Meet The Dog Who Got An MBA

How To Be More Likeable In An Interview

Notice a theme here?

Yes, it’s that time of year, when prospective MBAs are submitting their applications and waiting for the phone to ring (or email to pop). If you’re lucky enough to land an interview, you’ll need to apply a key marketing principle: Packaging matters just as much as substance.

Your adcom is going to be looking at more than your accomplishments, GMAT score, and GPA. They’ll want to see if your steak has some sizzle. Can he make a succinct, persuasive argument? Can he improvise under pressure? And most important: Do I like this person?

Ah, chemistry. It’s so elusive and beyond words. But you know it when you see it. And that’s the key to any interview. Do you show interest and connect with the other person? Did the other person feel better or worse after meeting you? Do you stir enthusiasm and reflection – or annoyance and doubt? How you make your interviewer feel is almost as important as what you say. No doubt, they are projecting how you’ll fit in their business school community. If you create a good vibe in the interview, you’ll do the same on campus.

So how can you make a good impression with an interviewer? Here are some basics shared by MBA House:

• Smile
• Make Eye Contact
• Keep gestures small
• Show interest by asking questions about your surroundings and other ‘non personal’ items
• Don’t speak longer than 2 minutes at a time (Ask for permission to continue if need be)
• Spend only 50% of the time speaking. Ask questions.

Sounds pretty basic? Well, just try them out. The easiest things to understand are usually the most difficult things to practice.

Source: Beat The GMAT

Can You Build Business School Skills Without Pursuing An MBA?

 

Thinking about an MBA, but don’t have two years (or even two days) to pursue it? That’s the case with many business professionals, who are looking for the finance, marketing, and operations acumen to move up or start businesses. Of course, a two year MBA is only one way to achieve this end. And there are now many options focusing more on delivering knowledge and convenience than an actual credential.

This week, US News and World Report shared alternatives to the MBA for busy professionals who need a structured learning environment. One option is the ‘Mini-MBA’, which can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Take the BarbrI Financial Skills Institute for example. Operated by Reuben Advani (a Wharton alum), Barbri caters to lawyers looking to gain the tools to run a business side of a practice. Their courses provide deep dives into areas like financial management and interpersonal communication.  Similarly, Seth Godin’s SAMBA program, a six month experiment that covered everything from sales to entrepreneurship to blogging, provided graduates with a brand affiliation that generated business.

MOOCs are another option. In September, Wharton announced that it was placing its entire first year MBA curriculum online through Coursera, giving students the same access to content as their first years. That follows the lead of other top business schools, such as Booth, Kellogg, and Darden, which also offer MOOCs to the general public. And the Harvard Business School is now working on putting some courses online too. While these students will miss the hearty give-and-take of a live classroom, they don’t have to plunk down thousands of dollars or worry about grades in many cases.

If MOOCs or Mini-MBAs are still time-intensive, prospective students can still sharpen their skills the old-fashioned way…by reading. Websites and blogs are a good start according to Barbri’s Advani, who recommends CNBC and Motley Fool. Jon Dale, who matriculated at Godin’s SAMBA program, suggests reading Josh Kaufman’s The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business. However, Dale cautions that this approach requires even more discipline than taking classes: “The knowledge isn’t the tough part. The tough part is actually doing the work.”

Source: US News and World Report