Recruiters for consulting firms are seeking out big data analytics skills.
Which business schools have the best up-and-coming professors? What does Columbia Business School look for in new students? Is big data your ticket to a big time consulting gig? Catch all the trending stories from top MBA programs.
Big consulting loves big data
Consulting firms have long tried to recruit new talent from the world’s leading MBA programs. Bain, BCG, and other top consulting companies are repeatedly saying they are looking for one special skill set in new hires that all potential employees should brush up on: understanding big data. “Data and analytics have become part of the fabric of how we do business. It’s almost instrumental, ” said Matthew Guest, head of Deloitte’s digital strategy practice in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Also emphasizing the rise of big data in consulting, an executive at KPMG says, “There’s a huge demand [for talent] because the industry [digital] is blowing up.” (BusinessBecause)
The best business profs
Any outstanding MBA program worth its salt has fantastic professors. A good instructor will teach, motivate, and inspire their business students to reach higher, secure that internship, have that “ah-hah!” moment, and land that first post-MBA job. One top MBA-centric publication is out with their annual “40 Under 40” list of the best business school professors. Some of the praise heaped upon specific professors from students included “thrives in her role as mentor and role model to a generation of entrepreneurs” and “transforms a subject many expect to be dry and uninteresting to a truly enjoyable and stimulating course.” One student said their class “felt like a ‘spa treatment’ because you learned a lot in a relaxed environment.” (Poets & Quants)
Getting into CBS
Columbia Business School has long been the destination of choice for aspiring MBAs—and for good reason. It has a fantastic location in the country’s business capital. Being in America’s most dynamic city means the chance to network with successful CBS alumni to secure internships and employment opportunities. While all business schools look for students with high GPAs and outstanding GMAT scores, they also look how good a “fit” you’ll be for their community. Every MBA program has its own unique culture, and in CBS’s case, they are big on “social intelligence” and “community leadership,” as one top MBA admissions consultant explains. (Business Insider)
Applying as an international student
The MBA is increasingly an international affair. Non-U.S. citizens now constitute a majority of all GMAT takers, with the biggest numbers coming from China and India. But how should international applicants to American MBA programs approach the admissions process? “If you can talk with someone who’s from your home country and get a feel for their experience here, what they like about the program, how they’re spending their time, that really impresses us and shows us they’re very interested in Foster,” says Erin Town, director of MBA admissions at University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. (U.S. News & World Report)
Kris Jenner launches international MBA
Admittedly, we never expected to write about Kris Jenner in this blog, but sometimes pop culture and MBA education do intersect. The reality show star and branding master was recently in Dubai to launch Legacy Business School, which will focus on fashion management. The school will also open a campus in New York City this fall. “I know what it means to work hard and turn a dream into a reality. Now I want to pay it forward and help young ambitious entrepreneurs,” she said. (Gulf News)
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