How an MBA helped Sanjeev Selvarajah secure his dream job at Intel

Sanjeev Selvarajah loves his job, and why not? He helps manage a major Intel facility on the beautiful Malaysian island of Penang, thanks to his MBA and outlook on life.

"There's no point doing something at a high level unless you really like it," says Sanjeev, the Senior Factory Finance Manager at a plant that assembles chips that are powering the world.

"Climbing up the ladder or becoming a leader is pretty much a side effect. What matters most is having a passion for your work and feeling like you're having a positive impact on life both inside and outside of work."

Sanjeev says he wouldn't have his dream job at Intel if he hadn’t studied a Part-time MBA at Melbourne Business School.

"I don't think I would have ended up here without my MBA from MBS because the person who hired me came to MBS from Intel for a career talk, which really helped me get an interview."

Born and raised in Colombo, educated in Adelaide and polished in Melbourne – where he worked as a consultant while studying – Sanjeev chose Melbourne Business School for his MBA to gain global exposure and improve his chances of working overseas.

"All over the world, people assume that you can tackle most senior-level jobs if you have an MBA," he says. "That was the main motivation for me – a qualification that would open the door to the world."

Sanjeev was also attracted to Melbourne Business School by the diversity of its lecturers and students.

"Everyone had different opinions and ideas on the same issue because of their background. It’s crucial to have that experience if you want to go into a global business, where you're going to meet a lot of different people and opinions."

Intel employs more than 100,000 people who come from all over the world, Sanjeev says, just like at Melbourne Business School.

"There are a lot of sensitivities when working with people from different cultures, and MBS teaches you how to work as a team to achieve a common objective. But you also learn to be transparent about your ideas and what you think of other ideas."

While he may be designated as the finance manager of Intel's manufacturing facility, Sanjeev says his role requires him to wear many hats.

"We have to meet the world's computing appetite, that's simple, but much of my time also goes into organisational development to make sure we're hiring and retaining the best people and turning them into future leaders," he says.

"That's what I like about this job. It not just about a simple goal – it's much broader, and that's where the fun is."

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