Maxine Drexler
My Portfolio
Master
Master of Science - Business Administration - Leadership & Change Management
Projects
Leading Change and Projects x ING
In the Leading Change and Projects course, we collaborated with ING. ING presented us 3 challenges related to Agile working and our task was to advise with solutions. Our group worked on the topic of feedback and motivation in the workplace. We presented an interactive feedback tool to focus on regular feedback and thus increase employee motivation. I enjoyed working with real cases the most.
Consulting Project x RCE
The consulting course was a very practical course, as we had the opportunity to consult a company of our choice for one month on a specific topic. My group chose the company RCE, which runs one of the biggest restaurant chains in the Netherlands (e.g. Loetje or Littly Italy). Within the month we laid the foundations for a traineeship for young professionals, which we then passed on to Hotel Management School in Maastricht for the implementation. This month was very informative and gave many positive as well as negative insights into the job of a consultant.
SDG Scan x Van Mac
In the Leadership Advanced Perspectives course, the focus was on sustainability. Here we had the opportunity to conduct an SDG scan at a company of our choice. The scan is a workshop to find out how a company can contribute to the 17 goals of the UN Climate Summit. My group conducted this workshop at a family-run Dutch company. For me the practical work with a real company was very interesting and I took away a lot of new impressions regarding sustainability in business and leadership and now see some things from a completely new perspective.
Master Thesis
My Master Thesis is on the topic of Careers in Cities. I chose this topic because I found it unusual and exciting to see how a city you live and work in can affect your career. As an example, I studied the city of Berlin in Germany. I did qualitative research and interviewed about 20 people about their careers in Berlin. For me, this work was challenging because it was my first research-based work.
Learnings
Success
What would a successful year be for you?
The one-year Master was like a roller coaster ride for me. The ride was turbulent and had many ups & downs, some loppings and above all it went by way too fast. During the year I met a lot of new talented people and their stories and made some new friends. The study, the content and the different projects showed me a lot of new approaches in the field of personal development, project management and leadership. Amsterdam also showed its best side after the long corona period with many great events, joyful evenings in good company and lekker food and drinks. I am feeling energized for the future and this is real success for myself!
Pitfalls
What pitfalls did you overcome to make this year a success?
The pitfalls this year were definitely the factor of time and stress management. The master had a very tight schedule with many courses, input, and deadlines. Because I was working 20 hours a week on the side, I often had to work under time and pressure in order to do justice to everything, so good planning is indispensable. In addition, the many group projects taught you how to work with various different cultures and how to solve problems in a goal-oriented manner.
Future
How do you see your future role in your desired occupation and as a member of society?
The year has enriched me personally by many experiences in the personal as well as professional. I am more stress-resistant, more flexible and above all solution-oriented approach to problems and do not worry my head about the why. I go into the future strengthened and hope to be able to achieve my personal goals. But before that, I take a little break to clear my head and think about my next professional steps.