Higher business diploma: Claudio Vidoni's experience report shows how he made the transition from a retail specialist to the commercial sector and how he is now preparing to enter management.

Please tell us about your current job and your career to date.

My name is Claudio Vidoni. I originally come from the retail trade. I completed an apprenticeship as an EFZ retail specialist but had to retrain due to health problems. After completing my commercial diploma, I am now studying for a higher business diploma. I am currently doing an internship as a commercial assistant in a law firm in Baden.

What courses did you complete at the Minerva School?

I am currently studying for a Higher Business Diploma (HWD) at the Minerva School in Baden, having previously attended business school there and graduated with a business diploma.

Why did you decide to do the Higher Business Diploma (HWD)?

I wanted to keep my spectrum broad with the Higher Business Diploma (HWD) and not specialize in a specific area. With this generalist training, which enjoys a good reputation on the market, you don't specialize in a specific direction, but acquire generalist knowledge. It is still possible to specialize in one area at a later date.

Why did you choose Minerva as your educational partner?

I chose Minerva as an educational partner because I have several colleagues in my circle of friends who have attended training or further education at Minerva. Although at other locations. They have given me good feedback about the school. Minerva is very committed to its pupils and students. That was the most important aspect for me in choosing Minerva as my educational partner. After attending the business school, it was clear to me that I would also complete the Higher Business Diploma (HWD) at Minerva.

Have you already been able to benefit from the knowledge you gained from your Higher Business Diploma (HWD) during your internship?

In my internship, I can benefit very well from the knowledge I acquired during my Higher Business Diploma (HWD). Not quite from every aspect or all the individual sequences. But on the whole, you can already relate it very well to everyday working life.

What are your ambitions after completing your Higher Business Diploma (HWD)?

My ambition after completing the Higher Business Diploma is to enter the management sector. The HWD should enable me to do this. In my opinion, this is a very good opportunity for a quick start. As I do not come from a commercial background and have not yet worked in this field, I need an internship as proof of professional experience.

What do you like best about the Advanced Business Diploma course?

What I like best about the Higher Business Diploma course is the competent lecturers who respond very well to the participants. Questions can also be asked outside of school hours. For me, the overall package is ideal and I couldn't imagine my further education any better.

Were there any challenges or difficult moments for you?

I experienced some difficult moments during the Advanced Business Diploma. This is because it takes a lot of time to follow up. You have to get behind it yourself and take the time to study at home. This was a big change for me, as I had previously got through my training and further education without studying and investing additional time in learning. This is different with the Advanced Business Diploma. Although the material is studied together, the responsibility for the main areas of study lies with the participants themselves.

Have you developed personally by attending the Higher Business Diploma course?

Personally, I have grown a lot by attending the Higher Business Diploma course. I am very satisfied with the Higher Business Diploma course. I have grown in terms of self-study and taking responsibility for my future. I know that learning is relevant and important for me and my future. I had to learn this first. But now it's in place and it will often help me in later life. I am happier because I know that I have come a step closer to my goal of entering the management level. After successfully completing the seven modules of the Advanced Business Diploma, you have already reached lower management.

What learning content has helped you the most from a professional perspective?

The area of communication has helped me the most so far during the Higher Business Diploma. You learn to read other people, to categorize and classify people and to steer communications in a certain direction. That's why this is the subject I've been able to draw the most from and benefit from so far. I can use this knowledge profitably not only professionally, but in my whole life. Just like the networked way of thinking that you achieve through the Advanced Business Diploma. By combining the individual modules, components can be extracted that can be used in both private and professional life.

Have you already achieved success with it?

During my internship, I can apply the knowledge I have learned in the field of communication to delicate calls in the legal office. I can now show good tact and behave very discreetly in precarious cases. I can now handle them in such a way that clients don't feel insulted or offended and I still get the information I need.

Does the Advanced Business Diploma also pay off financially?

Rough inquiries have shown me the development opportunities in terms of salary. As a KV graduate, the average monthly salary is between CHF 4,000 and CHF 4,500. With a higher business diploma, you can demand CHF 500 to CHF 1,000 more. By building on this qualification through further training, such as an HF degree, this salary can be increased even further to a salary of CHF 8,000 to CHF 10,000. This is certainly an interesting point, but it's not the only reason I'm doing the Advanced Business Diploma.

What do you like best about teaching?

What I like best about the Higher Business Diploma classes is the communication between the students and the fact that they know exactly why they are there. We don't have any clowns in the class. Everyone's focus is clearly on the subject matter and learning. We discuss the case studies with each other and everyone can contribute their ideas and join in the discussion. In the end, we come to a joint solution that takes everyone's aspects into account and that everyone is happy with.

Who would you recommend the Advanced Business Diploma to?

I would recommend the Advanced Business Diploma to anyone who wants to develop into management but does not yet have a specific focus on one area of management and would like to keep the spectrum of all areas open. The school management at Minerva makes a great effort with the Advanced Business Diploma to present each participant with their options for further development and their skills. This is deliberately discussed and the students' wishes are taken into account. As a result, everyone knows what they want to do after graduation. In my case, I will probably go on to study for an HF degree in business administration.

What is the mood in the Higher Business Diploma class?

The atmosphere in the Higher Business Diploma class is great. We have very good chemistry with each other. We also get on very well with the lecturers. They also make a great effort to ensure that we are all happy. We also communicate with each other outside of school hours via WhatsApp chats or sometimes meet up to go for a drink together. A good team spirit has formed here and everyone works well together. We help each other during the Higher Business Diploma course, even if someone misses a lesson, they automatically receive the information they missed. So we are all on the same level of knowledge.

What else makes the Minerva School special for you?

For me, the excellent locations of the Minerva schools are particularly important and certainly make the educational concept stand out. I noticed this straight away when I was looking for a school and comparing schools for the Higher Business Diploma. For many young people, the very close location to the train station is a very important factor when choosing a school. For me, Minerva is helpful to the students and gives them important information directly. In general, I think the school is close to the students and is innovative.

How is the learning effort for you at the moment?

At the beginning, I had to put in a bit more effort to learn. But as soon as you are familiar with the subject matter, the effort eases off. The large learning effort at the beginning of the course is perhaps also due to the fact that I didn't find certain modules in my job as a retail specialist so concretely and had to familiarize myself with many topics first. But the workload is no longer so high for me at the moment. However, I will be studying more intensively again before the exam phase so that I can successfully complete the Higher Business Diploma.

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