Meet The London Business School MBA Class of 2017

Sivan Alon

Sivan Alon 

London Business School 

Hometown: Haifa, Israel

Undergraduate School and Major: BSc in International Business Administration at Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

  • Business Development at CLIQ Digital
  • Co-founder and CEO at Loomsland, a company importing children craft-toys from China to the Benelux and Polish markets.

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Do start your preparation with a diagnostic test to identify your weaknesses and strengths and build your study program according to your needs.Research the study plans and prep materials out there before your choose one. For example, read reviews in dedicated forums to find out how different prep programs are doing in areas critical to you. Also pay attention to the teaching method (Interactive vs. Fixed, for example) and select one that fits your learning style. Finally, do use the GMATPrep® materials because they offer the most realistic representation of the actual exam.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? Think carefully about what factors are important to you and research them carefully. Don’t rely on the schools’ websites and forums alone. Talk to as many current and past graduates as you can. Linkedin is a powerful tool to help you find those with a similar background to yourself or those who are currently in companies you aspire to work at. Don’t be shy about reaching out people you don’t know. I was surprised by the number and quality of replies I received from complete strangers. 

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf?

In my opinion, the hardest part is to take several years of experience and turn it into a compelling story that highlights your accomplishments and adequately addresses your weaknesses. Give yourself enough time to work through several drafts and consult friends, family members, and even the school’s alumni for their opinion. In each essay or interview question, try to reveal a different side of yourself and go beyond your professional background and career aspirations. Think about what makes you unique and how you can add to the diversity of the class. 

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? When choosing MBA programs, I considered location, brand reputation and the school’s curriculum. From a location perspective, London, a vibrant European capital, is optimal because this is where I’d like to work post MBA. It’s also close to employers, making it that much easier to go to companies’ open days and to interview when time comes. Next, it was important for me to select a school whose credibility is recognized throughout Europe and beyond. London Business School is an obvious selection in this regard. Finally, I was looking for a program where I can continue to develop my entrepreneurial skills alongside corporate management skills. The electives and extracurricular activities at London allow me to build a program that I’m really excited about and that caters to what I hope to achieve.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? On the professional side, I hope to take my entrepreneurial skills a step further. A great deal of the decisions I took while running my business was based on intuition. Building on the amazing resources the London Business School provides (like Enterprise 100) and the experiences of my classmates, I hope to re-examine some of the dilemmas my company faced in the past and learn how I could take my new businesses to the next level in the future. Additionally, I’m joining the MBA open-minded, and am looking forward to experience corporate functions via part time projects and through an internship.

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