Tech Interests and West Coast Jobs Spike in New Northwestern Kellogg Employment Report

Last week, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management released its 2018 Employment Report revealing a record number of graduates going into the tech industry (28 percent) and more companies hiring Kellogg talent than ever before. Other highlights include a growing number of graduates headed to the West Coast for jobs (around one-third) and a steady employment rate with 94.6 percent of students receiving a job offer three months post-graduation—a slight increase from 94.1 percent last year.

Kellogg Job Offers and Salaries Remain Stable

Over the last two years, Northwestern Kellogg has witnessed strong and steady base salaries and job offers with little to no change. Although the number of MBA graduates heading into consulting decreased slightly this year (down to 30.1 percent from 32.9 percent), the median salary was $147,000 for both years. The technology industry had similar results though interest increased year-over-year (24.9 percent in 2017 compared to 28.3 percent in 2018). Median base salaries in technology stayed consistent with just a slight increase from $125,000 in 2017 to $130,000 in 2018.

As for graduates seeking employment, in both 2017 and 2018, around 82 percent of MBA students were looking for a job. Of those students, 94.1 percent received an job offer last year compared to 94.6 percent this year.

“We are thrilled to see the continued strong demand for Kellogg talent across a diverse range of industries and geographies,” Kellogg admissions says.

Kellogg Students Head to the West Coast & Work at a Range of Companies

One of the most notable differences this year was the number of MBA graduates heading to the West Coast. Thirty-three percent of students took a job in the West, the highest percentage ever. That change correlated to a decrease in interest in the Midwest down to 26.1 percent from 30.2 percent. However, more students took an international job compared to last year (12.8 percent in 2018 compared to 10.9 percent in 2017).

Another stand out in this year’s employment report was the growing breadth of companies hiring Kellogg talent. Last year, 207 companies were responsible for employing all 500-odd students. This year, 228 companies hired MBA graduates, “illustrating that Kellogg equips its graduates for jobs anywhere,” Kellogg admissions wrote.

As for the top companies hiring graduates, that prestige went to The Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Company, both of which hired 33 grads. Other top employers included Bain & Company (24), Amazon (21), and Deloitte Consulting LLP (12).

This article has been edited and republished with permissions from its original source on Clear Admit.

What Are the 5 Most Common MBA Interview Questions?

To get into an MBA program, you’ll first have to make it through the interview process. Depending on where you apply, you could be asked a range of different questions, many of which are specific to the school. Unfortunately, this can make it difficult to prepare for success, especially if you’re applying to more than one school at a time.

To help you prepare for your MBA interview, we’ve gathered together the five most common MBA interview questions, along with advice for answering each question. But first, we need to figure out what questions you’re most likely to run into.

Determining the Five Most Common Interview Questions

In a recent podcast on Clear Admit, Alex Brown, who wrote Becoming a Clear Admit: The Definitive Guide to MBA Admissions, tackled some of the most common MBA interview questions faced by current applicants. He unpacked interview questions such as, “Walk me through your résumé” as well as “Give us an example of a time you took a leadership role.”

To get a full idea of the most common interview questions, we took a look at the top ten schools as outlined by the U.S. News & World Report to figure out which questions were asked by the most schools. We looked at:

• UC Berkeley Haas
• University of Michigan Ross
• Northwestern Kellogg
• MIT Sloan
• Stanford Graduate
• The Wharton School
• Chicago Booth
• Harvard Business School
• Columbia University
• Dartmouth Tuck

At each of these schools, there were a few common denominators when it came to questions asked. Here’s what we found:

1. Why did you choose this school/program?

Almost every school, except MIT Sloan and Harvard Business School, wants to know why you’re interested in their specific program. After all, admissions teams know that you’re interviewing at more than one school and they want to know that you’ve done your research and chose schools that were a good choice for you personally. They don’t want to necessarily know that you know the history or prestige of their school or program, they want to know how their program aligns with your goals and interests and how it makes practical sense for you.

When answering this question, you want to try and be as specific as possible when it comes to “why” this program. Be sure to know which clubs, classes, centers, professors, case studies, alumni, or events fit into your MBA goals. This is your best opportunity to demonstrate your research and to show the admissions committee doesn’t question why you chose them, and that you’ve taken the time to imagine what it’s like to attend their school.

2. Why are you pursuing an MBA now?

You can go back to school for your MBA at any time, but why are you interested in going back now? That’s what every school wanted to know except for Wharton, HBS, and Columbia. The goal with this question is to figure out how an MBA fits in with your current goals for your career and objectives.

During this question, you want to talk about your future career plans and why your situation in life is leading you to make a move to the MBA now. You’ll want to discuss your motivation for choosing the MBA now and how the MBA will help your long-term interests be accomplished. Make sure your explanation plots out a path where the MBA is vital to reaching your goals.

3. Walk me through your résumé.

All but four schools on our list asked students to walk them through their resume. Often, this is the first question that you may be asked in your interview. The goal of this question is to allow you to give a summary of your experience to date. This gives the interviewer some groundwork that they can build upon for the rest of the interview. So, how you answer this question is vitally important.

This question might appear very simple at first glance, but it can have a lot of little landmines that you’ll want to avoid. A good approach to this question is to think of it as your resume executive summary but in verbal terms. The interviewer is looking for key descriptive terms that define who you are. This is your opportunity to weave in some strengths, passions, and interests.

We suggest coming up with a two- to three-minute verbal version of your resume that focuses on highlights in your career. Make sure you focus on “why” you made certain career choices to better explain your path and then highlight the outcomes of those choices.

4. Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership. What did you learn from it?

This can be a tricky question, but it’s definitely one that you could come across since all but four schools were reported as asking it. The goal here is to demonstrate that you’ve had some experience in a leadership role, even if it’s not traditional. During this question, you can speak about any influence you may have had over your peers—outside of traditional hierarchy—or leadership skills you may have gained during a project.

The key is to prepare three to four anecdotes that you can draw from to highlight such things as your leadership style and skills. In particular, make sure you can talk about key leadership skills such as vision, communication, teamwork, and so forth. And if you can, make sure you can quantify the outcomes of your experience.

5. Are there any questions you’d like to ask the interviewer?

At all but two of the schools—Harvard and Dartmouth Tuck—interviewees were asked to finish out the interview with their own questions. While this might appear to be a simple question at first, it is vital that you get it right. No admissions committee wants you to be a passive candidate, and this is your chance to demonstrate that you are thoughtful, prepared, and interested.

The key here is not to be generic and only ask questions like, “Why do you love X school?” Instead, you want to ask questions that are specific to your goals. For example, you might ask, “What other resources does the school offer for this industry?”

In the end, whether you’ve already been invited to a few interviews or you’re still waiting to hear back, it’s important to get prepared as quickly as possible. By practicing answers to some of these common questions, you can ensure that your interviews go off without a hitch.

UCLA Announces John Wooden Global Fellows for 2018, and More – Los Angeles News

Happy Friday!

Before we close out November, let’s look into some of the biggest news from the Los Angeles business school community from the week that was.

UCLA Anderson Announces 2018 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellows – UCLA Anderson News

The UCLA Anderson School of Management just announced the 2018 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellows, a program which, according to Anderson’s website, honors students who exemplify “leadership ideals and a commitment to improving the lives of others.”

The fellowship was named after Naismith Hall of Fame basketball coach John Wooden. Wooden, perhaps the most successful NCAA basketball coach of all-time, won 10 national championships with the UCLA men’s team from 1964 to 1975, coaching up NBA legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and Bill Walton.

The four fellows, Jessica Barnette, Leah Maddock Loh, Gerry Sims, and Ryan Tan, are all currently pursuing MBA degrees at UCLA Anderson.

Barnette, who also received her master’s of public health at UCLA, is currently Director of Operations at WellStart Health, an organization that offers innovative methods to reduce chronic disease. Leah Maddock Loh also attended UCLA for her master of public health degree, and her current work focuses upon reproductive education with Kaiser Permanente.

Gerry Sims, a U.S. Marine veteran, received an undergraduate degree in management from Purdue University before deciding to join the military. He was deployed in Afghanistan twice, serving as an intelligence officer. Sims recently worked with Google’s small business division where he focused on increasing diversity. He works to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides assistance to families of veterans and the vets themselves as they re-enter civilian life.

Ryan Tan has also integrated his military service into his MBA and his career.  A member of the armed services in Singapore, Tan is pursuing his EMBA at UCLA in conjunction with coursework at the National University of Singapore. He brings the values he learned from his extensive military service to his role as head of mergers and acquisitions at StarHub Ltd., one of Singapore’s largest telecommunications companies.

You can learn more about the John Wooden Global Leadership Fellows here, which will also featured a moderated discussion with celebrated Anderson alum and YouTube figurehead Susan Wojcicki.

LMU LA Hosts talk on Investment in Research Science – Loyola Marymount University LA News

Entrepreneur Jim Demetriades (LMU LA ’85), the founder of Kairos Ventures, returned to Loyola Marymount Los Angeles, discussing the importance of private funding for scientific research. Sponsored by the Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship, Demetriades’ talk was entitled “How Science Will Change the World in the Next Five Years.”

In the aftermath of several recent events, such as natural disasters and the cuts in research funding by the U.S., Demetriades believes that privatization of such funding is the wave of the future. With a background that combines computer science, mathematics, and economics, Demetriades formed his own software company which led to the formation of Kairos.

His goal is to “turn scientific breakthroughs into successful businesses.” Among his recent projects is raising $50 million for research at Caltech. He foresees innovative developments in various industries, such as wireless devices that can charge from up to 20 feet away, and artificial insect pheromones meant to increase crop efficiency.

You can learn more about the school’s investment in research here.

Banking on Success: A Look at Careers in the Banking Industry with CommerceWest CEO Ivo Tjan ’99 – Mihaylo College of Business

Ivo Tjan, (Mihaylo ’99) recently shared his insight with current Mihaylo College of Business MBAs into why the banking industry is an increasingly worthwhile as a career venture.

Tjan, who became a CEO at the incredibly young age of 27, had just received his undergrad degree when he earned the job.  With a niche at CommerceWest that provides commercial services for companies with revenues between $5 million and $100 million, Tjan is a leader in providing services to small to medium sized companies.

“There are not many people going into banking because it is unsexy.” Tjan says. “But the unsexy part is the entry into the opportunities you will have. There is a huge vacuum for young people to take new roles and responsibilities that will create good value for them … [with a banking career] you get to meet many entrepreneurs and business owners who are starting off, on their way to becoming multi-million dollar successes.”

The talk focused also upon the importance of mentorship at Cal State Fullerton. “When I wanted to apply the real-world fundamentals to [my mentor’s] teachings, they were always open to discussing and talking about it, which helped me accelerate my understanding,” he says.

You can read more about Tjan’s recent discussion at his alma mater here.

The Southeast Region’s Best Accelerated MBAs

Though some future b-school students may be challenged to fit in a full course load within a busy work and home schedule, it remains one of the best ways to ensure the widest range of opportunities, not to mention the highest salary prospects. Many students want to find a program that grants an MBA on the quickest schedule possible, without sacrificing the quality of the degree or work/life balance.

Here is a profile of some of the best accelerated MBAs with a focus in the southeastern region of the U.S.

Continue reading…

Upcoming December MBA Application Deadlines

As winter approaches and December comes into clear view, let’s review all the major upcoming MBA application deadlines for December and January. Get those applications in ASAP so you have more time to enjoy the holidays with friends and family as you await your acceptance letter in 2019. Best of luck, and Happy New Year in advance! Continue reading…

Research Awards, Hackathons, Leadership, and More – New York City News

Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have emerged from New York business schools this week.

Four Executives Share the Essence of Leadership – Rutgers Business Blog

Citrin Cooperman partner Michael Napolitano moderated a discussion at this year’s Rutgers Business School CEO Evolution event between the following four executives:

• CEO and Angel Investor Braun Kiess
• MZM Construction and Management Owner and CEO Marjorie Perry
• Villa Restaurant Group President Biagio Scotto
• Yesterday’s Business Computers Cwner and CEO Tom Tsivgas

CEO Evolution is an annual platform for leaders to “inspire others in the business community.” This year’s guest speakers offered insights into their “challenges, mistakes, ambitions, individual strategies, and leadership styles.

Kiess talked about “what the next wave of college graduates will be looking for in their careers.”

“They don’t want to be just a cog in the wheel. They expect more from an employer than just a paycheck.”

You can read more from Rutgers Business News here.

Eyes on the Prize: Business, A.I. Skills Help Stevens Team’s Eye Health Entry Win Hackathon – Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business Blog

Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business’ Niraj Chaurasia, Medhavi Uniyal, and Vidya Sagar Polaki took home first prize at a one-day iCIMS hackathon last month, as well as prizes in Best Hack for Good and Best Use of A.I./Machine Learning, for a model that accurately “taught itself whether it was looking at a healthy or sick eye 90 percent of the time.”

The team used machine-learning techniques to build a “data set of healthy eyes, as well as eyes with various health problems, such as cataracts and glaucoma.”

Polaki explains that he hopes the team’s model might significantly reduce ophthalmology expenses and assist eye doctors in identifying eye problems.

“It costs, on average, $180 for an eye checkup in the U.S. So this would be a major cost savings. And when you visit the doctor, you have the data in hand, so you can be confident, have the right questions to ask and understand what remedy is available.”

You can learn more about the event here.

Economics Professor Receives Bright Ideas Research Award – Stillman School of Business News

Seton Hall University Stillman School of Business Professor of Economics Kurt Rotthoff received the Bright Ideas Award, which acknowledges faculty members “whose research significantly advances knowledge in their discipline area and delivers relevant findings to business practitioners.”

Rotthoff’s Journal of Sports Economics publication Structural Breaks in the Game: The Case of Major League Baseball, “analyzed nearly 150 years’ worth of Major League Baseball data [to] identify two significant eras: the free-swinging era, initiated by Babe Ruth, and the recent steroid era, marked by the increase of consistency in offensive power plays.”

Rotthoff explains:

“The research was exciting because it’s a method of measuring the performance of baseball players over time. Using batting statistics and some time-series statistical techniques, we determined certain points in the history of the sport that changed the entire game.”

You can learn more about Rotthoff’s research and award here.

7 Best Schools that Specialize in Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management delves into business at the big-picture level. It puts all the operations together to ensure that everything functions smoothly. It’s the ideal position for individuals who are interested in managing people, organizing moving parts, and analyzing global trends.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, supply chain management and operations is a fast-growing career field. The employment rate is expected to increase by 7 percent by 2026. It’s also an industry with high salary potential with additional earning opportunities due to commissions and bonuses.

Earning an MBA in supply chain management opens up a host of opportunities to work as an inventory control manager, purchasing manager, vendor managed inventory coordinator, warehouse operations manager, and more. And almost every company needs quality employees in the field, which means you could find yourself working in retail, healthcare, technology, and more.

If that sounds of interest to you, the key is finding the right MBA program for success. Below, we’ve outlined our top seven picks for MBA programs in supply management. Continue reading…

New MBA Jobs at Five Tech Giants

As the line between business and information technology industries continues to blur, more and more professionals are looking to business schools and MBA programs to get them into the tech industry. Here’s a rundown of some New MBA jobs at five different tech giants: Continue reading…

Oxford Saïd MBA Employment Rises Alongside Tech Industry Interest and New School Research

There’s no doubt that the tech industry and the MBA are becoming cozier. From fintech to well-known tech firms, MBAs are chasing after jobs at tech companies and vice versa. And this shift has definitely been felt and reflected at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School.

Over the last several weeks, the school has been talking up the importance of tech. It starts with the release of the latest Oxford MBA employment report, revealing that the employment rate had risen to 91 percent. It continues with the revelation that more MBAs are heading into the tech industry than ever before. From there, Saïd released a new research report, “Understanding Chief Digital Officers” to find out about this new position and how people can succeed in this new tech role. 

As we said, it’s been a few busy weeks. So, we’ll take you on a brief deep-dive of the latest Oxford Saïd MBA tech news

Oxford MBAs Exhibit Mobility, Capability, and Interest in Tech

Although the UK is still facing a challenging economic environment, Oxford Saïd MBAs are overcoming. This year, the employment rate rose to 91 percent, and the average salary increased to £71,550, both of which are reliable indicators that Oxford MBAs are well set for their future careers. As Stuart Jagot, the Director of Career Development says, “Results demonstrate the international mobility and capability of the Oxford MBA.”

Jagot calls it a “tech revolution” with a significant number of MBA graduates launching successful tech careers. And much of that success is due to the school’s relationship with the industry.

For example, MBA student Daniel Peach worked in consulting before he took a year out to study at Oxford Saïd. From there, he built upon his tech credentials and analytical roles until he eventually landed an internship with Google. “Oxford Saïd’s relationship with Google was extremely helpful,” says Daniel. “The careers team also gave me some great preparation for the interview—particularly on behavioral aspects.” And he’s not the only success story.

MBA student Marla Woodward made the successful transition from product manager to a tech sector internship at Cisco. And William Ou made the transition to the fast-evolving world of fintech, thanks to his MBA at Oxford Saïd.

“When I arrived in Oxford there was so much going on with blockchain technology which, honestly, I had never heard of. In one of the many company presentations at the School, I met the people from Blockchain.info, the world’s most popular bitcoin wallet, where I eventually did my Summer Internship and got into the cryptocurrency/blockchain world.”

The new Digital Marketing Pathway for tech-minded students has been an enormous help. The pathway provides access to General Assembly online curriculum, which helps students develop the tech skills they need for their future careers. There’s also the Oxford Saïd Careers Academy, which helps MBA students with career development planning, guidance, practical exercises, and 1-1 coaching in their career of choice. Together, these programs have helped Oxford Saïd students become successful in tech careers. (Learn more.)

Oxford Saïd Goes Inside the Role of Chief Digital Officer

For the aforementioned “Understanding Chief Digital Officers” paper, the business school interviewed 41 Chief Digital Officers (CDOs) in 13 countries to understand who they are, what they do, and how they can be successful. Researchers found that the role was full of “challenging contradictions” with a severe lack of clarity around the role and a wide range of tensions.

Lead author Gillian Brooks says:

“The CDO role has typically been created by large, established companies who can feel under threat from digital disruption in their markets as well as being excited by the opportunities that new technologies can offer. But there is no consensus on the ideal background or qualifications for a CDO, where the role should sit in the organizational structure, or even what a CDO does.”

The authors explain that CDOs are forced to do their job and define it at the same time with other C-suite executives having no understanding of what a CDO does. This makes the CDO role highly dependent on the goodwill and support of the CEO because if they’re not on board with their position, then nothing gets done. At the same time, while a CDO’s role is transformative, it’s also transient, since many times they can end up making themselves redundant.

Author Michael Smets, Associate Professor in Management and Organization, says:

“We discovered that, whatever their background, the most successful CDOs were those who are comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. They embrace complexity and paradox by finding ways to make seemingly incongruent, contradictory elements of their roles fit together.” 

The combination of Oxford Saïd’s MBA curriculum, which supports tech, and the School’s tech-centric research and career development have made the tech industry attractive for Saïd MBAs. And it doesn’t look like that interest will wane anytime soon.

You can learn more on the school’s website and check out the full report here.

NYU Stern Director of Admissions Answers 5 Questions

In our latest installment of the MetroMBA “5 Questions” series, we speak with Lauren Calio, Director of MBA Admissions at NYU Stern. She was kind enough to respond to our questions and share insight into what it’s like to attend Stern for an MBA.

1. How would you describe the culture of NYU Stern? Is it more collaborative or competitive?

“The culture at NYU Stern is absolutely collaborative. So much so that “Collaborative Community” is one of our four core values.  We believe that collective efforts lead to greater success both inside and beyond the classroom.  As an example, we often hear stories of students helping their classmates prepare to interview for roles that they themselves are also interviewing for. If they are not hired for a role, they want another Sternie to get that position. Another one of our core values is ‘IQ + EQ.’  Because we seek exceptional individuals with not only intellectual strengths but also high emotional intelligence, a collaborative spirit and desire to drive change together is ingrained in our student body, faculty, and administrators.”

2. What type of student is the best fit for NYU Stern’s MBA program?

“Students come to Stern with a passion for the School and experience from a wide range of industries and functions, and they aspire to land in a variety of post-MBA roles. Some are career switchers, others are not. Regardless of their experience or career goals, applicants should be able to highlight and quantify their accomplishments and clearly explain to the Admissions Committee their career goals and how they plan to achieve them. Beyond work experience and goals, a common thread among our students is their high emotional intelligence or EQ, and engagement in our collaborative community. We also pride ourselves on being a school where everyone can be themselves. Our students’ interests outside of the classroom are also vast, as evidenced by our 30+ student clubs serving professional, affinity, sports, and special interest areas.”

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3. If there was just one piece of advice you could give to an MBA applicant considering NYU Stern, what would it be?

“Connect with the Stern community. Get to know our community and our culture by speaking to current students, alumni, and the admissions team; attend a class visit; explore campus by coming for a tour and information session. This will help you picture yourself at Stern. If you are not able to make it to New York, you can connect with our current students virtually. They can share their experiences and provide an honest perspective on how their time at Stern has helped them grow both personally and professionally.”

“If you are not able to make it to New York, you can connect with our current students virtually. They can share their experiences and provide an honest perspective on how their time at Stern has helped them grow both personally and professionally.”

4. How accessible are NYU Stern professors? Do they frequently serve as mentors?

“Stern professors are very accessible. We have over 300 faculty members across industries, which means that students can connect with faculty in the areas they are passionate about. Faculty members are available to students and are often involved with projects and experiential learning opportunities, what we call Stern Solutions, working alongside students. Our faculty include top researchers, four Nobel laureates, and senior business leaders, some of whom are working in industry by day. My advice to students is to take advantage of this accessibility to build relationships while you are at Stern that will extend beyond your time here. Make your professors a part of your network.”

5. Where can you get the best NYC pizza near campus and where’s the best coffee shop for studying?

“These questions come up frequently in our office, and every person has a different answer. Being in the heart of NYC, we are surrounded by an abundance of pizza places and coffee shops. One of my favorite places to sit and get a pie is Numero 28.  Their pizzas come in different sizes (up to 29”!), and you can mix and match toppings. Kopi Kopi is a cute coffee shop on West 3rd Street, right near campus.”

Telecommuting and the Gig Economy, and More – New York City News

Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have emerged from New York business schools this week.

The Changing Workplace – Lehigh College of Business and Economics News

The Lehigh College of Business and Economics recently published an overview of the impact that telecommuting continues to have on the future of work—and the surging gig economy.

“With email, instant messaging, smartphones, Skype for Business, Webex, and other connecting technologies, more and more companies are allowing their employees to work from home—even if home is a thousand miles from the corporate headquarters.”

Case in point: Vermont Department of Economic Development’s recent announcement that it would give $10,000 cash to anyone who wanted to move to the Green Mountain State and work remotely.

Ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft, as well as platforms like Upwork, which connect organizations and freelancers, depend on the flexible schedules of side-hustlers and entrepreneurs alike.

Lehigh Associate Professor of Management Naomi Rothman writes, “Being able to work from home for periods of time to care for children could enable more women to stay in the workforce and advance. If we have these issues of women not being able to make it to the upper echelons of corporate America, part of that reason is they are having work/life-balance issues.”

She adds, “Flexibility is one of the most important and critical solutions in helping dual-career families. In families in which you have two professions with both parents working, issues of child care become a fundamental problem. Flexibility is one thing that parents say allows them to keep their careers on track.”

Lehigh Professor of Management Andrew Ward predicts that the larger economy will more closely resemble the structure of the motion picture industry.

“When a movie is [green lit] by a studio, they bring together hundreds, even thousands, of workers—from the director and stars to the gaffers and the gofers—to make the movie. Once the film is done, they all move on to other projects. Some continue to work together on various projects, sometimes at the same studio, but many do not.”

You can read the full Lehigh College of Business and Economics News article here.

Consulting Challenge Win Leads to Hubble Contacts Concept Trial – Gabelli Connect

The Fordham University Gabelli School of Business recently published an overview of a recent student collaboration with Hubble Contacts’ co-CEO and co-founder Jesse Horwitz and Director of Internal Operations Barbara Almeida, MBA ’17.

Hubble Contacts, a “direct-to-consumer online marketplace for contact lens subscriptions,” is interested in finding new ways to reach consumers and increase revenue.

Joanne Ball, MBA ’20, and her team of students (Andrew Clark, Oliver Flynn, Sandeep Jacob, and Jessica Nebbeling) devised a campus pop-up shop that “would offer free eye exams and a student discount … to allow them to create a physical presence for their online DTC brand and also engage their target at a younger age segment.”

You can read the full piece from Gabelli Connect here.

Binghamton University Unveils New Master of Science in Data Analytics Program – Binghamton SOM Blog

Binghamton SOM announced a new 1-year, 30-credit Master of Science in Data Analytics (MSDA), the result of a cross-disciplinary partnership with Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences.

The MSDA, which qualifies as a STEM degree, will give students a “comprehensive foundation in data analytics, while also giving them confidence in the analytical, quantitative, technical and leadership skills needed for successful careers in data analysis.”

MSDA Program Director and Binghamton SOM Professor of Marketing Manoj Agarwal writes, “With three schools behind the curriculum of the program, we believe a multidisciplinary approach will produce successful, multidisciplinary graduates who can face the unstructured data challenges of the future.”

The first MSDA cohort is due to kick off July 2019.

Click here to find out more about the Binghamton 30-credit Master of Science in Data Analytics program.

Top 10 Schools that Specialize in Healthcare Management

Healthcare Management MBAs are becoming a popular track for students who want to enter a growing industry that’s ripe with innovation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical and health care managers, also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators, are responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating medical and health services. They manage entire medical facilities, departments at nonprofits, and medical practices for physicians.

BLS reports that employment of health care management personnel is projected to grow 20 percent from 2016 to 2026, which is much faster than the average for nearly all other industries. This is partially because the Baby Boomer working class is aging into retirement, thus increasing more demand for healthcare services. The average pay for health care management professionals is an estimated $98,350 per year ($47.29 per hour).

While some health care managers have a bachelor’s degree, master’s degrees also are common in the field. If you’re a prospective MBA hoping to enter the health care field following graduation, are you aware of all the specialized healthcare management majors, courses and programs offered at business school across the nation? Many of the country’s top business schools have put together special options for students looking to get an in-depth look at one of the largest and fastest growing sectors in the US economy. Let’s take a look at the best of the best. Continue reading…

Georgetown Employment Report Reveals Record-Setting Job Offers, Salaries

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business set records this year for both salaries and job offers according to its Class of 2018 Employment Report, released earlier this month. An impressive 98 percent of students received job offers within three months of graduation, and average full-time salary rose to an all-time high of $116,946.

MBA Graduates Get More Money and More Job Offers

Compared to last year, average starting salary increased by 4 percent. The average signing bonus for the latest graduating class was $31,036, up 9 percent year over year.

The record-setting 98 percent of students who received job offers within three months of graduation represented a 5 percent jump over the prior year. Ninety-four percent of 2018 graduates had accepted an offer within three months, up 2 percent from last year.

“Through a personalized approach to the job search, opportunities for career treks throughout the United States and around the world, and a global alumni network of 190,000 graduates, the MBA Career Center ensures students are placed in the positions that inspired them to attend business school,” Doreen Amorosa, Associate Dean of McDonough Career Services, said in a press release.

MBAs Choose Consulting, Financial Services, and Technology

For the second year in a row, consulting, financial services, and technology were the top three industries for MBA graduates. However, the breakdown within these three industries saw some shifts.

Last year, financial services was the top industry of choice, drawing an even third–33 percent–of students. Consulting was second, drawing 28 percent of grads, and technology was a distant third, at 13 percent. The most recent graduating class headed off to these three leading industries in more equal numbers. Consulting, for its part, drew 25.5 percent of students, followed by financial services at 21.7 percent, and tech at 17.5. In both years, nonprofit/social impact came in fourth, attracting 8 percent of the Class of 2018 and 7 percent of the Class of 2017.

MBA Internships Remain Steady

As for this year’s class of MBA student internships, the results remained similar to previous years with only slight increases. This year, 100 percent of students secured an internship, and 86 percent of those positions were paid an average of $7,043 per month. This was an uptick over last year, when interns averaged $6,501 per month. Also, 78 percent of all internship positions were facilitated by the MBA Career Center, a ten percent increase from 2016. Student interns gravitated toward the finance/accounting (34 percent), consulting (28 percent), and marketing & sales (17 percent) industries.

This article has been edited and republished with permissions from its original source, Clear Admit.

Finance Fraud Won’t Stop, and More – New York News

Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have emerged from New York business schools this week.

Don’t Let Artificial Intelligence Take Your Job – Rutgers Business News

The Rutgers Business School is slated to host a symposium this week entitled “Lifelong Learning in the Digital Era,” which will host LinkedIn, edX, Google, and McKinsey experts, among others, to “offer solutions to companies and individuals on how they can refresh their knowledge and skills and not become irrelevant in the new digital economy.”

Rutgers Dean Lei Lei says, “The pace of change in technology requires both management and the workforce to keep their skills current. Otherwise, they will lose out to competitors that have increased their efficiency and stimulated product innovation,” she said.

Rutgers Assistant Professor of Professional Practice and Symposium Organizer Leon Fraser adds, “Recent college graduates as well as seasoned executives must refresh their skills regularly or risk becoming irrelevant and disposable.

You can read more about the recent symposium here.

It Pays to Cook the Books–Even When You Get Caught – Columbia Business School News

According to new research from Columbia Business School’s Shiva Rajgopal and Dan Amiram, along with researcher Serene Huang, the risk of detection for cooked books is only about 25 percent, which means that “more than half of perpetrators—most often the CEOs and CFOs of major companies—could find it beneficial to commit financial reporting misconduct.”

Rajgopal writes, “Unless regulators improve their processes, research shows that financial reporting misconduct will continue to be an attractive option.”

Their study, “Does Financial Reporting Misconduct Pay Off Even When Discovered?,” finds that “stock market losses are an effective deterrent: analysis shows that the average cost of getting caught amounts to $26.7 million, with the notable hits coming via stockholding and forgone earnings, suggesting that the stock market and the labor market are generally effective at punishing perpetrators.”

You can read the complete study here and the full article from Columbia Business School News here.

Young Professionals Earn Binghamton University MBA While Pursuing Full-Time Careers in NYC – Binghamton SOM Blog

The Binghamton University School of Management blog recently highlighted its one-year Professional MBA (PMBA), which enables students to earn MBAs while simultaneously pursuing careers via Saturdays-only classes.

“The PMBA program is designed specifically for New York City-based young professionals who are looking for a step up without temporarily stepping out of their relatively new careers.”

Trevor Smith (MBA ’17) and current district sales manager for Mazda of Boston writes, “It’s so much more than being able to look at data and know what’s going on—we learned how to deliver an effective message and story based on the data.”

“I feel much more comfortable communicating with top decision-makers than before, and it prepared me to better manage both my personal and professional life.”

Laurice LuSane (MBA ’15) and Weill Cornell Medicine Fellowship Coordinator adds, “What I was learning made me feel ready for something new. I was ready for new challenges at work. I was given more opportunities to speak out, to plan, to manage and to show I was capable.”

You can visit the program page here and check out the entire Binghamton SOM Blog entry here.

5 Questions with the SMU Cox Assistant Dean of Graduate Admissions

In our latest installment of the MetroMBA “5 Questions” series, we speak with John Roeder, Assistant Dean of Graduate Admissions at SMU’s Cox School of Business. He talks with us about inside details of the MBA program, pre-admissions tips, and the school’s beautiful campus.

Can you tell me something about the SMU MBA that I cannot learn unless I actually take part in the program?

“SMU Cox fosters a highly collaborative learning environment and connections to a network of 42,000-plus alumni around the world. From day one, SMU Cox MBA students join this community—a highly connected, active, and engaged group of students, alumni, and corporate partners that extend across the Dallas business community and beyond.”

What are you most excited about when it comes to the future of SMU Cox?

“The future of SMU Cox is bright and exciting. The Cox School is refreshing the curriculum, and infusing new elective courses into the MBA program to reflect the evolving needs of businesses today. Plus, we’re located in the heart of Dallas, a city on the rise! In fact, Forbes ranked Dallas the #1 best big city for jobs two years in a row.”

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Real Humans of the SMU Cox School of Business

What parts of the MBA program should more students know about before starting their graduate school career?

“Each year, applicants impress us with the high level of research they do on their own. Here are a few things we encourage students consider when searching for the right program fit.

1. Research the curriculum: Is it flexible, customizable? SMU Cox offers four different paths to the MBA. Whether you pursue the degree as a full-time student or a part-time student, you have the flexibility to customize the coursework and choose electives to meet your needs.
2. Explore experiential learning opportunities: There are incredible opportunities to gain technical knowledge and hands-on experience both inside and outside the classroom. At SMU Cox, all our MBAs have an opportunity to gain international business perspective through our Global Programs.
3. Identify companies or industries where you have an interest in working: Research your target business school’s alumni presence and recruiting relationships with those companies. At SMU Cox, we have over 100 corporate partners and hiring companies actively engaged with our students.”

What do you think is the most important part of the pre-admissions process?

“A few things can really help a candidate stand out during the application process. At SMU Cox, we look for students who have demonstrated a drive for impact, both personally, and professionally. So, when building your application, take the time to sharpen your resume, and highlight quantifiable achievements. Leverage the essays to showcase your personality and motivations for pursuing the MBA. And finally, let us get to know you! Whether you join us at an information session, a coffee-chat, or simply set-up time to meet one-on-one with a member of our Admissions team, we’d like to get to know you personally.”

What is your favorite part of the SMU campus?

“One of the best aspects of our beautiful, tree-lined campus is its proximity to downtown Dallas. Our campus is located just miles from corporate headquarters, a flourishing art and museum district, a world-class sports arena that houses our local NBA and NHL teams, acres of outdoor parks and trails, and sits walking distance from both locally-owned and nationally acclaimed restaurants.”

The Professional Grounds Management Society has previously awarded SMU the prestigious Grand Award for its picturesque campus / Photo via smu.edu

Click here for more information on admissions at the SMU Cox School of Business.

New MBA Jobs: NBC Universal, LinkedIn, Time Warner, and More

There’s always exciting new MBA jobs out there for students finishing up their programs, as well for recent graduates looking to leverage their new degree for a management position at a great company. Check out some of this week’s hottest new MBA jobs below:

Continue reading…

Stanford GSB Tops Remodeled Bloomberg Businessweek Ranking

The Stanford Graduate School of Business is no stranger to a top spot, but this is their first time claiming top honors on the Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-School list for U.S. programs.

Continue reading…

USC Marshall Women are ‘Stronger Together,’ and More – Los Angeles News

Happy Friday! Let’s dig into some of the biggest stories coming out of Los Angeles this morning.

USC Marshall’s’ ATHENA Conference Honors Women Entrepreneurs – USC Marshall News

USC Marshall  School of Business’ second annual ATHENA conference, focusing upon women entrepreneurs, kicked off at USC’s Town & Gown with more than 500 guests to celebrate the theme “Stronger Together”.

With such guests as USC’s Interim President Dr. Wanda Austin, GOOP Founder and popular actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and Dr. Sumun Pendakur, Chief Learning Officer of the USC Equity Institutes, the event took place over a day and also featured a pitch competition and panel sessions.

Dr. Austin said, “I want to thank all of you for celebrating women leaders and their entrepreneurial journeys, which as I’m sure you have heard today, are not easy journeys, but they are tremendously rewarding… It’s an uplifting experience to hear from so many smart, talented, bright, innovative, inspiring women, and all of you should count yourselves in that group.”

Willow Bay, USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism dean, presented Paltrow with an award to honor her accomplishments as an entrepreneur, noting of GOOP, “A newsletter that she hit the ‘send’ button on in 2008 now reaches a reported 8 million people. And it’s really the starter fuel for what has become a significant global lifestyle brand.”

The Female Founders Pitch Competition, open to USC students, faculty, staff or alumni less than five years from graduation, awarded a prize of $10,000 to winner  Thea Knobel. Knobel beat out 44 other entrants for her pitch, ‘Cool Cube’.

You can read more about the USC Summit event here.

Chapman University’s Argyros School’s MBA Mentor Participants Celebrate 10th Anniversary – Chapman Argyros News

Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business‘ 10th Annual MBA Mentor Program kicked off at the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business with a welcome reception that honored 2018’s participants.

The program features 30 graduate students who will be mentored by 34 executives from such organizations as Johnson & Johnson, Disney, Taco Bell, and Experian. Stacey Moynahan, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Career Services and Joel Pearson, Assistant Director, Argyros School Career Services are responsible for recruiting mentors and making appropriate matches with students.

Pearson and Moynahan interview participants at the end of each year to make improvements upon the program and to discuss the strengths and challenges involved in each of the mentor and student relationships. October’s welcome reception served as a foundation for students as they embark upon their career journeys with their mentors’ guidance.

You can lear more about the Argyros MBA Mentor Program here.

CSU Fullerton’s Mihaylo College Sales Leadership Center Welcomes New Director – Mihaylo News

The CSUF Mihaylo College Sales Leadership Center, which seeks to assist students in their pursuit of careers in sales leadership roles, recently welcomed Brad Anderson as the center’s new director.

Anderson hopes to develop new initiatives at the Center, including a new minor in sales, as well as expanding its reach with further connections with leaders in sales positions.

A look inside the Cal State Fullerton Sales Leadership Center / Photo via business.fullerton.edu

Discussing his own aptitude for selling, Anderson described how his career evolved when he realized his passion for cultivating relationships.

“I discovered that I had a proficiency for sales and relationships [and interacting with people],” he says. “My first offer came from Carnation Company to sell quality products to local grocers. I developed relationships with store managers and solved problems for them while earning a good living. I also had a flexible schedule and work/life balance.”

He proceeded to spend the majority of his 30 year career with Nestlé Purina Pet Care Company.

The CSLC has proven to be a hub of career development for Mihaylo students, through its sales competitions and events that connect students with numerous opportunities for their careers. “The sponsoring companies see our students shine as they present the scenarios in realistic settings with presentations to buyers. The students compete for scholarships and bragging rights, along with trophies, which are great résumé builders,” Anderson says.

You can read more about the Leadership Center here.