A shout out to my friends RP and KM for their stellar efforts in organizing the First Duke India Business Forum scheduled to take place on the 22nd of March at Fuqua. The two alongside many of my classmates have worked hard to put together an impressive list of speakers for the event.
An excellent opportunity to learn about the challenges and opportunities in Indian business for all those who can attend it. The Forum is open to anyone who wants to be a part of it. To register, visit: http://www.dukeibf.com/DukeIBF/Registration.html
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Friday, March 06, 2009
Yeh Dilli hai mere yaaaar...
…yahan Ishq, mohabbat, pyaar! Too bad, I do not have a hi-tech cell phone in which to put this song as a caller tune while I am in Delhi. I do not know yet how much ‘pyaar’ Delhites have to shower on the streets, but I am already in love with the city. Even though this is not my first time to Delhi, it is the first time that I am staying here and exploring a bit. I see development everywhere I look around. Delhi seems to have become so much more livable from 10 years ago. The roads are getting wider and power cuts are not that much of an issue in residential areas. The single biggest infrastructural landmark in Delhi however, is the Metro. Suddenly, you have huge metro stations built underneath areas such as Connaught Place. I traveled in the Delhi Metro for the first time yesterday. Inside the station, there were people who I am sure would never even have gone up an escalator before. For them, we now have efficient, affordable and air-conditioned public transport. I covered a distance of around 40 kilometers in about half an hour! I was amazed. No wonder Sheila Dixit was elected for the third time in succession. People appear to have rewarded the Congress party for the good work.
I joined Udyogini today – so far so good. People appear nice and dedicated. Frankly speaking, I was not expecting such a systematic and coherent organization. The CEO is very knowledgeable and well versed with what is going around in the non-profit industry around the world. Udyogini is constantly looking to adopt best practices in their operations. They work hard to get the best talent possible. More than the money, it is the people they require from donors. I am glad to see all this in an industry where work ‘on the field’ is largely rural and requires you to work at a level that can be comprehended by the villagers. I am off to Ranchi on Wednesday, to do a value chain analysis for one of the projects that Udyogini has in the nearby areas.
Anybody looking to dedicate time for an NGO and serve the cause of upliftment of women in rural India should definitely consider working for Udyogini.
I joined Udyogini today – so far so good. People appear nice and dedicated. Frankly speaking, I was not expecting such a systematic and coherent organization. The CEO is very knowledgeable and well versed with what is going around in the non-profit industry around the world. Udyogini is constantly looking to adopt best practices in their operations. They work hard to get the best talent possible. More than the money, it is the people they require from donors. I am glad to see all this in an industry where work ‘on the field’ is largely rural and requires you to work at a level that can be comprehended by the villagers. I am off to Ranchi on Wednesday, to do a value chain analysis for one of the projects that Udyogini has in the nearby areas.
Anybody looking to dedicate time for an NGO and serve the cause of upliftment of women in rural India should definitely consider working for Udyogini.
Friday, February 20, 2009
MBA Conquered
My MBA study is over!
This week I went to school to attend my last lecture towards an MBA. I am graduating a couple of months early with feelings of happiness, achievement and a trifle sadness as I will in all probability not be studying full-time again. But overall I am happy over the way things turned out. I am very glad I decided to come to Fuqua for what has been the most educative two years of my life.
Beginning from March, I will be working for a non-profit organization (Udyogini). I am very excited about this opportunity because it will allow me to spend time and experience the non-profit industry in India up-close and personal. This is something that I always wanted to do but was not sure when and how I will make it happen.
Udyogini is supported through a World Bank initiative and works with poor women to improve their skills as producers and their knowledge of the markets they operate in. I will be working for their business development unit which provides services to its field projects as well as external clients.
The fact that I will travel to various villages in India and stay there for 3-4 weeks in order to understand everything only adds to my excitement. I have spent my entire life in urban India and I look forward to experience the rural life that is home to over 70% of our country's population.
This week I went to school to attend my last lecture towards an MBA. I am graduating a couple of months early with feelings of happiness, achievement and a trifle sadness as I will in all probability not be studying full-time again. But overall I am happy over the way things turned out. I am very glad I decided to come to Fuqua for what has been the most educative two years of my life.
Beginning from March, I will be working for a non-profit organization (Udyogini). I am very excited about this opportunity because it will allow me to spend time and experience the non-profit industry in India up-close and personal. This is something that I always wanted to do but was not sure when and how I will make it happen.
Udyogini is supported through a World Bank initiative and works with poor women to improve their skills as producers and their knowledge of the markets they operate in. I will be working for their business development unit which provides services to its field projects as well as external clients.
The fact that I will travel to various villages in India and stay there for 3-4 weeks in order to understand everything only adds to my excitement. I have spent my entire life in urban India and I look forward to experience the rural life that is home to over 70% of our country's population.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Back after a loong break!
Sometime back, I decided for no apparent reason that I will stop posting. Maybe, I figured that my B-school experience will be the same till I graduate. I was certainly wrong on that front. Every moment can be a new learning and a new experience - specially if you are a B-school student at Duke. From what I hear, this year's intake is going to be ultra-competitive with many people wanting to shield themselves from recession and take refuge in the 'safe' environs of a B-school. Hope you know what you are getting into :-)
I am in Bangkok these days - studying at SASIN Business School as part of an exchange program that Duke has with them. I highly recommend B-schoolers to go on exchange. Exchange program makes you realize the value of learning outside of class more than ever. Thailand has been a totally different experience - language barriers, cultural differences, heavy tourism focus - everything has made the trip unique. The amazing street food being the highlight for me. They can make their 'Fired' Rice really fiery mind you!
I am finishing my required credits and graduating early. This means I am not returning to Duke after exchange. Instead, I am returning back to India and working for a non-profit for four months. More on that later.
I am in Bangkok these days - studying at SASIN Business School as part of an exchange program that Duke has with them. I highly recommend B-schoolers to go on exchange. Exchange program makes you realize the value of learning outside of class more than ever. Thailand has been a totally different experience - language barriers, cultural differences, heavy tourism focus - everything has made the trip unique. The amazing street food being the highlight for me. They can make their 'Fired' Rice really fiery mind you!
I am finishing my required credits and graduating early. This means I am not returning to Duke after exchange. Instead, I am returning back to India and working for a non-profit for four months. More on that later.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Evolution with time
Life is still busy. I just got back home after leaving for school early in the morning.
Here's how I spent my day:
0200 hours: Go to sleep. Have done enough socialization for the day.
0715 hours: Wake-up!
0800 - 1530 hours: Reach school and then proceed for COLE Leadership Fellow Team Building exercise at an Army Base Camp near Durham.
1600 - 1700 hours: Brief pit-stop at home. Shower and dress up for a Leadership celebration event at a nearby restaurant.
1700 - 1830 hours: Attend the event.
1830 - 2100 hours: Classmate's daughter's first birthday party.
2100 Hours: Scheduled phone call with a Class of 2010 admit.
2200 hours: Writing this blog and debating whether I should go for the awesome Fuqua Latin Party taking place tonight. Or should I just sweat it out at the racquetball court for an hour and then hit the sack?
This is a far cry from a day in my life around six months back! There were learnings then, there are learnings now. Each interaction here has the potential to enrich your experience. I am learning that there is a certain time for every type of experience. Hopefully, I am going through my set of experiences at the right time - neither too late nor too early.
In other news, an admitted student mailed me informing that I am one of ClearAdmit's in the Best Student Blogger category. Not too bad, huh?
Here's how I spent my day:
0200 hours: Go to sleep. Have done enough socialization for the day.
0715 hours: Wake-up!
0800 - 1530 hours: Reach school and then proceed for COLE Leadership Fellow Team Building exercise at an Army Base Camp near Durham.
1600 - 1700 hours: Brief pit-stop at home. Shower and dress up for a Leadership celebration event at a nearby restaurant.
1700 - 1830 hours: Attend the event.
1830 - 2100 hours: Classmate's daughter's first birthday party.
2100 Hours: Scheduled phone call with a Class of 2010 admit.
2200 hours: Writing this blog and debating whether I should go for the awesome Fuqua Latin Party taking place tonight. Or should I just sweat it out at the racquetball court for an hour and then hit the sack?
This is a far cry from a day in my life around six months back! There were learnings then, there are learnings now. Each interaction here has the potential to enrich your experience. I am learning that there is a certain time for every type of experience. Hopefully, I am going through my set of experiences at the right time - neither too late nor too early.
In other news, an admitted student mailed me informing that I am one of ClearAdmit's in the Best Student Blogger category. Not too bad, huh?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Chicago must be beautiful
I was invited by my summer internship employer to spend a weekend in Chicago. Met people at the firm, got to know prospective fellow interns better, partied for a couple of nights, caught up with old friends from India, all this while staying in a plush hotel in the heart of downtown.
I like Chicago for some reason. It was typical Chicago weather, what with the winds and the snow. However, I get this feeling that it is a buzzing place. There's movement all 24 hours, everyone looks busy, people are friendly, so many activities going on any day of the week and there's plenty of history associated with the city. There is a certain order to the chaos in Chicago. Having spent four years in Bangalore and having loved every moment of it, I guess that's the way I like it. I hear that Chicago is particularly vibrant during summer time and I look forward to spending 10 weekends there. Hopefully, I will get a decent nest in downtown itself, and that will enable me relish the place even better.
I like Chicago for some reason. It was typical Chicago weather, what with the winds and the snow. However, I get this feeling that it is a buzzing place. There's movement all 24 hours, everyone looks busy, people are friendly, so many activities going on any day of the week and there's plenty of history associated with the city. There is a certain order to the chaos in Chicago. Having spent four years in Bangalore and having loved every moment of it, I guess that's the way I like it. I hear that Chicago is particularly vibrant during summer time and I look forward to spending 10 weekends there. Hopefully, I will get a decent nest in downtown itself, and that will enable me relish the place even better.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
ISB versus a top B-school in the US
A lot of my friends in India are faced with the option of MBA from ISB versus an that from an American B-school. I will take a shot at penning down my opinion on this.
The first step is to figure out what factors are relevant to making this decision. Some factors that I can think of are:
Career Prospects
Both the breadth (range) and depth (options within a particular job description) of career paths is important. I think a US MBA has an advantage here. Brand recognition is critical specially when you are looking for jobs that are not run of the mill.
First of all, the sheer range of options that are possible if you are graduating from a top B-school in the US is unparalleled - Investment Banking, Sales and Trading, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Wealth Management, Venture Capital, Consulting, Real Estate, Marketing, Sales, General Management jobs in almost every industry vertical that you can think of - the list is as endless as the number of job profiles that exist in this world. A US MBA opens window of opportunity to many more possibilities than ISB would. Caveat - As an international student, it is really difficult to enter into job functions such as Marketing.
But then what about people who want to pursue careers in industries where it is possible to find a job through ISB? That is where the depth comes in. You have the opportunity to get an Investment Banking job with Goldman Sachs in New York or London of you are graduating from ISB. However, do perform due diligence on what percentage of people actually get the job - more importantly how many people having your background and experience get what they consider to be the best possible scenario. This should be particularly relevant to career switchers - it is easy to switch your function or your industry, but difficult to do both things simultaneously. A US MBA will open that much more possibility of you pulling it off than an ISB. If after graduation, you would anyways prefer to work with Cognizant versus the same job profile in Google's headquarters, then ISB is probably a better choice.
Return on Investment
A major concern about US B-school education is the extremely high fee, specially when converted to Indian Rupee. I wonder if anybody would have even bothered comparing the two options had the investment amount been the same. Joining in the US is definitely a bigger risk - given that it is a bigger investment. However, the returns are definitely bigger as well - even if we consider only money and no other aspect. Question you should ask is what you want from your career in the long term. In the short term, it will probably take the same time to pay back either loan (assuming that you are taking a loan that is).
B-school experience
B-school is a remarkable journey. You have to live it to believe it. Academics is just one small component of the journey. Apparent cliches like diversity in cultures, ethnicity, professional backgrounds can only be appreciated once you are here. My curriculum team of five at Fuqua consists of a people from three different countries and five different professional backgrounds. This is so typical of any MBA student's experience in the US. The educational and learning value of this team I realized only after I was a part of such a diverse team. I doubt if one can get the same experience at ISB. Also, the skills that get ingrained in you by experiencing and learning so many different cultures can only help you in the real business world.
I am sure the quality of education in terms of faculty and facilities are at par with the world's best at ISB. Still, not everything is taught and learnt in the classroom.
Alumni
Alumni effectiveness is a very strong factor in the business world. We do not realize this much in India, but networking is almost a make a break factor in business - and networking starts with alumni most of the times.
Duration
A two year MBA makes it easier to transition into a new career. This relates back to the first point about career prospects for career switchers. A summer job is mutually beneficial for both the student and the company. You get a chance to explore and understand whether you actually want to do that job or not. The firms are also more willing to give you a chance to explore and learn.
There can be numerous other factors that can be deciding factors - such as geographic location, personal reasons, weather, affinity to Hyderabadi cuisine etc. To each one her own. I do not think you can go wrong either. It is more a matter of what you want from your MBA and from your career.
The first step is to figure out what factors are relevant to making this decision. Some factors that I can think of are:
Career Prospects
Both the breadth (range) and depth (options within a particular job description) of career paths is important. I think a US MBA has an advantage here. Brand recognition is critical specially when you are looking for jobs that are not run of the mill.
First of all, the sheer range of options that are possible if you are graduating from a top B-school in the US is unparalleled - Investment Banking, Sales and Trading, Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Wealth Management, Venture Capital, Consulting, Real Estate, Marketing, Sales, General Management jobs in almost every industry vertical that you can think of - the list is as endless as the number of job profiles that exist in this world. A US MBA opens window of opportunity to many more possibilities than ISB would. Caveat - As an international student, it is really difficult to enter into job functions such as Marketing.
But then what about people who want to pursue careers in industries where it is possible to find a job through ISB? That is where the depth comes in. You have the opportunity to get an Investment Banking job with Goldman Sachs in New York or London of you are graduating from ISB. However, do perform due diligence on what percentage of people actually get the job - more importantly how many people having your background and experience get what they consider to be the best possible scenario. This should be particularly relevant to career switchers - it is easy to switch your function or your industry, but difficult to do both things simultaneously. A US MBA will open that much more possibility of you pulling it off than an ISB. If after graduation, you would anyways prefer to work with Cognizant versus the same job profile in Google's headquarters, then ISB is probably a better choice.
Return on Investment
A major concern about US B-school education is the extremely high fee, specially when converted to Indian Rupee. I wonder if anybody would have even bothered comparing the two options had the investment amount been the same. Joining in the US is definitely a bigger risk - given that it is a bigger investment. However, the returns are definitely bigger as well - even if we consider only money and no other aspect. Question you should ask is what you want from your career in the long term. In the short term, it will probably take the same time to pay back either loan (assuming that you are taking a loan that is).
B-school experience
B-school is a remarkable journey. You have to live it to believe it. Academics is just one small component of the journey. Apparent cliches like diversity in cultures, ethnicity, professional backgrounds can only be appreciated once you are here. My curriculum team of five at Fuqua consists of a people from three different countries and five different professional backgrounds. This is so typical of any MBA student's experience in the US. The educational and learning value of this team I realized only after I was a part of such a diverse team. I doubt if one can get the same experience at ISB. Also, the skills that get ingrained in you by experiencing and learning so many different cultures can only help you in the real business world.
I am sure the quality of education in terms of faculty and facilities are at par with the world's best at ISB. Still, not everything is taught and learnt in the classroom.
Alumni
Alumni effectiveness is a very strong factor in the business world. We do not realize this much in India, but networking is almost a make a break factor in business - and networking starts with alumni most of the times.
Duration
A two year MBA makes it easier to transition into a new career. This relates back to the first point about career prospects for career switchers. A summer job is mutually beneficial for both the student and the company. You get a chance to explore and understand whether you actually want to do that job or not. The firms are also more willing to give you a chance to explore and learn.
There can be numerous other factors that can be deciding factors - such as geographic location, personal reasons, weather, affinity to Hyderabadi cuisine etc. To each one her own. I do not think you can go wrong either. It is more a matter of what you want from your MBA and from your career.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thank you Life, Thank you Love
Watching Marion Cotillard deliver her cute thank yous at the Oscars '08 and later on thank you cam, took me back to my own special moments that life has given. The day I cleared my engineering entrance exams, the day I got my first job, the day I got my letter of acceptance at Fuqua, the day I bagged my dream internship - all moments of triumph, lots of silent thank yous and momentary speechlessness. Thank you Life!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Decisions Decisions...
It is decision time of the year for many. I am getting many queries from first round admits trying to decide which school is the best for them (certainly a nice position to be in). Then there's others deciding what to do with waitlists. I was waitlisted same time last year and was not even sure whether I'll be heading to a B-school or not.
On the school front, many of us are deciding what internship offer presents the best opportunities in terms of interests, future prospects, summer experience etc etc. Many are still hunting for their ideal job. It has been a crazy six months of B-school experience - most of it focussed towards that dream we aspire to achieve with the help of an MBA.
I will talk about recruiting and internships in another post. Lets focus on B-school decision for now. The tough part for some right now is deciding which is the best school to attend out of these. Here's my two cents:
1) Visit the schools if you can. Many schools have an Admitted Student Weekend to help admits experience the culture of the school and know their prospective classmates. All my classmates who attended the Blue Devils Weekend say that it was vital aspect of their decision whether to join Fuqua or not.
2) Do not let perceived B-school reputations sway you into a wrong decision. Rankings might have been helpful for you in beginning to research about schools, but that's where your dependence on them should stop. Do not think that a school is not good in Brand Management simply because it doesn't have a course named 'Managing Brands' in its curriculum.
3) Speak with current students - they should be your best resources of information. Ask them what they were looking for at Fuqua and whether they got that or not - both from a professional and personal development aspect.
4) When it comes to placements, one metric I find useful was the ratio of students getting a job to the number of students applying for that job. This is a difficult number to get though. Again, current students can help you here - they may not have the numbers in their notebook, but they sure do have an idea of how many people were vying to get into a particular industry and how many actually got through.
5) Finally, try to figure out how would you like spend your two years.
Do you want to know your classmates well enough that you dont have to introduce yourself all over again when you meet them 5 years from today? A smaller town and a not so big class size should make this easier in that case.
Fuqua might be the school for you if you are looking for a leadership experience where you can influence the way the school works, where you have opportunities to decide which club should be run how. I have participated in discussions where we tried to figure what direction should Fuqua take given the current global scenario, what is the image we want a Fuqua student to project, what does it mean to be a Leader of Consequence and what should be done to achieve these goals for Fuqua.
Some schools are more team-oriented than others. Not all schools have a heavy focus on team assignments. Fuqua swears by its Team Fuqua culture and I am glad I am a part of it. The Fuqua Fridays, Campout, academic curriculum teams - have all given me friends for life. Be aware of what you want and then decide.
No decision is a wrong decision in the end. It is just a matter of making an educated decision and that is what we have been trying to do all of lives, havn't we?
On the school front, many of us are deciding what internship offer presents the best opportunities in terms of interests, future prospects, summer experience etc etc. Many are still hunting for their ideal job. It has been a crazy six months of B-school experience - most of it focussed towards that dream we aspire to achieve with the help of an MBA.
I will talk about recruiting and internships in another post. Lets focus on B-school decision for now. The tough part for some right now is deciding which is the best school to attend out of these. Here's my two cents:
1) Visit the schools if you can. Many schools have an Admitted Student Weekend to help admits experience the culture of the school and know their prospective classmates. All my classmates who attended the Blue Devils Weekend say that it was vital aspect of their decision whether to join Fuqua or not.
2) Do not let perceived B-school reputations sway you into a wrong decision. Rankings might have been helpful for you in beginning to research about schools, but that's where your dependence on them should stop. Do not think that a school is not good in Brand Management simply because it doesn't have a course named 'Managing Brands' in its curriculum.
3) Speak with current students - they should be your best resources of information. Ask them what they were looking for at Fuqua and whether they got that or not - both from a professional and personal development aspect.
4) When it comes to placements, one metric I find useful was the ratio of students getting a job to the number of students applying for that job. This is a difficult number to get though. Again, current students can help you here - they may not have the numbers in their notebook, but they sure do have an idea of how many people were vying to get into a particular industry and how many actually got through.
5) Finally, try to figure out how would you like spend your two years.
Do you want to know your classmates well enough that you dont have to introduce yourself all over again when you meet them 5 years from today? A smaller town and a not so big class size should make this easier in that case.
Fuqua might be the school for you if you are looking for a leadership experience where you can influence the way the school works, where you have opportunities to decide which club should be run how. I have participated in discussions where we tried to figure what direction should Fuqua take given the current global scenario, what is the image we want a Fuqua student to project, what does it mean to be a Leader of Consequence and what should be done to achieve these goals for Fuqua.
Some schools are more team-oriented than others. Not all schools have a heavy focus on team assignments. Fuqua swears by its Team Fuqua culture and I am glad I am a part of it. The Fuqua Fridays, Campout, academic curriculum teams - have all given me friends for life. Be aware of what you want and then decide.
No decision is a wrong decision in the end. It is just a matter of making an educated decision and that is what we have been trying to do all of lives, havn't we?
Friday, January 18, 2008
Congratulations!
Congratulations to the newly aboard members of Class of 2010 at Fuqua. I remember awaiting the results with bated breath same time last year, eventually falling asleep before getting an intimation :) Hope most of you are able to attend the Blue Devil Weekend and get a taste of Fuqua before joining.
Good luck to all those who did not make it or are awaiting other results. Hope everyone gets the best. Having been through a string of rejections, I understand the not so sweet feelings that accompany it. All I can say is that B-school apps are just a part of a long journey and not the end of the game.
Here's some tips for waitlisted candidates. Forrest's latest blog will also be helpful to you in case you have been waitlisted.
Good luck to all those who did not make it or are awaiting other results. Hope everyone gets the best. Having been through a string of rejections, I understand the not so sweet feelings that accompany it. All I can say is that B-school apps are just a part of a long journey and not the end of the game.
Here's some tips for waitlisted candidates. Forrest's latest blog will also be helpful to you in case you have been waitlisted.
And the answer is...YES!
I have an internship. It took 5 interviews over 2 rounds to land up an internship in the industry that I wanted to get into.
It is amazing how things change. Just 5 weeks back I was worried about whether firms will even look at me. Then, it changed to whether I will be able to impress the recuiters with the skills that I have learned over the past semester. With an internship in hand, all those scary thoughts of having to spend a jobless summer have been thrown outside the window. I am now looking forward to the day when all my friends here land up super awesome offers and we can laugh over some of our silly responses in those claustrophobic interview rooms. Personally, it is a big relief to have a summer job offer before the first day of school. This should help me focus on my academics better.
Overall, it has been a good start to the internship season at Fuqua. Despite fears of a forthcoming recession, firms are picking up good numbers from here - seems to be either more than or same as last year. Of course, the final word will come from the Career Management Center (CMC) later.
The second years are a vital cog of this recruitment process, and their efforts to prepare us have been exemplary. I know of so many second years who came to school during the winter break just so that we can practice interviews and sharpen our skills with them. Hats off!
It is amazing how things change. Just 5 weeks back I was worried about whether firms will even look at me. Then, it changed to whether I will be able to impress the recuiters with the skills that I have learned over the past semester. With an internship in hand, all those scary thoughts of having to spend a jobless summer have been thrown outside the window. I am now looking forward to the day when all my friends here land up super awesome offers and we can laugh over some of our silly responses in those claustrophobic interview rooms. Personally, it is a big relief to have a summer job offer before the first day of school. This should help me focus on my academics better.
Overall, it has been a good start to the internship season at Fuqua. Despite fears of a forthcoming recession, firms are picking up good numbers from here - seems to be either more than or same as last year. Of course, the final word will come from the Career Management Center (CMC) later.
The second years are a vital cog of this recruitment process, and their efforts to prepare us have been exemplary. I know of so many second years who came to school during the winter break just so that we can practice interviews and sharpen our skills with them. Hats off!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year
Life is still exciting, only the players of the game have changed.
There is another challenging year in front of me as I prepare to embrace myself for the upcoming recruitment roller coaster and the related uncertainties. Same time last year, it was just as uncertain. I was awaiting my decisions, writing new applications. Literally everything I did found some link to my essays and my life story. I used to check my e-mail with anticipation.
Then I got through Duke and it felt that my life was about to change. Life did change. It has been an intense last six months. Networking is the name of the game. 'People know people who know people' has been the mantra. Life's goals have evolved from getting into the best B-school and best career to getting the best in whatever I set my sights on. My classmates from around the world have set the bar high. I miss India but find myself learning more and more about America - a country I had so many pre-conceived notions of.
In a nutshell, I am loving it! Here's good bye to 2007 and celebrating the spirit of Team Fuqua as I wish all readers a Happy New Year.
There is another challenging year in front of me as I prepare to embrace myself for the upcoming recruitment roller coaster and the related uncertainties. Same time last year, it was just as uncertain. I was awaiting my decisions, writing new applications. Literally everything I did found some link to my essays and my life story. I used to check my e-mail with anticipation.
Then I got through Duke and it felt that my life was about to change. Life did change. It has been an intense last six months. Networking is the name of the game. 'People know people who know people' has been the mantra. Life's goals have evolved from getting into the best B-school and best career to getting the best in whatever I set my sights on. My classmates from around the world have set the bar high. I miss India but find myself learning more and more about America - a country I had so many pre-conceived notions of.
In a nutshell, I am loving it! Here's good bye to 2007 and celebrating the spirit of Team Fuqua as I wish all readers a Happy New Year.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A take on Duke Essays
With Round 2 deadline approaching, I have been getting a lot of queries on how to approach the essays.
Here's a quick look at this year's essays:
Why are you interested in The Duke MBA and how will it help you achieve your goals? Please also discuss your career path, including your short and long-term professional goals. If you are interested in the Health Sector Management concentration or a joint degree program, please address in this essay.
Make sure you answer all four parts of this essay: (a) Your career progress (b) Long and Short term goals (c) Why an MBA can help you achieve these goals? (d) Why Duke specifically?
A good essay will nicely weave these stories in one steady flow, the transitions will be solid and the big picture will make sense.
The biggest mistake you can commit is to copy paste the 'Why Duke' from your 'Why Some Other School' essay. When you read your essay, do you feel that these lines can be written only for Duke? If not, then it needs to be re-looked
How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?
This is a diversity essay that you must already have a lot of gyaan on.
The idea is to bolster your professional application by telling them about your activities outside of work. The trick is not trying to please the adcom by telling them what they want to hear, but to tell who you really are.
My theory: All applicants who try to please the adcom by presenting themselves as 'Diverse' end up having similar looking applications and hence lack diversity.
Try writing 'your' story once. You'll be amazed how effective that is.
Describe an example of where you were challenged to lead in a team-oriented context. What was the challenge you faced, how did you address it, and what takeaways or lessons learned have you successfully applied in other leadership situations?
Again, essential that you answer all parts of questions. It is good to have a one/ two sentence summary and result of the situation to set up the essay for the reader, before you get into the details.
Describe a situation in which your ability to perform ethically was challenged. What was the issue, how did you handle it, and what did you learn from it?
An initial summary of what you are going to tell in the essay should help here as well.
I like situations where there is no obvious correct path. For example, a team lead who is asked by the client to distort some facts would always want to write that he did not do it. For me, a better story would be where you had to decide whether to hire/ fire new employees (and hence impact your profits) to give a more accurate/ less accurate result to your client. I find it better because here you could have gone either way and not have been wrong.
Describe a significant leadership failure in your life. What did you learn from this failure? How has it impacted who you are today and the kind of leader you would like to be?
Summary first. After that, the story. Then your learnings and the impact the incident had on your perception of leadership.
A story not very recent might be a good idea as it gives you a chance to show how you improved and implemented your learnings from that failure. The essay also seems to be asking about what qualities you perceive are essential for a being an effective leader. So, you might want to think about your failure story in that context.
How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.
All points noted in the diversity question above apply to this one. The difference being that the focus is more on how your background influenced your personality. There may be experiences that have led you to take some actions that you took in the above essay. Here's your chance to tell the adcom about these.
Good Luck to those who are busy finishing their essays for the January 3 deadline and to those who are awaiting Round 1 results.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are personal and I have had no interaction with anyone regarding how best to approach these essays.
Here's a quick look at this year's essays:
Why are you interested in The Duke MBA and how will it help you achieve your goals? Please also discuss your career path, including your short and long-term professional goals. If you are interested in the Health Sector Management concentration or a joint degree program, please address in this essay.
Make sure you answer all four parts of this essay: (a) Your career progress (b) Long and Short term goals (c) Why an MBA can help you achieve these goals? (d) Why Duke specifically?
A good essay will nicely weave these stories in one steady flow, the transitions will be solid and the big picture will make sense.
The biggest mistake you can commit is to copy paste the 'Why Duke' from your 'Why Some Other School' essay. When you read your essay, do you feel that these lines can be written only for Duke? If not, then it needs to be re-looked
How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?
This is a diversity essay that you must already have a lot of gyaan on.
The idea is to bolster your professional application by telling them about your activities outside of work. The trick is not trying to please the adcom by telling them what they want to hear, but to tell who you really are.
My theory: All applicants who try to please the adcom by presenting themselves as 'Diverse' end up having similar looking applications and hence lack diversity.
Try writing 'your' story once. You'll be amazed how effective that is.
Describe an example of where you were challenged to lead in a team-oriented context. What was the challenge you faced, how did you address it, and what takeaways or lessons learned have you successfully applied in other leadership situations?
Again, essential that you answer all parts of questions. It is good to have a one/ two sentence summary and result of the situation to set up the essay for the reader, before you get into the details.
Describe a situation in which your ability to perform ethically was challenged. What was the issue, how did you handle it, and what did you learn from it?
An initial summary of what you are going to tell in the essay should help here as well.
I like situations where there is no obvious correct path. For example, a team lead who is asked by the client to distort some facts would always want to write that he did not do it. For me, a better story would be where you had to decide whether to hire/ fire new employees (and hence impact your profits) to give a more accurate/ less accurate result to your client. I find it better because here you could have gone either way and not have been wrong.
Describe a significant leadership failure in your life. What did you learn from this failure? How has it impacted who you are today and the kind of leader you would like to be?
Summary first. After that, the story. Then your learnings and the impact the incident had on your perception of leadership.
A story not very recent might be a good idea as it gives you a chance to show how you improved and implemented your learnings from that failure. The essay also seems to be asking about what qualities you perceive are essential for a being an effective leader. So, you might want to think about your failure story in that context.
How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.
All points noted in the diversity question above apply to this one. The difference being that the focus is more on how your background influenced your personality. There may be experiences that have led you to take some actions that you took in the above essay. Here's your chance to tell the adcom about these.
Good Luck to those who are busy finishing their essays for the January 3 deadline and to those who are awaiting Round 1 results.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are personal and I have had no interaction with anyone regarding how best to approach these essays.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Who is a Fuqua Graduate?
Last week, I was invited for a lunch table discussion with COLE Leadership Fellows and faculty. The conversation centered around Dean Sheppard’s desire for an MBA program that produces leaders of consequence as an outcome of Fuqua.
We sought to understand what constitutes the 'Special Kind of Student' that Dean Sheppard envisions. The discussion that ensued made it clear what brings us students together at Fuqua.
Fuqua strives to nurture students who are great colleagues and great leaders, individuals who are functionally deep and globally sophisticated. A Fuqua graduate is someone who represents a community accountable to make a difference to this world. In general, the way Fuqua looks at the 'Fit' in prospective students is homogeneity of desire and heterogeneity of styles. We want people to stick out to their own aspirations. However, difference in degree of aspirations is not desirable. A Fuqua student is someone who knows how to choose and what to choose (homogeneous) but achieves his goal in his own unique style (heterogeneous).
Opportunities such as club leadership positions provide good exposure, but Fuqua is striving for the next level. Fuqua lets students lead the way in shaping the school's present and future. The synergy between student leadership and faculty mentorship leads to an effective governance and leadership model. It is the students who come up with ideas and feedback, but it is the authorities that mould the thoughts into implementable actions. Based on student feedback, the need for a stronger emphasis on global business environment was identified. This has led to the introduction of Global Institute Program for incoming daytime students before the start of Fall Term. Right from day 1, involvement of first year students was sought and implemented in order to achieve the desired outcome from the program.
An immense involvement of the Fuqua student is sought in shaping the B-school experience. It is this commitment and desire to utilize the two years in the best possible manner that creates a unique leader and a Fuqua Brand Ambassador. It is discussions such as the one I was part of that mark the essence of my B-school journey.
We sought to understand what constitutes the 'Special Kind of Student' that Dean Sheppard envisions. The discussion that ensued made it clear what brings us students together at Fuqua.
Fuqua strives to nurture students who are great colleagues and great leaders, individuals who are functionally deep and globally sophisticated. A Fuqua graduate is someone who represents a community accountable to make a difference to this world. In general, the way Fuqua looks at the 'Fit' in prospective students is homogeneity of desire and heterogeneity of styles. We want people to stick out to their own aspirations. However, difference in degree of aspirations is not desirable. A Fuqua student is someone who knows how to choose and what to choose (homogeneous) but achieves his goal in his own unique style (heterogeneous).
Opportunities such as club leadership positions provide good exposure, but Fuqua is striving for the next level. Fuqua lets students lead the way in shaping the school's present and future. The synergy between student leadership and faculty mentorship leads to an effective governance and leadership model. It is the students who come up with ideas and feedback, but it is the authorities that mould the thoughts into implementable actions. Based on student feedback, the need for a stronger emphasis on global business environment was identified. This has led to the introduction of Global Institute Program for incoming daytime students before the start of Fall Term. Right from day 1, involvement of first year students was sought and implemented in order to achieve the desired outcome from the program.
An immense involvement of the Fuqua student is sought in shaping the B-school experience. It is this commitment and desire to utilize the two years in the best possible manner that creates a unique leader and a Fuqua Brand Ambassador. It is discussions such as the one I was part of that mark the essence of my B-school journey.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Fall Break is here!
I am one-term old at Fuqua now and really looking forward to the week long fall break. While time has not exactly flown, past six weeks have been pretty intense.
I always knew it was going to be an intensive two years. However, it is the magnitude of the intensity that I was probably not prepared for. People still ask, “How’s it going?” I no longer find it surprising when people do not bother to listen to my response, but that is the only time during the term that I got to step back and think, how actually it is going.
Most finance and consulting companies ask for your grades. Most people are working hard towards a good academic performance. In such a scenario, more than your understanding of a certain topic, the importance preparing well from an examination point of view drives your intent to learn. I wonder if people are able to extract more out of their academic experience at schools that have a grade non-disclosure policy.
Overall, it has been an amazing two months. There has been a significant change in my perspective. Academically, there has been enormous learning. To be able to peruse and understand a firm’s annual report after taking an Accounting course for just six weeks, is a great feeling. Every day is a new revelation. There’s been a plethora of leadership opportunities – everyone gets to aim at what he/she thought will be his idea of leadership experience.
The highlights of this term were the meeting Marquis in person, the Campout, the Accounting course (a special thanks to Dr. V – our amazing accounting professor, who made such a big difference in our learning experience, with his passion and ability to bundle everything for us in a splendid manner.)
I always knew it was going to be an intensive two years. However, it is the magnitude of the intensity that I was probably not prepared for. People still ask, “How’s it going?” I no longer find it surprising when people do not bother to listen to my response, but that is the only time during the term that I got to step back and think, how actually it is going.
Most finance and consulting companies ask for your grades. Most people are working hard towards a good academic performance. In such a scenario, more than your understanding of a certain topic, the importance preparing well from an examination point of view drives your intent to learn. I wonder if people are able to extract more out of their academic experience at schools that have a grade non-disclosure policy.
Overall, it has been an amazing two months. There has been a significant change in my perspective. Academically, there has been enormous learning. To be able to peruse and understand a firm’s annual report after taking an Accounting course for just six weeks, is a great feeling. Every day is a new revelation. There’s been a plethora of leadership opportunities – everyone gets to aim at what he/she thought will be his idea of leadership experience.
The highlights of this term were the meeting Marquis in person, the Campout, the Accounting course (a special thanks to Dr. V – our amazing accounting professor, who made such a big difference in our learning experience, with his passion and ability to bundle everything for us in a splendid manner.)
Monday, October 01, 2007
The Duke CAMPOUT
I am back from a 36 hour roller coaster that is called Campout at Duke. Every muscle in my body is screaming for rest. Over the weekend, I got to sleep a total of 8 hours (and I must have slept the most out of all 1500 odd participants). Yet, I have no doubt that I had the time of my life.
Basketball is a religion at Duke and tickets to matches are limited. So, Duke has come up with this amazing way to distribute tickets to fans. The ask all grad students to Campout.
For 36 hours, you stay out in RVs/U-Hauls/tents in an open space. You do not get to sleep or to go home in this period. The idea is to queue up and sign-in everytime there is a bell, and this makes you eligible for a lottery sale of seasons tickets to Duke basketball matches. To maximize their chances of winning tickets, people team up in groups of 10-15 and then campout. This means that tickets you (or any of your team mates) win as an individual will now be shared by your team. You now have 10-15 times more probability of getting to watch a match.
I have been part of so many team building exercises both within and outside of Fuqua. Campout achieves team building like nothing else. Its a 36 hour non-stop party where you spend time helping each other stay awake, dance, drink, do crazy antics. You not only spend time with your team, but with people in RVs parked all around.
Am sure some of the bonds that I formed during campout are going to last forever.
Basketball is a religion at Duke and tickets to matches are limited. So, Duke has come up with this amazing way to distribute tickets to fans. The ask all grad students to Campout.
For 36 hours, you stay out in RVs/U-Hauls/tents in an open space. You do not get to sleep or to go home in this period. The idea is to queue up and sign-in everytime there is a bell, and this makes you eligible for a lottery sale of seasons tickets to Duke basketball matches. To maximize their chances of winning tickets, people team up in groups of 10-15 and then campout. This means that tickets you (or any of your team mates) win as an individual will now be shared by your team. You now have 10-15 times more probability of getting to watch a match.
I have been part of so many team building exercises both within and outside of Fuqua. Campout achieves team building like nothing else. Its a 36 hour non-stop party where you spend time helping each other stay awake, dance, drink, do crazy antics. You not only spend time with your team, but with people in RVs parked all around.
Am sure some of the bonds that I formed during campout are going to last forever.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Today in my life...
Here's how I spent my last 24 hours:
0200 hrs: Go to sleep. I've had enough of the previous day.
0650 hrs: Wake up alarm goes off!
0735 hrs: Leave for Fuqua
0800 - 0830 hrs: Stats Quiz
0830 - 1015 hrs: Stats class
1030 - 1115 hrs: Some internal class event
1130 - 1215 hrs: Discuss Team Charter with Leadership Fellow and suggest imrovements to team processes.
1220-1250 hrs: Resume review by Career Management Center
1250 - 1310 hrs: Stand in queue, grab your lunch and eat it
1315 - 1530 hrs: Deliver a company research presentation as part of Management Communications course. Provide peer feedback to others.
1600 - 1800 hrs: Go back home, work on resume and set up next review appointment for tomorrow.
Write and submit applications for a couple of leadership activities.
Get dressed in business attire. Rush back to Fuqua
1830 - 2030 hrs: Attend a Company Special Interest Pesentation (SIP)
2030 -2100 hrs: Rush home. Change into casuals to attend Peru Earthquake Fund Raiser Party.
2100 - 0000 hrs: Party!
0030 -0115 hrs: Check e-mail. Cook dinner, eat (As a rule, you do not get much food at parties. Plus, I'm a veggie).
0115- 0125 hrs: Write this blog.
0126 hrs: Thankfully, Wednesdays are no-class days, which means I can put off studying for Accounting and Economics quizzes to tomorrow. So, shut down and sleep. There's a symposium lined up for 8.00 AM the next day.
To top it all, the second years say things are just beginning to warm up. It gets a lot busier than this :)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Hey! Howz it going?
Its been two weeks since I've been in the US now. Orientation is over and classes started on Monday.
On the first day of school, just before the prof started, an American-born Indian crosses by me and says, "Hey, howz it going?". And he's gone even before I could open my mouth to respond! What a wierd guy I thought. Then I noticed everyone says the same thing to everyone else here.
One of my American classmates later went on to tell me that this is just another way of saying a polite Hello. No one cares about the answer anyways.
So, how do you answer back when someone comes up to you and says, "Howz it Going?" and actually does not walk away. A little more research into this tells me that there's two standard responses to this. 1: "Ummm, not too bad". 2: Smile and say, "Howz it going" even before he's finished his question! I found the latter more exciting so I myself end up saying "Howz it going" most of the times.
Well, that's public speaking lesson number one for me in the US.
On Fuqua, its a great school. The class composition is diverse, not only in terms of nationalities represented but also in terms of professions and richness of work and life experiences. Its amazing to sit in a class and listen to so many diverse perspectives on the same topic.
The Team Fuqua culture is not just an 'on the website' thing. You get the feeling that everyone really goes out of the way to help others around. All in all, looks like I am going to have a good time over the next two years.
So, if you ask me Howz it going, I'd say, "Not too bad" :)
On the first day of school, just before the prof started, an American-born Indian crosses by me and says, "Hey, howz it going?". And he's gone even before I could open my mouth to respond! What a wierd guy I thought. Then I noticed everyone says the same thing to everyone else here.
One of my American classmates later went on to tell me that this is just another way of saying a polite Hello. No one cares about the answer anyways.
So, how do you answer back when someone comes up to you and says, "Howz it Going?" and actually does not walk away. A little more research into this tells me that there's two standard responses to this. 1: "Ummm, not too bad". 2: Smile and say, "Howz it going" even before he's finished his question! I found the latter more exciting so I myself end up saying "Howz it going" most of the times.
Well, that's public speaking lesson number one for me in the US.
On Fuqua, its a great school. The class composition is diverse, not only in terms of nationalities represented but also in terms of professions and richness of work and life experiences. Its amazing to sit in a class and listen to so many diverse perspectives on the same topic.
The Team Fuqua culture is not just an 'on the website' thing. You get the feeling that everyone really goes out of the way to help others around. All in all, looks like I am going to have a good time over the next two years.
So, if you ask me Howz it going, I'd say, "Not too bad" :)
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Cheers Duke
A regret letter from Tuck greeted me in my inbox today morning. So, here's a toast to my only successful application.
Blue Devils - here I come :)
Friday, June 01, 2007
How significant is GMAT?
Earlier this week, my friend received feedback from Keenan Flagler on his rejected application. Amongst other things, it said, "...we anticipate that the average GMAT score of our successful applicants this year will be well above last year's average score of 660. Consequently, any efforts that you can make to improve your GMAT score from 720...".
The debate over GMAT's significance for a top 10 B-school admit is as atleast old as when I first started looking at a foreign MBA as an option. You will find many so-called 'low GMAT' success stories. MBAbabe got into H/S despite having a less than 80% in quant. Hobbes made it to Duke this time with the same GMAT that he had been asked to improve upon.
All schools say that GMAT is not the only component that they look at. There are a lot of things that make an application and each aspect carries its own weightage. Applicants can offset certain weaknesses in their application, such as a low quant GMAT score, with strong academic background in Mathematics.
My two cents: The adcoms are being honest. They do look at all components before deciding on an application. Importance of GMAT is the same for all applicant pools. What varies is the average GMAT scores among these pools. The average GMAT score of a school may be 650 but adcom cannot help it if you happen to be in a pool where the average GMAT score is in excess of 750 (read Indian IT male in case of my friend). Same goes the other way around as well. If you are competing with a pool where average GMAT is just 550, you stand a good chance of getting into that school (having GMAT average 650) with a score of 600!
Bottomline - tough luck if you happen to be in such a competitive applicant pool. No use frowning over why the feedback given to you says your GMAT can do with some improvement. Either improve a whole lot of things to offset the GMAT (which is manageable if you have a GMAT 720) or bite the GMAT bullet once again.
Of course, as I said before, there are many success stories. Its not impossible to get an admit with a low GMAT, its just tougher than usual. For those curious, my GMAT 720 friend did make it to a good school in the end.
The debate over GMAT's significance for a top 10 B-school admit is as atleast old as when I first started looking at a foreign MBA as an option. You will find many so-called 'low GMAT' success stories. MBAbabe got into H/S despite having a less than 80% in quant. Hobbes made it to Duke this time with the same GMAT that he had been asked to improve upon.
All schools say that GMAT is not the only component that they look at. There are a lot of things that make an application and each aspect carries its own weightage. Applicants can offset certain weaknesses in their application, such as a low quant GMAT score, with strong academic background in Mathematics.
My two cents: The adcoms are being honest. They do look at all components before deciding on an application. Importance of GMAT is the same for all applicant pools. What varies is the average GMAT scores among these pools. The average GMAT score of a school may be 650 but adcom cannot help it if you happen to be in a pool where the average GMAT score is in excess of 750 (read Indian IT male in case of my friend). Same goes the other way around as well. If you are competing with a pool where average GMAT is just 550, you stand a good chance of getting into that school (having GMAT average 650) with a score of 600!
Bottomline - tough luck if you happen to be in such a competitive applicant pool. No use frowning over why the feedback given to you says your GMAT can do with some improvement. Either improve a whole lot of things to offset the GMAT (which is manageable if you have a GMAT 720) or bite the GMAT bullet once again.
Of course, as I said before, there are many success stories. Its not impossible to get an admit with a low GMAT, its just tougher than usual. For those curious, my GMAT 720 friend did make it to a good school in the end.
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