Before coming to ICS, I worked for First Advantage in Seoul for three years as a Researcher & Client Manager. This was the longest period that I stayed in the same country ever since I left Korea to study abroad at the age of thirteen.
Why I decided to apply for MBA
Having lived almost half of my life abroad, that adventurous side in me kicked in again. I wanted to do something that would help me get to the next level in building a career, so I decided to apply for MBA. I chose Hitotsubashi ICS because I lived in Japan as an undergraduate student at Waseda University, was already familiar with the school's strong reputation, and wanted to experience a different school system for my MBA in Japan.
The expectation vs the actual experience
My expectations prior to starting my MBA were high but straightforward: to learn and experience as much as I can. I was looking forward to taking finance-related courses as I had never learned those subjects before and participated in various programs such as GNAM and rice planting.
However, things took an unexpected turn with the onset of the global pandemic. My in-class learning experience was cut short halfway through my first year and I ended up spending the rest of my first year back home. However, with the strong support from school that enabled virtual learning to run smoothly and my Zemi professor, Tomonori Ito, I was able to stay connected to school and maintain a sense of belonging.
My future goal
When I started the MBA, I did not have clear ideas about my future goals. I did not want to pin myself down to something too early into the program. As time went by, I realized that there were two paths I could take: either to continue what I had done before or to try a new field. This was the reason why I did two internships in different industries.
My first internship was with Aimsoul Inc., a Japanese HR consulting company. I got this opportunity through the school's Career Services Office and gained first-hand experience working in a Japanese company. My second internship was with Glass Lewis, which provides corporate governance services to institutional investors. Exposure to a new field was very helpful in landing my job at Blackpeak, a risk management/advisory firm, as a Researcher. A career switch would not have been possible without Hitotsubashi ICS, which provided the right platform and opened so many doors for me. Coming back to Japan to pursue MBA was truly one of the best decisions I have made in my life.
AhRum Choi received an MBA from Hitotsubashi ICS in August 2021. She received her BAs from Waseda University and National University of Singapore, and an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London. Before getting her MBA, she worked for First Advantage as a Client Manager & Researcher. She is expected to work as a Researcher at Blackpeak in Tokyo from January 2022.