Product Marketing Specialist Studies Entrepreneurship.

Career advancement is the light at the end of tunnel for driven MBA student

In the highly competitive world of advertising and marketing, Aimee Beaumont isn’t leaving her professional success to chance. That’s why this 29-year-old product marketing specialist has spent the last two years balancing a fulltime job and earning her MBA in Entrepreneurship at Jones International University. For Beaumont, the flexibility of an online degree program was essential for her busy schedule. “It definitely takes discipline, but I knew that my education was important to me. I wouldn’t have taken this on if I didn’t know I could do it.” In fact, Beaumont intends on graduating with honors when she completes her last class this coming spring. “I was just shy of that with my undergrad degree,” she said. “This time around, I'm committed to reaching that goal.” In fact, Beaumont intends on graduating with honors when she completes her last class this coming spring. “I was just shy of that with my undergrad degree,” she said. “This time around, I'm committed to reaching that goal.” Beaumont said the MBA Entrepreneurship specialization at JIU appealed to her long-term career aspirations to possibly start her own business. “Right now, I want to move ahead in my company, so the well-rounded business knowledge gained from an MBA is perfect,” she explained. “But, down the road, should I decide to break out on my own, I have a solid foundation in entrepreneurship.”

We recently spoke with Beaumont about what her professional goals and what the last couple years have been like pursuing her degree at JIU.

World Wide Learn:	What are your career aspirations? How does getting a degree fit into them?
Aimee Beaumont:	My career aspirations are to move to the top as quickly as possible. By getting my degree at JIU, I hope to achieve a better position in my company, have more mobility to move up the corporate ladder, and get a salary increase, along with gaining a competitive advantage over others.
World Wide Learn:	Why did you decide on an online degree program, and why JIU?
Aimee Beaumont:	I chose an online degree program because it gave me more flexibility to take classes and get my degree, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about leaving work to meet a class. I also chose JIU, because it was one of the only schools that offered an Entrepreneurship degree.
World Wide Learn:	How do you fit your coursework into your busy work schedule? How much time do you spend per week?
Aimee Beaumont:	It really depends on the class. I prefer to do all of my work and assignments over the weekend, where I have time to spend on them, since during the week I have a lot going on. It also depends on my work schedule. If I am putting in a lot of hours at the office, I tend to do the work on the weekend; where as if I don’t work a lot of late nights, than I have more time during the week. It also depends on the assignment. I tend to like writing papers on the weekends vs. during the week. It’s hard sitting in front of the computer all day at the office and then having to come home and do it again for a few hours, but I have the willpower to get it done and I stick to my schedule. Some people think I am crazy, but I only have two classes and several weeks left, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.
World Wide Learn:	What are some challenges you’ve faced with respect to your degree coursework?
Aimee Beaumont:	I hate numbers, and I don’t understand accounting/finance. I learn more quickly if it is taught to me, so these two classes were a challenge to me. However, I knew someone who was good at this type of stuff and would teach it to me so that I would understand. The assignment work took me a little longer, but with the examples and answers that were provided in the book, I was able to get through it.
World Wide Learn:	How is it communicating with your instructor, or other students, in a completely online environment?
Aimee Beaumont:	Communication with the instructors and other students has been fine. I haven’t run into any problems with this and everyone is quick to respond.
World Wide Learn:	What advice would you give to someone considering getting their degree online?
Aimee Beaumont:	To make sure that this is something that you want to do and that you can learn easily without being instructed. Also, to make sure that you are a type of person who doesn’t need that classroom setting to learn.