Josh Makari

Josh’s career started in law enforcement with the NSW Police Force. After 12 years of service, his career led him to Lebanon where he would work for another 2 years as a Senior Field Operative, representing the Victims and Witnesses Unit of the Special Tribunal Unit.

With a vision to future-proof his career, MBA Graduate Josh Makari, Head of Safety & Security – Australia & New Zealand at Ola, set out to start his MBA, taking every challenge along the way and turning it into an opportunity to learn.

“My writing, depth of research, substance, analysis, and quality of my arguments were lacking quite significantly. You could tell I hadn’t studied in quite some time. The answer was obvious – I needed to learn how to write effectively for university-level assessments.”

Fast forward to now, he’s most certainly overcome his writing challenges. Not only has he completed his MBA, an amazing feat, but he received the Dean’s Merit Award placing him in the top 10% of students.

And while he’s finished with his studies for now and looking forward to the extra time he has at his disposal, he does have some thoughtful insights for anyone who may be considering an MBA.

Why did you start your MBA?

I started it to further educate and challenge myself. Also to future-proof my career and put me ahead of my competition.

Did you have any successes during or after completion?

Yes, after I completed my MBA I began applying for new roles and was successful in gaining a position with Ola Australia as the Head of Safety & Security. I don’t believe this would have been possible without my MBA.

Any advice to others that are thinking about starting?

Don’t think about it too long or you’ll miss the boat and delay your education. It’s a well-structured and easy-to-understand degree without the traditional university fluff. The teachers are great and very helpful. I’d choose AIB again if I had the choice

You mentioned academic writing presented some challenges, do you have any tips for others concerned about writing?

• Good research, analysis, and evaluation will help you understand a problem and find the answers. Google is your friend, you just need to stop being lazy.
• Always take your time to plan a response and ensure that you are addressing the key points.
• Don’t waffle on and get too fluffy – always be direct and to the point with your writing.
• Writing is an art that improves with time.
• Repetitions train the donkey.
• Hard work and persistence will get you through most things.
• Learning is fun if you give it a chance and learn about something you actually enjoy.
• If you have skin in the game (upfront payment), you suddenly become a lot more motivated to succeed!

While some aspects of an MBA can seem daunting, there is not one student that hasn’t felt the same. And what do most of them have in common? Once they got stuck into their studies, much like Josh, they’ve been able to overcome them and come out better for it.
 
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