Taner Cagin Online MBA Alumni Interview

Senior Project Manager Taner Cagin finished his University of Adelaide Master of Business Administration Online in 2022. Following his MBA studies, Taner has progressed his career and believes that the MBA helped him get the role.  

‘For me it was thinking about the future, I didn’t necessarily want to have a single trajectory career and be stuck in a single field. Doing an MBA, in my mind, opened doors to other industries’.   

Why choose an MBA?

For Taner, there were a range of reasons that lead him to choose to study a Master of Business Administration Online. ‘First and foremost, I had my future in mind, secondly I manage large groups of people and I thought that the MBA would allow me to see things with a different lens,’ he said. ‘With an MBA, I was able to develop myself as a leader and do it whilst I was younger.’ 

As someone working in the engineering sector, Taner weighed up his options and researched other pathways before choosing the MBA, ‘Doing a Masters of Project Management would have limited my growth and there were overlaps with the MBA subjects that made the MBA more well-rounded and the right choice.’  

Another factor that solidified Taner’s decision to choose the University of Adelaide was the response he received from our representatives. ‘I knew it was the right choice for me upon speaking to the University of Adelaide representative. The warmth of the discussion made sense decision wise – what I read in the handbook is what I received,’ he said.  

Expand upon your skillset with subjects outside of your repertoire 

The Master of Business Administration Online allows students to delve into subjects that they may not usually explore in their day-to-day role.  

Taner found that despite some of these subjects challenging his engineering-centred mindset, that he was able to take the skills and apply them across his work. ‘I think there were mixed emotions with marketing and accounting. It’s not my bread and butter, but all businesses work on making a profit, and understanding those areas more, allows me to influence where I can be a part of the bigger picture,’ he said. ‘As an engineer I’m methodical and like to do things in a certain way, but Entrepreneurial Mindset (subject), particularly the management aspect, allowed me to do things with a new mindset and means I can be collaborative and ensure that things are effective.’  

Due to the range of student backgrounds, Taner was also able to utilise the experience of his peers to expand his views. ‘Having a breadth of different people in the course and their stories allowed me to expand my mindset,’ he said. ‘I’m now able to step back and appreciate the importance of marketing not only for my organisation but even everyday life. For example, when I go to places like Woolworths, I know why they group various products together.’ 

Study now, plan ahead

A Master of Business Administration Online offers managers a world-class pathway to transformational growth and equips you with the tools to help forward-think.  

‘Now that my wider circle is aware of my MBA, there are immediate and future impacts on my career’, Taner said.  

Taner discovered that the management subject allowed him to apply his learnings to both current day to day work and in regards to future planning. ‘Don’t just worry about the here and now, think about the next 10-15 years and develop plans for those.’ 

High levels of support and flexibility 

Taner found that comfort in the level of support he received from his tutors. 

‘Tutors were readily available and if I ever needed something, they made themselves accessible. The ease of online study gave me the confidence that I needed’, he said. ‘The tutors were all relatable also and knew that we were balancing things, so it made it more positive.’ 

Due to the aforementioned nature of the tutors, Taner found the online sessions were very engaging.

Join our Master of Business Administration alumni

Learn more about Taner’s experience by watching our on-demand webinar where he discusses the Master of Business Administration online with a University of Adelaide tutor and a member of our Enrolment Advisor team.   

The University of Adelaide’s MBA is the best way to kick start the next chapter of your career. Visit the Master of Business Administration program page to learn more or make an appointment to speak with an advisor today.