Calling all UWA-Foster Applicants: (2016 Intake) Class of 2018!!

Nelson, Can you tell us about your background, post MBA goals, and why you chose Foster?

Foster_Nelson: Sure! I come from a mechanical engineering background. Prior to the MBA I was an officer in the US Air Force for 8 years where I got to work on some really great projects in a role that's similar to a product manager combined with product engineering and sourcing. I decided to leave the military life to settle down and really find a new career



Is it true that mba students don't have much interaction with Center For Sales and Marketing Strategy?

Foster_Megan: Yes, that's true. This is a new center and it is primarily focused on research at the moment. However, we do have a robust marketing curriculum. In fact, 41% of our graduates last year landed marketing roles. Check out our Career Path page: https://foster.uw.edu/careers/full-time- ... reer-path/
You'll find a list of companies that have hired our students for marketing roles among other resources that Foster offers students pursuing careers in marketing.



I noticed that the resume can be up to 3 pages long. While it is the Max Limit, what is the preferred page-limit that you typically recommend?

Foster_Megan: There is no optimal length, but we are interested in seeing any work experience and extracurricular activities or volunteer experience from the 1st year of university onward. If you are planning to make a career transition, it is helpful to tailor your resume to demonstrate that you have the skills to do so. Any activity demonstrating leadership and commitment to community is positive.



Hi Nelson,Are strategic consulting project and Applied Strategy Consulting project same or there is some difference. Can you please share your experience on these?

Foster_Nelson: I think those are the same. If you're referring to the consulting project that we do in the first year, it was a great experience to immediately apply what we learned in the first quarter. Towards a meaningful business challenge that a company is facing for my project, I did marketing strategy for EMC's Big Data analytics. it was a subject I have no prior knowledge or experience with, and it was great to really learn about their industry and to interact with people at EMC. Our final brief was to senior leaders at that company, and was a great learning opportunity!



In second year also do we get any chance to work on any similar live project.

Foster_Nelson: Yes, you actually get opportunities with companies for longer-term, more complex business challenges. In addition, you can always organize and arrange your own consulting projects with companies. for instance a couple of my classmates and I joined up and found our own consulting project with Cascade Designs, a local outdoor company



Hi Nelson, Your marketing strategy project at EMC big-data analytical sounds interesting. Based on your experience, Can you let us know how challenging is the process of applying/getting marketing jobs/internshhips in industries where one might not have direct previous experience but can be open and willing to get into?

Foster_Nelson: It's really tough depending on your background. we have a former ski patroller and a folk singer who completely changed their career paths. The career services team is SO amazing at helping you frame your experience and tell your story to new audiences. Our folk singer had some weird-sounding things on her resume, but thanks to career services, she was able to land an amazing marketing internship.
I'll have her tell her story in a future blog post But yeah it is really challenging, but with your classmates and career services, you can do it! (but be prepared for lots of rejection)

Foster_Megan: We are ranked #3 in the US in job placement. Seattle is the fastest growing city in the U.S. and we have a small MBA program, which helps, but the program won't accomplish your career goals for you. It's your responsibility to take full advantage of the resources, network, do your homework, build your interview skills, etc.

Foster_Nelson: Agreed - you can't be passive. you have to be really active in the job search and really work on it



What options are available for international students for interviews? Do you connect applicant with local alumni?

Foster_Megan: There is an international alumni group that is available as a resource for current international students. MBA Career Management knows which companies offer sponsorship. We've actually had a 100% job placement rate for international students for the last 3 years. MBA Career Management offers assistance in terms of cultural issues that may crop up as well.



Could you please shed some light on the scope of Internationals to obtain overseas employment in US post MBA, especially considering the current H1B restrictions?

Foster_Megan: Until now, only one of our students did not get the H1B through the lottery after completing the first year of employment on OPT (F1) status. That's in the last three years. All other students were hired on F1 status and converted.



Can you shed some light on employment process. What support do students get from career services team during internship/employment. Which companies, and from which sector, generally recruit at Foster?

Foster_Nelson: I really like the personal attention you get from the career services team. Since we are a smaller class, we get a ton of support from each of the career coaches and since they get to know your aspirations and career goals, they really do hook you up with opportunities and get you in front of people. I had an interest in the outdoor/sports industry, and the Nike internship pretty much fell into my lap thanks to coordination between career services and Nike. So for me, that support that they offered was invaluable. They are always available and ready to help



How much should we elaborate on our personal interests in the resume? Are you looking for more in depth than just a bulleted list?

Foster_Megan: If they are minor hobbies, a list is fine. If your personal interest has resulted in awards, travel, leadership responsibility, professional development, etc. you may choose to give a bit more detail or if the experience has been more significant, you might use the optional essay space to talk about it. In most cases, a bullet or list is fine.



Have you done any international consulting project? How is it different from study tours?

Foster_Nelson: Unfortunately I have not. I have classmates that did the india consulting trip. it's different from study tours because you put in a TON of work prior to and the actual trip is to go and brief and work with the client for study tours you are literally just touring around different companies - you don't have to do any prior work



Is only Evening MBA option available for those want to apply for Part time program? Or do you have weekend program too?

Foster_Megan: Foster has 3 work-compatible programs: Evening MBA, Technology Management MBA, and Executive MBA. TMMBA has classes on Saturdays and one evening/week. Executive has two different schedules. One schedule includes full-day classes alternating Friday and Saturdays.



How can a candidate highlight notable achievements (on a professional / personal level) that may come in after the application has been sent in, but before the decision has been made? I understand it may make things harder for Adcom, but is there a preferred way of managing this?

Foster_Megan: If you have achievements to share after submitting the application, you can email us an updated resume, but there is no guarantee that your update will be considered. It depends on where we are in reviewing your application.



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