What is it like to lead MBA student activities? NUS MBA student Steve Prawiromaruto, President of the MBA Technology Club and member of the 39th NUS MBA Students’ Council, reflects on his experience.
Starting my MBA in June 2021, running for a student council position did not even enter my mind. It was the type of thing I would usually avoid. An alumnus’s advice changed my mind – “Instead of just taking the opportunities that others provide, you can decide what these opportunities are and bring what you think is best for the MBA community.”
I decided to run for President in the Technology Club and was elected. Looking back one year later, was it the right choice? Definitely. Being a student council leader was not smooth sailing and was even quite chaotic at times, but I would never trade this experience for anything else. I learned three key things from this journey:
Aim for excellence and not perfection
I felt great pressure initially, especially as many seniors and staff raved about my amazing predecessor. As Tech Club president, I wanted to organise great events and address hot topics such as cloud, AI and Web3 (a new iteration of the World Wide Web based on blockchain technology), as well as engage technology companies such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Along the way, I held some unhealthy perfectionist views, such as trying to control everything to ensure everything runs flawlessly. Then I realised that this was impossible. Challenges and conflicts would crop up, especially with many stakeholders to juggle.
Perfectionism is toxic, and we should strive for excellence instead. Despite challenges, we can put in our best effort. It is also important to ensure clear communication among stakeholders so that everyone is aligned.
Focus on establishing meaningful relationships
I want to establish meaningful relationships, regardless of the professional value they may bring.
I have met some of the most amazing people during my time in the Tech Club. I met NUS MBA alumni from various tech companies who shared more about the industry and gave me some much-needed professional advice. Moderating a panel on non-fungible tokens (NFTs), I gained many insights on this topic from the speakers.
My club advisor, a managing director at Google, pushed me to define the club objectives more clearly. None of these individuals gave me a job or internship, but I have learned much from them.
