Seven interviews, one job. And the MBA that made the difference.
The Bath MBA helped Naetima become a more empathetic leader and gave her the confidence to succeed in a highly competitive job market.
Naetima Prathipthinthong, Bath MBA Class of 2025
Naetima went through seven rounds of interviews for her current role in Singapore, in a job market she calls the toughest she’s faced. She credits the Bath MBA, not just for what she learned in class, but for the clarity it gave her before she ever walked into the interview room.
I knew something was missing
Before the MBA, I was working in a marketing agency as a digital media planning manager. My job was to help clients grow their brands and achieve their business objectives, while leading a team to deliver the work.
I was quite young when I started managing people. I’d never taken classes in management, strategy or human resources. Suddenly I wasn’t just responsible for my own work. I had to manage a team, clients and stakeholders all at the same time. I struggled with that quite a bit.
I’d always wanted to do a postgraduate degree, but I wasn’t sure which one. Bath stood out because it felt practical. The Multi-Project Suite appealed to me because it wasn’t just about learning theory. I wanted to build new skills, but I also wanted the time to step back and think about what I wanted to do next. That was exactly what I found.
I think I became a kinder person because of the MBA.
Learning what makes a team really work
When I started the MBA, I still approached teamwork the same way I had at work. All I cared about was the result. I didn’t really think about team dynamics or how people felt. I just brought that mindset with me. Working with different people throughout the year gradually changed that.
One of the biggest turning points came during the Leadership Mindset module. We had an exercise where we each built a team for a project and then reflected on the outcomes afterwards. My instinct was to choose all the high performers. Some of my classmates chose people they simply enjoyed working with.
Watching how differently those teams worked was eye-opening. I’d take a very different approach now. I still want strong people involved, but I’ve learned a good team needs a real balance of personalities and strengths, not just room full of top performers.
I still want the result, but you can achieve that result with a better process that brings people along with you.
I think I became a kinder person because of the MBA. More empathetic. Honestly, I’m just nicer to work with.
The shift in how I saw people didn’t just change how I led. It turned out to matter just as much when I went looking for my next role.
The MBA is about the people you meet, the different perspectives you experience and the opportunities to understand yourself before you take your next step.
Seven interviews, one job
I’m now based in Singapore, working with a platform that helps advertisers create campaigns, analyse performance and generate insights. But getting here meant going through seven rounds of interviews for one role. I don’t think I’d have landed it without the MBA.
I didn’t secure this role because of what I learned in academic classes. The MBA gave me the time to properly explore myself and find my values. By the time I walked into those interviews, I had all my answers ready. I knew what mattered to me and what I wanted from my next step.
The MBA careers team helped prepare me for that. The mock interviews, careers support and mentoring all made a real difference.
Career support is just as important as the academic side of an MBA. Every job involves on-the-job learning, regardless of what you studied. The MBA helps you think more logically and more strategically, but it will never be 100% of your role. If you can’t land the interview, you never get the chance to use any of that. The job market is tough. You need to be equipped before you even start job hunting.
Making the most of the experience
If someone asked me for one piece of advice before starting an MBA, it would be to make the most of everything that’s available to you.
Use what the Careers team offers. Speak to your mentor. Do the mock interviews while you’re still on the programme, not after you’ve graduated. That’s when you have the time to prepare.
My mentor gave me a lot of direction, and I’m still in touch with my careers coach today. Even after graduating, those conversations have continued to help me.
The MBA isn’t just about what you learn in the classroom. It’s also about the people you meet, the different perspectives you experience and the opportunities to understand yourself before you take your next step.
When I started the MBA, I wanted practical leadership skills. Looking back, I gained something much more valuable. I learned to think differently about people, about teamwork and about myself.
That changed the way I lead. It gave me the confidence to navigate one of the toughest job markets I’ve experienced. More importantly, it prepared me for whatever comes next.
Curious about what your own Beyond Bath story could look like?
Book a one-to-one conversation to explore how the Bath MBA could support your next chapter.