Ask Jon Frank- P69-Q&A:WHY MBA? 7 OVERLOOKED REASONS TO GET AN MBA

JonFrank

Hey Jon,
I am a software engineer and used to work for an oil service company for 3 years and now work for a hedge fund (back-office) about less than one year year. How could I position my ST/LT career goal of switching to front-office to be an analyst role? I am worried how could I position such career change in the essay (which I believe many candidates have the same puzzle) and how much extend I could related my previous oil-service company's program experience? Thank you very much!

-- by 会员 goal2013 (2010/11/28 11:40:18)

Hey there!  Happy to offer up some guidance here for you.  This wont be easy, but we have done it before.  The trick will be for you to say that you have nursed this hedge fund dream for a long time.  At the oil company, you learned some great skills, such as AA BB and CC.  And those skills were NOT oil specific.  They will bode well for you in your new role.  So now, when it was time to get into a Hedge Fund position, you knew you had to start from the bottom up.  Today, in your current role, you LOVE being so close to hedge fund stuff.  You can practically taste it.  But from here, you need to get that final push, to complete your transition.  You’re 80% of the way there.  That’s how I would try it at least, and see what happens from there…  Good luck!


Jon Frank

JonFrank

Thanks for your explanation! That makesense, and very impressive
Hhe, I understand your principle “bestschool to get in”, but what do you mean “a few places as good” besides HBS,Stanford, Wharton, what other schools ranking before Booth? Because rankings up and down, and sometimes Booth climbs to the top….So what do you think about ranking,in general sense？

Hi Jon,

I've a  question, as to Booth’s second essay, took a risk. Is the risk (possibility of meeting danger or suffering harm, loss,etc.) should be a huge one? The risky the better? The dangerous, harmful the better? The story I wanted to tell is related to my career achievement,telling about leadership, so I just wonder how risky should I write...Someone once said the risk should lose my job... I didn’t hear you clearly during your presentation about the risk part, could you explain a bit more here? Why Booth asked about risk, what do they want to see?

BTW, how do you like Booth? I guess it’s not far from you, right？Any first-hand experience, the Booth culture, students,faculty?

Thanks a lot!

-- by 会员 JoeyTribbiani (2010/11/27 23:49:31)

Hey there.  Happy to offer up some guidance here.  The answer is that…YES you do want a cool, exciting, dramatic risk.  It doesn’t mean that you would lose your job necessarily, but the riskier the better.  After all, that would simply make your story more exciting!  And that is what we want, an exciting story.  The riskier the better.

Now, in the presentation, the only point that I made, is that the best risks are ones where you describe what happens if you DON’T take the risk.  That is, if you could stay at your job and live happily ever after, THAN it is a risk.  If you were losing your job anyway, then it wasn’t much of a risk.  After all, you didn’t have much to lose!  The key is to prove that you DID have a lot to lose.  Describe what happens if you DON’T take the risk—that way we understand that you had a lot to lose.  Does that make sense?  And yes, Booth is a fabulous place.  But while I love the school, your best bet (and everyones) is to simply go to the best school you can get into.  Booth is great—but there are a few places just as good, if not better.  Good luck!


Jon Frank

-- by 会员 JonFrank (2010/11/28 14:22:45)

-- by 会员 JoeyTribbiani (2010/11/28 15:51:37)

Hey there!  Yes, this is a great question.  And the rankings do tend to switch around from year to year.  But if we had to look at one ranking system which employers tend to weight most heavily, it would be US World and News Report.  That’s the most important one, followed perhaps by the Financial Times, perhaps only because they include international rankings.  But it is through the USNEWS.com rankings that we back into the magic 7, etc.  So this would leave just two schools worth considering, MIT and Kellogg.  Hope this helps…


Jon Frank

DeeGao

UP UP !!

danasun2001

Hi, Jon
I was in a U.S. univerisity in some southern state and was allergic to some identified allergen in that area. I had to transfer to another school in the northern states. During the one year in the first school, my GPA was very bad due to my medical issues. I did not get any degree from the first school any ways. Should I mention that experience especially when some school ask you to list what you did after college chronicly?
Thanks.

JonFrank

Hi, Jon
I was in a U.S. univerisity in some southern state and was allergic to some identified allergen in that area. I had to transfer to another school in the northern states. During the one year in the first school, my GPA was very bad due to my medical issues. I did not get any degree from the first school any ways. Should I mention that experience especially when some school ask you to list what you did after college chronicly?
Thanks.

-- by 会员 danasun2001 (2010/12/4 5:19:13)

Hey there!  Absolutely, happy to help here of course.  I would simply explain in the optional essay, that while you were at the first school, you had some medical issues.  After you switched schools, the issues went away.  rovided that the rest of your app checks out, they shouldn’t care about it.  And if they do, they can ask you in an interview.  Just address it (you do need to address it of course), and move on.  Don’t show weakness, or they will think that perhaps it IS one!  J  Hope this helps.


Jon Frank

feny211

John, thx for your consistent dedication to this forum.

I decided to apply for MBA last month, and finished GMAT two weeks ago. Right now, I haven't started my essays. Do you think I still have enough time for the second round apps? I want to apply for 5 schools.

Thanks for your answer.

Best,
Feny

Monkyi

Dear Jon:

How to approach this recommendation question ? Thanks. My recommendator and i are BOTH confused.....

The School of Business is committed to developing outstanding leaders who can inspire trust and confidence in others. Please comment on the applicant's behavior within your organization and in the community.

肥熊

Hi, Jon.  I have a question about the choice of recommendator, please.  Which two people do you think is better?
(1) two current senior managers in my company
(2) 1 current senior manager, another guy was a senior manager of my company and recently joined another multinational company as a high level director (in different industry)

All of them know me well and are willing to help in this regard. So...I dont know whom I ought to choose.

Many thanks, my friend.

JonFrank

John, thx for your consistent dedication to this forum.

I decided to apply for MBA last month, and finished GMAT two weeks ago. Right now, I haven't started my essays. Do you think I still have enough time for the second round apps? I want to apply for 5 schools.

Thanks for your answer.

Best,
Feny

-- by 会员 feny211 (2010/12/6 16:19:45)

Feny, I think we have already chatted with you on the phone!  J  But yes, you do have time.  You will find that your first app will take the longest.  Your second app will take juuust a bit less time, and your third will go quicker, and so on.  So the 5^th app will be the quickest of the bunch.  Aim high, and GO for it!  Once you have 2 or 3 apps done, the rest will be much easier.  Good luck, and make us proud!


Jon Frank

JonFrank

Dear Jon:

How to approach this recommendation question ? Thanks. My recommendator and i are BOTH confused.....

The School of Business is committed to developing outstanding leaders who can inspire trust and confidence in others. Please comment on the applicant's behavior within your organization and in the community.

-- by 会员 Monkyi (2010/12/6 23:44:33)

Hey there!  Happy to offer up some guidance here my friend.  What theyre really asking here is about LEADERSHIP.  After all, that is what leadership is, to inspire others to, well, do what you say.  So what they want you to talk about is LEADERSHIP.  If you and your recommender can do that, you will be in business.  So to speak.  J  Hope this helps.


Jon Frank