agency, dealing with multi-million companies and doing what he loved best – creative content. Read Earn’s interview and why this young professional decided to leave everything behind, and start a journey in China at ZIBS-iMBA.
Please introduce yourself.
Hi, my name is Earn, 25 years old from Bangkok, Thailand. I have a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication major in Advertising degree from Thailand. For three years, I worked in a digital marketing agency doing creative content. I did everything; from planning, marketing, and copywriting – a lot of creative stuff.
I’ve worked with many brands such as Samsung and Unilever. I always wanted to challenge myself to do more, especially something business-oriented. I realized that my work became routine and did not enjoy it anymore.
After years of working in the agency, I decided to leave and explore. My goal has always been to travel, discover new things and study abroad. I researched and found out that studying in the U.S. or the U.K. is expensive.
Other than that, I wanted to learn another language, which is important in today’s modern world. I ended up choosing between Japan and China. My brother and sister are in Japan so I considered going to the country because it was easier.
China can give me more opportunities as many emerging companies have a China connection. I’ll also learn more about business and marketing in China.
How did you choose ZIBS-iMBA?
I was doing my research and ZIBS popped up.
The first thing I did was to search for a region in China because didn’t want to live in a big city. Zhejiang is a perfect place for me, it’s not big and crowded, but it’s home to many new companies and startups. The cost of living is also not as expensive compared to Shanghai.
After choosing Zhejiang, I looked for good universities that would be suitable for me. That’s when I found ZIBS-iMBA. At first, I thought the university didn’t offer the program I liked so I scanned around Fudan and another university.
Around June, I saw ZIBS was offering iMBA and I was immediately convinced that it was perfect for me. The program was new and it would give me the opportunity to grow with the school.
In general, I thought it would be more fun. All my qualifications also met the requirements, so I decided to just go for it.
Can you tell me about ZIBS-iMBA?
ZIBS-iMBA has a part-time and full-time program option. On weekdays, from Monday to Friday, I take Chinese classes. I also join classes in the China Studies program such as Chinese history and culture.
The ZIBS-iMBA gives you a deeper understanding of business and improves your way of thinking. ZIBS uses different tools to improve your knowledge about leadership, human resource, and accounting. The dean at ZIBS is highly experienced. He has a lot of good inputs in technology and finance.
What are your favorite courses in the program?
Leadership One is great. We get a chance to role-play and work with other students. It’s good to see and observe fellow international students who come from different countries as well.
Each of us comes from different backgrounds and we vary when dealing with situations but we make it work.
For instance, one task was to role play surviving in the wilderness. Sounds silly at first, but our professors guided us and in the end proved a point. If you have great leadership skills, you can encourage other people to follow you and improve overall performance. This would be useful in the future if I become a manager or lead a team.
What opportunities do you have when it comes to work and internships at ZIBS?
ZIBS has a recruitment activity for the next year, so I’m doing market research right now. The school is well-connected in the business and finance industry. We also learn from the best, so I’m confident that there are many opportunities waiting after graduation.
What are your plans after graduating from the iMBA program?
I’m eyeing a Thai company with connections in China. The goal of the company is to partner with China to bring more factories to Thailand and vice-versa. It would be great to work in the company, but I’m also keeping my options open. I’m not going to restrict myself so if anything comes along I’m going to take it.
It would be a plus if the company is multi-cultural because with my Chinese skills right now, I don’t think I can work with a purely Chinese company. There are numerous opportunities for Thais because many industrial companies back home have partnerships with Chinese companies.
My family background would be helpful as well. We are into farming, manufacturing fresh produce like tropical fruits. If I can find a market in China, I can distribute my products here.
What’s it like in Haining?
Haining is nice, it’s not too far from the city. The ZIBS campus is relatively new. When you walk around, you feel like you own the campus. The facilities are new, and they have basically everything. The campus is safe. My favorite spots are the park and the area near the river. I can hang around there an hour a day, it’s great.
There’s a traditional market near the river and ancient-old shops. You can buy food and souvenirs for a really low price or just chill there. They also have huge malls if you want to go shopping. It’s not very far, you can ride a bike and you’ll get there in 15 minutes.
What do you think of technology in China?
I’m definitely amazed by Fintech like P2P Lending and the use of electronic payment systems like Alipay. It’s something very new to me. We don’t have that in Thailand and it’s developing so fast here. I’m in awe.
What would you say to students who are looking into the iMBA program?
You should be willing to adapt, learn and keep going. It’s so much fun. I’ve done many new things that I never even imagined doing before.
An example is studying in a room full of Chinese people chattering and my Chinese is not that good.
I’m an introvert and shy person, but taking the program has made me go against my nature. I have to insert myself a lot of times being the new one in school.
If you come from a country like mine which is not so tech-savvy, it would be so cool to come here. Everything is automated. You realize it would be so good to adapt Chinese technology in your own country. I have a lot of ideas that I want to introduce to the Thai market.
Are you ready to start your journey at ZIBS-iMBA? Get in touch with China Admissions to start your application at ZIBS. Our professional student counselors will provide you with advice and guidance from document preparation to your arrival in China.
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