The Touch Mba Admissions Podcast

Your resume is often what MBA admissions officers first see, and frames how they view the rest of your profile. Follow this checklist of CV 'do's and don'ts' to make make a strong first impression and set the stage for a successful application. This is a re-run of Episode #6 Seven Deadly Sins of MBA Resumesand Rotman MBA's Leigh Gauthier's answer to the question we asked in Episode #100 What 1 Action Can Candidates Take to Dramatically Improve Their MBA Application? The "7 deadly sins" 1. Too long 2. Hard on the eyes 3. Emphasizes the wrong thing(s) 4. It's a job resume (not an MBA resume) 5. No evidence of impact 6. Lack of context for employers and accomplishments 7. No evidence of career progression Leigh Gauthier's Advice  “For every resume bullet, ask yourself, 'what have you done and how is the organization better for you having been there?'” Episode summary, MBA resume templates, and more at:  http://touchmba.com/mba-resume-tips-templates

Rob O'Reilly performed stand up comedy for 16 years. Then he decided to get an MBA. We discuss his journey to USC Marshall. Questions Rob's background (3:25) MBA career goals and positioning (8:00) The GMAT and showing "quant skills" (18:13) Shortlisting business schools (23:06) Communicating your interest to business schools (32:30) Interviews (39:55) The future of entertainment content (45:32) Looking forward to USC Marshall (45:50) About Our Guest Rob O'Reilly worked as a standup comic, production assistant, staff writer, video producer, and TV producer - most recently for MTV's Ridiculousness - before applying for an MBA. He has landed appearances on The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing and Live at Gotham. He was named one of LA Weekly’s Top 10 Comedy Acts to Watch and one of TBS's 101 Funniest Comedians. He'll be attending USC Marshall's MBA program this Fall. Rob got his B.A. in Television from Boston University. Episode summary, show notes and more at:  http://touchmba.com/stand-up-comic-mba-studen

Alex Tuininga, HBS MBA '18, discusses his transition from a navy intelligence officer to Harvard MBA to BCG management consultant. Alex also shares his thoughts on MBA recruiting and social life as a married, older student. Questions Alex's background (3:48) Alex's advice to military applicants (12:40) Where Alex applied and why he chose HBS (21:00) The HBS experience (24:28) Social life as an older, married student (35:02) The recruiting process (42:20) Summer internships and full-time offers at BCG (48:20) Alex's business lessons from business school (1:04:20) About Our Guest Alex Tuininga worked as an Intelligence Officer in the US Navy for 10 years before attending Harvard Business School. Alex majored in History at UC Berkeley and got a M.A. in International Relations and National Security Studies - Middle East from the Naval Postgraduate School. He'll be consulting for the Boston Consulting Group in Chicago this Fall. Episode summary, show notes and more at:  http://touchmba.com/military-to-mba-to-ma

Guest Host Sabaina Kamara, Michigan Ross MBA '19, invites her friend and classmate Kashay Sanders to share her experience as a first year MBA student at the Ross School of Business. Listen to get a real-time, inside look into the "MBA1" experience at a top b-school like Ross. Questions Kashay's background (3:32) First year internships and student activities (4:59) Reflections on the "MBA1" year and lessons learned (6:58) Multidisciplinary Action Project (MAP) at Ross (10:54) Dealing with imposter syndrome when switching industries/functions (16:16) First year summer plans (17:50) Healthy team dynamics at business school and getting to know classmates  (20:47) MTreks (26:34) Kashay's Vision for Ross as President of the MBA Council (27:59) Kashay's advice to MBA applicants (31:10) About our Guest Host Sabaina Kamara is currently an MBA student at the Ross School of Business. Prior to starting her MBA, Sabaina worked in as an HR Analyst at a management and employment law firm, focusing on HR compliance for div

Guest Host and London Business School (LBS) MBA Mathias Keller invites Dr. Randall S Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour and the Academic Director of the Leadership Institute at LBS, to share his thoughts on successful MBA students, how to develop leadership skills, and how to build high performing teams. Don't miss this episode to sample leadership lessons you'd learn at one of the world's top business schools. Questions What makes a successful MBA student? (7:10) How do you develop leadership skills? (16:02) How do you build high performing, diverse teams? (29:19) About our Guest Host Mathias Keller is currently an MBA student at the London Business School. Prior to starting his MBA, Mathias worked as a German diplomat in Bangladesh and Afghanistan focusing on human rights and counterterrorism. He is interested in pursuing a career at the intersection of business and government. Mathias will intern at McKinsey Berlin this summer. About Our Guest Professor Randall S Peterson is Academic Directo

What do you need to know about MBA recruiting for top media and entertainment companies? Darren invites his good friend Mark Zee, UCLA Anderson MBA '14, to share his experience interviewing and working for companies like 20th Century Fox and the Walt Disney Company, where he is currently Director for Pay TV & Digital Sales. Mark also shares his thoughts on building relationships during and after the MBA. This is Part 7 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Common entry points for MBA grads in the entertainment industry (5:21) The entertainment industry is in flux (8:46) How Mark landed his internship with Fox (11:00) The importance of location in industry recruiting (19:08) How Mark landed his post-MBA job with Disney (20:10) Interviews (38:32) Mark's recommended resources (41:42) What do applicants need to know about succeeding in industry (44:21) Mark's reflections on his promotion at Disney (46:43) Mark's thoughts on the future of the entertainment

How can MBA applicants show evidence of quantitative skills outside of their university GPA and GMAT? Do top b-schools accept online courses like Coursera? Darren invites Admissions Directors from 3 top business schools - Cornell Johnson (USA), IMD (Switzerland) and CEIBS (China) - to share their thoughts. Eddie Asbie from Cornell Johnson MBA (4:20) Paola Eicher from IMD MBA (10:18) Christina Mou from CEIBS MBA (15:44) Darren's Thoughts (20:18) About Our Guests Eddie Asbie is Associate Director, Admissions and Financial Aid at Johnson at Cornell University Paola Eicher is the MBA Recruitment Manager at IMD Business School. Christina Mou is Marketing and Admissions Manager at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/how-to-show-quant-skills Episode Sponsor At MPOWER we believe that helping to turn the dreams of future global leaders and innovators into reality is of utmost priority. Therefore we offer international MBA students flexible

  Could this be the only book you need to prepare for your MBA interviews? Inspired by Dale Carnegie's classic book, The Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking, Darren shares a simple 3-part framework to help you choose your best 'material' for your MBA interviews. Checklist  Have you earned the right to talk about topic through experience or study? Are you excited about your subject? Are you eager to share your subject with your interviewer? Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/quick-easy-way-effective-mba-interviewing Episode Sponsor Ranked among the top public universities in the US, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business provides an outstanding MBA experience tailored to your interests and leadership development. Whether switching careers, enhancing a career or starting a business, an MBA from Fisher provides tomorrow’s leaders with the knowledge and skills to succeed today. Visit fisher.osu.edu to learn more about Fisher’s personalized MBA program and competiti

What do you need to know about MBA recruiting for top Consumer Package Goods (CPG) companies? Darren invites Ana Archbold, Michigan Ross MBA '07, to share her experience working for companies like Kraft Foods, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson, where she is currently a Senior Marketing Director for Neutrogena. Darren and Ana pay special attention to the recruiting process and what applicants can do to maximize their chances of landing internships and jobs. Ana also shares her thoughts on working internationally after getting a top US MBA. This is Part 6 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Ana's background (2:54 ) The importance of internships (5:48) Ana's tips to applicants on how they can get a leg up (9:16) What are top CPG companies looking for in hires? (16:24) The recruiting process (21:15) How important is prior industry experience? (25:20) Interviews (27:08) How interns are evaluated for full-time offers (30:15) Ana's advice to international stu

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in brand management? Darren invites Michael Schwartz, NYU Stern MBA '16, to share his experience working as a marketing and brand manager at companies like Philips, Unilever and Heineken. Michael has worked in marketing and brand management for 10 years – don’t miss his hard-earned insights into the industry! This is Part 5 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Michael's background (2:30 ) What do brand managers do? (8:54) Common entry points for MBAs into brand management and industry trends (12:04) Why Michael pursued an MBA despite wanting to stay in brand management (14:36) Misconceptions about brand management (24:06) Traits of successful brand managers (25:16) Best part of job? Worst part of job? (29:15) Michael's recommended resources (34:00) Michael's thoughts on the value of a part-time MBA (38:10) About Our Guest After graduating from Baruch College with a degree in Marketing Management, Mich

Massine Bouzerar, a 25-year old Canadian, was backpacking through Myanmar in July when he realized he wanted to start his MBA asap. First round deadlines were looming in September. Within 3 months he wrote the GMAT and submitted a successful application to Insead. What should you do when your back is against the wall? Massine shares his experience and what he did to get accepted to one of the world’s top MBA programs: Insead. About Our Guest Massine Bouzerar worked as a product manager for two leading Canadian telecommunication companies before starting his current role as a Manager for E-Commerce Strategy at Ecobee. Massine graduated from Brock University where he majored in Finance. He’ll start at Insead in Fall 2018. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-insead

Sachin Tipnis from the University of Hong Kong discusses what makes the HKU MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for HKU MBAs. Program Highlights (5:15) | Admissions (26:00) | Scholarships (38:36) | Careers (44:27) HKU MBA Highlights (last updated Jan 2018) 14-months, Fall intake, ~60 students/year Typical Class: 5 years work exp / 15 nationalities / 660 GMAT Has 3 tracks: the London track, the New York track, and the Hong Kong/China track. After finishing 9 months of core courses at HKU, students can study at Columbia University in New York, London Business School in London, or Sudan University in Shanghai for one semester Graduates get a 1-year visa to stay in Hong Kong and find a job post-graduation Placement, Class of 2015 & 2016: 85% w/job offers w/in 3 months, $77,265 USD avg starting salary Top Destinations, Class of 2015 & 2016: 48% Hong Kong / 24% Mainland China / 7% India / 7% Europe / 7% other Asia Top Industries, Class of 2015 & 2016: 32% Banking, Finan

Eddie Asbie from Cornell University's Johnson School of Management discusses what makes the Cornell MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Cornell MBAs. Program Highlights (7:14) | Admissions (29:50) | Scholarships (52:07) | Careers (58:38) Cornell MBA Highlights (last updated Dec 2017) 1-Year Cornell Tech MBA (New York City), May intake, ~50 students/year 1-Year MBA (Ithaca, New York), May intake, ~75 students/year 2-Year MBA (Ithaca, New York), September intake, ~275 students/year Typical 2-Year Class: 5 years work exp / 35% international / 700 GMAT Offers 7 immersions in corporate finance, investment research and asset management, strategic marketing, strategic operations, digital technology, sustainable global enterprise, and investment banking Placement for 2-Year, Class of 2016: 94% w/job offers w/in 3 months, $121,000 USD avg starting salary, $31,000 USD avg signing bonus Top Destinations for 2-Year, Class of 2016: 53% NorthEast US / 18% West US / 8% Midwest US / 5% S

When should you use an MBA admissions consultant? How can you get the most value? What should you look for when hiring one? As a former MBA Admissions Director and Admissions Consultant, Darren shares his thoughts. Questions  Why are MBA Admissions Consultants so expensive? Are they worth the fees? (6:25) Should you hire an MBA Admissions Consultant? Which service should you get? How can you get the most value? (13:10) What you should look for from an Admissions Consultant? (19:43) Questions to ask an MBA admissions consultant (21:12) A framework to help you make the decision (22:15) Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/should-you-hire-an-mba-admissions-consultant Episode Sponsor The IESE MBA in Barcelona is consistently ranked Top 15 worldwide by the Financial Times. Do you want to challenge yourself and take your career to the next level? IESE’s full time MBA program will transform your capacity to think strategically, explore new perspectives and be a leader in today’s global worl

Katie Lloyd from Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business joins the show to discuss what makes the Georgia Tech MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Georgia Tech MBA students. Program Highlights (4:19) | Admissions (21:03) | Scholarships (37:00) | Careers (41:18) Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Highlights  Fall intake, 22 months, 80 students/year Class: 80 students / 4.5 years work exp / 25% international / 680 GMAT Students can explore 8 immersive tracks at the intersection of business and technology: technology commercialization, leading new ventures, innovating for sustainability, business analytics, computational finance, leading digital transformation, managing technology products, supply chain innovation ROI: two-thirds of class win funding through graduate assistantships and fellowships Placement for Class of 2016: 95% w/jobs w/in 3 months, $108,000 USD avg starting salary, $16,000 USD avg signing bonus Top Industries for Class of 2016: 40% Consulting / 19% Technology

Vivien Koh from Essec Business School joins the show to discuss what makes the Essec Global MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Essec Global MBA students. Program Highlights (3:28) | Admissions (21:28) | Scholarships (28:22) | Careers (31:02) Essec MBA Highlights  September intake, 12 months, 100 students/year Students can study on French and/or Singapore campuses, depending on major Offers 6 majors in Luxury Brand Management, Hospitality Management, Finance, Strategy & Management, Enterprise Innovation, and Digital Business Top Destinations for Class of 2016: 50% France / 25% Asia / 10% Middle East & North America / 10% Europe (excluding France) / 5% North America Top Industries for Class of 2016: 30% Services / 25% Consulting / 20% Industry / 15% Startups / 5% Public Sector & NGOs / 5% Finance & Banking Ranked #27 by QS Global MBA Rankings 2018 (#13 in Europe) About Our Guest Vivien Koh is Executive Director, Business Development and Marketing for ESSEC

Roughly one third of the top 100 business schools have started Masters in Business or Data Analytics programs, in response to the growing need for workers who can leverage data assets for competitive advantage. What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in the growing industry of data and business analytics? Darren invites Shane Rai, Co-Founder of TenPoint7, a machine learning-as-a-service company, to share his experience as a technology consultant turned entrepreneur in the data analytics and service industry. This is Part 4 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Shane's background (3:39) The difference between data science, data analytics and business analytics (7:00) How to break into the industry (11:00) What background & experience are data-centric companies looking for? (15:13) Is AI going to take over the world? (20:30) Selling data intelligence services (24:30) Interviewing for a data analytics role - what you need to know (26:41) Rea

7 senior MBA Admissions Directors from Berkeley Haas, Cornell Johnson, Virginia Darden, Duke Fuqua, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, and Yale School of Management came to Vietnam this Fall for an MBA admissions panel. Darren shares the questions asked and lessons learned from the event. Questions GMAT or GRE - does it matter? (5:08) How do schools evaluate undergrad transcripts? (5:39) Should only business students apply for MBAs? (6:32) What does the ideal resume look like? (7:33) What do adcoms want to see in essays? (9:19) Optional essay - should it be used? (11:13) Letter of recommendations - what are b-schools looking for? (13:24) Tips for interviews? (15:25) How can applicants show interest in programs? (17:32) What if your recommender is not a native English speaker? (18:06) Common myths in the MBA application process? (18:25) Does visiting a school campus increase chances? (21:03) How do schools view multiple GMAT scores? (22:08) How are IR and AWA evaluated and used? (23:27) What if adcoms see conflicting

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in venture capital? Darren invites his friend Garrett to share his experience, both as an MBA student looking to break into venture capital and as an interviewer for Hewlett Packard Ventures. Garret has worked in venture capital and related jobs in San Francisco for 7 years – don’t miss his hard-earned insights into the industry! This is Part 3 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Garrett’s background (4:50 ) What do venture capitalists do? (9:56) What work background & experience are venture capital (VC) firms looking for? (17:00) The importance of networking to break into the industry (20:39 ) How helpful are business school reputations and rankings in recruiting (23:40) Common entry points into VC as an MBA? (25:34) The (lack of a) recruiting process in VC (26:10) How VC’s and startups perceive MBAs (28:50) Interviewing with VCs - what you need to know (32:21) Traits of successful VCs (35:38) Be

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in investment banking? Darren invites his friend Scott to share his experience, both as an MBA student looking to break into investment banking and as an MBA recruiter for Wells Fargo Securities. Scott has worked in investment banking for 7 years after his MBA – don’t miss his hard-earned insights into the industry! This is Part 2 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Scott's background (3:40) The 2 paths to entering investment banking (6:46) What do investment bankers do? (8:50) Common roles for recent MBA graduates (10:58) What is the recruiting process? (15:02) Bulge bracket vs. boutique investment banks (24:39) How b-schools help with recruiting (28:40) The Wharton alumni network and how to stay connected (30:10) What investment banks are looking for in new MBA hires (33:00) Interviews and dealing with technical questions (43:20) Scott's recommended resources for interview prep (49:35) The role of o