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
Finding a way to be yourself in a professional environment
Back in September, I did a talk for a group of students at a university where one of my long-time friends is an administrator. The email below is from one of the students who attended the talk and references a comment that I made about my friend during my remarks. Her...
Financial services professional looking to lateral into management consulting
In this entry, I've tackled a question from a pre-MBA investment banker who wants to transition over to management consulting (preferrably into McKinsey, Bain, or BCG). Based on her undergrad school and her current employer, she likely has several avenues to get...
A little professional/business communication advice for a college student
This blog entry is a little different than most in that it started based on an email exchange that was pulled from a longer back-and-forth exchange between myself and a college Freshman that I met earlier this year at a speaking engagement. By way of background, I'd...
Military soldier considering earning a pre-MBA Masters prior to applying to business school
This topic of this blog entry is one that hits home for me because it involves something that I've experienced: the need to make up for a sub-par undergrad GPA when applying to business school. In this case, the reader is a member of the U.S. military who aspires to...
Soon-to-be distance MBA student looking to break into consulting
The message below came to me from a UK-based reader who has 11 years of experience as a Software Engineer. Also, he will soon be starting a distance-learning MBA program at one of the top business schools in Europe and aspires to move into management consulting after...
Questions from an IT professional about transitioning to the business career track
Happy holidays, everyone! I hope that you're all enjoying the holiday season with your loved ones. The email below comes from a person who is currently working in IT and wants to move into consulting. In addition to the traditional method of getting an MBA and then...
Question from a college student about lifestyle as a Management Consultant
The email below is from a reader who is wondering about something that concerns most folks who consider careers in management consulting: the lifestyle. Specifically, he is wondering about how the life of a consultant might impact a young family and, in turn, whether...
Perspectives on networking relationships for a college Freshman
Earlier this Fall, I delivered a speech to a group of college students and covered a range of topics. The email below is from one of the students in that audience. One of the major themes from my talk was the importance of relationships when building your career. This...
Question from a reader deciding whether to attend a lower-tier part-time MBA program
The email below is from a Chicago-based engineer who is looking at local MBA programs that he can attend on a part-time basis. His company offers tuition reimbursement as long ad he continues to work there, which is why he's looking exclusively at part-time programs....
Aspiring consultant seeking advice on how to make his profile attractive to McKinsey & Company
The email below came to me from an India-based professional who, like many folks who write to me, is interested in getting a job at McKinsey & Company. In this case, the writer has applied to McK before and was rejected without receiving an interview. He wrote to me...