Hey there, everyone. I hope you've all had a nice weekend and are ready to tackle another week on the grind at work. Some of you may have noticed that my frequency of posting entries has slowed in recent weeks. I apologize for that, but I guess that's what happens when work gets busy and the summer starts getting fun. I'm going to try to ramp up my posting going forward because my Inbox is filling up, but we'll see how that goes as the summertime activities keep me busy. Gotta love having time for a real life, huh? :-)
The message below is from an MBA aspirant who is planning to apply to business school with no work experience. As I've written on here before, this is no small feat, but it isn't an impossible task. It just takes a well-thought out approach and a killer application. I've written several entries on this topic before, so I refer the reader to my archives. I hope the combination between my response below and my responses to others is helpful to this applicant.
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KP wrote:
"Hello Marquis,
I just started reading your blog. It’s very interesting. Hey, can you please help me to solve few of my confusions or questions? I am just 23 now. I graduated with a Bachelor in Pharmacy from India. Currently, I am in a 2nd year of PhD in Pharmacology in USA.
I want to go for an MBA from a good university. However, I have no work experience or business background. So do you think that I have no chances of getting into top MBA school in United States even though I get a very good score in GMAT? How tough would it be for me to get into Stanford GSB? I can get a very high score in GMAT. That’s what is in my hand. Other than that, I can produce any work experience.
I would appreciate your reply on this email.
Thanks
KP"
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My response:
KP,
I hope this message finds you doing well. I'm glad that you found my blog and see me as a resource for your questions. I won't call myself an expert, but I hope that my words help to clear things up for you as you approach your MBA application process. It looks like you've got two questions, so I'll address them in order.
First, it sounds like you're wondering whether you have no chances at gaining admission to a top MBA program in the US with your profile. Nothing that you've shared in your email would make me think that you have "no chance" at admission, but it'll be a challenge because you'd be a young applicant with no work experience. But, just because it's a challenge, it doesn't that you CAN'T get into a good US school. You'll just have to do your part to find the right school for yourself and put together as strong an application as possible. Getting a very high GMAT score would certainly improve your chances of admission into a top program, but don't underestimate the challenge presented by that test. It is no small roadblock to make it through that test, but, if you can perform well on it, you'll be able to present a much stronger case to gain admission. As I've mentioned before on my blog, I believe the most important part of the MBA application is the candidate's position (i.e. the MBA story). In your case, you'll have to convince the admissions teams that it makes sense for you to pursue an MBA following your PhD in Pharmacology. I'm guessing that this sort of transition makes sense in your own mind, but you'll have to figure out a way to articulate that story and have it be believable. Check out the archived entries on my blog for advice on developing your MBA positioning. I'd recommend that you focus on this part of your profile for the immediate future until you're sure that MBA story is as tight as possible.
Your last question was about how tough it would be to get into Stanford GSB and my short answer is that it would be VERY tough...but that's not because of your application profile. Frankly, it would be difficult for anyone to get into the GSB because of its small class size and low acceptance rate. With that said, it will be even harder for you due to your lack of work professional experience. You would have to make a hell of a case for why you should be accepted over other applicants who may have as much as 5-10 years of work experience backing them up. This is a common concern for younger applicants and you should be mindful of it for every school you're targeting. I've written several blog entries offering advice for yonger applicants in the past, so I'd suggest reading through my archives to see if you can pull any insights from them.
Good luck on your MBA applications. As I mentioned above, Stanford GSB is an incredibly difficult school to get into, so set your expectations correctly going in...I truly do wish you luck on that GSB application though. Take care.
Marquis
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Prospective MPP/MBA student with doubts about her chances
What's going on, people. By now, I hope those of you in the U.S. are getting ready for a nice 4th of July weekend. You've gotta love three-day weekends, especially in the middle of the summer. Many of you are probably planning on traveling this weekend, so I'd like to encourage all of you to be careful while you're on the road. With all the stuff going in the world right now, one can never be too careful, especially when he/she is away from home.
The email below is one of the more unusual ones that I've seen in the years of answering questions. At a high level, the reader would like to gain admission to a good MBA/MPP program and is looking for my advice...but that's not anything unusual. And, she has questions about whether her profile is strong enough to get into a strong program...but that's not unusual either. The unusual part is how down on her chances she sounds. I hope I'm not out of line by saying it, but, when I read her email, it seemed like she was defeating herself before she ever even applied. I can only remember one other reader with this kind of outlook and my response turned into an intervention of sorts...I hope my response has the same sort of effect in this case because it feels like something big has to change here.
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OO wrote:
"Dear Marquis,
I saw your blog and wanted to get some feedback on my current quandary. As the title suggest, I am looking to gain acceptance to a joint degree graduate program in Public Policy and MBA with a focus in International Development. It seems that there are very few programs that offer this joint degree. The schools that do offer this degree are generally very competitive… such as UCLA and Stanford. I honestly don’t think will be able to get into those types of schools. I had a 3.0 GPA in undergrad and worked a number of entry level jobs since then. Over the past three years, I haven’t been with a company for very long. The one bright side is that I’m currently traveling Africa at the moment. My internship in South Africa wasn’t the stuff to write home about. But I will be traveling to Nigeria later in the year and hope to have a more meaningful internship there. I am certain that I want to go graduate school next year and have settle on trying to put a good application in for an MPP program.After completing the MPP, I’ll go on to apply for an MBA. That’s the hope. But I’m not sure what kind of schools will admit me. My resume is attached to this email. Please pass along your thoughts.
All the best,
OO
PS: I am planning to take the GRE in the next month or so. But I fear that my nerves will get the best of me. Hopefully, that' wont' be the case"
------
My response:
OO,
I hope this message finds you well. I know it's been a while since you emailed me, but I'm sure you can understand how difficult it is to get through the volume of emails that I receive from my readers. I hope this response is arriving in time to be helpful to you. If I'm remembering correctly, the grad schools won't release their new applications for another a month or two, so this might be the perfect time for you be getting this email. Let's see if I can sprinkle some knowledge and have some clarity about your situation sprout up out of the ground :-)
I don't know how long you've been reading my blog (or if you'd read any past entries at all), but one rule that I've mentioned several times is that I don't do resume reviews for readers. I used to do it, but it simply took too long to give the resumes a good read, think through how to improve them, and provide feedback on the contents. That said, I took a QUICK look at yours to get an idea of what you meant when you said "I haven't been with a company very long"...and you certainly weren't lying about that. After reading your resume, I was left thinking "why has she bounced around to six employers in four yearsw since undergrad???"...Mind you, I don't see that as necessarily being a killer for your chances, but it's something you'll have to address in your MPP and MBA applications. If there's a reason for your many career moves, make sure the admissions people understand it. Also, it seems like you're selling yourself short on your educational background. You went to a strong undergrad and had some international study experience, which are both things that many applicants don't have working for them. By the way, you should round that 3.06 GPA up to a 3.1, not down to a 3.0. It's only a 0.1 difference, but it could make a world of difference in how you see your own applicant profile. Your GPA and work experience are already set in stone and can't be changed, but you can certainly change the way that you frame them in your own mind and I suggest that you do just that. As for your plan to apply to MPP programs first and then the MBA once enrolled, I like it and that's actually what I would have recommended for you to do, given your background. You've worked for a series of organizations upon which you should be able to build a good MPP application story. From there, you could build an MBA story and you'd be off to the races.
Before closing out this email, I want to bring something to your attention that has me a little concerned. As I read your email, I read your message, I couldn't help but think that you were defeating yourself before you ever went into battle. I can understand trying to do some level-setting early on, but your message literally screamed out to me saying "I don't think I'm a good candidate, but I'm hoping for a miracle"...It'll be pretty difficult for you to convince a business school that they should admit you if you don't believe it yourself. Don't feel bad though because you're definitely not the first MBA aspirant to feel this way. In fact, I've had several kids hit me up with a similar mindset. One of them in particular sticks out in my mind because he sounded so without hope in his email. So, I sent him an email with some motivation truth and wisdom in it and he ended up doing very well in the application process once he'd gotten his mind right. Instead of recreating that same advice in this message, I'll just give you the link to that entry and advise you to read it and think about my words to him --> "I wanna break free" - the story of pigeonholed techie. You CAN do this, but that won't be possible unless you switch up your mindset...and I'm serious about that!
By now, you've probably taken the GRE and I hope your score helped your confidence going into the application process. Remember, believing that you can gain admission to a B-school is the job #1 when applying. It all starts with KNOWING that you can do it. If you go in assuming that you won't be successful, then you might as well not apply. Spend some time thinking about your MBA story and which qualities might make you a strong and unique candidate and then go out there and make it happen. It's all about your own mindset...and don't forget it! Take care and good luck with the upcoming application season.
Marquis
The email below is one of the more unusual ones that I've seen in the years of answering questions. At a high level, the reader would like to gain admission to a good MBA/MPP program and is looking for my advice...but that's not anything unusual. And, she has questions about whether her profile is strong enough to get into a strong program...but that's not unusual either. The unusual part is how down on her chances she sounds. I hope I'm not out of line by saying it, but, when I read her email, it seemed like she was defeating herself before she ever even applied. I can only remember one other reader with this kind of outlook and my response turned into an intervention of sorts...I hope my response has the same sort of effect in this case because it feels like something big has to change here.
------
OO wrote:
"Dear Marquis,
I saw your blog and wanted to get some feedback on my current quandary. As the title suggest, I am looking to gain acceptance to a joint degree graduate program in Public Policy and MBA with a focus in International Development. It seems that there are very few programs that offer this joint degree. The schools that do offer this degree are generally very competitive… such as UCLA and Stanford. I honestly don’t think will be able to get into those types of schools. I had a 3.0 GPA in undergrad and worked a number of entry level jobs since then. Over the past three years, I haven’t been with a company for very long. The one bright side is that I’m currently traveling Africa at the moment. My internship in South Africa wasn’t the stuff to write home about. But I will be traveling to Nigeria later in the year and hope to have a more meaningful internship there. I am certain that I want to go graduate school next year and have settle on trying to put a good application in for an MPP program.After completing the MPP, I’ll go on to apply for an MBA. That’s the hope. But I’m not sure what kind of schools will admit me. My resume is attached to this email. Please pass along your thoughts.
All the best,
OO
PS: I am planning to take the GRE in the next month or so. But I fear that my nerves will get the best of me. Hopefully, that' wont' be the case"
------
My response:
OO,
I hope this message finds you well. I know it's been a while since you emailed me, but I'm sure you can understand how difficult it is to get through the volume of emails that I receive from my readers. I hope this response is arriving in time to be helpful to you. If I'm remembering correctly, the grad schools won't release their new applications for another a month or two, so this might be the perfect time for you be getting this email. Let's see if I can sprinkle some knowledge and have some clarity about your situation sprout up out of the ground :-)
I don't know how long you've been reading my blog (or if you'd read any past entries at all), but one rule that I've mentioned several times is that I don't do resume reviews for readers. I used to do it, but it simply took too long to give the resumes a good read, think through how to improve them, and provide feedback on the contents. That said, I took a QUICK look at yours to get an idea of what you meant when you said "I haven't been with a company very long"...and you certainly weren't lying about that. After reading your resume, I was left thinking "why has she bounced around to six employers in four yearsw since undergrad???"...Mind you, I don't see that as necessarily being a killer for your chances, but it's something you'll have to address in your MPP and MBA applications. If there's a reason for your many career moves, make sure the admissions people understand it. Also, it seems like you're selling yourself short on your educational background. You went to a strong undergrad and had some international study experience, which are both things that many applicants don't have working for them. By the way, you should round that 3.06 GPA up to a 3.1, not down to a 3.0. It's only a 0.1 difference, but it could make a world of difference in how you see your own applicant profile. Your GPA and work experience are already set in stone and can't be changed, but you can certainly change the way that you frame them in your own mind and I suggest that you do just that. As for your plan to apply to MPP programs first and then the MBA once enrolled, I like it and that's actually what I would have recommended for you to do, given your background. You've worked for a series of organizations upon which you should be able to build a good MPP application story. From there, you could build an MBA story and you'd be off to the races.
Before closing out this email, I want to bring something to your attention that has me a little concerned. As I read your email, I read your message, I couldn't help but think that you were defeating yourself before you ever went into battle. I can understand trying to do some level-setting early on, but your message literally screamed out to me saying "I don't think I'm a good candidate, but I'm hoping for a miracle"...It'll be pretty difficult for you to convince a business school that they should admit you if you don't believe it yourself. Don't feel bad though because you're definitely not the first MBA aspirant to feel this way. In fact, I've had several kids hit me up with a similar mindset. One of them in particular sticks out in my mind because he sounded so without hope in his email. So, I sent him an email with some motivation truth and wisdom in it and he ended up doing very well in the application process once he'd gotten his mind right. Instead of recreating that same advice in this message, I'll just give you the link to that entry and advise you to read it and think about my words to him --> "I wanna break free" - the story of pigeonholed techie. You CAN do this, but that won't be possible unless you switch up your mindset...and I'm serious about that!
By now, you've probably taken the GRE and I hope your score helped your confidence going into the application process. Remember, believing that you can gain admission to a B-school is the job #1 when applying. It all starts with KNOWING that you can do it. If you go in assuming that you won't be successful, then you might as well not apply. Spend some time thinking about your MBA story and which qualities might make you a strong and unique candidate and then go out there and make it happen. It's all about your own mindset...and don't forget it! Take care and good luck with the upcoming application season.
Marquis
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Interesting initiative to promote education for poor children in New Delhi
Hey there, folk. This is a quick entry to pass along a link to an initiative that caught my eye. Recently, one of my readers emailed me to inform me about a project being launched in New Delhi, India (one of the cities that I visited back in February). According to the project homepage, the JAAGRITI project is "an initiative to impart basic education and bring about a productive change in the lives of poor and underprivileged children in Dwarka, New Delhi (INDIA)."
I know that I've got a large contingent of readers from India, so I thought those folks would be especially interested in the project and its blog. Also, as someone interested in education, the goals of the initiative really spoke to me. The email below came from the founder of the JAAGRITI project and contains the link to the associated blog site. Check it out if you're interested...
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AG wrote:
"Hi Marquis
I must say you are really doing a great work by helping prospective MBA students. Kudos to you !!
I would like to you to visit my JAAGRITI project blog:
http://jaagriti-india.blogspot.com
I am sure it will interest you a lot.
Have a great time.
Thanks and Regards
AG"
I know that I've got a large contingent of readers from India, so I thought those folks would be especially interested in the project and its blog. Also, as someone interested in education, the goals of the initiative really spoke to me. The email below came from the founder of the JAAGRITI project and contains the link to the associated blog site. Check it out if you're interested...
-----
AG wrote:
"Hi Marquis
I must say you are really doing a great work by helping prospective MBA students. Kudos to you !!
I would like to you to visit my JAAGRITI project blog:
http://jaagriti-india.blogspot.com
I am sure it will interest you a lot.
Have a great time.
Thanks and Regards
AG"
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Goodbye to a legend -- RIP Michael Jackson (1958-2009)
By now, I'm sure all of you have heard about the passing of The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. I was completely SHOCKED when I heard the news this afternoon and I've been watching new coverage about it ever since. At first, I didn't want to believe it because CNN was reporting that he was only in a coma and not dead. But, then the LA Times reported that he'd died and all of the other news services reported the same thing. I'm still stunned by the news and haven't been able to look away from the news coverage for hours.
As a tribute to MJ, I've decided to post a couple of my favorite YouTube clips of his performances. I know that this post isn't related to business school, consulting, careers, or any of the other things that I usually write about and it's probably pretty daggone unprofessional too...but, it's my site, so I'm going to give that man a shout out if I want to :-)
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This first clip is of the Jackson 5 performing "Maybe Tomorrow", which is my all-time favorite song by the group. There's something about the words of the song combined with Little Michael's voice that has always made this song a winner in my book. Also, this is how I like to best remember MJ because it was before all of the stories, rumors, and other events that affected the way people saw him later in his life. He was just an innocent kid singing along with his brothers and making people happy.
--------
This next clip is from a show during his HIStory tour, where he performed a medley of songs from his "Off the Wall" album. Anyone who has seen MJ perform on stage knows that he's one of the GREATEST performers ever. I especially love this clip because "Off the Wall" is one of my top-five favorite albums of all time. Enjoy!
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Whew! Maaaaaaaaan, I'm sitting here right now in shock watching the MTV tribute to Michael Jackson and still can't believe that he's gone. I have so many memories from my childhood of enjoying his music that I actually felt like I knew him. I can still remember doing the moonwalk and owning one of those Michael Jackson "Beat It" dolls as a little kid. I'd like to send him a big shout out for creating music that was such a big part of so many people's lives, including my own. I know that many people will call him a weirdo, a drug addict, a molester, or any other number of terrible things, but, even if they think that, they can't deny that the man was a musical genius.
My mother has always said that MJ was just a sad person trying to find happiness...I hope he can finally find some peace now that he's moved on to a better place. See you at the crossroads, Mike...Rest in peace.
As a tribute to MJ, I've decided to post a couple of my favorite YouTube clips of his performances. I know that this post isn't related to business school, consulting, careers, or any of the other things that I usually write about and it's probably pretty daggone unprofessional too...but, it's my site, so I'm going to give that man a shout out if I want to :-)
--------
This first clip is of the Jackson 5 performing "Maybe Tomorrow", which is my all-time favorite song by the group. There's something about the words of the song combined with Little Michael's voice that has always made this song a winner in my book. Also, this is how I like to best remember MJ because it was before all of the stories, rumors, and other events that affected the way people saw him later in his life. He was just an innocent kid singing along with his brothers and making people happy.
--------
This next clip is from a show during his HIStory tour, where he performed a medley of songs from his "Off the Wall" album. Anyone who has seen MJ perform on stage knows that he's one of the GREATEST performers ever. I especially love this clip because "Off the Wall" is one of my top-five favorite albums of all time. Enjoy!
--------
Whew! Maaaaaaaaan, I'm sitting here right now in shock watching the MTV tribute to Michael Jackson and still can't believe that he's gone. I have so many memories from my childhood of enjoying his music that I actually felt like I knew him. I can still remember doing the moonwalk and owning one of those Michael Jackson "Beat It" dolls as a little kid. I'd like to send him a big shout out for creating music that was such a big part of so many people's lives, including my own. I know that many people will call him a weirdo, a drug addict, a molester, or any other number of terrible things, but, even if they think that, they can't deny that the man was a musical genius.
My mother has always said that MJ was just a sad person trying to find happiness...I hope he can finally find some peace now that he's moved on to a better place. See you at the crossroads, Mike...Rest in peace.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Moving from IT Consulting into Strategy
Hey, peoples. I hope you all had a nice and relaxing weekend. I'd also like to send a Happy Father's Day shout-out to all of the dads out there. Ever since hearing President Obama's comments about fatherhood on Friday, I've been thinking a lot about the topic, particularly as it relates to pursuing a high-flying career. I won't dive too much into my thoughts on it because I've written a LOT about work-life balance over the past few weeks. But, I do hope that all of you hard-charging career-focused dads out there are setting aside time to spend with your kids. I know it's important to have a great career and you've all worked hard for that, but there's no more important job out there than being a father, especially if the kid(s) is(are) really young...but y'all already know that, right?
Now, lemme step off of my soapbox and into this entry...The message below is from a recent college graduate who will soon be starting a job as an IT consultant with Accenture. He was looking for advice on how to transition from this sort of position to a strategy role. In the current economy, making any sort of transition is going to be tough, but it would be possible if he's looking at a longer runway for the change. I put together a few ideas for him below, so I hope he finds them helpful.
-----
TW wrote:
"Hi Marquis,
I dig the blog! I'm cool with you posting this on the blog so that it might help others - just anonymize it, of course :-)
I found you from Management Consulted. I was hoping you could offer your perspective on what a fresh undergrad going into Accenture should do to best position themselves for an MBB-type position in the next couple of years? My resume is pretty typical of a consulting-geared type; 3.7-3.9ish GPA, leadership roles in student organizations, a few four-month internships, on a business case team that competed at an international competition.
I've read a lot about Accenture pigeon-holing you into an IT consultant. And while I do really like IT, I think strategy is where I want to be. I don't know if it'll help, but some added info is that I did interview at two of MBB for full-time this past fall; but recruiting numbers were just really tough. I'm based in Canada, and from what I've heard, each of the 2 MBB firms that I interviewed with took on only about 2-3 full-time undergrads this past fall. And that was for all of Canada.
I've looked around and took away that I should be networking with alums (friends, school's career centre). What are your thoughts other than that? Is an MBA a necessity?
Cheers! Thanks for all the advice.
TW"
-----
My response:
TW,
Thanks for checking out my blog and seeing me as a resource to answer your questions. I'm sorry that it's taken me a while to respond, but I'm sure you can understand the volume of emails that I receive. Before diving into your question, I'd like to congratulate you on finishing up your college journey and for winning a job with a great organization like Accenture coming out of school. I deliberately used the term "winning" because it has really been a huge competition to graduate college with a job this year. You've won big and I hope you're proud of this accomplishment. That said, it's good that you're thinking ahead to the next step in your career and I hope my words can be helpful to you.
Your primary question was about how you could best position yourself for a gig at an MBB firm in the next few years. My first recommendation would have been to network with current staff from those firms to get an in, but you've already been given that advice before. Aside from this, you could try to gear your staffing assignments toward a particular industry/function to build a strong understanding of IT systems and associated issues in that area. This could give you an industry/functional expertise angle if you were to apply as an experienced hire candidate. Also, you could try to get involved in some research efforts within ACN to get your name listed on whitepapers or other research pieces. This is another approach to the industry expertise angle and it may be a bit of a longshot at the early-career level, but I've heard stories of it working for people at more senior levels. In addition to these actions, you could also try to make an internal transition from the IT consulting group into the Strategy group. I did my summer MBA internship in ACN's Strategy Practice and found the business-focused strategy work to be a great challenge. This sort of internal transfer could be a much more straightforward way to start doing strategy work than trying to move over to a different firm...you might want to look into this more once you start your job in the Fall.
Your last question was about whether an MBA is a necessity to make this sort of move. I've heard of some folks making the transition over to your target firms as experienced hires without an MBA, so, technically, the answer to your question is "no". But, I don't know how often this sort of transition happens and I believe that earning an MBA would make it MUCH easier to move into the type of role/firm that you seek. As I've mentioned in past blog entries, B-school is basically a big two-year long "RESTART" button for one's career, but it can also serve as a "career power-booster", as well. In your case, the MBA would play the latter role. You'd be going into business school with IT consulting experience, which, while not a direct match to strategy consulting, shows that you have experience with the clients, working in teams, and handling the lifestyle of the job. Also, I've found that folks with backgrounds like the one you'll develop before business did well during consulting case interviews and were fantastic at the fit interviews. Plus, I'm a big fan of B-school as a place to build one's self into a well-rounded business professional, which is never a bad thing. So, in short, you don't NEED an MBA, but it certainly wouldn't hurt for you to have one.
Take care and congratulations on your college graduation. This is a huge step and the start of what could become a limitless career. Just focus on doing well at Accenture and everything else should fall into place for you.
Marquis
Now, lemme step off of my soapbox and into this entry...The message below is from a recent college graduate who will soon be starting a job as an IT consultant with Accenture. He was looking for advice on how to transition from this sort of position to a strategy role. In the current economy, making any sort of transition is going to be tough, but it would be possible if he's looking at a longer runway for the change. I put together a few ideas for him below, so I hope he finds them helpful.
-----
TW wrote:
"Hi Marquis,
I dig the blog! I'm cool with you posting this on the blog so that it might help others - just anonymize it, of course :-)
I found you from Management Consulted. I was hoping you could offer your perspective on what a fresh undergrad going into Accenture should do to best position themselves for an MBB-type position in the next couple of years? My resume is pretty typical of a consulting-geared type; 3.7-3.9ish GPA, leadership roles in student organizations, a few four-month internships, on a business case team that competed at an international competition.
I've read a lot about Accenture pigeon-holing you into an IT consultant. And while I do really like IT, I think strategy is where I want to be. I don't know if it'll help, but some added info is that I did interview at two of MBB for full-time this past fall; but recruiting numbers were just really tough. I'm based in Canada, and from what I've heard, each of the 2 MBB firms that I interviewed with took on only about 2-3 full-time undergrads this past fall. And that was for all of Canada.
I've looked around and took away that I should be networking with alums (friends, school's career centre). What are your thoughts other than that? Is an MBA a necessity?
Cheers! Thanks for all the advice.
TW"
-----
My response:
TW,
Thanks for checking out my blog and seeing me as a resource to answer your questions. I'm sorry that it's taken me a while to respond, but I'm sure you can understand the volume of emails that I receive. Before diving into your question, I'd like to congratulate you on finishing up your college journey and for winning a job with a great organization like Accenture coming out of school. I deliberately used the term "winning" because it has really been a huge competition to graduate college with a job this year. You've won big and I hope you're proud of this accomplishment. That said, it's good that you're thinking ahead to the next step in your career and I hope my words can be helpful to you.
Your primary question was about how you could best position yourself for a gig at an MBB firm in the next few years. My first recommendation would have been to network with current staff from those firms to get an in, but you've already been given that advice before. Aside from this, you could try to gear your staffing assignments toward a particular industry/function to build a strong understanding of IT systems and associated issues in that area. This could give you an industry/functional expertise angle if you were to apply as an experienced hire candidate. Also, you could try to get involved in some research efforts within ACN to get your name listed on whitepapers or other research pieces. This is another approach to the industry expertise angle and it may be a bit of a longshot at the early-career level, but I've heard stories of it working for people at more senior levels. In addition to these actions, you could also try to make an internal transition from the IT consulting group into the Strategy group. I did my summer MBA internship in ACN's Strategy Practice and found the business-focused strategy work to be a great challenge. This sort of internal transfer could be a much more straightforward way to start doing strategy work than trying to move over to a different firm...you might want to look into this more once you start your job in the Fall.
Your last question was about whether an MBA is a necessity to make this sort of move. I've heard of some folks making the transition over to your target firms as experienced hires without an MBA, so, technically, the answer to your question is "no". But, I don't know how often this sort of transition happens and I believe that earning an MBA would make it MUCH easier to move into the type of role/firm that you seek. As I've mentioned in past blog entries, B-school is basically a big two-year long "RESTART" button for one's career, but it can also serve as a "career power-booster", as well. In your case, the MBA would play the latter role. You'd be going into business school with IT consulting experience, which, while not a direct match to strategy consulting, shows that you have experience with the clients, working in teams, and handling the lifestyle of the job. Also, I've found that folks with backgrounds like the one you'll develop before business did well during consulting case interviews and were fantastic at the fit interviews. Plus, I'm a big fan of B-school as a place to build one's self into a well-rounded business professional, which is never a bad thing. So, in short, you don't NEED an MBA, but it certainly wouldn't hurt for you to have one.
Take care and congratulations on your college graduation. This is a huge step and the start of what could become a limitless career. Just focus on doing well at Accenture and everything else should fall into place for you.
Marquis
Monday, June 15, 2009
Message from a reader describing her comeback from "rejection" and pursuit of work-life balance
What's going on, y'all. I'm writing this entry with a big smile on my face because today was the second warm day in a row here in Chicago. That may be a weird thing to be happy about, but y'all weren't here on those days when the temperature was in the -20's a few months ago. Walking outside and not needing a coat here is amazing. I know that it'll probably get ridiculously hot soon, but I'm loving the few days of Springtime weather that we'll see in 2009. Even better, the folks outside just looked happier now that the sun has started shining brightly. Now, I can understand why the folks here rave about the months of June, July, and August and this probably won't be the last time you guys see me raving about it too :-)
OK, on to the rest of the entry...the message below is from a reader who found my blog recently and reached out to me to let me know about its impact. I'm posting this reader's email because of her story of "rejection" and making a fantastic recovery from it. She shares her own story from school through early career into her impending matriculation at a top business school and also includes some notes about her desire for work-life balance as she continues her career, which really jumped out at me. Although she didn't ask any questions for me to answer, I thought her email might serve as an inspiration to some of you out there. And, when I raised the idea of posting it to her, she was cool with it, so here we go. I hope her message inspires some of you as much as it inspired me. Also, don't forget to check out the two quotes she included at the end of her message.
By the way, I REALLY liked reading this email because the reader used a couple of the phrases that I regularly drop into my entries. After hearing over and over how unprofessional I sound on here at times, I couldn't help but smile when seeing the reference to "bringin' the thunder"...bet you won't find to many other B-school related blogs with that kind of lingo, huh? hahahaha! Gotta love it!
---
BC wrote:
"Dear Marquis,
First off, I want to say thank you. I discovered your blog only days ago, but I have already read 99% of it, and it has been an amazing read. Insightful, humorous, and chockfull information I only WISH I knew about back when I was applying to business school.
Second, don’t worry, this is not a “question email,” I know better than to badger a busy man. :) You’ve given such great advice to a lot of people, some who quite frankly don’t seem to deserve it ;) - you’re a better man than I.
Rather, this is a private response to your recent musings on the work-life balance. I wanted to give you congratulations on your [latest position], for seeming to find your equilibrium, even if it meant moving to the cold-azz city of Chicago to do it. You’ll notice from my email that I too, am moving to [Chicago], and as a Los Angeles native, I already foresee the pain I will be in in a few months.
To give you a bit on my background, I graduated university with my BS in Business Admin when I was 16 with big ambitions, much like you mentioned, of being a “baller,” making heaps of money and taking care of my family and those that are needy. As the typical ultra-competitive Type-A “must have it all and now,” I applied to both Harvard (this was back in 2002, before the 2+2 came out) and Stanford b-schools, and got rejected flat out. I do have to mention, that GSB was kind enough to give me an interview, before the rejection. :P It was discouraging to say the least, but I set out to gain the most work experience possible and make myself an attractive candidate, and somehow, along the way of these 7 years, my ideas of “success” have changed significantly.
Even more so than the valuable corporate experience I’ve gained, I feel like I’ve matured and the way I view the whole world has changed. Before, I would have been pitching a fit that I didn’t get into Harvard or Stanford, but now, I see that some things aren’t meant to be, and maybe, just maybe, for somebody like me, the awkward “child prodigy” with the quantitative analysis down pat, I can gain more from Kellogg’s teamwork and collaboration focus. I’ve been living in China for the last 2 years, working as the operations manager of an MNC startup subsidiary, and let me tell you, my eyes have been opened up to the disparity that exists in our world. Sometimes, I feel so grateful for what I have already, it feels like anything else I can accomplish is just gravy.
I guess my point is this, that as a “child prodigy,” (somebody else’s label, not mine) I always thought my future was carved in stone, that I MUST be a millionaire by the time I’m 30, MUST be a CEO, MUST be jetsetting, well-traveled, speak 7 languages, etc etc... And really, I now realize, that I don’t have to do any of it. I can be happy anywhere, as long as I know I’m utilizing my potential, and making a difference. Furthermore, I don’t want to do any of it, if it means sacrificing my health, or my sense of myself. Of course, it would still be nice if I was a millionaire (I’ve got a few more years, gotta make them count!) but somehow it’s no longer as important because I know now I can make enough money to support myself, and buy me the things that make me happy... Really what more would I need, and what would I do with it, except give it away? Yes, I would one day like to set up a competitive school for bright, impoverished children, and yes, I will need a good deal of funds to do that, but I will never be able to reach my goals if I get an ulcer or god forbid a heart attack from the stress of my job, and furthermore, I would be doing my mother a disservice after her hard work raising me.
Anyway, I know I’ve still got to get through business school, and if I’m lucky, maybe a good “finishing school,” job where I know the times will be rough, but ultimately, I hope to be in a position similar to yours. So just know you’re a role model for just one more person (out of the thousands who email you), and because of your story, I am even more inspired to make the most out of and enjoy every minute of my journey.
Sorry it turned out to be such a long email, but you touched on such a good point and overall you’ve told such a great story that I felt compelled to reach out. Thanks again, and best wishes. Maybe I might run into you some day in Chicago. :) I’d like that.
Regards,
BC
PS. If on the off chance you choose to “reprint” this email, please keep me & my blog anonymous. Many thanks.
PPS. There will be ups and downs for all of us, just remember that the quest for balance is an ongoing one and sometimes there are no right & wrong answers. Just gotta roll with the punches. My 2 favorite quotes: 1) The best way to predict the future is to create it. 2) “I've learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.”
PPPS. I’d also like to thank you for introducing me to what is now one of my favorite phrases ever, “bringin’ the thunder.” Please continue to keep bringing it. :D "
OK, on to the rest of the entry...the message below is from a reader who found my blog recently and reached out to me to let me know about its impact. I'm posting this reader's email because of her story of "rejection" and making a fantastic recovery from it. She shares her own story from school through early career into her impending matriculation at a top business school and also includes some notes about her desire for work-life balance as she continues her career, which really jumped out at me. Although she didn't ask any questions for me to answer, I thought her email might serve as an inspiration to some of you out there. And, when I raised the idea of posting it to her, she was cool with it, so here we go. I hope her message inspires some of you as much as it inspired me. Also, don't forget to check out the two quotes she included at the end of her message.
By the way, I REALLY liked reading this email because the reader used a couple of the phrases that I regularly drop into my entries. After hearing over and over how unprofessional I sound on here at times, I couldn't help but smile when seeing the reference to "bringin' the thunder"...bet you won't find to many other B-school related blogs with that kind of lingo, huh? hahahaha! Gotta love it!
---
BC wrote:
"Dear Marquis,
First off, I want to say thank you. I discovered your blog only days ago, but I have already read 99% of it, and it has been an amazing read. Insightful, humorous, and chockfull information I only WISH I knew about back when I was applying to business school.
Second, don’t worry, this is not a “question email,” I know better than to badger a busy man. :) You’ve given such great advice to a lot of people, some who quite frankly don’t seem to deserve it ;) - you’re a better man than I.
Rather, this is a private response to your recent musings on the work-life balance. I wanted to give you congratulations on your [latest position], for seeming to find your equilibrium, even if it meant moving to the cold-azz city of Chicago to do it. You’ll notice from my email that I too, am moving to [Chicago], and as a Los Angeles native, I already foresee the pain I will be in in a few months.
To give you a bit on my background, I graduated university with my BS in Business Admin when I was 16 with big ambitions, much like you mentioned, of being a “baller,” making heaps of money and taking care of my family and those that are needy. As the typical ultra-competitive Type-A “must have it all and now,” I applied to both Harvard (this was back in 2002, before the 2+2 came out) and Stanford b-schools, and got rejected flat out. I do have to mention, that GSB was kind enough to give me an interview, before the rejection. :P It was discouraging to say the least, but I set out to gain the most work experience possible and make myself an attractive candidate, and somehow, along the way of these 7 years, my ideas of “success” have changed significantly.
Even more so than the valuable corporate experience I’ve gained, I feel like I’ve matured and the way I view the whole world has changed. Before, I would have been pitching a fit that I didn’t get into Harvard or Stanford, but now, I see that some things aren’t meant to be, and maybe, just maybe, for somebody like me, the awkward “child prodigy” with the quantitative analysis down pat, I can gain more from Kellogg’s teamwork and collaboration focus. I’ve been living in China for the last 2 years, working as the operations manager of an MNC startup subsidiary, and let me tell you, my eyes have been opened up to the disparity that exists in our world. Sometimes, I feel so grateful for what I have already, it feels like anything else I can accomplish is just gravy.
I guess my point is this, that as a “child prodigy,” (somebody else’s label, not mine) I always thought my future was carved in stone, that I MUST be a millionaire by the time I’m 30, MUST be a CEO, MUST be jetsetting, well-traveled, speak 7 languages, etc etc... And really, I now realize, that I don’t have to do any of it. I can be happy anywhere, as long as I know I’m utilizing my potential, and making a difference. Furthermore, I don’t want to do any of it, if it means sacrificing my health, or my sense of myself. Of course, it would still be nice if I was a millionaire (I’ve got a few more years, gotta make them count!) but somehow it’s no longer as important because I know now I can make enough money to support myself, and buy me the things that make me happy... Really what more would I need, and what would I do with it, except give it away? Yes, I would one day like to set up a competitive school for bright, impoverished children, and yes, I will need a good deal of funds to do that, but I will never be able to reach my goals if I get an ulcer or god forbid a heart attack from the stress of my job, and furthermore, I would be doing my mother a disservice after her hard work raising me.
Anyway, I know I’ve still got to get through business school, and if I’m lucky, maybe a good “finishing school,” job where I know the times will be rough, but ultimately, I hope to be in a position similar to yours. So just know you’re a role model for just one more person (out of the thousands who email you), and because of your story, I am even more inspired to make the most out of and enjoy every minute of my journey.
Sorry it turned out to be such a long email, but you touched on such a good point and overall you’ve told such a great story that I felt compelled to reach out. Thanks again, and best wishes. Maybe I might run into you some day in Chicago. :) I’d like that.
Regards,
BC
PS. If on the off chance you choose to “reprint” this email, please keep me & my blog anonymous. Many thanks.
PPS. There will be ups and downs for all of us, just remember that the quest for balance is an ongoing one and sometimes there are no right & wrong answers. Just gotta roll with the punches. My 2 favorite quotes: 1) The best way to predict the future is to create it. 2) “I've learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.”
PPPS. I’d also like to thank you for introducing me to what is now one of my favorite phrases ever, “bringin’ the thunder.” Please continue to keep bringing it. :D "
Gotta love getting shout-outs from my readers...
OK, I know that some of you are going to roll your eyes when you see this, but it made me smile so I'm going to post it...Gotta love getting nice shout-outs every now and then :-) This isn't the first one of these I've ever received and I don't post most of them, but this one caught me at the right time, so here it is...
------
PS wrote:
"Hi Marquis,
My name is PS. I just wanted to share my thoughts about your blog. I started reading your blog in 2007 because you are from GSB. As I started reading for months, I realized that GSB tag is so minute. There is something amazing and great about you. Sometimes, your blog is source of hope for me and many others. It reinforces my belief that the world is still alive and kicking because there must be good people.
Best Wishes,
PS"
------
My response:
PS,
Thank you SO MUCH for sending this email. I know that I'm responding to you well after you sent it, but I'm sure you can imagine how many emails I get. I spend a lot of time responding to reader emails and seldom get as much as a "thank you", so it always makes me smile to receive messages like this from people who simply email me to let me know that my efforts are appreciated. Thanks again for reaching out to me.
Marquis
------
PS wrote:
"Hi Marquis,
My name is PS. I just wanted to share my thoughts about your blog. I started reading your blog in 2007 because you are from GSB. As I started reading for months, I realized that GSB tag is so minute. There is something amazing and great about you. Sometimes, your blog is source of hope for me and many others. It reinforces my belief that the world is still alive and kicking because there must be good people.
Best Wishes,
PS"
------
My response:
PS,
Thank you SO MUCH for sending this email. I know that I'm responding to you well after you sent it, but I'm sure you can imagine how many emails I get. I spend a lot of time responding to reader emails and seldom get as much as a "thank you", so it always makes me smile to receive messages like this from people who simply email me to let me know that my efforts are appreciated. Thanks again for reaching out to me.
Marquis
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Balancing family life and the choice of a career path
Hey there, everyone. I hope you're all having a great Sunday and are getting some decent rest in before starting another week of work. As for myself, I'm on my way out to check out the Chicago Ribfest to likely eat waaaaay too much and do some major damage to my swole. I'm going to have to hit the gym pretty hard tomorrow to make up for this afternoon. So far, the month of June has been pretty cold and rainy in Chicago, so it's nice that we have a day in the 70's and folks are outside in droves. It's like someone flipped a switch and told people to come outside to kick it. Maybe I'll start seeing some of the great Chicago summer that makes people rave about it.
The message below came in response to my "Never get too busy making a living that you forget to make a life" entry from a month and a half ago. I received very warm several emails and comments about that entry, but this is one really jumped out at me for reasons that you'll understand shortly. I'd rather let you read his words yourself than to give a long lead-in to his message, so, without further delay, here it goes...
-------
MS wrote:
"Hello Marquis,
I just read your last posting and I wanted to reply to you directly about it. I am very touched by your words because this has been an issue that I myself have struggled with.
As a kid, "my dream" was living in a condo with some of my closest friends. It wasn't really a dream, but more so like a perfect picture in my head. But as I grew up, I realized life wasn't so simple - it seemed like money and fame ruled everything around me, including my friends. Seeing their motivation to succeed, I felt I had to make something out of myself. After being admitted into Berkeley (a huge achievement for me) I set my next goal to be admitted to their business school, Haas. And as I ace'd the courses and took on internships, I learned about the potential exit opportunities with that business degree. Of those exit opportunities, there was one that stood out - investment banking. Initially, I thought it was interesting, but not something that I would want to devote my life to. But truthfully, the money was so appealing.
Ever since the dot com boom my family has been struggling significantly with my father losing our life savings from poor investment decisions. I used to be very upset about it because my mom had also worked so hard to make that money, but I've come to realize that he had the family's best intentions in mind. Nonetheless, I was so undecisive about the career. At times, I didn't want to do anything else, and at other times, I couldn't decide if I was really that driven about the money and the prestige of the job that I would sacrifice so much else. And to be honest, it is still an idea I struggle with.
Struggling between trying to become the best and managing your personal life is hard by itself. But when you have another factor, your parent's financial well-being, it adds a whole different dynamic to the situation.
Sincerely,
MS"
-------
My response:
MS,
Thanks for checking out my blog and reaching out to share your story with me after reading my April 23th entry. When I wrote that entry, I didn't know how people would take it, but, after seeing emails like yours, I'm glad that folks have responded so positively toward it. In particular, your email was so personal that I was truly touched that you trusted me enough to share a family-related story like that with me. My jaw literally dropped after reading it and, as I sit here reading it again, my jaw has dropped yet again. I wanted to respond to you before now, but I've been hella busy in the past month and I wanted to make sure I devoted enough time to provide a suitable response. Please don't think that my delay in responding indicates a lack of interest in your email...that definitely isn't the case.
I'll start by saying that I can totally identify with those "dreams" from your earlier years. When we're young, things seem so simple and it's easy to latch on to hopes of huge things without thinking about the full implications of them. And then, real life has a way of complicating it all as we get older. You shared a lot in your email, but, to me, it seems that the most important part of your story is the relationship with your parents, specifically your father. Trust me when I say that I understand what it's like to manage your own life and career with your family's well-being as another primary area of concern. That's neither a good nor bad thing, but it does bring a different dynamic and can add more pressure to the situation. It's all a part of being in a family, right?
So, how does this dovetail with your career choice? I can understand how your family's financial situation could lead you to chase the big bucks, but please don't let that be the reason that you select a career path. An investment banking position is far from easy and, given the likely workload, I would HIGHLY recommend that you think about whether you're interested enough in it to pursue that path. Money and prestige are nice, but you've got to ask yourself whether you're truly ready for the required lifestyle tradeoff. How about this?...Try thinking about the career path that would make you happiest and then figure out if you can make that work. If that path ends up being I-banking, then you've got a win-win ($$$ to support your family and a job that interests you)...if not, then I'd recommend doing what would make you smile and trusting that God will work everything out for you to look out for your family anyway.
And, regardless of which career path you choose, it might be useful for you to share your feelings about what led to your family's financial struggles with your parents. It'll be a difficult conversation to have, but it's much better than the alternative of keeping it all bottled in and harboring resentment for your father's poor investment decisions. You don't have to do it now, but it might really help to ease your mind to have that discussion and air this all out. Just think about it and let your heart guide you on this one...
Thanks again for sharing your story with me and I hope my words were helpful in some way. The fact that you saw me as someone worthy to give input on something so personal is truly humbling to me. As you said, "trying to become the best and managing your personal life is hard by itself", but, if you try to prioritize what's truly important (in this case, your family), it should be much easier to find the balance that you need. Take care and I hope everything works out for you and your parents.
Marquis
The message below came in response to my "Never get too busy making a living that you forget to make a life" entry from a month and a half ago. I received very warm several emails and comments about that entry, but this is one really jumped out at me for reasons that you'll understand shortly. I'd rather let you read his words yourself than to give a long lead-in to his message, so, without further delay, here it goes...
-------
MS wrote:
"Hello Marquis,
I just read your last posting and I wanted to reply to you directly about it. I am very touched by your words because this has been an issue that I myself have struggled with.
As a kid, "my dream" was living in a condo with some of my closest friends. It wasn't really a dream, but more so like a perfect picture in my head. But as I grew up, I realized life wasn't so simple - it seemed like money and fame ruled everything around me, including my friends. Seeing their motivation to succeed, I felt I had to make something out of myself. After being admitted into Berkeley (a huge achievement for me) I set my next goal to be admitted to their business school, Haas. And as I ace'd the courses and took on internships, I learned about the potential exit opportunities with that business degree. Of those exit opportunities, there was one that stood out - investment banking. Initially, I thought it was interesting, but not something that I would want to devote my life to. But truthfully, the money was so appealing.
Ever since the dot com boom my family has been struggling significantly with my father losing our life savings from poor investment decisions. I used to be very upset about it because my mom had also worked so hard to make that money, but I've come to realize that he had the family's best intentions in mind. Nonetheless, I was so undecisive about the career. At times, I didn't want to do anything else, and at other times, I couldn't decide if I was really that driven about the money and the prestige of the job that I would sacrifice so much else. And to be honest, it is still an idea I struggle with.
Struggling between trying to become the best and managing your personal life is hard by itself. But when you have another factor, your parent's financial well-being, it adds a whole different dynamic to the situation.
Sincerely,
MS"
-------
My response:
MS,
Thanks for checking out my blog and reaching out to share your story with me after reading my April 23th entry. When I wrote that entry, I didn't know how people would take it, but, after seeing emails like yours, I'm glad that folks have responded so positively toward it. In particular, your email was so personal that I was truly touched that you trusted me enough to share a family-related story like that with me. My jaw literally dropped after reading it and, as I sit here reading it again, my jaw has dropped yet again. I wanted to respond to you before now, but I've been hella busy in the past month and I wanted to make sure I devoted enough time to provide a suitable response. Please don't think that my delay in responding indicates a lack of interest in your email...that definitely isn't the case.
I'll start by saying that I can totally identify with those "dreams" from your earlier years. When we're young, things seem so simple and it's easy to latch on to hopes of huge things without thinking about the full implications of them. And then, real life has a way of complicating it all as we get older. You shared a lot in your email, but, to me, it seems that the most important part of your story is the relationship with your parents, specifically your father. Trust me when I say that I understand what it's like to manage your own life and career with your family's well-being as another primary area of concern. That's neither a good nor bad thing, but it does bring a different dynamic and can add more pressure to the situation. It's all a part of being in a family, right?
So, how does this dovetail with your career choice? I can understand how your family's financial situation could lead you to chase the big bucks, but please don't let that be the reason that you select a career path. An investment banking position is far from easy and, given the likely workload, I would HIGHLY recommend that you think about whether you're interested enough in it to pursue that path. Money and prestige are nice, but you've got to ask yourself whether you're truly ready for the required lifestyle tradeoff. How about this?...Try thinking about the career path that would make you happiest and then figure out if you can make that work. If that path ends up being I-banking, then you've got a win-win ($$$ to support your family and a job that interests you)...if not, then I'd recommend doing what would make you smile and trusting that God will work everything out for you to look out for your family anyway.
And, regardless of which career path you choose, it might be useful for you to share your feelings about what led to your family's financial struggles with your parents. It'll be a difficult conversation to have, but it's much better than the alternative of keeping it all bottled in and harboring resentment for your father's poor investment decisions. You don't have to do it now, but it might really help to ease your mind to have that discussion and air this all out. Just think about it and let your heart guide you on this one...
Thanks again for sharing your story with me and I hope my words were helpful in some way. The fact that you saw me as someone worthy to give input on something so personal is truly humbling to me. As you said, "trying to become the best and managing your personal life is hard by itself", but, if you try to prioritize what's truly important (in this case, your family), it should be much easier to find the balance that you need. Take care and I hope everything works out for you and your parents.
Marquis
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