If you do not have the skills of thoughtful reading business literature and the ability to independently understand the read and turn into the tools of your own strategic process, and you do not feel sorry to 60,000 euros, you can and you need to go to learn from the MBA program.
People who ripe not only in moral and professional plans are usually ready for the highest qualifying step in the field of professional management, but also financially.
What is MBA.
Motherland of the modern business education model - USA. Business schools where you can get a MBA degree - Master of Business Administration (Master of Business Administration) - are created mainly at universities. MBA programs are two types: some are preparing managers in specializations, other - wide profile managers.
The set of common disciplines includes economics, management, marketing and finance management. Training is built mainly on the study of specific business situations - cases. The cost of learning varies from 20,000 to 60,000 euros, depending on the period (1 or 2 years) and form of training.
Every year famous publications with worldwide names, such as Financial Times and US News, publish the popularity ratings of business schools.
Russian students are interested in arrival in Insead, LBS, Stanford, Chicago Booth, Ie Business School, Wharton, Kellogg and Harvard. Leaders of Russian Business Education - Mirbis, Higher School of Business MSU. Lomonosov, Moscow School School Skolkovo.
"The most famous and prestigious universities teaching the MBA-programs are, of course, are abroad. Russian schools are only adopting their experience, "comments the situation Laura Bromist, Head of the Recruitment Department of the Moscow Office Holding Anchor.
In the conditions of the economic downturn, the number of applications for online programs MBA has sharply increased.
Why do you need it?
1. MBA is an increase in the capitalization of the profession.
2. An integral part of learning - business connections (Networking). Learn MBA is mainly in order to enter the right contacts in a business environment, to get the opportunity to participate in some interesting project.
3. In addition, training in a business school gives the deep vision of business laws and understanding individual business processes.
And who are students?
Most students (80%) who came for MBA education are either business owners or top managers. The rest is young people for whom the fact of the MBA diploma is important.
"... MBA is not a goal, it is only a tool that has been not lazy to all recently. What pretty spoiled the reputation of MBA as a program. The presence of MBA does not make a person universal, and does not increase its cost as a candidate. These are all myths. By the way, it is aimless to get MBA for the sake of a crust itself - it is a terrible Moveton, "says the head of the department for the search and selection of permanent personnel of the Coleman Services of Andrei Chulaxar.
Obviously, MBA is really difficult to apply without managing financial flows and strategy of the company.
Experience primary - Diploma Secondary
Do not argue, the Diploma of MBA is able to decorate any labor book. However, the main criteria when selecting a vacancy candidate, the top manager still remains experience in companies with a high level of corporate culture and high managerial standards, as well as a career path.
"MBA is needed only to those expected from General Management (that is, general director). And then, when choosing between a candidate who has a successful professional experience, and those who have MBA will choose the first one. For serious employers, MBA does not play a significant role and is perceived as an advantage, no more. For those who write "the presence of MBA critical" is an indicator of immaturity and misunderstanding of goals ... "- says Andrei Chulaxar.
But this rule has exceptions.
"The presence of MBA can be quite important and even necessary for candidates applying for leadership positions to such applicants employers can really make this requirement. In popularity, MBA-education among managers of the financial / banking segment, general management, or, recently, is more likely to meet. But there are no reliable information on the efficiency of using such education or explicit statistics of demand for candidates who have a MBA degree. Such requirements began to appear, for example, for business assistants when working with top managers and founders, since they are involved in the activities of the entire company, and it is important for them to understand the features of business processes in the organization. Or for functional managers with reorganizations in companies, "comments Laura Buromskaya.
Pros and cons
There is a contradiction: the directors are compiled for the lack of qualified managers who are ready to take responsibility, but at the same time they are afraid to entrust the manager with the Diploma of the MBA.
The effect of business education is when the company's management is open to adopting global experience. For its part, the manager should be able to not break the already established business environment.
About the risks of the employer says Laura Buromskaya:
"Of course, MBA graduates are able to stimulate positive changes in business: they are familiar with the newest achievements in their field, they have a wider outlook. It is only important to remember that theoretical knowledge and practical experience is not the same thing. For the employer, these knowledge can easily turn into a large problem when a new employee starts to give endless "smart" tips, instead of solving specific tasks. In addition, to take such a person as a leader is also a risk. Its decisions, based only on theoretical training, may be erroneous, which will affect the entire team and on the results of the company's work. "
The difference between the Russian MBA from the Western
According to the students themselves, it is better, of course, to study in Western business schools - and the quality of teaching above, and teachers, for the most part, practice.
But, due to the crisis, in Russian business schools, students have fallen greatly, and therefore, the requirements for entrance exams have become less rigid.
Here is a comment Laura Bromot: "MBA in Russia is still young and is more academic in comparison with Western countries. In Russia, this is due to the complexity in attracting competent teachers from the business. In addition, it is much more difficult to enroll in Western school than in Russian, as foreign education requires much more than just to pay money - a high competition, introducing into a new cultural environment, complete immersion. Unlike Russian, where the competition is often symbolized, and the selection goes rather along the material and language factor. Partly also, therefore, Western education is appreciated above.
But it is important to note that Western training is very torn off from the realities of our market. People who studied abroad for several years and returned to Russia do not know the market situation at all. Russian schools have such a problem, and this is their main advantage. "
Natalia Shishkin.
Scold RussianMBA. Many are considered a sign of good tone. And it is not taught, and not those, and in general there can be no good business education in Russia.
To some extent, these reproaches are probably fair. There are no ideal things at all. The problem, however, is that the Russian business education is oftenMBA. They criticize those who did not study and knows about it only by the first.
How right is criticism?
I tend to agree that some of our business schools discredited the brandMBA.. That some of them simply stamps diplomas without demanding from graduates of real knowledge. But does this mean that all Russian business schools teach poorly? And is it possible to ugly assert that all RussianMBA. bad? - by no means.
Independent ratings show that there are decent business schools in the country. Their graduatesMBA. Mark a high level of satisfaction with learning. These schools are usually included in the "People's RatingMBA.", which is formed on the basis of graduate polls. What is not just graduates, but people who graduated from programs a few years ago - i.e. they had time to rate the effect of the education obtained. This rating is difficult to reproach in bias. Schools are not related to its compilation.
Thus, in Russia there are intelligentMBA. And this is a fact. And the unfounded doubts of those who do not have their own learning experience, I would not take seriously.
But what about complaints from those who have learned? - There is something to talk about.
The main thing that needs to be understood is in the case ofMBA., like any other product, everything is simple. Want to get goodMBA. - Go to a good rating school. And not on all sorts of cheap "analogues" in a passionate desire to save ...
Remembered one indicative case. Man sought himselfMBA.. At first he turned to a good rating business school. He was offered several programs to choose from -MBA., it is cheaper, andExecutive MBA. - more expensive. A few days later he returns and declares that I found a business school with one of the regional universities, whereMBA. It is 2 times cheaper.At the same time, the number of academic hours is 3 times more!
He is explained that the number of hours can be at least 100 times more, but this does not mean that this is a quality business education. Most likely, he seemedMBA. Just packing a saltwater from standard university courses ... Equally, the price can be 10 times lower, but can a business school be able to invite quality business coaches for such a penny? - The arguments were not impressed ...
A year later, I meet this person, I ask: "Well, as studying?". - In response: "nonsense, some theorists!" (And I still correctly conveyed the meaning). And nozzles about allMBA., not specifically your choice ...
Has anyone surprised? - Me not. Logical thinking and self-analysis - not the strongest sidehomo. sapiens.…
In addition to persistent addiction to inappropriate savings, there is another possible cause of discontentMBA.. People tritely go on those programs that they fit. And sometimes onMBA. There are also those who can not go.
MBA. It is precisely useless for those who are not ready to put some kind of stage of their lives on his career and making money. Those. for the majority of people. Many people prefer to slightly sigh of a beautiful life and are not ready to attach to its construction at least any significant efforts.
DiplomaMBA. For such people will become disappointment. He in itself, as well as the knowledge that cost him, does not give any money, no career.MBA. - Good help for ambitious careerists. They receive knowledge and skills that make them more efficient, accelerate and simplify their path. But instead of them, no one will pass this path ...
I also think thatMBA. Do not learn to the owners who received our business dishonest way. Business education for such people, for some exceptions is a balobiness. They are not engaged in the efficiency and development of their business, but a meager mechanism as quickly as possible pumping money from the income asset. Think short-term prospects. Apparently, because they are afraid that sooner or later, the property is unparalleled confiscated. Therefore, they do not see for themselves to invest in improving the efficiency of management.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, but onMBA. The looting of companies and countries are not taught.MBA. - It is about efficiency and development.
So who will be usefulMBA. And what program to choose?
On the example of a business school, which I manage, can argue that the most impressive benefit fromMBA. Receive owners who themselves created their companies and want their further growth, as well as hired employees who want careers and money. And they are ready to plow for this.
Portrait of an ideal listenerMBA.According to my observations, this is: 25 - 35 years old, careerist, while the career is only at the beginning of the path - it is either the younger or the average link of the company. Hard worker. Concretten in life and in affairs. Wants money and ready to earn them. He knows that knowledge and diploma needs for career.
WhereinExecutive MBA. - so called premiumMBA. Higher Level - have a different audience. They are older than more experienced people. As a rule, it is 30 - 45 years old. Either the owned owners or top managers. Also here are middle managers, which are preparing to jump on top items. Motivation at listenersExecutive MBA. significantly different from goalsMBA.shnikov. These people need a lesser degree career growth (he is already so impressive), but seriously interested in improving the efficiency of companies that are guided, as well as their own professional and personal development. Therefore, goodExecutive MBA. - It is about growth and development in all aspects of mature business.
If you, dear reader, saw himself in the examples described and are thinking aboutMBA., then you will definitely be interested in cases when you should not go to learn anyway.
In no case should you go onMBA., Until you imagine how you build a career. Those. Do not have at least a common real plan. Nadezhda for the fact that after receiving a career diploma you will find you myself, and you immediately lead some gasneft - forget about it.MBA. - An excellent assistant in building a career, but that this help worked, you must move in a clear direction. And do not wait for manna heavenly. I personally know several people who gets good westernMBA. And returning to Russia, they were very surprised that they did not build a line from employers. In the West, by the way, they also did not need anyone.
It is also impossible to go to learn in search of yourself. According to the principle: "I was lost in life, I will go teaching, may find myself."MBA. - This is definitely not about the treatment of a subtle mental organization of lost in life, it is about a hard effective business. There, no one will mess around with a person in an attempt to revive him from the bake.
Well, finally, summarizing.MBA. - This is a piece goods, an elite business education. If a man scoldsMBA. "So he either chose not that school, or hit the program not at that period of his life. Or, as mentioned above, onMBA. He was not worth going at all. But such critics, in my opinion, a little, the absolute majority of graduates of rating schools are satisfied with the resulting education. Much more often, those who have not studied himself have no experience.Why do they swear? - Apparently, they like this thing - swear.
On January 25, 2007, I told me about my experience in the IBA program in Stanford GSB. At the request of students and graduates who were at this meeting, I post a brief summary of this meeting.
Much of what is written here is taken from the book "by Richard Montauk. I strongly recommend everyone who thinks about the IBA, watch it. A year ago (in 2006), this book was in the library of foreign literature in Moscow.
Why MBA?
General facts
Here is a list of the most common reasons why people decide to get MBA:
Increase income. The average annual income of recent graduates of leading American business schools is approximately $ 150,000.
Change career. Among the MBA students are quite a lot of students who say that they are tired of working in the current industry and want to try something completely new.
Checkmark. Many students are needed exclusively for the checkmark. For example, consulting management is often extremely difficult to obtain an increase in without the IBA.
Job Security. With a degree of MBA from a leading business school, you can always find high-paying work in almost any point in the world.
Contacts. You will learn with people, many of which will be a decision makers in a wide variety of industries after a while.
Credentials. The MBA degree from the leading school takes a number of questions about your candidacy and can play a decisive role in negotiations with investors or business partners.
Knowledge. In a business school you can choose the items that are most important for you, and you can learn from the best teachers in the world. Moreover, you can adopt experience in the most successful managers in the world that business schools are often invited to presentations.
New experience, rest. Often investment bankers who worked for 20 hours a day, go to the IBA in order to relax from their work.
Life style. Many students go to the IBA in order to live in another country and chat with new people.
Different people have completely different reasons for obtaining MBA. I have a lot of friends who, looking at this list, said that they do not need MBA.
Why i need mba
My background: I successfully developed a little startup. My plans for the future: make your own company or lead a large IT company. I also do not exclude for myself work in the Venture Capital industry.
Why do I need MBA:
o Credentials. Almost all graduates of the top MBA programs with whom I managed to talk, one: a huge number of questions, arrogance and mistrust in the business negotiations instantly disappeared after they showed their business card or a glimpse mentioned their education.
o Communications, especially with venture capitalists. It is possible that in the near future I will need financing. The MBA leading program will help me install personal contact with the necessary people.
o Knowledge. First, Russia is slowly, but it is easily poured into the global economy. As a result, competition is enhanced, and all higher demands are presented to managers. Secondly, with increasing responsibility, Soft Skills is starting to play, which cannot be learned on books.
o Job Security. Political risks are very high in Russia. I want to be sure that if tomorrow here will happen something, I can always find high-paying work anywhere in the world.
o Lifestyle. I was attracted by the prospects to spend 2 years in sunny California, get new knowledge and get acquainted with interesting people.
How to choose school?
General facts
That's what, in my opinion, you need to do when choosing a school:
Carefully examine the school website, brochures and go to the school presentation.
Try to talk as many school graduates that you are interested in.
Read what the students are written about their schools.
o Pavel Khokhryakov, Stanford MBA'04, President and CEO AT PROMSVYAZCAPITAL GROUP.
o Mikhail Dmitriev, Harvard MBA'08. HBS student. Prior to this McKinsey consultant.
o Lamax
Note # 1: Carefully contact the ratings!
Give only 2 examples:
The Wall Street Journal rating is compiled by employers' surveys. What does it mean? Imagine the following situation: the medium-term employer comes to a leading business school. Most likely, little people comes to his presentation, because Students have plenty of opportunities to go to the presentation of the best companies. Next, during the presentation, a substantial part of the audience leaves. Those who are still deciding to pass interviews, for the most part poorly prepared for him. In the end, only three people take Job Offer, of which 2 then refuse him, and the only one who accepted offer, turns out to be a loser who has not yet taken anywhere and which requires an unrealistic salary. After that, the same employer rides in God forgotten school. There, his presentation is going to the full hall. Everyone studied the specifics of the employer, well prepared for the interview, etc. I wonder what evaluations will this employer expand to schools?
In some other rating, I came across such a parameter as the distance to the parking lot. I do not think that this was at least somehow affected the quality of learning and my choice ...
Note # 2: Harvard, Stanford and Wharton are recognized by top schools in the world. For them, they often use a special HSW abbreviation. With the degree of MBA from these schools you can feel comfortable anywhere. I did this conclusion on the basis of my communication with graduates of various IBA programs.
Note # 3: LBS and InSead are recognized as best schools in Europe. With the degree of MBA from these schools, you can feel comfortable in Europe, but in the US it will be more difficult for you to find a job. On the other hand, these schools have quite large Alumini Clubs in Russia. Another plus of European business schools - they are near the house and learn there are not so long.
How I chose the IBA
From the very beginning, I limited myself only the HSW for the following reasons:
o Most of the venture capitalists in the world is located in the United States. Therefore, it was important for me to get Credibility in the eyes of Americans.
o It is possible that I will have to work in the USA.
o These schools are considered the best, and I have not seen the reasons why I would have to consider other schools.
I decided that Wharton is not suitable for me for the following reasons
o Explore the site and discussing the Wharton with graduates, I came to the conclusion that in my spirit Wharton is more suitable for those who are interested in finance.
o Wharton pays great attention to "Hard Skills". After the fur mat and Rush derivatives dreamed to me at night, and I wanted to pay more attention to "Soft Skills".
As a result, I decided to come only in 2 schools: Harvard and Stanford. Both schools specialize on what I need: General Management and EntrePreneurship. To properly arrange priorities when choosing a school, be sure to visit them! After visiting Harvard and Stanford, my priorities changed dramatically.
My choice number 1 was Stanford GSB for the following reasons:
o Personalized curriculum. It is very important for me that I can choose any courses according to my own goals and mine, not the most standard, background'om.
o Silicone Valley. The air is literally saturated with innovations and almost on every corner talk about some ideas and startups.
o small size. I already had learning experience both at the Big University (fur-mat MSU) and in a small "school" (RSH). Even then I made it for myself what is more comfortable in the family atmosphere of a small school. Stanford surrounds the careful concern for each of his student. Immediately after enrollment, I felt support and received real help from the administration, students and graduates, and my wife helped the wife of current Stanford students.
o Command Spirit. One of the most important distinguishing features of Stanford from Harvard is to upbringing the team spirit in business. The school in every way pushes students to achieving the result by teamwork. Moreover, the rating policy of estimates prohibits students to disclose information about their estimates.
o People. Maybe I was simply not very lucky, but with Harvard students I was much more difficult for me to find a common language than with Stanford students.
o climate. At the end of November, when I was in Stanford, there was +20. Good weather imposes your mark on everyone - everyone has a good mood, everything is very friendly. Moreover, it is an ideal place for my hobbies: directly in campus many sites for the beach volleyball, and in several hours of driving, excellent ski resorts. Well, as soon as my wife saw the pictures and found out that 20 minutes ocean and surfing, I had no choice.
Admission Process.
So, if you have already decided to enter the IBA, then this is what you need:
Prepare for tough competition. The number of applicants received for the best programs is 10-15% of the submitted documents (in Stanford, this figure is often descended to 7% or even 6%).
GMAT. To enter the lead school, it is advisable to score 700+ points (this is approximately Top 5%)
TOEFL. Each business school has its own minimum threshold for TOEFL. The middle score in the best MBA programs is about 280 points.
Essay. Each school requires a set of introductory essays. On average, your essay will take 7-10 pages.
Recommendations. It will be necessary to collect 2-3 recommendations.
Timing. Documents are usually fed at 3-4 waves. Deadline for the first wave is usually somewhere in October, and for the latter in March. You can choose the most convenient time for you, however, the following factors should be taken into account
o with the last wave usually do more complicated, because Often, almost all places in school are already busy.
o Enrolling with the first wave, you will have more time on organizational questions: financing, receiving a visa, choice of housing, etc.
o If you feel ready, I would advise submitting documents as early as possible. On the other hand, you should not rush! If you feel that you can significantly improve your essay, do not hurry, but it is better to quietly prepare cool essays.
Supporting documents. After admission, the school will ask you to send confirmation of education documents, etc.
Decision-making
Before starting to prepare for admission, you need to decide whether you need an IBM, and in which schools (approximately) you will do.
To make a decision, carefully assemble information. As soon as you have on your hands all the information available to you, analyze and write down everything for both against the leaves. After that, you need to make a decision.
According to my observations, one of the main reasons for failure in admission is that people proceeded to prepare without convincing themselves in the need for MBA. As a result, constant thoughts on whether MBA needs or not, constantly worried and distracted them from training. The result of this: spent valuable time without a finite result.
Do not postpone and do not stretch decision making! According to the rule of Samurai, any decision should be taken for 7 inhales and exhale.
GMAT.
About test
GMAT consists of 3 parts
AWA: 2 essays. Time: 30 min. for each.
o 1 essay: Analysis of An Argument
o 2nd Essay: Analysis of An Isse
Quantitative Section. Consists of 37 questions. Time: 75 minutes. Questions are divided into 3 species
o PROBLEM SOLVING (PS) - Questions for basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry.
o Data Sufficiency (DS) - Questions PS + Basic Logic.
Verbal Section. Consists of 37 questions. Time: 75 minutes. Questions are divided into 3 species
o Reading Comprehension (RC) - Questions on the text (logic, structure, details).
o Critical Reasoning (CR) - Questions for the analysis of short statement logic.
o Sentence Correction (SC) - Questions for grammar.
The average GMAT value in the HSW: 700-720.
Materials
GMAT Official Guide 11th Edition (I was preparing for 10th Edition) - This is the Bible of Preparations for GMAT! This is the only book that is really necessary when preparing for test. In other books, it is useful to view the attack strategy of various questions and, perhaps, work on questions after the Outficial Guide end. In 2006, this book was in the library of foreign literature in Moscow.
Flashcards is a set of rules organized in the form of cards. They are very convenient to read / learn in the subway, car, etc. Ready Flashcards save you a huge amount of time.
Urch.com - GMAT'OVS forum from around the world. There you can download several versions of Flashcards, you will find a lot of useful tips and you can ask your question to teachers in GMAT.
Beatthegmat.blogspot.com - a guy blog who passed GMAT to 720. There you will find a detailed one (up to a day!) Description of preparation, comparison of various materials and Flashcards. Be sure to browse this blog before making your own preparation plan - it will help you avoid mistakes and, again, will save a mass of time.
Electronic materials. Try to get as many electronic tests as possible. Electronic tests will allow you to adapt to time limit and reveal your weaknesses. In 2006, a large number of tests were in the library of foreign literature in Moscow.
Preparation for Verbal and Quantitative
I originally had no problems with Quantitative Section, so I can't take into account the subtleties of preparation for this part. If you have experience in preparing for this part, and you can clearly formulate your tips - write me, I will be happy to include them in these notes.
What do not do
Within 2 months, I was prepared for GMAT using various literature and without any system. For these 2 months I invested a bunch of time for reading different books and practically did not get a return. Only after I came across the beatthegmat.blogspot.com and urch.com and made my own preparation plan, significant progress has appeared. After 2 months I passed GMAT at 740 (TOP 2%).
My recommendations
I recommend prepare together. First, it makes an element of the competition: "Well, today I will make you and allow only one error." But the main thing, your acquaintance will often be able to explain what you are not clear. This is invaluable! Main: Find a person about your level.
First, check out GMAT. Read the basic strategies, but do not perceive them literally. Read beatthegmat.blogspot.com and urch.com. Print Flashcards.
Complete one of the official tests to determine your level and understand what you need to work.
2-3 times a week Make tasks from Official Guide. All errors write down in the notebook. For each error, put the point on the card with the appropriate rule. If you do not understand why any answer is correct, write on urch.com.
1-2 times a week, pass a full-fledged electronic test. Main task: learn to reasonably distribute your time. All errors - again in the notebook with scubons on the appropriate card.
In advance (about a month), assign the date of testing. Otherwise, you can endlessly postpone testing. A specific date helped me and mobilize all forces a few weeks before the exam.
Pay attention only to the results of official tests - they as close as possible show your real level. Other tests often underestimate or overestim real points.
A few days before the test re-pass official tests - your points on the real test will most likely be very close.
Over the day before the test, try to relax completely and relax.
Before the test, buy water and light snack - the test will last more than 4 hours with 2 intervals. It helps to focus black chocolate and energy drink.
During the exam, do not think about your glasses. Focus solely on the current question.
Preparation for AWA.
Your essays will be checked by man and car. One assessment is exposed to a person, another car. If the estimates do not differ much, then you get the average between them. If the estimates differ strongly, your essay checks another person. Therefore, you should write more or less logical text optimized for the robot. Why? Imagine that you wrote a normal, in terms of logic, an essay that will get a high ball by a robot. A person who checks this essay is most likely knowing how your essay robot will appreciate. I doubt that a person wants to make a problem for himself, putting an assessment that is very different from the robot. Therefore, if from the point of view of logic in your essay everything is fine, a person should strive to raise an assessment close to the robot.
I was preparing for AWA 2 weeks and passed on 5 balls.
My recommendations
Collect information about AWA.
Download the last list of topics for AWA (Analysis of An Argument, Analysis Of An Issue)
Examine the essay on 6 points - your essay should be like them!
Find templates on urch.com
Prepare your own templates.
3-4 times a week Write 1-2 essays with time limit.
Explore 800score AWA. Here are some tips from there:
o stick with a clear structure
o try to use as much synonyms as possible
o Use as much grammatical structures as possible.
o Insert as many connectors and input words as possible.
o Find the sly words and insert them into your templates
TOEFL
Unfortunately, I passed TOEFL for a long time and no longer remember the specifics of the preparation. However, almost everyone advise to take TEFL immediately after GMAT. Sementence Correction and Reading Comprehension sections in it are much easier GMAT.
ESSAY
Essays play a critical role when admission. Good essays can smooth out the impression from not the best results of tests or assessments in the university. The mediocre essay will definitely bury your chances of admission. Example: I was preparing to enter with my good acquaintance. GMAT and TOEFL He handed over to me. Estimates in universities and experience in us were almost the same. However, only me was invited to the interview.
Literature
"How to Get Into The Top MBA Program" by Richard Montauk. Careful analysis of all standard topics for essay. Be sure to read!
"65 SUCCESSFUL HARVARD Business School Essays". It is useful in order to understand what other people write about.
These books will help you avoid some errors and save time. Both books in 2006 were in the library of foreign literature in Moscow.
I also helped me that in the last 2 years I read a lot of business literature in English (at the end I brought the top10 list from what I read the last time)
I acquired the necessary vocabulary (in the last year I wrote all the bright phrases that I could use in my essay in a notebook);
I did not have to invent ideas for an essay for a long time.
Before writing essay
Collect information about yourself (see "Personal Organizer" in Montauca)
Ask Feedback from your friends. My experience: I sent about 20 letters to friends with a request to comment on the strengths / weaknesses, ... got 10 answers. Of these, 5 answers helped me a lot.
General advice
Montaucas recommendations. Read the recommendations in Montauca for each question (section "Understanding Key Essay Topics")
Show results. It is not interesting for anyone than you did. It is important what you have achieved. Therefore, focus on the results. Everywhere, try to use the perfect form of verbs (made, achieved ...).
Schools appreciate Diversity. Show that you are a versatile person.
Write brightly. Each person in the adoptive commission reads hundreds of essays. Your task is to remember your essay.
Positioning. Your essay is a product that needs to sell a reception office. When selling any product, it is important to correct positioning. Try in 5-6 words to describe what you want to convey to the admission committee, and prove it in each of your essays.
Sandwich. In each essay, I used the approach that learned when writing numerous press releases. Any press release is a sandwich. At the very beginning, you need to clearly convey what you want to say. In the middle - meat that presents, imposes and chews your idea to the reader. At the end, again, a clear repetition of the main idea in other words. As a result, the reader will accurately understand and remember what you wanted to convey to him.
"There IS No Great Writing, Only Great Rewriting." Get ready to constantly rewrite the essay.
Show the essay as many people as possible and listen carefully to their words. I showed my essay to almost all my acquaintances: in the car on the way home, in a cafe during lunch, during a random meeting in the subway, etc. Almost every friend knows something to improve the essay.
Look at the part of the admission committee. For example, never write that "at the university I was very simple." The reception office will think that you will then write the same thing about a business school. This is not the "PR" to which they count.
Never write not the truth.
Show that you know the specifics of the school.
My experience
I met every one of my recommenders for about 4 months before sending documents. During the first meeting, I simply explained my situation and made sure that each of them would find time to write me a good recommendation. Approximately a month before the filing of documents, I met each of them again, described in detail about what is waiting for the business school recommendations, and discussed the list of facts that each of them could be used in recommendations.
Advice
Who choose a recommender? I think that at least two recommendations should be from the business environment. Best of all your immediate managers or customers.
Choose people who love you. They will always be able to find enough time and find the necessary words.
Do not write recommendations yourself. All you could write about yourself, you have already written in the essay. Try to schematically indicate what, in your opinion, you need to be included in the recommendation, but politely insist that the recommender wrote a recommendation on your own.
Facts. Ask the recommenders to use as many facts as possible. Most likely, in the first version, the recommender will write something like: "ABC is the best. He is better than the best and best of all the best better. " All this needs to be removed and instead insert specific facts (of which all of the above and should follow).
After sending documents
The best advice is to completely distract from thinking about MBA. If it does not quite work, look at the following resources.
BusinessWeek Forums. A fairly large community of applicants on the IBA. There you can immediately find out as soon as your business school will start sending invitations to the interview.
Admissions411.com. Here you can roughly determine how many invitations are already sent, how much interview passed, etc.
Interview
Format
Harvard
o conduct members of the admission committee
o "NOT BLIND INTERVIEW". Interviewer knows your documents well, including essays
o In Russia, the interview is held by phone. Although you always have the opportunity to go to an interview in US
o used more or less standard set of questions. Here is what I managed to collect
o Main: you need to prepare answers to standard questions that are consistent with your essay
Stanford.
o spend graduates
o "Blind Interview". Interviewer receives only your resume
o questions may be completely unpredictable
Statistics
At Harvard and Stanford, approximately 50% of those who were invited to interviews. The ate of you were invited to an interview - it means that you have a good chance!
Advice
Browse the standard questions.
Positioning. In accordance with your positioning, consider
o What's the impression you want to leave
o What accents should be done when answering standard questions
Structure your answers. Do not get immediately rushing to answer the question, even if the answer seems to you obvious. Think a couple of seconds and answering your positioning.
Do not leave the question. Clearly answer the question you ask.
Prepare good questions for school. At the end you will definitely ask if you have any questions to school. This is exactly the moment when you can show that you have learned about school information. To do this, think over a non-obvious question, the answer to which you could not get from open sources.
Practice your answers. I did it in the car, standing in traffic jams on the ring.
Do not be nervous. If you hit an interview, then you are already interested in school.
Speak only the truth.
Open and be yourself. Interviewer wants to understand who you are actually.
Listen carefully. Especially if you have an interview with a graduate.
My experience
Initially, I thought it would be much better to handle a telephone interview for the following reasons:
There is an exemplary list of questions to which you just need to memorize the answers.
It seemed to me that I would be able to compete much better with consultants from McKinsey (which in large quantities go to the IBA) in a telephone interview. I reasoned something like this: sell yourself is the main job of the consultant, so these guys should be able to do it much better than me.
In practice, everything turned out. I felt much more comfortable and was able to convey my thoughts much better with a personal interview with Stanford graduate. I think this happened for the following reasons:
I am much more comfortable to communicate with a person personally
I am much easier for me to explain my goals and results to a person who works well in business
After the interview, I had a unique opportunity to talk about an hour with a graduate of a business school. Among other things it helped
"Feel" the spirit of the school. In my opinion, it is extremely important to understand the culture and type of people in school. You have to spend 2 years with these people!
Get answers to my questions from a successful person who passed through all this.
Literature: Top10 sheet
Here I bring a list of books that helped me learn ideas for writing an essay. Perhaps you will not help you. Although it seems to me that these books are good by themselves.
"The 21 IrReFutable Laws of Leadership", John C. Maxwell. In Russian . In my opinion, this is the best book about the leadership of those that I managed to read.
"Funky Business", Kjell A. Nordstrom, Jonas Redderstrale. In Russian . Excellent book about business.
"Working with Emotional Intelligence", Daniel Goleman. The book opens, at first glance, obvious things. The more valuable it becomes! I used ideas from the book in the essay when describing my approach to teamwork. In general, the book allowed me to significantly improve the team management skills.
"Screw IT, Let" S Do it: Lessons in Life ", Richard Branson. Branson is very close to me in spirit. It was in this style that I tried to write my essay.
"The McKinsey Way", Ethan M. Rassiel. In Russian . A set of business rules for daily use, be it writing an essay or development of a strategy for the release of a new product.
From a professional point of view, I was interested in the book about the IT industry and Startups. You will most likely be more useful to read about your industry. Here Top5 books about IT and Startups from those that I managed to read
"The Art of The Start", Guy Kawasaki. I also regularly read a blog on guykawasaki.com
"Startup", Jerry Kaplan. The best story about the failed startup written by the founder and CEO.
"Paypal Wars", Erick Jackson. Best Success Story, described by one of the employees.
"Get Big Fast", Robert Spector. Best Success Story written by a reporter.
"Why Elephants CAN't Dance", Louis V. gerstner. The history of the Renaissance IBM, written by CEO.
MBA (Master of Business Administration) is a professional degree in business management, Master of Business Administration.
Programs aimed at obtaining a given degree exist in each developed state of the world. The main goal is to further prepare the personnel in management positions.
Programs allow people to gain work experience and special skills for efficient management and business administration. So, among the tasks, not only theoretical training should be noted, but also practical.
MBA includes management and several adjacent disciplines. Such a structure allows people to become worthy leaders of the highest level.
The purpose of the MBA program
Students should get acquainted with management, marketing, production management and accounting. Each industry of management, regardless of its specificity, will be studied, so that a professional will be able to lead specialists playing an important role in production.
In recent years, the rapid development of this area aimed at preparing these professionals has been noted. Despite this, many universities continue to prefer traditional programs.
For this reason, the MBA degree is necessary for further and successful career advancement. Many companies are aimed at improving the skill level of a specialist, so that it can with great success to carry out work tasks.
MBA help the professional is constantly ready to solve serious issues. During training, special skills develop, allowing to almost automatically respond to any situation. The presence of MBA is a necessary aspect to ensure that the specialist managed to take a high lead guidance position. This is primarily important in North America.
In fact, in many other countries, we value the possession of MBA, but the degree cannot be direct evidence of the availability of all the necessary skills to manage the enterprise, so employers take into account the working experience and the potential that will be disclosed over time.
What is required for learning on MBA?
Admission to a special program must comply with certain requirements. The minimum age is about twenty-five years. In most cases, people from twenty-six to thirty-two people study at MBA.
Many educational institutions require preliminary work experience, which should be at least two years. Top programs suggest the presence of four to five years of experience, Executive - three - seven.
High TEFL or IELTS ball.Both exams allow you to check the level of English proficiency. In the first case, it is necessary to get from the ninety to one hundred and twenty points, and in the second - six and a half or seven. Thus, the required level reaches Upper-Intermediate, Advanced.
Test GMAT.it is a special test that allows you to check in English, mathematics and analytical letters. Despite the fact that a decent assessment cannot guarantee 100% admission, the chances are significantly increasing.
Summary, motivational letter and / or one - three essays, two recommendation letters.
Diplomaconfirming the receipt of higher education.
Official letterswhich may be a confirmation of work experience.
In no compulsory, you need to choose the appropriate MBA program and clarify its requirements, after which the interview in the telephone mode or during a meeting with the MBA representative.
"What are your further professional goals?"
- Classic question from the admission commissions of most business schools. Often this question is accompanied by variations: "Why do you need MBA education?", "How does MBA help you to achieve your goals?" etc. How to tell about your goals in such a way, firstly, to answer all the explicit and hidden questions of the reception committee; secondly, to interest it; And thirdly, to file your professional path in the "perspective", where the past experience is logically linked with future goals (or vice versa, the rotary point is shown, where did you decide to change your professional path), while maintaining a clear setting structure?
The goals that you will tell the Admission Commission should be based on your past experience. Otherwise it is difficult to believe in them. If you continue your career in a specific direction - it is briefly described in a brief, where you are now that you want that you have for this and why you need MBA to embody it. MBA here will perform as the necessary stage for the development of certain skills or receiving certain knowledge or experience. Your task is to show how to get you accelerate your career or you can act in a new function or in a new company in your industry.
CAREER CHANGERS: Story about the goals with two unknown
The candidates who plan to change the industry or a function often arises of the question: "How to make your goals are plausible and convince the admission committee that I can become an agent of changes in the field where I have not worked yet (a)?"
Agree, it is difficult to describe your way for several years ahead in a completely new area. It is difficult to predict how it will develop, especially if you are not a specialist in it. What is important here? First of all, make sure you know the latest news, trends and events in this area. If you have never crossed with her, try to talk to people who work there, perhaps in the post that you are interested. Thus, you can understand what a person does at the desired position and what prospects can wait for you. For a full picture, it is also desirable to talk to a person at a higher position. In a word, be prepared to learn and tell me if necessary: \u200b\u200bwhere does the industry move and where will it move in 2-3 years? What companies work in it? Which one attracts you and why? What major events have recently happened in this industry? Why is it attractive for you?
Candidates who are really interested in changing the industry or function, as a rule, come to consult already with the knowledge of the latest news on their industry or with understanding what people do on the desired position.
Secondly, it is necessary to show how exactly you are going to show yourself in this new area for you, tell what results you plan to achieve and how. That is, to pay more attention to the second part of the "perspective", again, visually demonstrating, why do you need MBA. Only so you will be able to convince the adoptive commission that you have specific goals, and not unfounded dreams, and moreover, the plan to achieve them.
Homework: Smart and SWOT
Russian realities are laid in our mentality the flexibility of response to frequently changing circumstances - sometimes to the detriment of long-term planning. Often we have to hold brainsstorming, where we work out with the candidates, we work out options and goaling in the essay.
So before formulating your goals for business schools, try applying the equipment Smart.. After all, it is such an answer to the question of your goals wants to get a reception commission: so that they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and tied to a certain time.
In addition, before writing an essay, including essays about the goals, many candidates first do SWOT.his candidacy. You can be repelled from what you have at the moment: what professional and personal experience you have (work, membership in organizations, clubs, charity, etc.). Based on this, what strengths and weaknesses can you notice in yourself? What opportunities do you have? What threats exist for your career growth? It is useful to make the same analysis of your profile at the time of graduation to represent the difference. It is difficult because you are not always sure if your aspirations will remain the same as today, or will change under the influence of courses / internship / career opportunities on campus / communication with colleagues in a group and other factors that will arise in the learning process. . Nevertheless, imagine yourself after graduation and try to fill the matrix. If it turned out too many unknown, take advantage of the help (or consultant).
Why do you need MBA this particular school?
Imprised Questions - why do you enter the MBA, why now and why it is in this school - Must be addressed to the essay on the purposes (unless, of course, the school openly does not allocate them into separate essays). At the same time, the choice of schools in the essay should be paid to special attention, regardless of the text restriction by words or signs.
Repeating, but inconclusive argument in the story about the choice of school - "TopNew" school. Imagine how many essays read members of the Admission Commission. Probably, each of the candidates could bring this argument. What are the difference between candidates from each other? Here it is necessary to convince the Reception Commission that this school will help you become a change agent. What will you bring to school? How do you use its ample opportunities? How will the program of this school increase your chances of implementing goals?
