Antje Schickert

University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium

“Adaptable, driven, and dependable person who enjoys self-growth through education and new challenges.”

Age: 38

Hometown: Arvada, CO

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve lived and worked in three different countries and enjoy traveling to many more. In addition, I love to explore unknown places and meet new people.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany: Diplom (Masters equivalent) in Biology

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA: Ph.D. in Biology

University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium: Master of Business Administration

Where are you currently working? I am currently working as a product manager for Sartorius, a leading supplier of the biopharmaceutical industry. This German-headquartered company operates globally and is a strong supporter of the COVID vaccine development efforts. The company creates innovative technologies for the development and manufacturing of new medications in the fight against many diseases such as cancers.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am proud of my overall development and self-growth. I was born and raised in Germany, lived in Austria, and eventually moved to the US to finish my education. This development helped me grow professionally as well as personally. Living among diverse cultures can significantly aid in seeing things from diverse perspectives and change old perceptions. In my career, I transitioned from a product development scientist to a product manager, combining my scientific background with my business knowledge. At the same time, I grew significantly as a leader and strong contributor within my organization. Continuous growth, learning, and development are essential to me on my journey to becoming the best version of myself that I can be. I am particularly proud of mentoring other members of my network to advance their careers and grow essential skills as communicators and drivers of change. Helping others to advance and excel in their careers is a strong motivator.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program?
I have a Ph.D. in biology and was transitioning from a scientist to a product management position in my company (biotech). I decided to work towards an MBA to add to the business acumen necessary for this position. My choice fell for the UW MBA Consortium due to its outstanding rating, the diverse offering of courses that aligned with my interests, and the ability to complete the program remotely. Additionally, the University answered my various questions about their program in detail and with patience. This behavior towards a prospect like me showed that the University cares about its students and is proud of its outstanding program. As the last item that fell into place, my husband’s family is from Wisconsin, and I felt proud to attend the same school as so many family members before me.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? I chose the online MBA program due to the incredible flexibility it offered. I travel extensively for business and leisure like to play several sports and enjoy spending time with friends and family. This online MBA fit into my schedule and still allowed me to do all the things I enjoy. I also liked to meet all the students from various parts of the country and the world. My professors and peers were outstanding and always offered new and fascinating perspectives, challenged me, and helped me to get the most out of this outstanding program.

What was the most surprising thing about an online learning environment? I was surprised at how strong the connection was between students and professors. Initially, I was uncertain about what to expect when interacting with each other in an online environment. However, everyone was incredibly open to sharing experiences with peers, highly motivated, and eager to work as a team. These factors made this experience very enlightening, collaborative, and very enjoyable.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? I started my in-classroom university experience when I was 19 studying biology in Germany. Now, I am almost 20 years older taking business classes online in another country. The experiences are quite different as the environment, culture, and I have changed over the years. Both have been invaluable to me and were the best approaches at that time in my development. As an undergraduate, the in-classroom experience was helpful to get oriented, meet other people and mature as an individual. Later in life, the online environment gave me the flexibility I required based on my career and personal needs. As a much more mature and confident person, it was easier to build networks and relationships remotely, something that might have been more challenging as a teenager.

What is your best piece of advice to an applicant for thriving in an online MBA program? The program requires strong self-motivation and time management skills, especially when taking multiple classes in parallel. I recommend reviewing the schedule and requirements in advance to plan your week and semester in advance. It also helped me to set aside certain times of the day to study to ensure I am on track for all assignments. Overall, I recommend being open and taking the time to meet your classmates. There is no better way to learn than through experiences and exchanges with your peers and professors.

What would you change about an online MBA Program? I believe the networking among the students could be further improved. I met wonderful, interesting, and intelligent peers during my classes. However, this was driven by being assigned to the same working groups. There are several students in the semester that I never got to work with and who I did not get to know as well. A platform that connects students across classes, working groups, and semesters could help to increase networking even more.

How has your online education helped you in your current job?
The topics learned in the MBA program helped me immediately in my position. I was able to apply business concepts readily to everyday work challenges. This elevated the quality of my work and my confidence, which was recognized by my peers and managers. I was able to help people in my network by applying the concepts I had learned and received a promotion to product management sooner than I had expected. While I expected to learn a lot about typical business concepts, I was surprised by the extraordinary impact that other courses had on my professional work. Due to the curriculum of the UW MBA Consortium, I became a more effective communicator, improved my networking skills, and significantly advanced my leadership skills in the organization. I am excited about my future professional opportunities due to the hard and soft skills acquired during my work with these extraordinary professors and peers.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? I changed roles during my MBA from a product development scientist to a product manager.

Did you earn a raise during the online MBA program? I have not received a raise for the completion of the MBA. However, the program opened new opportunities to continue my professional development in the future.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent On Online MBA: The time requirement changed depending on the different classes, but on average I spent about 8-12 hours per week on a class. This included studying, writing assignments, and participating in discussions with other students and professors. During most semesters I took 2 classes at the same time.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I am looking for new opportunities to lead a team in my organization. I am a strong individual contributor and lead teams without authority. That is very satisfying to me. However, in the next step in my career, I would like to lead a team of people that I can mentor, inspire, and engage to achieve their goals and the targets of the organization. My effective communication, problem-solving and interpersonal skills will aid me to improve the work environment while creating a setting that allows people to grow and thrive. I see my long-term development in the organization in a position where I can collaborate closely with people, help them grow, and achieve remarkable results while having a significant impact on the organization and its processes.

MEET THE ENTIRE BEST & BRIGHTEST ONLINE MBA CLASS OF 2022

DON’T MISS: POETS&QUANTS ONLINE MBA HUB or RANKING THE WORLD’S BEST ONLINE MBAS OF 2022