Mohammed Azharuddin Khan discusses the good, the difficult and the rewarding parts of returning to education in the middle of your career.

Earlier this year, Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet announced its plans to award four fully funded places on its MSc in Leadership, Innovation and Technology programme as a way of celebrating the course’s 20 years in operation.

The programme, which is delivered at Technological University Dublin, is a part-time, applied master’s designed specifically for experienced professionals working in technology and innovation-led environments.

In the years since it was first introduced in 2006, the programme has produced 300 graduates.

One such graduate is Mohammed Azharuddin Khan, who recently completed the course.

Khan, a project manager at Dell Technologies, tells SiliconRepublic.com that he was drawn to the leadership programme through “an honest realisation”.

“I was leading big projects, and the work was going well,” he explains. “But I started to notice something. The higher the conversations went, the less my technical skills helped me.

“The things that got me this far were not the same things that would take me further.”

Determined to find a way to progress, Khan decided to look at a few courses – but none of them “felt right”, he says.

“They were either too general or too far from the work I actually do.”

He was ultimately drawn to the MSc in Leadership, Innovation and Technology programme.

“[It] sat exactly where I spend my time, between technology, leadership and innovation,” he says. “That made sense for me. It wasn’t learning for its own sake, it was learning I could bring straight back into my day-to-day work.”

Back to school

Having completed an engineering degree at the beginning of his career, Khan says the return to education years later was noticeably different from his earlier studies.

“During my undergrad, studying was my main focus,” he explains. “I had more time and fewer responsibilities. I learned a lot, but most of it stayed as theory. I did not have much real experience at that time, so it was mostly about passing exams.”

This time, he says, it was very different.

“I could relate what I was learning directly to my work. Sometimes I would read about a leadership concept and immediately think of a situation from my job.

“It felt practical and useful, not just theory. I could apply things quickly, and because of that, the learning stayed with me.”

But while the learning experience was different, Khan says the hard part wasn’t the studying – it was “managing everything around it”.

Around the time that Khan was starting the course, he and his wife had a son. The first-time dad had to balance a full-time job, learning how to be a father and his studies.

“Looking back, that period changed a lot for me,” he says.

“When I reflect on it now, I can see how important the support system was. I received strong support from the teaching staff, who were understanding and flexible. My organisation and my manager were also supportive, which made a big difference.

“Most importantly, my wife supported me throughout this time. Having this kind of support really helped me keep going. There were moments when it felt overwhelming, but that support and encouragement made a big difference.”

Learn and apply

Khan describes his experience of the programme as very positive, particularly praising the structure of the course and its relevance to real work situations.

“I was able to connect what I learned with my day-to-day job, which made it very practical,” he says.

Khan says one of the highlights of the programme was the blended learning format that the course utilised, with both in-person and online classes.

“This helped me manage work and study in a better way,” he explains. “The in-person classes also gave a good chance to connect with classmates from different industries.

“Being in a room with experienced professionals from different industries really changed how I think. Sometimes I would bring a problem from my own work, and someone from a different field would see it in a completely new way. This kind of learning was very valuable.”

For anyone considering going back to education mid-career, Khan advises that you don’t wait for the “perfect time”, because it never really comes.

“There will always be work, family and other responsibilities,” he explains. “I started my course when I had a newborn at home and a full-time job. It was not easy, but looking back, it was definitely worth it.”

He also advises that you talk to the people around you before you start – including your partner, manager and team. He recommends that they should know what you’re planning since their support will make a big difference during the inevitable busy and difficult weeks of mid-career learning.

This support system, he says, will help you stay on track.

“Another important thing is to see your experience as a strength,” says Khan. “When you study in the middle of your career, you can connect learning to real situations. This helps you understand things better and makes the learning more valuable compared to when you are just starting out.

“The qualification and degree are important, but the real benefit is how the experience changes your thinking. It helps you grow as a professional and as a leader, and that is something that stays with you long after the course is finished.”

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