A major component of this site is a weblog that has had several lives, from its start as a featured MBA applicant/student blog on a separate site to its own presence on the Blogger system and now to its own domain as my personal website.
As you read through the entries, you'll see me go through three distinct phases in my life:
- Pre-MBA experience: Experiences that one typically goes through before matriculating at business school
- Life as an MBA student: Highs and lows of my time as a student at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in much more detail than most would expect to see
- Post-MBA life...and serving as a career/education/life coach to the masses: Responses to questions emailed to me by readers, where I use what I have learned through my own missteps and experiences to help others achieve their goals and avoid making the same misstepsÂ
Questions from a prospective Management Consultant and MBA applicant who is serving in the military
The message below recently came in from a prospective management consultant who is currently serving in the military. In addition to wanting to become a consultant, he wants to eventually earn an MBA, which begs the question of which path he should pursue first...and...
Going full circle: From long-time friendship to subject of a high school class project
In the words of the immortal Randy Watson, I believe that children are the future...we need to teach them well and let them lead the way :-). And, this topic is the point of this blog entry. First, a little background... Over 20 years ago, during my Freshman year at...
New college graduate considering MBA and MPP/MPA programs
The email below came to me from a young man that I met four years ago during his Freshman year when I delivered a keynote speech to a group of undergrad business students at his university. Over the years, I stayed in touch with him and answered any question that he...
Questions from a Masters student at London School of Economics interested in McKinsey
The email below was sent to me a long time ago (sadly, in 2012) by a reader who was a grad student at the London School of Economics at the time. Over the years, my inbox has become loaded with messages and, as my career advanced and I had less free time, I have had...
Early-career BioPharma professional looking to move into management consulting
The email below was sent by a young lady who works in BioPharma and wants to transition over to management consulting. She doesn't have any business background, so she wondering if there is a way to make the change despite that. Check out my advice for her below....
College student seeking advice on positioning for internship recruiting a year early
The email exchange below happened at the end of 2014 and I just realized that I'd forgotten to create a blog post for it. Better late than never, right? Anyways, the sender is a college student with whom I connected back in Fall 2013 when I had a speaking engagement...
Aspiring MBA wondering whether an MBA is useful for entrepreneurs
The email below was written by my friend Deepak, who I've known for several years since connecting online during the "MBA student" era of this blog. In his email, he asked for my opinon about an article that he'd read about whether the MBA degree is useful for people...
Aspiring MBA from Auto industry seeking advice on transitioning into management consulting
People who have followed my blog for a while know that it can take me a while to respond to emails and, at times, I can fall really far behind in reading my emails. Unfortunately, the email below is one of those cases, as the kid first contacted me in late 2012....
Quick thoughts on go-to consulting case interview prep books
Every now and then, I receive an email that is so short that I can knock it out in a few minutes. The email below is one of those types of messages. This reader simply wants my opinion of which case interview prep books are the best to use. My knowledge on that is...
Applicant for job at McKinsey with questions about free-form application questions
I periodically receive emails from people who are applying for jobs at McKinsey & Company and, in those messages, I'm asked to provide an "inside track" on how to get an offer from The Firm. As an alumnus of McKinsey, I can see why folks would see me as a source for...