What do MBA applicants need to know about breaking into the healthcare industry?

Darren invites Veeral Desai, Harvard Business School MBA ’07, to share his experience moving from Bain & Company's Healthcare Practice to senior executive roles at Vantage Oncology and agilon health. Veeral shares his best tips on narrowing your target list of organizations, connecting with alumni, and acing the recruitment process. A big part of Veeral's roles has been recruiting MBAs, so don't miss his advice on how to give yourself the best chance of building a successful career in healthcare.

This is Part 12 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

• Introducing Veeral (0:00)
• Veeral's MBA journey and why Veeral pursued a career in healthcare (5:30)
• Why and how Veeral moved on from Bain & Company to Vantage Oncology (12:00)
• Tactics to break into healthcare (16:00)
• Interacting with MBA alumni (24:30)
• Acing the healthcare recruiting process (28:00)
• Key skills to succeed in healthcare (34:30)
• The ups and downs of Veeral's healthcare experience (44:15)
• How Covid has affected the healthcare industry (48:30)

About Veeral

Veeral Desai is the Chief Strategy and Development Officer at agilon health. Veeral joined agilon health in 2017 as President of Enterprise Operations, where he led the creation of agilon's operating platform, and held P&L and operating responsibility spanning the Western and Eastern regions of the company. Prior to agilon, Veeral served in several senior executive roles at Vantage Oncology (most recently as President of Operations) overseeing the growth and development of Vantage into a leading national cancer delivery network. Before joining Vantage, Veeral spent nearly a decade as a leader in the healthcare practice of Bain & Company. Veeral received his B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Episode Sponsor: Queens University's Smith Full-time MBA

The path to your next big career move goes through Canada. The 12-month Full-time MBA program at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business features a proven team-based, experiential curriculum — built around the exact set of skills that top employers seek.

The results speak for themselves. 98% of the Class of 2021 accepted an offer for their dream role within 3 months of graduation.

Listeners of the Touch MBA Podcast can receive a complimentary virtual consultation by visiting
Yoursmithmba.com/touchmba

Episode write-up and show notes: https://touchmba.com/mba-careers-healthcare.

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

Milan Mecklenberg, Insead MBA '18D, shares his journey from studying theoretical physics at Cambridge to McKinsey Berlin to Insead and then back to McKinsey, this time in Vietnam. What has he learned from the journey?

Questions

• Milan's background (2:20)
• Applying to Insead and getting sponsored by McKinsey (4:20)
• Preparing for the GMAT (8:55)
• Interviewing with McKinsey as an MBA student (11:20)
• Milan's McKinsey experience (18:28)
• Milan's Insead experience (22:42)
• Making the most of 1-year and building your network at Insead (33:40)
• Building self-awareness at Insead & McKinsey (39:45)
• Picking classes & professors at Insead (44:55)

About Milan

After getting his Masters and Bachelors in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from Cambridge University, Milan Mecklenburg worked for McKinsey in Berlin, who then sponsored his Insead MBA in 2018. He then joined McKinsey Vietnam's office for two years. Milan is currently working as a freelance consultant and pursuing entrepreneurial projects

Episode write-up: https://touchmba.com/mckinsey-insead-experience-milan-mecklenburg/

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

Job hoppers, this episode is for you! Darren shares three strategies you can use to mitigate your track record of job hopping. How can you present this as an asset to your target MBA programs?

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-positioning-strategies-for-job-hoppers

This episode is from my new podcast, ASE, which explores making a living and life as a solopreneur. I bring on artists, social entrepreneurs, and solo founders to explore the self-employed, creative life and how to do your best work.

A number of my salsa friends in their 20s and 30s have found it helpful, so I thought I'd share it with you too. ASE showcases a different, more personal side to me (with some cursing, so be warned!).

And for those of you who are looking for more MBA admissions content, don't worry, I have plenty more MBA episodes coming your way - including more interviews with MBA Admissions Directors - so stay tuned.

Live the Questions

A month ago my salsa friends and I shared our personal challenges over smoothies. Most revolved around feeling more whole and complete with ourselves and our lives. I've thought about that conversation for weeks.

Here is my unsolicited advice to friends in their 20s searching for purpose, work, home and satisfaction. More than anything, this episode is a reminder to myself to love and live the questions - cause they never go away.

Questions

• Satisfaction (6:20)
• Home (9:35)
• Work (13:30)
• Purpose (17:10)

Subscribe to the ASE Podcast

Email / Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher / Google Podcasts / YouTube

Show Notes

• ASE #18: Live the Questions 
• Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (Sebastian Junger)
• The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake (David Brooks)
• The Labyrinth of Solitude (Octavio Paz)
• Man’s Search for Meaning (Victor E. Frankl)
• Xiu Yang: The Ancient Chinese Art of Self-Cultivation for a Healthier, Happier, More Balanced Life (Mimi Kuo Deemer)

How did Henry Nguyen, who graduated from Kellogg 20 years ago, launch Vietnam’s first technology venture capital fund, Vietnam’s first professional basketball team, and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise?

Henry recounts his journey from travel writer to MD to MBA to Wall Street and then back to Vietnam, where he has built a career as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

Henry also gives a behind a scenes look into putting together a winning bid for LAFC, building a 22,000 capacity outdoor arena in downtown Los Angeles, and growing a raving fanbase before LAFC’s first game in 2018. Henry shares what he gained from his Kellogg MBA, as well as his advice to young professionals and entrepreneurs considering business school.

"Being an entrepreneur is sometimes just saying 'Why Not?'"

- Henry Nguyen

Questions

• Introducing Henry Nguyen (0:00)
• Henry’s unanticipated MBA and business career (6:30)
• Henry’s heads to Wall Street (11:00)
• The travel writing experience that changed Henry’s life (14:45)
• Henry’s journey back to Vietnam (21:15)
• Starting IDG Ventures Vietnam – “My life is a serendipitous series of fortunate circumstances” (26:30)
• From “funny money” to “startup” – the growth of entrepreneurship in Vietnam (30:30)
• Breaking into venture capital (34:10)
• Henry’s thoughts on the value of a MBA for career changers vs. entrepreneurs, and what he learned from Kellogg (39:30)
• Henry’s foray into the business of sports, and starting amateur and professional sports leagues in Vietnam (49:30)
• Behind the scenes of Henry’s winning bid for LAFC (1:01:27)
• Growing LAFC’s fanbase – “the 3252” – in a city with 11 sports franchises (1:15:10)
• Opportunities for MBAs in sports (1:17:35)
• How Henry manages his businesses and engagements (1:25:20)
• Henry’s last advice to MBA applicants and students (1:29:40)

About Henry

Henry Nguyen is the Chairman of Phoenix Holdings, an investment company with operations in consumer, media, retail, food & beverage, and financial services sectors, and Managing General Partner of IDG Ventures Vietnam. He is the Developmental Licensee of McDonalds Vietnam and Chairman of XLE Group, which develops sports at the professional, collegiate and grass roots level in Vietnam. He is also Founding Owner of Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and one of the Founding Trustees at Fulbright University Vietnam.

After majoring in classics at Harvard University, Henry earned his MD and MBA from Northwestern University Medical School and the Kellogg School of Management.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-careers-vietnam-venture-capital-sports-lafc-henry-nguyen

Tawan (Tina) Suvapatrachai shares her MBA journey from Bangkok to Virginia Darden and then back to Thailand to do strategy for Samsung. Like many international applicants, Tina didn't have the chance to visit her four target US business schools. How did she research schools and find her best fit? Why did she choose Darden and what did she take from her Darden MBA experience?

Questions

• Tina's background (3:40)
• Tina's school research and application tips (5:00)
• How the MBA did not give Tina more career clarity, but rather a powerful career platform (11:30)
• Common problems Tina sees from international MBA applicants (17:00)
• Tina's Darden experience (24:40)
• Blending in as an international student (34:20)
• How to make the most of the MBA experience (36:30)
• The importance of the on-campus experience (39:00)
• Tina's internship and job search (42:05)
• Tina's big takeaways from her Darden experience (48:55)

About Tina

Tawan (Tina) Suvapatrachai works as a Channel Strategy Lead at Samsung in Bangkok, Thailand. Before getting her MBA Tina worked as an Account Manager at Proctor & Gamble. Tina got into Cambridge Judge, UCLA Anderson and NYU Stern, but chose to attend Virginia Darden, where she graduated in 2018. Tina got her B.S in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University

Episode summary, show notes and more at:

https://touchmba.com/inside-the-virginia-darden-mba-tawan-tina-suvapatrachai

As a UX Designer and mother in Kansas City with no MBA network, Graciela Brewer wasn't sure if she "had a sliver of a chance" at her targets: HBS, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern and Cornell Tech. Four months later, she got into all four programs. In this episode, Grace shares how she shortlisted schools, submitted her strongest resume, essays, and recommendations, and stayed sane during a stressful application process.

Questions

• How Covid-19 is affecting Grace's HBS plans (5:24)
• How family and motherhood factored into Grace's school choices (7:57)
• Grace's educational and work background (13:10)
• Grace's post-MBA career goals (16:38)
• How Grace shortlisted schools (18:33)
• Why Grace focused her school research process on student clubs (21:25)
• Grace's most helpful resources: Touch MBA, Poets & Quants, Applicant Lab (24:14)
• Grace's resume tips and extracurriculars (31:50)
• How Grace answered the HBS essay (37:00)
• Grace's HBS interview & post-interview reflection (44:15)
• How Grace handled MIT Sloan's cover letter & 1-minute video (48:54)
• Cornell Tech's case study interview (58:15)
• How Grace selected and prepare her recommenders (1:01:15)
• Grace's tips for dealing with a stressful application process (1:05:09)
• Grace's UX suggestions for MBA applications (1:17:55)

About Graciela (Grace)

Grace Brewer works as a Senior UX Designer at Netsmart, which designs and delivers electronic health records. Grace got into Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, and Cornell Tech, and will pursue her MBA at HBS. Grace got her B.S in Information Science from Missouri University of Science & Technology.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-harvard-business-school-graciela-brewer/

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky has dedicated his professional life to helping others overcome cognitive biases and make better decisions. In this episode, Darren and Dr. Gleb discuss ways MBA applicants can make better decisions when it comes to business school and their careers.

Questions

• Why Dr. Gleb has dedicated two decades of his life to overcoming cognitive biases with decision making (3:00)
• Autopilot vs. Intentional decision making (7:45)
• When our gut serves us in career decisions (14:30)
• Best practices for overcoming our cognitive biases (20:48)
• Common biases when making career decisions (27:17)
• How important are rankings? (33:33)
• Five questions to avoid decision disasters (37:07)
• Navigating emotions and decision making (43:48)

About Our Guest

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is on a mission to protect leaders from dangerous judgment errors known as cognitive biases by developing the most effective decision making strategies. He has over two decades of consulting, coaching, and training experience as CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and over 15 years of experience in academia as a cognitive neuroscientist and behavioral economist. Dr. Tsipursky has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Time, Scientific American, Fast Company, and Psychology Today. His new book is called Never Go with Your Gut: How How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters.

Dr. Gleb earned his PhD in the History of Behavioral Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/dont-trust-your-gut-career-decisions-dr-gleb-tsipursky/‎

Gregory Wool, Cornell Johnson MBA '21, scored below average on the quantitative section of the GMAT. How did he overcome this score to not only get into Cornell Johnson, but win a prestigious tuition free scholarship? Gregory also shares his experience surviving a packed first semester, leading the student consulting club, and recruiting into strategy consulting.

Questions

• Gregory's application and GMAT journey (4:40)
• What Gregory did to overcome his low quant score (8:50)
• Gregory's experience with Cornell's L.E.A.D. admissions event (12:45)
• Gregory's career goals and how they affected his MBA search (18:50)
• Winning a Roy H. Park Leadership Fellowship (22:40)
• The importance of speaking to current students (24:30)
• Surviving first semester FOMO and coursework (26:50)
• Becoming an officer at Johnson Consulting club (32:12)
• Recruiting into consulting: clubs, case competitions, career working groups, and live consulting projects (36:15)
• Social life at Cornell Johnson (48:00)
• Being an older MBA candidate (54:00)
• Cornell's Present Value Podcast (58:16)

About Gregory

Gregory Wool worked as a Director of Operations at two boutique resorts before attending the Cornell Johnson MBA, where he is a first year MBA candidate and Roy H. Park Leadership Fellow. Gregory is also President of the Johnson Consulting Club, and Producer of the Present Value Podcast. Gregory got a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Dramatic Performance from the University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/quantless-in-cornell-gregory-wool

Gary Lo, Managing Director of Glo Consulting and former Head of Admissions for the HKUST MBA, shares three questions to ask before you make a career move - MBA included. Aside from working for 10 different companies in 7 industries, Gary has counseled hundreds of MBAs and professionals as a career coach, so don't miss this episode if you're thinking about making a career move.

Questions

• Gary's three questions to ask before you make a career move (3:10)
• Is following your passion practical? (13:50)
• Why Gary believes 10-15 years a good long-term planning period (23:04)
• The power song exercise (26:55)
• Applying Gary's framework to the MBA: what should more MBA applicants consider before applying? (30:08)
• How MBA recruiting has changed (39:25)
• Gary's questions to help MBA students breakthrough career planning paralysis (42:20)
• Building your personal brand (46:20)

About Gary

Gary Lo is a seasoned trainer with extensive corporate experience. He spent most of his career working at Fortune 500 companies including LVMH, Apple, Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline and Nestle, with a scope covering the Greater China & APAC region. He was the former Head of Marketing & Admissions for the HKUST MBA Programs, and now serves as a Guest Lecturer for the HKU SPACE Institute for China Business and Nielsen University. He is also an appointed career coach for top Universities in the region, where he has trained hundreds of MBA and Masters students, professionals and corporate executives from all around the world. Gary holds an MBA degree from the HKUST Business School.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/three-questions-to-ask-before-you-make-a-career-move-gary-lo

Cristian Molina Cornejo, Tuck MBA '21, shares how MBA applicants can take advantage of two programs that champion diversity and inclusion: Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and the Consortium. Cristian also gives his best application tips after getting into four out of five top 20 US MBA programs.

Questions

• Cristian's background (3:20)
• What you need to know about MLT (14:25)
• What you need to know about Consortium (26:00)
• MLT's Professional Development program and its network (30:55)
• How to make the most out of MLT and Consortium (40:50)
• Cristian's best application tips after getting into four top schools (45:10)
• Cristian's thoughts on Tuck (52:50)

About Cristian

Cristian is a first year MBA at the Tuck School of Business. Prior to starting his MBA, Cristian graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Economics, and worked for Energeia, a research and advisory firm in energy technology and electronics.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/management-leadership-for-tomorrow-consortium-what-you-need-to-know

Darren shares "three P’s" you can use to clarify the value of your accomplishments in your resume and MBA application. Doing so will paint a clear picture of your performance for MBA admissions officers and employers.

1. How did your performance compare to the previous year’s performance?
2. How did your performance compare to the plan?
3. How did your performance compare to that of your peers?

If you can match these to the "three P's" of leadership, you can can show even more impact:

1. People responsibility
2. Project responsibility
3. Profit & Loss responsibility

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/3p-performance

Seán Meehan, Dean of the MBA Program at IMD, discusses what makes the IMD MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (5:33) | Admissions (22:41) | Scholarships (41:30) | Careers (45:10)

About Our Guest

Dr. Seán Meehan is the Martin Hilti Professor of Marketing & Change Management and the Dean of the MBA program. He joined IMD in 1997 after working for Arthur Anderson and Deloitte, where he was Director of Marketing. Seán got his PhD in Marketing from London Business School.

What is relatively unique about the IMD MBA? What are its key advantages?

• Industry-focused general management MBA from a school that is consistently top-ranked in Europe and worldwide for ROI; over 70% of graduates go into industry
• 1-year MBA that starts in January
• Only 90 students are admitted each year from ~40 countries,
• More experienced class: the average work experience is 7 years
• There’s a 2:1 student to faculty ratio
• Strong focus on personal leadership development through a combination of classroom interactions, experiential learning and psychoanalytical coaching
• Also emphasizes entrepreneurship, globalization and digitalization
• Instead of an interview, IMD applicants participate in an assessment day which includes a 1-1 interview with admissions, individual presentation and group activities, lunch with IMD participants or alumni, and depending on the time of the year, a possibility to attend a class. The assessment days take place on campus in Lausanne or abroad.
• IMD is looking for candidates with strong analytical and communication skills and team-oriented leaders who want to shape the future
• IMD has 9,000 executive education participants each year, and MBAs have increasing opportunities to connect with these senior executives
• IMD is based in Lausanne, Switzerland and has over 350 MNCs
• A global meeting place situated in the center of Europe in one of the world’s fastest growing science and technology hubs
• The IMD MBA in a Tweet: “We develop leaders who have a desire to make a positive impact in the world”

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/imd-mba-program-admissions-interview-sean-meehan-be-on-companies-leadership-radars

In 2017, US applicants made up 4% of candidates to European MBA programs and 2% of candidates to Asian MBA programs (versus nearly 70% to US MBA programs). What do you need to know about getting a top-ranked MBA abroad? Eddy Zakes shares why he chose to uproot his young family to pursue his MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, as well as the pros and cons of his experience. Darren also asks Eddy - currently the Director of the Center of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at IESE - about how business schools can help aspiring entrepreneurs and how you can assess your target schools' entrepreneurship offerings.

Questions

• Eddy's background (4:08)
• As an applicant with 10 years of experience and a young family, why did Eddy choose Spain for his full-time MBA? (11:10)
• The pros and cons of getting your MBA abroad (23:20)
• Recruiting at top European schools (27:45)
• Getting an MBA with 2 young kids (35:00)
• Eddy's favorite class and thoughts on the case-study method (42:44)
• How MBA programs can help aspiring entrepreneurs (49:00)
• MBA graduates' typical path to starting their own businesses (54:25)
• Questions to ask your target b-schools about their resources for entrepreneurship (59:00)
• The startup scene in Europe vs. the US (1:04:50)
• Eddy's final thoughts on having a great MBA experience (1:11:04)

About Our Guest

Eddy Zakes is the Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center at IESE. Eddy got his B.S. in International Business from Bob Jones University and worked as Director of Advancement at Dayton Christian School in Ohio before getting his MBA at IESE.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/pros-and-cons-of-doing-mba-outside-us-assessing-schools-entrepreneurship-offering-eddy-zakes-iese-mba

Brandon Kirby, Director of MBA Marketing and Admissions at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University, discusses what makes the RSM MBA unique, the school'’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (8:07) | Admissions (28:32) | Scholarships (57:48) | Careers (1:04:40)

About Our Guest

Brandon Kirby is the Director of Marketing & Admissions of the Rotterdam School of Management's MBA Program at Erasmus University. Brandon got his MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler through the OneMBA. He ran a restaurant for 10 years, then worked in branding and marketing before joining the RSM MBA program.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/rsm-mba-admissions-interview

What do MBA applicants need to know about the recruiting process into the energy industry? Darren invites Vince Faherty, London Business School MBA ’10, to share his experience moving up from a Marketing Manager to Director at EnerNOC and then moving to Nest & Google, where he is currently Head of Northeast & Midwest Energy Partnerships. Vince shares what it's like to attend business school during one of the worst recessions in history and MBA career lessons he's distilled since attending LBS 10 years ago.

This is Part 8 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here.

Questions

• Vince's background (3:53)
• Why Vince, an American, applied to London Business School (12:50)
• How Vince landed his internship & job (17:04)
• Vince's tips for networking with alumni (30:08)
• An overview of the recruiting process (36:36)
• What do applicants need to know about succeeding in energy (43:58)
• Vince's recommended resources (49:06)
• Vince's thoughts on the future of the renewable energy industry (51:32)
• 10 years later, Vince reflects on the value of his MBA (55:00)

About Our Guest

Vince Faherty got his MBA from the London Business School in 2010 and is currently Head of Northeast & Midwest Energy Partnerships at Google in Boston. Previously, he worked at EnerNOC for over 7 years, most recently as Director of Utility Solutions & Market Development. Vince got his B.A. in History from Princeton University.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-energy-sustainability

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-management-consulting-alex-tuininga-harvard-mba

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 Director of the Leadership Institute. His current research activities include investigating: leading diverse teams, how CEO personality affects top management team interaction, leadership transitions in organisations, board effectiveness, conflict management in teams, and the effects of member personality on group interaction and performance.

As Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, he teaches Executive Education and MBA programmes on leading teams and organisations, high performance teams, leadership assessment, and interpersonal skill development.

Professor Peterson holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining London Business School, he was on the faculty of Northwestern University and Cornell University's SC Johnson Graduate School of Management. He is a former Deputy Dean (Faculty), Subject Area Chair of Organisational Behaviour, Chair of the Ph.D. Programme, and Vice President of the Campaign Committee of London Business School.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/successful-mba-students-leadership-high-performing-teams-randall-peterson-lbs

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 industry (52:16)

About Our Guest

Mark Zee is Director of Pay TV & Digital Sales at The Walt Disney Studios. He joined the company after graduating from UCLA Anderson in 2014. In his current role, he negotiates distribution deals with digital platforms and MVPDs (e.g. iTunes, Comcast); develops new business opportunities (e.g. Movies Anywhere, VR); and provides strategic insights to senior leadership. Previously, he worked on the International Digital Distribution team. His responsibilities cover Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and ABC Studios.

While pursuing his MBA, Zee completed a year-long internship in digital strategy and sales operations at 20th Century Fox International Theatrical. Prior to business school, he worked in investment management in Houston, Texas and starred in over a dozen television series in Asia. Zee received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University.  As a Chinese-American-Brazilian, he enjoys food, sports, and dancing with his hips.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-media-entertainment

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 financing for their education in the US, without requiring co-signers or collateral. What matters most is their future potential. Visit mpowerfinancing.com/borrow-touchmba for more information.

MPOWER Financing, DC consumer lending license: ML9261, Public Benefit Corporation

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 students applying for US jobs & internships (37:09)
• How Ana landed a senior marketing role abroad in the UK (43:20)
• Ana's final advice to applicants (46:55)

About Our Guest

Ana Archbold got her MBA from Michigan Ross in 2007 and is currently a Senior Global Marketing Manager for Neutrogena, a Johnson & Johnson brand, in New York City. Previously, she worked as a Global Brand Manager, doing Strategy & Innovation for Unilever in London. Ana has over 15 years of experience in the marketing and brand management.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-consumer-package-goods

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% Southwest US / 4% Asia
• Top Functions for 2-Year, Class of 2016: 33% Finance / 29% Consulting / 22% Management / 11% Marketing
• ROI: one-third of class win merit-based scholarships, up to 25 students/year can win Roy H. Park 2-Year Full Tuition Fellowship
• Ranked #16 by US News and World Report in 2018

About Our Guest

Eddie Asbie is the Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School of Management. Eddie has worked over 5 years for the Cornell MBA and specializes in helping military, underrepresented and dual degree program candidates. Previously Eddie served as an Admissions Advisor for University at Buffalo.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/cornell-johnson-mba-admissions-interview

Episode Sponsor

Your LinkedIn profile could be the first thing business schools see.

Darren draws on his admissions experience and shares 7 tips to make a good first impression, reinforce your MBA story, and highlight additional qualities not in your application.

MBA programs are looking at your social media, especially your LinkedIn profile. Take 15 minutes to follow these guidelines, optimize your LinkedIn presence, and represent yourself well to b-schools, MBA students & alumni, and future employers.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/linkedin-tips-mba-applicants

Episode Sponsor

Matt Reesor from Queen's University Smith School of Business joins the show to discuss what makes the Queen's MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for Queen's MBA students.

Program Highlights (3:00) | Admissions (25:10) | Scholarships (51:40) | Careers (56:30)

About Our Guest

Matthew Reesor is the Director of the Queen’s MBA at Smith School of Business. He has held administrative leadership and faculty positions at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (NUCB) and Queen’s University. His research, focusing primarily on communications and language policy, has been published and widely referenced in academic journals.

Episode summary, links and more at: http://touchmba.com/queens-mba-admissions-interview

Episode Sponsor

Most of the top-ranked business schools in Asia are in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. But what if you can't afford to leave your job or city to pursue your MBA? IE Business School and Singapore Management University (SMU) have teamed up to help such professionals in South East Asia and launched a 10-month blended MBA, which combines residential segments in Singapore and Madrid with weekly online classes and forum discussions.

Most people (including myself) consider "online MBAs" a way for business schools to scale and make more money. But after speaking to Dr. Gregor Halff, Associate Dean of General Management Programs at SMU, and Dr. Lieven Demeester, IE-SMU MBA Academic Director, I learned that students can expect as much - if not more - time spent with professors than in a traditional face-to-face MBA format. Gregor calls this small-group learning supported by technology; the expected class size is 30 students.

Graduates are awarded a joint-degree from IE and SMU and get access to both schools' alumni networks and career services. At 74,900 SGD, the tuition is 20% more than SMU's MBA program, but also 30% less than IE's MBA program. Students take 18 core courses, 3 courses focused on management in Asia, and must complete a real-world 10-month consulting project with teammates.

Listen on for the insider's scoop on this new program...

Darren's take: this blended program is ideal for professionals in SE Asia who a) don't want to leave their job and b) want get a high-touch, top-tier joint MBA degree in just 10 months.