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FROM gmat4IMD: Exams over! Phew... |
Finally, the first set of exams are over. We managed to finally get some time to breathe. Just before the exams, we managed to celebrate the Indian festival of holi in the campus. As soon as the hole celebrations were over, we were off to open our books to study for the exams. Most of us were stuck in the dungeons during the exam preparation that some of the partners even decided to get us dinner. The support from the partners is amazing and one of the strong points of IMD. We are all in it together at the end of the day. As soon as the exams were over, I decided to enjoy the scenic Switzerland a bit. MBA life is so fast that it is easy to forget that some of the most beautiful and mesmerizing places is just train ride away from IMD. I managed to take the train from Montreux to Zweisimmen in the panoramic train called the “Golden Pass.” Such a surreal experience at 2000 meters up in the mountains on a train. As soon as one comes to Lausanne, it is advisable to take the Half-fare card. This would help you save a lot of money for the trains and buses. For the partners, it is a no brainer. |
FROM From Bench to Board (Fuqua): Career Development 101: Taking Networking to the Next Level, MBA Style |
Relationships, relationships, relationships. As someone who came from a science background – after doing the MBA and working in a Fortune 100 company – I’ve come to realize that networking is key to success in business. I also know that there are a lot of books, videos, podcasts, etc on networking, but none of them are tailored toward MBAs. I will not repeat the basics of networking, but will assume that folks reading this have graduated from an MBA program or have read some books or articles and know them already. This is more of an add-on, as opposed to an intro into networking. Continue reading » |
FROM gmat4IMD: Time for inspiration!!! |
It was surreal to see the man who heads a company which sells more than a billion products a day worldwide. When it comes to household names, there are hardly any companies which can compete with Nestle. We were lucky enough to share the room with Mr. Paul Bulcke, the CEO of Nestlé. It is much more of a privilege to have him as one of the alumni of the school as he did an executive development program at IMD. He was more than happy to address all our questions though it took him more than the time he had allotted for us. When you are in the game to become one of the 90 exceptional leaders who will shape the future, it is always nice to listen to the leaders who are shaping the future now. At the end of the day, we believe in “Real world, Real learning” |
FROM gamalhot: I have learnt…. |
Here is a list of some of the things I have experienced and learnt in life. It is not that I won’t make similar mistakes again in life, but going over this list again and again makes me more self-aware and keeps pushing me forward on the path of self-realization. I would strongly suggest that everyone should take some time out, reflect on your life and come up with a similar list. You will be amazed how much fun it is to walk down your memory lane. I have learnt…..Mother is the greatest gift from God. The only time she smiles when you cry is the day you were born. (Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam) I have learnt…. Having an elder brother and younger sister is priceless in life. You grow up transforming into a leader who has the perfect balance of being competitive, aggressive, gentle and caring. I have learnt….. Best friends don’t always form the best business partners. Friendship cannot substitute professionalism and meritocracy. I have learnt…… If you think your life is useless or you have nothing worthwhile to do, go and spend a day with a person who is about to die. You will realize how many unfulfilled dreams you still have to achieve. I have learnt…… Everyone says that they respect an honest opinion or feedback, but very few can actually digest it. I have learnt….. Mood is like a two-edged sword. It can either propel you with supersonic speed towards your goal or put you in a never ending downward spiral. Usually it’s the latter. I have learnt…… Words are the biggest weapons we possess. They should always be soft and tender. You don’t know when you might have to eat them. I have learnt…..Ignorance is bliss and it is better to under-think than over-think a problem. I have learnt…… Give a person complete authority with no accountability, and he/she will reveal his/her true character. I have learnt….. No one is perfect until you fall in love with them. I have learnt…… Sitting with parents and listening to stories of their struggles has taught me some of the biggest lessons in life that no educational degree has provided me so far. I have learnt…..While mentoring someone always be patient and have a smile on your face. It can do wonders to their confidence. I have learnt…..If you think you are wise and educated, sit with a kid and see for how long you can survive answering his/her questions of curiosity. I have learnt…..Everyone is in a hurry to reach the top of the mountain, but life and happiness is all in the journey. Mountaineers spend years training in pursuit of conquering Everest, but when they reach the top they stay there for hardly 10 minutes. I have learnt…..This world is a temporary abode. There is nothing in here that is worth our tears. I have learnt…..If a baby can sleep peacefully on your shoulder that means you are at peace with yourself. I have learnt…… Life will never give you a test that you are incapable of winning. I have learnt…..Not time, but inner peace and love heals all wounds. Time just helps you to temporarily forget them. I have learnt…..If you yourself cannot be proud of your own achievements, no one will respect you. I have learnt… When someone comes to me and says, “Thanks for your help”, it makes my day. I have learnt…..To let go of bitterness or resentment is tough, but if you can do it, you have won one of the biggest battles of your life. I have learnt…..When you are in love, it shows. If you have to put effort, then it is not worth it. I have learnt….. Sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. (Andy Rooney) Please let me know if you found this article interesting. If you have any success stories or amazing experiences to share, please do so in comment box below. Thanks!! |
FROM gamalhot: Finding your kick in life |
Late October 2014, one of my MBA colleagues asked me if I wanted to run the Ragnar Relay Race ? “Ragnar Race? What is that?” I asked. “Mmmm, it’s just a normal relay race where you have to run few miles. It will be fun, you should do it” he replied. I think I only heard the word “fun” and said “yes, of course, I will do it”. Little did I realize what mess I am getting into. In next few days I realized the word ‘fun’ meant running with a group of 12 runners for 2 days covering a total distance of 216 miles. Each runner was supposed to run about 18 miles in 3 batches of about 6 miles each. If I remember correctly, the last time I ran was during my undergraduate days when I accompanied my friends for early morning run. All I could do was four laps around a soccer field and drop dead, a very respectable distance by my standards. My initial enthusiasm turned into nervousness and regret for I was sure that I was going to fail my colleagues. I got mixed response from friends when I shared this news. Some genuinely encouraged me and some called me a fool. The latter part made things worse. A night before the race I could not eat and sleep properly. Negative thoughts were overflowing from my mind. Early morning on the D day, I was greeted by colleagues who were all excited, smiling, laughing and brimming with confidence. In their company, my mind got distracted from all negative thoughts and I started feeling better. We started off the race with our best runners. At a time only one runner was running and the rest of the team was following and cheering him/her in two vans. After few hours my turn was up. With a deep breath I took the baton and started running. To shut off all negative thoughts I plugged my earphones and started listening to music. Slowly, I could sense a change in myself at subconscious level. Running in the countryside I started enjoying the view. Negative thoughts had totally vanished and my mind was in full control of my body. Overcoming small gradients on the way gave me confidence to take on steeper gradients. On the way I met runners of different age groups, gender, ethnicity etc. They all had their own reasons for running. Throughout the race the whole team ate, slept and enjoyed together and everyone was emitting positive energy. After running continuously for straight 30 hours we finally finished the race with everyone running the last 50 yards together. When I reflect back on this race, I see wonderful life lessons:-
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FROM NandoParrado: Weeks 0-1-2 |
I am completing today my third week at the GSB, and time is already a very constrained resource. So I will post here a comprehensive update for the month of September, and I will aim for one update a month from … Continue reading → |
FROM NandoParrado: End of the first quarter! |
I cannot believe that the first quarter is already over! It has been quick and intense… so intense, that I have not managed to keep updating the blog on a monthly basis. (I will fix this over the next few … Continue reading → |
FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy: How to pick the right business school for your MBA |
Your first task is to define what you are looking for in your MBA, where you see yourself afterwards and how much effort you are willing to put into the program. Before you even start to look at schools, you should ask yourself the following questions:
[*]What is your main intention of the MBA? It could be a planned change of industry and/or position, the next step towards a promotion, a desire to expand your network, the attempt to get international exposure or an approach to leave your comfort zone and let your views be challenged.[/list] [*]Define how important the brand of the school is for your plans. Do you have to rely on the career services team to find a job? Should recruiters have heard of your school or is that not of importance in your target industry?[/list] [*]Do you thrive in large groups or do small team sizes allow you to excel? Would you rather have some internal competition or a focus on teamwork and collaboration?[/list] Having answers to these questions will make your decision process easier. However, if you are still unsure in a certain area you can also come back to this later. Now it is time to start narrowing down your selection: Stage A — USA vs Europe vs Asia To make this first decision, it is important to know where you are going to look for a job after the MBA. US schools have the longest history and many of them are considered the best in the world. However, the level of international diversity is fairly low compared to European schools. Harvard Business School’s class of 2017, for instance has 71% students from North America whereas INSEADs class of 2017 is diversely represented by Europe (37%), Asia (31%), North America (14%), Middle East/Africa (10%) and Latin America (7%). Study where you want to work. U.S. schools mainly teach U.S. related business cases, give you a strong U.S. network and have companies hiring for the U.S. job market on campus. You will be perfectly prepared for the States, but if you plan on working in Europe or Asia these things will be less relevant. The same goes for Asia: Choose a school based in Asia if you have a dedicated interest to work there, to learn an Asian language or to develop intense networking relations to the continent. If none of those apply, cross it out. European schools are more global: you will develop deep connections to classmates from many countries and will see them re-locate to all corners of the world once the MBA is over. Anyhow, the focus is again local: you will mainly meet recruiters who are looking to hire for the European job market. And here even the country choice inside Europe becomes important because in most of the cases you will need to speak the local language of the country where you want to work in. Study in Barcelona and learn Spanish if you want to work in Spain. Go to Paris and learn French to get a position in France. If you are from Europe and plan on returning home after the MBA, consider the additional language as a plus for your profile. Stage B — 1-year vs 2-year program Once you are sure with the continent, you will have to pick the program length. Do you already have a great position at work where you want to return to as quickly as possible with your newly earned MBA knowledge? Are you not interested in an international exchange program or in an industry switch where an internship could help you? Go with the 1-year option. You will experience a fully packed intensive year where you will learn all the business skills, have ample networking opportunities and start with your post-MBA job hunt from day one. However, you will not have much time to reflect and try out new things. A year is quickly over and your game plan should be set out already before you start. The 2-year option will give you a similarly intensive first year where you will cover all the main subjects. You will have more time to find yourself and learn about all the interesting experiences from your classmates, though. The second year with its international exchange and corporate internship gives you ample opportunity to try out a new industry and re-position yourself during the MBA. If you are still open for different industries and want to take as much as possible from the MBA experience, a 2-year program is the best fit for you. Stage C — Rankings / Tier 1 vs Tier 2 Now that you have a rough idea of how your MBA program of choice should look like, it is time to consult the rankings. In the end it is about personal fit, but rankings normally correspond to the brand awareness that recruiters have towards the several schools and are a good indicator if the schools can be considered tier 1, tier 2 or even tier 3. Start with the schools that have been continuously in the Top 10 (Top 20) over the past couple years and cross-compare different rankings (Financial Times, Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg, Business Insider). Work your way down from the top and cross out all the schools that do not comply with your Stage A and Stage B requirements. You should be left with only a couple of schools that make it into Stage D. Stage D — School specific pros and cons This is the part where you actually have to conduct your own research. You are trying to figure out which of the schools are strong in the areas that you consider important. Now it is not only about facts and figures but also about your personal feeling towards the school. Can you picture yourself studying there? Assess the following areas to get a full overview: Campus location
All the best with finding your future business school! About the Author Andreas on the roof of IESE in Barcelona Andreas is a Class of 2018 MBA candidate at IESE Business School in Barcelona. He went from his first MBA research in October to taking the GMAT in December to getting 100% school admits in January. As a diploma master mariner, he currently sails the world on a 500-person cruise ship where he leads 160 crew members. His interest in the management world was sparked when he interned in his families maritime ship supplier business. He loves to read about tech, innovation, and stock markets and keeps himself fit with running, gym workouts, and football. You can read more from Andreas on his blog at barcelonamba.wordpress.com. |
FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy: MBA Planning – The Overview |
To begin with the MBA application process each candidate has to go through some basic rules, thus each B- schools have their own standard procedure to obtain students. These includes… GMAT/GRE score and GPA Professional Experience Community Experience Personal Profile Fit for you Formula The GMAT There is no doubt that your GMAT score or […] https://bestmbaconsultantusa.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/mba-planning-overview/ |
FROM Yudanashi: Digital Empire State of Mind – The NYC Elective |
This week I had an elective in NYC getting an incredible look into the entire digital media landscape. From brands like L’Oreal, The Met, and New York City Hall to publishers like Mashable and the New York Times to agencies like WPP and FCB. Having worked ont he technology side at Google I knew some of this but listening to how each company and each segment of the industry is looking at the future of marketing I had a couple of insights and several great quotes. While you can’t distill an experience like this into a blog post, for those who couldn’t make it on the trip or those who may look to do it in the future (I highly recommend it btw) here are the top 10 things I learned about the Future of Marketing. 1. “Big Data is like sex in High School. Everyone is talking about it but no one is really doing it. Those that are doing it, definitely aren’t good at it.” – We have moved past the era of “big data” and into the era of insight, however not everyone is there yet. 2. Customer data is infinitely more valuable than the product you are selling them that grants you this data. An insurance company is looking at giving away free insurance in order to get customer data they can sell instead because quality consumer data commands that much value. 3. Mashable (the tech publisher) is on the verge of a massive shift into a data company. They have a new product called Velocity that crawls the web and can predict the lifespan of a newscycle, how many people would share a piece of content, and what themes are reflected in the data zeitgeist. They are automatically helping provide insight not into customer data but into the media we all consume. 4. Native advertising is on the rise, even at the last bastion of journalism, the New York Times. It looks and feels like a news article with only a small disclaimer letting you know its been bought and paid for. While it feels slimy, native advertising is helping fund the work of 11,000 journalists and letting them do good work that needs to be done. While I have many issues with native advertising, it may be worth looking at early soap operas as a comparison point. After all, soap operas were content funded by soap companies. 5. “Advertising is made by creative people who hate business … approved by business people who hate creativity … and watched by ordinary people who hate advertising.” – No single quote has summed up the difficulty and friction in marketing and advertising better. 6. In order for great ad campaigns to happen the people in the room have to be empowered to say YES, not just be able to say no, because the greatest risk of all is taking no risk at all. Far too many brand managers focus on small incremental wins which are mediocre but safe. They treat these wins like buying an IBM – No body every got fired for buying an IBM after all. Brand managers need to be empowered by CMOs to say yes if the CMO isn’t making the call herself. 7. Ads can no longer simply sell their product, in today’s fragmented media landscape ads have to sell themselves as well by adding value. Ads add value by enlightening, entertaining, educating, engaging, or simply giving. Ads like “Like a Girl“, “Shadow Wifi“, “Get Rid of Cable” and “Colorblind“. 8. Great ads provide value because they tell a story. We heard two great quotes on storytelling that are worth sharing and keeping close to your heart as you present, work in marketing, or even as you communicate in your daily life. “If history was taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” “Storytelling will die when the world is perfect.” 9. There are 3 questions all ad-men should make: 1. Would the idea move you? 2. Would it make a difference in the world (on any scale)? 3. Would it change people’s behavior? – If an ad can do these three things then fund it because it can be a great ad. If it doesn’t, go back to the whiteboard and keep trying. 10. “You can’t Science your way to Magic” – There is a struggle between the use of massive data to improve performance one optimization at a time vs using powerful creative that resonates with everyone. When you see Dove’s Inner Beauty campaign that wasn’t a result of “Science” but because of great storytelling and powerful, even magical creative. Its not something you can perfect in a lab, but something that takes a bit of time and appetite for risk to pull off. You can start on a smaller scale and work up to something that big to hedge your risk, but at the end of the day you can’t science your way to magic no mater how hard you try. This trip was a wonderful experience as not only did we visit these companies we met with Alumni, spent time with MBAs, and had the chance to go to the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race dinner where we heard from New York Times columnist and Oxonian Nicholas Cristoff. He gave a stirring speech with a handful of gems, but the biggest take away was that no-matter where we go as Oxonians we will inevitably hear someone say “me too, what college are you from?” As Oxonians we have won the educational and alumni network lottery and with that comes a great responsibility. We get to have amazing experiences like this trip that almost no-one else can get to do and that is worth reflecting on. |
FROM From Bench to Board (Fuqua): Career Development 101: Manage your Leadership Development |
Ah yes, the perpetual question: how much of a person's career progression depends on the institution, and how much depends on the individual? It may come as no surprise to my readers, but I am strongly in the latter camp. Leadership development is very personal and I would say begins with the individual. Continue reading » |
FROM Farhanc85: Exams, Interview, and Quitting!!!! |
After an amazing trip to Spain and France, coming back to Oxford I had lots to look forward to. I will be interviewing with 3 target companies and had 2 exams within 2 weeks of vacation. I was really thankful for the peer lecture by a student for Technology and Operations. Some of my friends tried helping me for business finance as I was occupied with a presentation I had to submit to a prospective employer a day before business finance exam. I am hoping for the best after the exams. The careers team helps us with aligning our mock interviews before real interviews. These interviews are helpful as we get practice by industry experts. I am looking forward to my Mock interviews next week. 96 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Taking mindfulness practice further, I along with a couple of friends are quitting smoking. Three of us decided to not smoke and keep a tab on each other. I have also downloaded an app that would help me quit smoking https://smokefreediary.com . I am thankful that I am in a company which will help me curb down on my harmful addiction. I have 340 classmates with varied expertise and motivations. I just had to find few with common goals. It is not difficult to find like-minded and diverse people. Although an oxymoron this statement will be understood by all Oxonians. I remember before coming to Oxford, I had a discussion with one of my future classmates that this year is going to be a year of change. This year is definitely a life changing experience. |
FROM Farhanc85: 10 Things I learned from Digital Elective in New York |
“This elective will be most relevant to learn innovative methodologies in digital marketing in a place which is the origin for major marketing companies.” This was the crux of my application for the New York city digital elective held by Saïd Business school for Oxford MBA 2015-16. Let me jump right in with ten hashtags that sum up my learning from the elective and measures the outcomes of this elective against my initial expectations. #digitaltransformation CDO at New York’s mayor’s office spoke about digital transformation that has helped parents and children in New York for a smooth Pre-K admission process. The arduous process of downloading, printing and faxing application forms was solved by building a simple app. From NYC’s CDO to The MET’s CDO who gave us tips on using Instagram and a personal tour of The MET which helped us understand how digital transformation can be used to ensure a museum’s vision of making 5000 years of art available for everyone to enjoy and experience. #techwilldrivemedia All major media companies that we visited from Mashable to New York Times are working on having a unique stack. Mashable gave us a glimpse of Velocity that blew our minds. The New York Times R&D lab that has DELTA which visualizes reader activity in real time impressed us more than the view from The New York Times window. Just to give you a glimpse of the view. #Newwaystoengage Engaging customers at a particular touch point such as a store front, end of a remote control, the fine print of a newspaper or the blaring sounds of radio is a thing of past. Companies expect marketers to think beyond touch points and engage customers in new and innovative ways. #BORNANDMADE from Carol Daughter was one of the engagement campaigns that we understood at L’oreal’s New York’s office. #Buzzwords Native advertising, Programmatic Buying, DBM, UGC Widgets, CPL, CPM, CPE, Value Proposition, agile marketing, and I could go on. I learned and understood many new words that are used in the digital marketing context. #datadatadata Customer data is valuable but without context, marketers cannot use this data to gather the insight which is relevant for marketing strategies. The equation to remember from our visit to WPP’s office: DATA + CONTEXT = INSIGHT To further authenticate this belief at FCB’s office we heard “Data is only as good as what you do with it.” #KPI’s As we interacted with agencies and some of the potential clients for these agencies, we witnessed a disconnect for KPI’s in digital. What should be measured? How many parameters are enough? Agencies are continuously educating clients. Clients are trying to understand their consumer behavior online which is very erratic. The sweet spot of measurements is still undefined but everybody loves numbers. #lookwithin “Internal change that organization has to go through to get to external change is more difficult”. Although I heard this quote at Interbrand’s office while learning more about FEDEX office origin, I also witnessed the significance of this quote while visiting The MET. All digital strategies would require more internal alignment to achieve external digital goals. #onceuponatime Storytelling does not belong to a brand or a marketer. In today’s digital world Brand is co-owned by the users and they tell your stories online. Companies have to think of different ways to tell stories. User created content, Native advertising, Story Mining are different ways in which stories can be told or obtained. A brand needs to understand it’s once upon a time. #integration How important is it to integrate the stories on different platforms? At one end we learned about how marketing team has started calling themselves as Integrated Marketing and at the other end of spectrum we heard creative saying every story should be unique irrespective of the platform. Integration might kill the story. A balance of integration and story telling is what digital platforms need today #Humangoals FCB creative team summed it up very well for us. “Today everything is more exciting because you can dream bigger.” With technology we should remember the human goals and the most important rule for marketer should be that “Work is authentic to the brand” 96 Normal 0 false false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE These 10 takeaways were from the talks and interactions with various companies. There is a whole list of takeaways because of the amazing company of Oxford MBA’s, Our Professors and also the support staff. It’s the community that enhances any learning and I am glad that I am part of such an amazing community. |
FROM The Oxford Comma: Thoughts on Uber’s Surge Pricing |
A few weeks ago, the following tweet popped up in my timeline. thanks @Uber_Mumbai for showing me what #daylightrobbery means!I know I have a choice not to use it! Please RT #psa pic.twitter.com/llyqsggIxT — Swathi Rishi (@Swathirishi) June 15, 2015 By now, everyone is probably familiar with the mechanics of Uber’s ‘surge pricing’. When the demand for taxis increases, the price of a taxi ride spikes. The company claims that higher prices encourage more drivers to get on the road. It also rations taxi usage by ensuring that only those who really need the taxi immediately and are thus willing to pay higher prices, continue to use it while others wait for the demand and supply to balance each other out. The economic principles behind surge pricing are widely accepted by economists, which begs the following question – why don’t more companies adopt this pricing model to boost revenue? The answer as Megan Mcardle points out is that raising prices during periods of high demand is usually very unpopular with consumers who feel like they are being exploited. This is reflected in the sentiment behind the tweet at the top of this post. This negatively impacts the reputation of the brand and thus companies will usually forgo the short term boost in revenue in order to prevent the long term loss of reputation. Uber itself has faced tremendous criticism when it has (automatically) raised prices during natural disasters or emergencies. So why does Uber unabashedly continue to persist with its aggressive surge pricing algorithm? I believe that one of the reasons is that its business model enables it to use it as a competitive advantage. Uber is a platform business, with taxi drivers on one side of the platform and taxi riders on the other. Most businesses fight over customers, but platform businesses have to fight over the suppliers (taxi drivers) as well. As Ben Thompson points out in this brilliant article, the fight over drivers is much more consequential than the one over riders, as having more drivers will enable Uber to lower the average wait time for a rider, which will attract riders to the service. The wait time is of course directly related to the number of available taxis on the road, which explains the mad rush to sign up drivers. So how do you get drivers to sign up, especially when they have a choice between competing services? Like most other humans, drivers too will choose the company that they think will enable them to earn the most. Now read the tweet at the top of this post one last time, but this time, put yourself in a taxi driver’s shoes. Would you prefer to work for a company that paid you a base rate that remained constant at all times or one that gets raised aggressively during periods of high demand? The choice should be apparent, which explains why Ola was forced to abandon its initial stable pricing model and introduce peak pricing earlier this year. |
FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy: Kellogg’s Women’s Leadership Seminar |
By Libby Koerbel Engaging a room of more than 100 people for two straight hours is no easy task, but the Women’s Business Association (WBA), Professor Victoria Medvec, Dean Sally Blount and an all-star panel of three female alumnae pulled it off. One of the panelists summed it up perfectly afterward when she said, “I […] https://kelloggmbastudents.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/kelloggs-womens-leadership-seminar/ |
FROM Ambitiousbusinessguy: There will be no miracles here: Casey Gerald at TED2016 |
HBS alum talks about effective altruism and founding and ultimately closing MBAs Across America at TED: Casey Gerald speaks at TED2016 – Dream, February 15-19, 2016, Vancouver Convention Center, Vancouver, Canada. Photo: Bret Hartman / TED Casey Gerald’s story begins in an East Texas church on the night of December 31, 1999, as he joined his congregation to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world.… https://blog.ted.com/there-will-be-no-miracles-here-casey-gerald-at-ted2016/ |
FROM Xyeek: Why Pay to do an MBA - Quora FAQ 1 |
Since the start of the year I've been pretty active on Quora, mostly doling out advice on the GMAT and MBA prep based on my own experiences. It has been interesting seeing what questions Quora throws me, but most of the questions do end up being pretty similar. Thus I thought it might be useful to whoever stumbles upon my blog to pop some of my answers to these frequently asked questions on this |
FROM Xyeek: Saving Money Paying MBA Fees in Foreign Currency |
Since the value of the NZ Dollar is much lower than the Pound, foreign currency exchange rates and how to pay MBA tuition fees are obviously of much concern. London Business School's tuition fee of £70,800 translates to a whopping $150,000+. The great thing about LBS (and most MBA programs), is that they allow you to pay in installments. For anyone interested, LBS's fee schedule for the MBA2018 |
FROM From Bench to Board (Fuqua): Career Development 101: Communicate Effectively |
When I was a kid I was actually pretty extroverted. However, after multiple instances of culture shock growing up I became increasingly introverted. It allowed me to be somewhat successful in science, and made me observant, reflective, and analytical. These are great traits to have in a business setting. However, they would also mean absolutely nothing I if I could not communicate and influence others externally. Continue reading » |
FROM uwengdori - Current Student: What the end of MBA means |
So the last day of MBA took place a few weeks ago, concluded by a course ‘Catastrophic Failures in Organizations.’ To be honest, the last day felt like any other ordinary day. I went into the classroom, sat down in my usual spot, checked facebook a bit until the class starts, then the lecture. ‘I never was a woohoo we did it kind of energetic person since I was a kid to be honest’ but it does feel weird how much stuff I’ve gone through past two years. I grew up enjoying drawing cartoons, moved to Canada in grade 7, liked music and arts, did well in math and graphic arts, not so much in science, went university, struggled my way through undergrad electrical engineering and after 5 years, I just finished my MBA. Time passed and the moments I experienced one by one, even though I did go through them, feels like fiction that never happened or someone else’s as I only feel present. I screwed up and didn’t really spend my time at university to the fullest, so prior to joining Rotman, here were a few things I decided I would do once I’m in school. All these are basically quite opposite of what I used to do in undergrad 1. Sit in front of class. I used to sit at the end and back of the class with my hoodies on (sometimes you see these creepy dudes in class that’s doing their own thing in darkness in the corner of the room…that’s me), and didn’t get to pay much attention in undergrad class. So what I did is I sat in front of the class all the time mostly. It didn’t matter if I had friends to sit with, felt awkward, it was just something I promised myself to do. Of course, at first I felt intimidated by how close I was to the prof, but eventually I enjoyed it. I could see lectures upfront, my concentration was to the max, I could hear well, I could see well (bad eyesight). This experiential trial helped me to not be bound by proximity and distantiation, and be able to more freely understand and engage spacing anywhere I go basically (sounds weird). 2. Raise hands and ask questions when I feel like it. As soon as you got to this second point, you might be thinking, “owkay this guy spent 100k to learn how to raise hands and sit in front of class…?” well again, I never ever raised my hand at all during undergrad, didn’t ask a single question. So in my 1st year, I was extremely frustrated sitting in front of the class and also asking a question. Initially, it took me several minutes formulating how I can ask a question that does not look make me absurd. Frustration of my voice being heard by others all looking at me. This took practices, but eventually, I started to ask questions whenever I feel like it and when I want to know, or want to share something. Professors encouraged me to practice your skills as much as possible in a safe class setting and that’s what I exactly did. This might be a very simple thing, but coming from Korea and being a king of introverts, this skill feels invaluable to me now. Here’s an example . The video is in Korean, but basically President Obama gave a talk at G20 Press Conference in 2010, and afterwards accepted questions from Korean Press, except there wasn’t a single one, a room filled with awkward silence. The scenes shown are completely different in North American universities and conferences from my understanding and everyone is taught to ask questions when in need since youth. In this sense, homogeneous culture is a double edged sword; unity synergetically brings potential intrinsic energy, but at the same time, any outliers or out-of-norm is seen as peculiar, weird, or even as a disruptor in a society. Silent gun effect kills innovation and great ideas. Have courage and ask questions. That way, you get to clarify any doubts without creating rooms for risks and extra time spent to later communicate on that. 3. Attend as many events as possible. Indeed, I attended many workshops and talks in first year, but not so much in 2nd year due to job search and studies. Depending on how you value your time, networking and hearing others’ opnions may come as valuable, or waste of time or even make you feel dirty according to professor Casciaro at Rotman School of Management. I only got to understand the power of networking when I started to structure my thoughts more in 2nd year. How can you explain a concept of networking to kids? It is because I believe even kids have better understanding of networking these days. Put it this way. You want to go to Japan, let’s say, but need a friend or guide there. You remember that you have this Japanese classmate you met a few years ago, had a chat about international studies life, had coffee and he/she went back. So you send him/her an email about your visit, he/she gladly responds and am happy to show you around. Another very simple example might be that you might need help with drawing something, and you remember this person you chatted in classroom when you had nothing to do, and even that creates a connection point that allows you to contact the person and a higher success rate than simply when you contact out of blue. 4. Join clubs and become execs Indeed, I worked as representatives, participated in workshops, organized events, and met many people. It felt so interesting because I didn’t do these at all during undergraduate, so I made sure I do these. 5. Running Perhaps one of my lifetime accomplishments along with weightloss success in 2014, but I participated in four running events: two 10ks, one half, and lastly, the full marathon which I successfully completed. I’ve been doing cross country running since highschool and enjoy running, but was never a good one to be honest. What I enjoy about running is the moment when you surpass your limits. that was what I felt when I finished my first half and when I finally finished a full marathon which was extremely challenging and I couldn’t use my left arm for four months somehow. How’s this really related to MBA you might ask? the thing is it does or it doesn’t. MBA is a great tool that will accelerate your career and help growth personal and professionally and MBA made me understand how important consistency and taking care of good health is. I’ve seen moments of happiness as well as sadness, just the ones I sometimes witnessed throughout my life and it makes me realize how fortunate I am to have chances to accomplish things as there are others that just can’t due to their circumstances. I was lucky to enter Rotman and I am glad that I learned to appreciate life. I guess what I want to say is, whether you want to do MBA or open your own startups or go corporate or whatever, remember to appreciate your surroundings and your opportunities. Don’t become blinded by small things-assignments, relationships, money, stresses- that distract you from your goals; time is precious. 6. Trip to China I was involved in a research project last year and had a chance to travel to China. While research opportunities and learning were incredible, it was the trip to China itself that involved Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong so exciting. I’ve travelled many places – Japan, India, various US states, various Canadian cities, and every time I visit new places I learn something new (kind of cliche I know). I have many Chinese friends, hear about news about China all the time, and I was curious to find out what makes China so special in many ways and this travel did inspire me and learn a few things the same way I did when I was in Japan and India in particular. That is world is very big, there are always some things going on and we think differently. 7. Once again learn about humility As mentioned in previous blog postings, I learned how there are so many smart, energetic, and enthusiastic smart people wherever I go. It was the case when I first started studying as an engineering student. It was also the case when I started working as a consultant in the US. It was again, the case when I started studying at Rotman. I recently learned a new phrase called ‘paralysis by analysis’ from business intelligence class I took. Basically, overabundance of data and misdirectioned analysis gets you nowhere and while that is why hypothesis-driven deductive approach is often necessary in consulting to design proper scope, I also sometimes realize that sometimes not knowing is better than knowing and interestingly, this applies to many parts of our lives including studies, sports, relationships, and fast food unfortunately. The point is, overeducation and overabundance of information makes you overconfident and sometimes even arrogant. It is without a doubt that there are social hierarchies perhaps by wealth, job positions, place of living etc, but as you have more power, you need to learn to become more humble and appreciate that you have such opportunity to influence others and make others’ lives better. I’ve witnessed throughout MBA and work that greed and power makes you more attracted to even more greed! It’s like Anakin Skywalker getting owned by dark side and Peter Parker not understanding the responsibility that comes from power when losing his uncle (ok I know I’m looking forward to reboot Homecoming as well). More successful you become, more cautious your steps should be and try to keep checking your inner self if you’re perhaps doing something unethical. At this point, you – prospective MBA students or any audience – might think, ” what is this man? this stuff you all learn from kindergarten and you’re telling me you went MBA and paid $100k+ time for this kind of stuff?” Of course I made a few proud professional accomplishments such as certifications, jobs and stuff but they are results that I accomplished by getting insights from learning things such as the ones I mentioned above and have no intention to bore you with what kind of stuff I achieved in MBA to put on LinkedIn. Keep asking yourself what you really want to get out of, what accomplishments you want to make and be goal-oriented. Two years is such long time to just to get over with to put three letters, “MBA” to LinkedIn and you might as well find how you want to maximize this opportunity. Last thing I want to say is, that MBA will provide many, many opportunities, but you must understand it is indeed masters level studies, so there will be predicaments, you will be tired and time-sensitive stresses and tiredness will 100% come to you, so get ready. However, such barriers need to be overcome by looking for right opportunities and you must seek them out as MBAs will transfer mandatory knowledge based on courses, but not all the time and many great, exciting opportunities typically need to be researched by checking club events, newsletters and professors; competitions, study tours, speaker events, networking are kind of things you will never come across if you only go to classes and go back home. Otherwise, you might become disappointed by MBA and walk away with bitterness questioning the value of your investment. Be diligent and become used to fighting laziness and you will succeed. While my MBA journey is done here, I have received many questions and thankful responses from my posts that I will continue to have this blog remained although I’m not sure if the school will keep this. Nonetheless, I am planning to create a new integrated blog that talks about my job, hobbies, exercises, etc so stay tuned which will be posted here. Over the past two years, over 6700+ views accumulated by 3200 visitors from all over the world either from gmatclub, wordpress, whatever. As long as my journey helped you making decisions with Rotman MBA as well as life itself, then I think my blogs were perfectly worth it. Thanks. -Josh |
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