When Ines Weitgasser was just starting out, her passion for storytelling and creativity led her to Los Angeles, where she began working for TV and film studios doing post-production. “I’ve always been interested in creative work and working with a team of motivated professionals,” she said of her time in Hollywood. But after ten years, she was ready for a new challenge.
Given the complementary skill sets shared by manufacturing and projects, Weitgasser transitioned to start-ups and began honing more specific project management skills. At the same time, she began taking business-related specializations at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that are available on Coursera, such as Business Analytics and Strategic Leadership and Management.
That learning may have seemed independent at first—a way to build her skill set in a business direction—but eventually Weitgasser realized she could actually elevate her learning to a degree thanks to the way Gies’ open courses on Coursera were embedded into their full Master of Business program. Administration (iMBA). “You can start working on your degree as soon as you sign up for the Coursera portion of the course,” she explained.
That ability to agree made the decision to go ahead and get his MBA all the more tempting. “The more courses I attended, the more interested I became in the subject until I decided to apply for the Gies iMBA,” she recalled. The cost of the iMBA and the networking opportunities “were second to none.”
Only one semester into the iMBA, and Weitgasser has already connected with several of her peers around the world—a huge asset for someone who once chose her first career to work with uniquely talented people. “One of the main reasons I chose Gies was the diverse student body and networking opportunities around the world,” she said. “Because of the international student body, I can learn from others with different professional and cultural backgrounds.”
Thanks to the way Gies designs her curriculum, Weitgasser has been given the opportunity to work alongside her fellow students throughout the semester. “I was assigned to a team at the beginning of the semester,” she explained. “My team and I (five people in total) worked in five time zones and three continents. It was great to work on projects with people from all over the world and from different backgrounds. I’m still in touch with my teammates and I think I’m a lot learned and grew.”
She has also expanded her knowledge in ways that benefit her work. “I just finished my first semester, but I’ve already learned valuable lessons that I can put into practice,” she said.
Career changes — which can sometimes mean moving from one industry to another or from one career path to an entirely new one — are on the rise. As people discover new interests, passions or talents, they can explore related careers without feeling condemned to one type of career for their entire professional life.
Weitgasser may have gotten her start in film and TV, but her growing interest in business and leadership has brought her to a level that can help her turn to something new. Weitgasser plans to apply what she’s learned in big ways. “I want to serve my community,” she said, “and become a better leader and change maker.”
Learn more about the iMBA program from Gies College of Business.