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

JonFrank

What makes a great MBA Interview? We’ve gotten MBA interview tips from former admissions counselors, our own expert consultants, and even our successful applicants have weighed in. And now, our COO Lauren Herskovic is getting in the game.

Here we present what NOT to do at an MBA interview – 7 MBA Interview Tips

(Hover over and click the volume icon for sound!)


#1 – Do NOT talk like a robot.


We know that you wouldn’t actually intend talk like a robot, BUT there is a tendency to freeze up and get nervous in high-pressure interview situations… which could lead to robot-like tendencies. Stay calm, and be natural. Your interview should feel like a conversation, not an interrogation.


#2 – Be Prepared
7 MBA INTERVIEW TIPS

Our interview with a former admissions counselor at a top MBA program revealed that the biggest pet peeve of MBA interviewers is when candidates come unprepared. You need to do your research on the school, prepare your stories, and get to know your interviewer BEFORE your interview.


#3 – Don’t Be Late


Double-check and triple-check your interview date and time… especially for on-line meetings (time zones can be tricky).


#4 – Do NOT gush about the wrong school.


Sometimes in your flurry of preparation, you may forget when your birthday is, where your car keys are, and what school you’re interviewing at. Same as your essays, make SURE that you’re talking about the right school. Nothing can send your interview crashing faster than gushing about the wrong school.


#5 – Do NOT read your resume.


The last thing interviewers want to hear is a play-by-play of your resume. Your interview should be a conversation – filled with compelling stories and anecdotes that also just happen to highlight your best qualities and achievement.


#6 – Be confident, not arrogant.


Going into an interview with confidence is key, but being over confident and arrogant is a huge turn-off. You should be confident and purposeful but also humble and appreciative of the opportunity given to you.


#7 – Plan for tech problems.


Nothing is worse than having a great conversation with your interviewer and then your Internet gets cut off, or Skype freezes, or your headphones don’t work. Plan for possible technical problems beforehand. Test your headphones and microphone and make sure all your software is running smoothly.

JonFrank

MEET YOUR DRILL SERGEANT
Basic Training Bootcamp is coming to a computer screen near you on February 24th, February 27th, and March 3rd. That’s 3 hardcore days and 5 hardcore hours, in a small class with lots of personal attention, guaranteed to help you rock all aspects of the MBA application. Here’s the MBA Admissions Bootcamp game plan:

Get a feel for the geography of the MBA application
Assess your chances of getting in to B-school
Create an application attack plan and timeline
Make your resume into a piece of golden literature
Pick the right essay topic
Avoid common essay-writing pitfalls
Learn the ins and outs of the essay writing process from start to finish (seriously, guys)
Learn how to coach your recommenders
and more…

JonFrank

APPLYING TO THREE SCHOOLS IN FIVE WEEKS: IT CAN BE DONE
So, you’ve got around five weeks left before a bunch of Round 2 deadlines hit, and you’ve still got some applications you haven’t even started yet. Are you starting to panic?

Well, forget that noise.

There’s plenty of time to do it…if you do it right. What you need is a plan, and by plan I mean timeline. A timeline set out so you can get everything done in enough time to feel good about submitting those apps, instead of worrying that you just sent out a less-than-excellent effort to some of your dream schools.

Our very own MBA guru Yaron Dahan has laid out a map for navigating the application process for three schools in five weeks, broken down on a week-by-week basis. Time to strategize…

FIVE WEEKS LEFT:

1. Contact your recommenders and get the ball rolling with your letters of recommendation, letting them know your deadlines.

2. Reach out to people from each of the three schools you’re applying to so you can get some info for your “Why School X” essays. Think alumni, current students, even faculty – folks who can give you a glimpse of the programs from the inside.

3. Start your application essays to School 1.

FOUR WEEKS LEFT:

1. Log into the websites for all three schools and start filling out the forms they’re all going to request… you know, the perfunctory paperwork.

2. Keep working on your application essays to School 1.

3. Start your application essays to School 2.

THREE WEEKS LEFT:

1. Make sure your recommenders have gotten their LORs in. If not, send them a kindly reminder of your deadline.

2. Finish your application essays to School 1.

3. Continue working on your application essays to School 2.

4. Start your application essays to School 3.

TWO WEEKS LEFT:

1. Be ABSOLUTELY sure that all your recommendations are in. To quote Elvis, “It’s now or never.”

2. Complete your online application forms to all three schools.

3. Finish your application essays to School 2.

4. Continue working on your application essays to School 3.

ONE WEEK LEFT:

1. Finish your application essays to School 3.

2. Check all three applications (forms and essays) for mistakes. Look VERY carefully over everything, as the time away from most of the material will help you to more quickly and easily spot errors that could otherwise trip you up.

3. Click submit and send them on their merry way.

4. Kick off your shoes, pour a glass of your favorite drink, put up your feet, and relax (optional, but highly recommended).

JonFrank

WHY MBA? 7 OVERLOOKED REASONS TO GET AN MBA
Why MBA? Maybe you’re looking to develop some new technical skills that will put you ahead in your career. Or you want to rub elbows with the best and brightest. Or maybe you’re really into eating cheap burritos while pulling all-nighters on case studies. There are about 2349679034 reasons to get an MBA (that’s just a rough estimate ), but what are you really getting from all that time and money? What are the skills that are going to pay off in the long-run and make you a better professional… and person?

Inspired by an article in the Economist, we asked our team of expert MBA consultants the most important skill they learned in b-school, but not the stuff they learned in class. Today, we’re looking at SEVEN of those often overlooked but extremely valuable soft skills that you ONLY get from the fast-paced, high-pressure, brain incubator that is b-school.

1. LEADERSHIP

“Through my learning team (7 people you do all assignments with), we had to do several group projects, some of which were observed by teachers and our mentor. We also had to do a 360 feedback at the end of the year to get all team member’s feedback on our performance. Through this, I learned that I can still lead the group without being the actual leader through positive encouragement and cheerleading. I learned when to step up and when to step back. I also learned when to push for better results and when perfectionism was non-productive. The learning team was one of the best growth experiences I’ve encountered in terms of being put with other people who want to lead and figuring out how I can still make an impact, while improving myself and my leadership style at the same time.”
–Christine Moseley, Wharton

“The most important soft skill I learned was how to lead and manage people who I had no direct authority over. There were many opportunities in b-school where I got to lead a bunch of my classmates from clubs to conferences to social trips. Technically, they were all my peers and did not “report” into me. So figuring out how to motivate and guide them to do what I asked was the biggest skill that I was able to gain by experience. There were many classes that I took that set the frameworks such as leading and managing teams and power in organizations, but learning by doing was the best resource/opportunity. Now I use the skills that I gained almost every day in the workplace. Everyone works on cross-functional teams where you would need something to be done by another person who is not your direct report. So this soft skill really comes handy to figure out how to manage people and adapt to different work styles. B-school was a fail-safe practice ground for the real world because everyone was in the same situation so you can make mistakes and learn/adjust your approach.”
–Tony Shan, Kellogg