Prior to attending business school, Jasmine Au Howard (Scheller, ‘20) worked in marketing for six years before deciding to get an MBA. With the help of the Forte Foundation MBALaunch Program, Howard applied to MBA programs, got accepted to four programs and ultimately selected the Georgia Tech Scheller MBA Program. In this interview, Howard shares why she chose the Scheller MBA Program, some of the lessons she learned during the transition to business school, and her advice for MBA students who are trying to make their own MBA admissions decisions.
MBASchooled: What did you do prior to business school, and why did you choose to come to business school?
I started the MBA program with six years of marketing experience in the health care, higher education, and media and entertainment industries in agency and corporate settings. Immediately prior to business school, I was an Account Manager at treetree Agency, the “Agency for Special Projects” in Columbus, Ohio. I supported our two largest clients, OhioHealth and Nationwide, to execute large scale live events and multichannel marketing campaigns.
It’s a huge decision and financial risk to step away from work for two years. However, I felt my career trajectory and salary were stagnating in a saturated job function, and I was ready to take the leap. I chose Scheller College because I wanted to elevate myself from tactics to strategy and pivot into technology-enabled marketing activities. I wanted to fully immerse myself in an MBA program, and I felt like I would get the most out of a full-time experience rather than a part-time or online program.
MBASchooled: After you decided to attend business school, what was your timeline like leading up to business school? What did you do leading up to coming to school, and when did you arrive on campus?
While I always knew I was interested in returning to school at some point, the timing was finally right to begin the admissions process in 2017. At that point, I knew I wanted to pivot in both my career function and my location, and an MBA would give me the best shot at successfully making both transitions. My spring and summer in 2017 were focused on the GMAT and completing the Forte Foundation MBALaunch On Demand program. Following my July GMAT date, I began contacting each of my target programs– either connecting with recruiters, current students, or alumni to ensure that I was fully prepared for Round 1 admissions.
I opted for Round 1 at all my target schools for two key reasons. First, I was excited about the prospect of business school and eager to start my next career phase as soon as possible. Second, given my work schedule, I needed the flexibility of requesting interviews from my out-of-state target schools on dates that suited me rather than waiting to be invited later.
I was accepted to all four of the schools I applied to: Emory (Goizueta), Vanderbilt (Owen), Ohio State (Fisher), and Georgia Tech (Scheller). Scheller had always been at the top of my list due to its exceptional career outcomes, forward-thinking curriculum, and location in Atlanta, so I was pleased to commit there and share the news with my family at Thanksgiving that year.
Given all my time spent on admissions, I then decided to fill that energy void with a brief coding workshop and online statistics course to prepare myself for analytics coursework. By February 2018, I was already feeling the “senioritis” at work and put in my notice. My husband and I had many obligations closer to Atlanta for the spring and summer of 2018 and he could transfer offices, so we made the move early. Three weeks after my last day at work in Ohio, I started a new position– at Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business! The marketing department needed contractor support over the summer, and I had time to kill. It was a wonderful, albeit unique, introduction to my new school and graduate assistantship position on campus. By the time MBA orientation started in August 2018, I had already learned my way around and met many faculty and staff members.
MBASchooled: The first semester of business school can be an exciting but challenging time. How did you navigate these challenges early on, and what resources, programs, etc at Georgia Tech were helpful in your transition?
The first semester is certainly a beast! Like many business schools, we have a condensed core at Scheller, so we take most of the foundational MBA classes in the fall. Even though I was a business major in undergrad, getting back to the basics of finance and operations was difficult for me. Luckily, our MBA program leadership creates core teams through a very intentional process, optimizing for a variety of academic and professional backgrounds as well as other elements of diversity. I leaned on my core team members to help me with assignments I struggled with, and I then helped them with my specialties in return.
In addition to the challenging academics, getting acclimated as a student again was challenging. At Scheller, we have a Peer Mentorship program, so I was assigned a second-year student to be my “buddy” throughout the first semester. It was reassuring to have someone immediately in my corner to ask things as serious as, “Should I feel this overwhelmed?” or as silly as, “How do I use the printer?”
Finally, a crucial part of my adjustment to business school was Scheller’s Jones MBA Career Center. Starting in May prior to starting school, I began corresponding with my career advisor about my background and goals. From meeting my advisor in person in the summer to having the whole career team onsite at NBMBAA in September and preparing for on-campus recruiting in November, the career services team helps all Scheller MBAs gain immediate traction in the first semester.
MBASchooled: What has been a high and low of your first year?
My highs and lows are tied to internship recruitment, as it was a long, emotional journey. My low was floundering in an early interview with Verizon at the National Black MBA Association career fair. I was thrilled to land an interview for product management ahead of the conference, but it was immediately clear that I was under prepared and unclear of some of the typical role terminology. In retrospect, as uncomfortable as it was, it was the perfect kick to be more disciplined for future interviews.
Alternatively, the high was landing my internship at Mailchimp! I was very attracted to the company’s mission, values, and product, so I made them my top target for recruitment throughout the year. After months of networking and preparing, I interviewed and secured a position in Product Marketing in February. I am thrilled to be going back full-time after graduation.
MBASchooled: Coming into Georgia Tech, did you know what you wanted to recruit for? How did your recruiting timeline look like?
Like most MBAs, my recruitment interests ebbed and flowed throughout the year. My personal belief is that it’s helpful to be focused, but not restrictive. While I was certain I wanted to stay in Atlanta and interested in marketing, analytics, and product management, I tried to be open to different industries and company types.I knew I definitely wasn’t interested in travel consulting, so that helpfully eliminated some options!
In the fall semester, I participated in some early recruiting opportunities with Delta Air Lines and attended National Black. Most of my energy, however, was spent evaluating Atlanta companies to be thoroughly prepared for networking and interviewing on-campus and off. My interviews began the first day back on campus in the spring and concluded in late February.
MBASchooled: What were some of the important lessons or skills that you learned during your first year?
The three items that the first year emphasized most were:
- Time management is critical – You’ll have a lot more free time compared to traditional employment, but fewer work/life boundaries. Be anticipatory with needs for team meetings or other school obligations, but also schedule time for yourself for wellness.
- Communicate your expectations (in life and in business school!) – With your MBA team members, friends, and family alike, elaborate on what you expect of them with detail, and invite them to share their expectations of you. Team charters can feel awkward to write, but they can prevent frustration later.
- Asking for help is a sign of strength – Don’t suffer in silence while you’re getting adjusted to school or struggling with recruiting. MBA programs are full of curious problem solvers who can help you! If you’re lucky enough to enter a community- and collaboration-focused program like Scheller, then you’ll never face a challenge alone.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for how prospective MBA students should prepare for going to business school?
I’m a big proponent of the power of introspection throughout the MBA process. Especially in this time of isolation and quarantine, take time to identify your own priorities and goals. It’s easy to get caught up in the noisy message boards or slick websites or flashy rankings, but this experience should be shaped by YOUR wants and needs. Think two or three steps ahead in your life and then work backwards to determine the best school and recruitment track for you.
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