GPCM truly shaped me into the person I am today
Margot is a Global Project & Change Management (GPCM) graduate. She currently works at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Dubai. There she’s part of the Employee Engagement, Wellbeing, and D&I team. She explains what her role entails and reflects on her degree.
"My role focuses entirely on the people in the company. We run various initiatives, ranging from social 'reconnect' events on our terrace to themed panels on different topics. For example, during Mental Health Week, we hosted a panel exploring the dynamics between introverts and extroverts in the workplace. We run initiatives to celebrate the women in both senior and junior roles. We run a range of initiatives for the wellness of our employees, from yoga classes to designated safe spaces to share possible concerns or worries.
My biggest challenge was understanding the organisation in depth and learning how all the internal systems work together to make initiatives happen. It was also challenging to find the right allies across the company, but I’ve learned how to navigate that and build strong working relationships."
Choosing Dubai
"I chose to move to Dubai because I have family nearby; two cousins here, and the rest of my family is in Oman. I truly believe that home is wherever you feel surrounded by family, and that’s exactly how I feel here. I had been living away from my family since 2019, so I felt the need to reunite with them.
Finding a job wasn’t necessarily easy, but it also wasn’t too hard. The biggest difficulty for me was having too many possible directions to go in. My degree gave me the flexibility to work for any kind of organisation, such as a company, NGO, or otherwise. The only thing I was sure of was that I wanted to move to Dubai. Eventually, I found this job through my cousin. After a long selection process, I was fortunate to be chosen."
Putting GPCM into practice
"I chose Global Project & Change Management because one of my biggest interests has always been sustainability and making a positive impact on the world. I felt GPCM offered me the tools and mindset to pursue that path. And I was right, I feel well-equipped for my job. I think the programme gave me the foundation I needed.
We learned a lot about diversity and how to embrace it. It’s something that’s very important in my current role. All the real-life client projects we did, helped me build professionalism, structure, and the ability to deliver quality work. Subjects like project management, communication, and research have been especially useful. I use all three regularly in my job. Also, having a deep understanding of the SDGs is helpful, as topics like inequality and sustainability often come up in work.
Looking back now, I can see the importance of every subject, project, and report we worked on. So my advice would be: give it your all. It really does matter. GPCM truly shaped me into the person I am today."
Looking ahead
"I’d love to grow within the company. I really appreciate how employee-focused it is, and the benefits we receive are amazing. There’s a strong sense of community here that actually reminds me of GPCM, just on a larger scale.
My biggest tip for jobseekers is to make sure your CV is well-prepared, and get ready for your interviews. Go in confident, curious, and full of questions. Recruiters love when you ask thoughtful questions."