MBA Insider Podcast

Episode #84:Reflecting on The John R.Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition

In this episode, we spoke to Coalition 4 Change, a team from USC Marshall who recently won the Inaugural John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition hosted by Emory University. During this conversation, we spoke about the team’s desire to get involved in the case competition, the process of coming up with their ideas, and their reflections on participating and winning the case competition. They also spoke about their aspirations and hopes for how they and their fellow MBA students can take more active ownership in promoting racial justice, and how they’re doing just that by planning the USC FORWARD Summit.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Today

Episode #83: 2021 MBA Management Consulting Recruiting and Salary Trends

In this episode, Namaan Mian, Director at Management Consulted joins me to talk about trends and insights from MBA Management Consulting Recruiting from Fall of 2020. In addition to covering hiring trends and insights from full-time recruiting, we also spoke about what we thought the future looked like and he shared some of the top insights from the 2021 Management Consulted Salary Survey

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts today

Episode #82: The MBA Admissions Process and What’s Ahead in 2021

Petia Whitmore is a higher education expert and entrepreneur. An MBA herself, she has previously served as Dean of MBA Admissions and Managing Director of the MBA Tour. Petia offers a unique perspective on helping applicants find the right MBA Program and navigate the MBA admissions process. During our conversation, she spoke about her diverse experience working in higher education admissions, some of her thoughts on the 2020-2021 MBA application season, and what she is up to with her most recent venture, My MBA Path.

Listen today on Spotify or Apple

Episode #81: Breaking Down the MBA Hiring Process

Layne Austin is both an MBA Recruiter, and MBA Student at the University of California Davis MBA Program. After starting and growing a career within university recruiting, Layne is building her business acumen through the part-time MBA program at UC Davis. During our conversation, Layne spoke about her experience thus far in business school, how her time in school has helped her as an MBA recruiter. We also broke down the MBA recruiting and hiring process and gave advice on how MBA students can shine and stand out as a candidate.

Listen today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode #80: Navigating The MBA Waitlist

Robert Solby is an MBA Candidate in the Class of 2021 at UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business. Robert’s had an enjoyable and meaningful experience at Haas, but it started with some MBA application adversity. Robert was initially waitlisted, and wasn’t admitted until July before class started. During this interview, Robert spoke about his MBA application journey, being waitlisted and his response, and his advice to MBA applicants who end up on the waitlist. Listen today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode #60: The Differences Between Product Marketing and Product Management

Lillian Zheng is an MBA graduate of Columbia Business School. After spending most of her career in management consulting, Lillian pivoted to a Product Marketing role, and after a few years made another pivot to a Product Management role for a consumer tech company. During this interview, Lillian spoke about her time working in both Product Marketing and Product Management, and shared her advice to MBA students who are evaluating both career tracks. Listen today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode #59: The NYU Stern Technology Association and MBA Careers in Tech in NYC

Jenna Link and Harvey Han (Stern ,’21) are the Co-Presidents of the NYU Stern Tech Association. Both Jenna and Harvey came to Stern to pursue careers in tech, and now lead the association as they help Stern MBA students grow their careers. In this interview, we spoke about why they chose to go to NYU Stern, the opportunities of the Tech Scene in NYC, and how The Stern Tech Association helps its members launch careers in tech. 

Episode #58: Driving Change and Sharing Success Through Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UCLA Anderson School of Management

In this episode, I had the chance to speak with four student leaders at the UCLA Anderson School of Management to talk about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion on campus. With student leaders representing four key student organizations, we spoke about the importance of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in their student community, the role that they and their respective organizations play in furthering EDI efforts, and the initiatives and programs that are in the works for this calendar year. They also spoke about Embracing Diversity Week – register to attend through November 11th. 

Episode #57:Navigating the UT-McCombs MBA Admissions Process

Stephen Sweeney is the Director of Full-Time MBA Recruiting and Admissions at UT-McCombs. During our interview, I spoke to Stephen about his own journey to McCombs, what makes McCombs a unique place, and advice for MBA applicants who are interested in learning more about an MBA at Texas McCombs. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Today. Apply to the UT-McCombs MBA Program

Episode #56: My Journey to USC Marshall and Beyond with Justin Gordon

Justin Gordon is a MBA Graduate of USC Marshall and the Host of the Just Go Grind Podcast. During our interview, Justin spoke about his decision to get an MBA, why he chose USC Marshall, and the unique aspects of his MBA experience. Justin also spoke about his inspiration behind the Just Go Grind Podcast, his own entrepreneurial experiences, and what he’s learned from interviewing hundreds of successful entrepreneurs. Listen today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode #55: The MBA Management Consulting Recruiting Process

Nilay Ajbani is a 2nd Year MBA Student at USC Marshall and the President of the Marshall Consulting and Strategy Club. During Ajbani’s first year as an MBA, he recruited for management consulting, and shared a timeline of his recruiting process and how he managed through the highs and lows. Ajbani also talked about some of the setbacks and challenges, and how using a growth mindset enabled him to thrive and learn through his experience. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

Episode #54: How I Got Here

Eric Eliasason and Lara Mitra are the Hosts of the How I Got Here Podcast, and met as first year MBA students at MIT Sloan, and became friends through classes and conversations about careers. In our conversation, Eric and Lara spoke about their own career journeys, and how their time at Sloan inspired them to start their podcast. We also spoke about what they’ve learned about careers from interviewing numerous guests, and their own mindset on how they view their own careers. (www.howigotherepodcast.com) Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts today

Episode #53: Breaking Down the MBA Application and Navigating MBA Admissions with Lindsay Sage

Lindsay Sage is the Founder of Sage Admit. After spending almost a decade in higher education at various institutions, Lindsay came to the world of MBA Admissions Consulting and helps her clients get into Top-25 MBA programs.  During our interview, Lindsay spoke about some key topics, including standing out amongst a competitive applicant pool, how to position yourself effectively if you are a non-traditional applicant, and how to use self-reflection to uncover your unique strengths. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

Episode #52: Breaking Down MBA Admissions For Veteran MBA Applicants

Emily Sawyer Kegerreis is the Owner of Military MBA Consulting, and specializes in helping Veterans successfully apply and get admitted to top MBA Programs across the world. After working in Marketing roles after getting her MBA, Emily made the jump to the MBA Admissions World, before going off and starting her own consulting firm. During our interview, Emily spoke about her journey, and provided actionable and tactical advice for how military veterans can successfully navigate the MBA Admissions process. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #51: What MBA Students Need to Know About Careers in Product Management

Lewis Lin is the Founder and CEO of Impact Interview and has taught thousands of students and professionals how to successfully land Product Management and Tech Jobs. In our interview, Lewis spoke about his own career in Product Management and shared what MBA students need to know about careers in product management. He also shared advice and guidance on how to navigate the MBA product management internship and full-time recruiting process. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Today

Episode #50: How MBA Students Can Pivot into Product Marketing

Ben Leiner is a Product Marketer and a graduate of UVA Darden. In this interview, Ben provided a detailed look into his journey from politics to product marketing, how he leveraged his past experience in politics to position himself for a product marketing role, and his advice to MBA students and employees who are looking to transition into Product Marketing roles. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode #49: An Introduction to Carolina Women in Business (CWIB)

Becca Wright Jordan (UNC Kenan-Flagler, ‘21) is a 2nd Year MBA Student and Current President of the Carolina Women in Business (CWIB). During our conversation, Becca shared her journey to UNC Kenan-Flagler and the role CWIB played in helping her land at UNC. She also shared CWIB’s priorities for this year, advice for prospective MBA students, and why UNC Kenan-Flagler is a great opportunity for female MBA applicants. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #48: How to Use Storytelling in Your MBA Applications

Donna Bauman is a Senior MBA Admissions Counselor with Stratus Admissions and a former admissions team member at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. In this interview, Donna spoke about the importance of storytelling in your MBA application, and provided some tactical guidance on how to use principles of storytelling to your advantage in your MBA applications. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

 

Episode #47: Effective Job Search Strategies for MBA Students with Austin Belcak

After applying to hundreds of jobs with no response, Austin Belcak decided that there had to be a better way to do a job search. Through trial and error, Belcak perfected the process and landed job offers at some of the most sought after tech companies. Now, through his own company, Cultivated Culture, Belcak and his job search strategies and tactics have helped over thousands of students and employees land jobs of their own. In this interview, Belcak shares his story of the challenges with job hunting, how to perfect networking and the other tactics MBA students can use to land jobs and internships. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Today.

Episode #46: My MBA Journey to Georgetown and The Importance of Culture and Values

Adam Davis is a MBA Student in the Class of 2021 at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. During our conversation, we talked about his career prior to business school, and why he chose an MBA and Georgetown. We also spoke about the values and culture at Georgetown and what makes it a unique place, and what he hopes to spend time on during his second year, and his advice for prospective MBA applicants. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode #45: Applying to MBA Programs in 2020 with Fortuna Admissions Co-Founder Caroline Diarte Edwards

Caroline Diarte Edwards is an MBA Admissions Consultant, and Director and Co-Founder of Fortuna Admissions. During this interview, Caroline spoke about some of the common challenges MBA applicants face in the application process (and how to overcome them) what’s different (and the same) about the 2020 MBA application process, and her advice for navigating MBA admissions season. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #44: What MBA Students Need to Know About Careers in Digital Health

Carolyn Nohejl is a Fuqua MBA Alum who has worked in leadership roles across medical devices and digital health. Carolyn shared her journey to business school, career lessons she’s learned along the way, and specific insights into what MBA students need to know about careers in digital health. Carolyn also spoke about her latest project, healthtech hunches, a website connecting students interested in entering digital health with guidance from experienced professionals. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #43: What it Takes To Get into a Top 10 MBA Program with Lulu Curiel (Ivy Advisors)

Lulu Curiel is the CEO and Founder of Ivy Advisors, an MBA Admissions Consulting firm, and an HBS graduate. Throughout her time as a consultant, she’s worked with hundreds of aspiring MBA applicants looking to get into the top MBA programs. In this interview, Curiel shares her thoughts on what it takes to get into a Top MBA program, common mistakes she sees MBA applicants make, and some of the trends she is seeing in the MBA application season in 2020. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #42: Stand Out And Thrive: Authenticity in B-School

Julia Wuench (Fuqua, ‘17) is a Career Development and Leadership coach on a mission to enhance human connection and fulfillment at work. She is the Founder of The Authenticity Guide. Before her life as a coach, she graduated from Fuqua, worked as a financial analyst and pursued her “dream career” in social impact. In our interview, Wuench shares how she moved on from her “dream career” to becoming a coach, and the importance and value of being your authentic self. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #41: Unpacking the MBA Recruiting and Hiring Landscape with RelishCareers


Sarah Rumbaugh (Darden, ‘15) is the Co-Founder and CEO of Relish Careers, and has a unique perspective in working with both graduate business job seekers as well hiring managers and employers. During our conversation, Sarah shared some of the data and research that she and her team have uncovered from their platform from March-August, as well as the potential shifts in hiring for interns and full-time hiring for this year.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

Episode 40: Leading The Fuqua MBAA During COVID-19, Team Fuqua, and the Power of Culture and Values

After being elected in late February as Co-Presidents of the Fuqua MBAA, Sarah Izzo and Mike Treiser (Fuqua, ‘21) were thrown into leading the student government and student body as the world and MBA programs began to navigate the challenges of COVID-19. I spoke to Sarah and Mike about their experience leading a student organization during this time, the highs and lows of the past few months, and how the strength of the Fuqua culture and values brought the community together during this difficult time. They also shared their advice to current MBA students, about how they could make the most of their MBA experience this year. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #39: Learning How to Learn in Business School

Dr. Britt Andreatta is an author, speaker, and CEO of 7th Mind Inc, and the former Chief Learning Officer at Lynda.com (now LinkedIn Learning). She is also my go-to-expert on all things learning. During this interview, we spoke about the brain science behind learning, tips for learning in business school, and maximizing learning in a virtual environment. Britt also shared insights into how to manage stress and challenges while taking care of yourself in business school. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts today.

Episode #38: An Inside Look at The Reimagined MBA Experience at Mays Business School

Richard Castleberry is the Director, Full-Time MBA and MS Business Programs at Mays Business School, Texas A&M University. In this interview, Richard takes us behind the scenes of what it’s been like over the past few months to prepare Mays graduate students for the fall semester. He talks about the decisions he and his staff have had to make, and their approach to doing what they can to provide a safe and valuable MBA experience for their students. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #37: Laura Huang on Finding Your MBA Edge

Laura Huang is Associate Professor at Harvard Business School who studies interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship and in the workplace. In this conversation, we’re talking about her new book Edge: Turning Adversity into your advantage. During our conversation, Huang shares the research and stories behind Edge along with practical tips MBA students can use to identify their own unique edge to enrich and bring value to others, whether it’s classmates, professors, or employers. She also shares her thinking and approach around various career development topics that are important for all MBA students to understand. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

Episode 36: Building a Post-MBA Career in Product Management

After starting her career in consulting, Jovanna Youssef (Anderson, ‘16) got her MBA at UCLA Anderson and transitioned into a career in Product Management. Throughout her post-MBA career, Jovanna has launched products at leading companies in the tech, retail, and fashion industries. In this interview, Jovanna shares her journey to product management, thoughts on what MBAs need to know about product management, and her advice for MBA students interested in product management. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

Episode 35: How 2nd Year MBA Students Can Make the Most of Their Final Year in Business School

Brad Vonick (UT-McCombs, ‘20) went into March 2020 excited to spend time with his classmates, executing his job search strategy, and  making the most of the second year of business school. COVID-19 hit, altered many of his plans, but despite the challenges, Vonick landed a job, cultivated relationships, and worked to ensure he made the most of his MBA experience. During this interview, Vonick spoke about how he navigated business school during COVID-19, his tips for making the most of challenging moments, advice for building relationships, and his guidance to Second Year Students for how to maximize their time in Business School. Listen today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode #34: Losing an MBA Internship, Finding a New One, And Exploring Your Curiosity to Learn and Grow

After getting her internship offer rescinded due to COVID-19, Austin Carroll (Fuqua, ‘21) was determined to take matters into her own hands. Carroll not only found another summer internship, but took online coding classes, built a mobile app, and worked on writing a book, all while supporting her fellow classmates looking for internships. The trick? Focusing on following her curiosity. In this interview, Carroll shared her story of finding and losing her internship, finding another internship, and how she’s made the most of her MBA experience at Fuqua. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Today.

Episode #33:Leading MBA Student Organizations During Challenging Times at UT-McCombs

Presney Blackman and Alexis Murray UT-McCombs (‘21) took on leadership roles at McCombs right as COVID-19 hit in March. During this interview, we spoke about leading student organizations while navigating COVID-19, as well how they navigated, as students, and as student leaders in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Finally, we also spoke about the response of the McCombs community, leading and taking initiative while maintaining self-care, and the importance of putting in the work as an ally. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Today.

 

Episode #32: Reviewing MBA Internship Season and What to Do Before You Start Your Second Year

As MBA Summer Internships come to a close, Al shares some of his insights and tips for what you should do before you finish your summer internship, and how you can prepare yourself to hit the ground running to make the most of your second year MBA Experience. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

Episode #31: Building Relationships in Business School and Beyond

Julia Silbergeld (Haas, ‘15) cultivated meaningful relationships with her classmates during her time at business school. During this interview, Silbergeld talked about building relationships and community in business school, as well as what it takes to maintain those bonds after school ends. She also talked about two community and relationship building initiatives she has launched, first, Hinge IRL, and her latest, The Quarantine Love Project, a virtual matchmaking and dating service. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

For more check out https://www.quarantineloveproject.com/

Episode #30: Previewing The 2020-2021 MBA Admissions Cycle with Linda Abraham

After a busy and hectic spring and summer of MBA Admissions, Linda Abraham (CEO, Accepted.com) takes some time to step away from advising her clients and joins me to talk about MBA Admissions. During this interview, we talk about what happened with MBA admissions during COVID-19, the implications of the GMAT moving forward, and some of Linda’s predictions for the upcoming MBA Admissions Cycle for 2020-2021. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Episode #29: Haciendo Ruido In These Spaces

 

 


Amy Hernadez Turcios (HBS, ‘20) grew up in a low-income neighborhood and was the first in her family to go to college. Growing up, she didn’t know anyone who worked on Wall Street, went to Wharton, or attended HBS, but despite those odds, found her way to all three of those places. Now an HBS Graduate, Amy is off to her post-MBA career in management consulting as well as kicking off her own venture, Haz Ruido. During this interview, Amy shared her personal story and journey to Wall Street, and HBS, as well as her aspirations and vision for Haz Ruido. Listen on Spotify, or Apple Podcasts Today.

Follow Amy on IG at @hazruidoamy  

Episode #28: Corporate Social Responsibility and What it Means For MBA Students

Nikita Mitchell (Haas, ‘15) has spent her professional career thinking about the role companies and leaders play in creating responsible and equitable companies and communities. In this episode, Mitchell spoke about the intersection of business and society, how companies are doing well (and poorly) with their responses to social issues, and the responsibility that MBA students have in addressing these issues, both at their school and in their future. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Episode #27: How Relationships and Diverse Experiences Enrich Your Time in Business School

Prior to attending Kellogg, Francis McManus (Kellogg, ’16) worked as a middle school teacher, and management consultant, which spawned a curiosity and interest in learning from and with diverse groups of people. Getting his MBA at Kellogg allowed him to build meaningful relationships with his classmates and peers, and shaped his thoughts on his career and worldview. During this episode, I spoke to Francis about how people in his life as well as  MBA experience impacted his thinking and worldview and his thoughts on the role that MBAs play in creating a more diverse and equitable workplace. Listen today on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Episode #26: What Happens After You Graduate Business School?


Business school can be a transformative experience. But what happens after you graduate with your MBA? During this interview, Jessi Gordon (UNC Kenan-Flagler, ‘16)  shares her story about transitioning to life after getting her MBA, and talks about the highs and lows and the most important lessons she’s learned that have helped her grow in her post-MBA life. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Episode #25: Navigating The First-Year MBA Internship Search Process

After spending six years in the non-profit sector, Joey Parker (Haas, ’21) enrolled at UC-Berkeley (Haas) to pursue an MBA and to transition to a new career.  During this episode, Joey talks about his experience with MBA internship recruiting for both management consulting and technology roles, the highs and hows of navigating internship recruiting, and his overall reflections and learnings from his first year MBA internship search. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Episode #24: Moving From Teacher to Product Marketer Through Business School

Before attending business school, Alli Jaeggi (USC Marshall, ‘20) was a teacher looking to transition into a business role. After exploration and reflection, she decided to pursue a career in Product Marketing in the technology industry. In this episode, Jaeggi walks through how she chose product marketing, how she navigated her career search, and the steps she took to move from Teacher to Product Marketer. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Today

 

Episode #23: How my Time at Wharton Taught Me To Embrace Uncertainty and Risk

During her time at Wharton, Ashley Wells (WG, ‘16) took on stretch opportunities, and built confidence that allowed her to thrive in her post-MBA career. In this episode, Wells talks about how her MBA experience at Wharton helped her embrace risk and appreciate uncertainty, and shared her advice on how to remain confident during ambiguous times, and embrace the unexpected twists and turns of careers and life. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts today!

Episode #22: An Introduction to Management Consulting Internship Recruiting For MBA Students


Jasmine Ako (Yale SOM, ‘19) entered business school with a desire to pivot into a career in management consulting. Now a management consultant, Ako took some time to share with us her journey to management consulting, what the first-year management consulting recruiting process is like, and her advice to incoming and soon to be MBA students who are interested in careers in management consulting. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

 

Episode #21: Leadership Lessons From my Time at Harvard Business School


Triston Francis (HBS, ‘19) entered Harvard Business School with the intention of growing and developing as a leader. He got the chance to do this through many avenues, most notably in serving as Co-President of the HBS Student Association. During this interview, Triston shares his journey to HBS, the highs and lows of the MBA experience, and the lessons he learned from serving as Co-President of the HBS Student Association. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

 

Episode #20: Start Right: How to Prepare for the MBA Experience


This week, we had the excitement of hosting a webinar for incoming MBA students “Start Right: How to Prepare For the MBA Experience.” With a great turnout and some amazing panelists, we had a lineup of soon to be 2nd Year MBA students walk us through:

  • The first-year of business school, and the common opportunities and challenges
  • How to navigate the first semester, especially with competing priorities
  • The career and internship recruiting process, and how to navigate it
  • The virtual MBA experience, and best practices and tips for succeeding
  • What to do right now to prepare for Business School

Episode #19: How Black MBA Student Leaders are leading their organization’s response to racial injustice

MBA students and student organizations are responding in a variety of ways against racial injustice and institutionalized violence toward Black communities. During this episode, I spoke with three Black MBA student leaders who shared their experience leading student organizations to navigate these responses. During the podcast, we spoke in detail about how they led their student organization’s response, the importance of action by MBA student leaders, and the challenges and opportunities for growth as a leader through this experience. Listen today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode #18: The Journey From Politics to Product Marketing

After working in politics, Ben Leiner came to Darden to pursue a career in technology. Through his time in business school, he realized he wanted to pursue a career in product marketing, and landed an internship and full-time offer in this field, but not without challenges along the way. In this episode, Ben talks about how he found his interest in product marketing, how his full-time job search went viral on LinkedIn, and his advice on how MBA students can focus on their strengths to find opportunities and navigate challenging job searches.

Show Notes

  • 2:30 – Ben talks about why he chose to go to get an MBA
  • 3:50 – Ben talks about his experience recruiting for Technology industry roles while at Darden
  • 7:40 – Ben shares how he identified the skills and experiences from a career in politics helped him position himself for a career in product marketing
  • 12:10 – Ben shares how he decided on what roles he wanted to target for full-time product marketing opportunities
  • 15:40 – Ben provides one question about how to determine your unique strengths and abilities so you can ace the interview process
  •  17:00 – Ben shares why students can’t truly be good at everything, and why finding your unique strengths are important to landing a post-MBA job
  • 23:05 – Ben shares what happened when his full-time offer fell through, and how he responded
  • 24:55 – Ben shares how he used LinkedIn to fuel his job search
  • 26:30 – Ben talks about what he learned from re-starting his job search after getting his offer rescinded
  • 31:25 – Ben provides 2 pieces of advice for how to navigate adversity in the job search
  • 36:20 – Ben shares some of the challenges of business school, and how to overcome them
  • 37:40 – Al and Ben talk about the insecurities and challenges that MBA students face, and sometimes struggle to admit
  • 43:25 – Ben shares his advice for navigating a job search during challenging times

Other Notes

Episode #17: Making The Most of My MBA Experience at UNC Kenan-Flagler

During his time at business school at UNC Kenan-Flagler, Ben Thayer (Kenan-Flagler, ‘16) made the most of his MBA experience. Whether it was through learning entirely new topics and skillsets in the classroom, transitioning into a career in management consulting, or actively engaging in student activities and leadership positions in various student organizations, Thayer thoughtfully engaged and immersed himself in the MBA experience which has propelled him to a career as a management consultant after graduation. But the journey in business school was not always easy, nor did it come without challenges and setbacks. In this wide ranging interview, Thayer shares a detailed account of his journey while at UNC, some of the challenges and difficulties he encountered as well as the lessons and skills he learned along the way that helped him make the most of his MBA Experience. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Show Notes

  • 2:40 – Ben talks about why he chose to get an MBA
  • 6:00 – Ben talks about the mindset shift, from thinking he was going to be an engineer his entire career, to going to business school to switch into a new career
  • 8:14 – Ben talks about one of the moments early at UNC when he knew he had made the right decision to go to business school
  • 12:00 – Ben talks about the challenges with the first few months of business school
  • 14:00 – Ben talks about some of the challenges of shifting into the academic mindset
  • 18:40 – Ben shares how he was able to manage the trade-offs he had to make in business school
  • 24:25 – Ben shares a story about working with his classmates to navigate a challenging exam
  • 30:52 – Ben talks about what he wish he would have known prior to starting his MBA
  • 35:00 – Al talks about the value of failure in business school
  • 37:12 – Ben shares his recruiting journey during his first year of business school
  • 45:50 – Ben talks about his summer internship, and what he learned
  • 51:40 – Ben provides an overview of his recruiting in his second year, and what he did differently
  • 57:16 – Ben talks about finding a job/company that aligns to your values
  • 58:54 – Ben talks about the career development lessons he learned in business school that he uses today
  • 1:00:02 – Al talks about the importance of being proactive about career development
  • 1:04:30 – Ben gives his advice for making the most of your MBA experience

Episode #16: Life 5 Years After Business School

In this episode, I’m joined by two of my fellow UNC Kenan-Flagler Class of 2015 classmates Blake Koch and Kerry Rigley to talk about life five years after graduating from Business School. Kerry, Blake and I should have been celebrating our 5-year MBA reunion a few weeks ago in Chapel Hill, but like all in-person events that plan was put on hold. Instead, Blake, Kerry and I reflected upon our own journeys after living Chapel Hill and what life is like after you get your diploma. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Episode #15: The Importance of Career Development for MBA Students and Graduates

As an HR Leader at a fast-growing tech company, and author of the career development book Not Your Parents Workplace, Nathan Tanner knows a thing or two about career development. After starting his career in 2008 and having three jobs in one year, Tanner learned the importance of being adaptable and flexible while also embracing each job by making the most of the experience, no matter how challenging or exciting it was. In this episode, Nathan shares his MBA journey, how business school helped him refine his approach to career development, and his advice to MBA students about how to take the career skills you learn in business school and apply them to achieve your own version of success. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Show Notes

    • 7:00 – Nathan shares how he got an idea to write a book while an MBA student, and the inspiration for Not Your Parents Workplace
  • 14:00 – Nathan shares some of the key insights from Not Your Parents Workplace, and some of his career journey to date, including 3 jobs in his first year out of college
  • 16:00 – Nathan shares some of the new rules of work and the important skills in today’s workplace
  • 17:24 – Nathan talks about his first year out of college and joining Lehman Brothers in 2008
  • 22:04 – Nathan talks about the challenges of being unemployed after getting laid off
  • 23:08 – Al talks about the importance of resilience during a job search
  • 25:00 – Nathan talks about what business school taught him about career progression and career development
  • 29:14 – Nathan talks about his first job after business school, the things that were consistent with his thoughts, but also some of the surprises of the first post-MBA job
  • 30:50 – Nathan talks about a challenging experience in his first role, and how he navigated through it to make the most of the experience
  • 37:10 – Al shares some of the challenges professionals have when navigating career development in the workplace
  • 39:15 – Nathan shares what he wish he knew before he started business school
  • 43:50 – Nathan talks about the desire to compare yourself with others, and how he has overcome that
  • 46:10 – Nathan talks about how self-reflection and introspection are valuable aspects of business school, and how they can be applied after you graduate
  • 49:50 – Nathan shares his thoughts on what MBA students should be thinking about as they consider the “Future of Work” and the importance of adaptability and flexibility

Links

Episode #14: How to Make The Most of Your MBA Internship (Part 2)


MBA Internships are right around the corner, but they’ll certainly look and feel a little bit different this year. In this episode, Tony Morash (UNC Kenan-Flagler, ‘16) joins Al to talk about tips, best practices and general advice for MBA Internships. During the second part of this two part Podcast, Al and Tony talk about tips to be successful, how MBA students can prepare, and guidance around communicating and navigating a virtual MBA Internship. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Show Notes

  • 1:07 – Al and Tony talk about various ways to go about building relationships with your colleagues during your summer internship
  • 4:40 – Tony talks about advice on how to shift your thinking on “networking” if it doesn’t feel comfortable to you
  • 5:30 – Tony shares how he built relationships not only with people above his level, but also below, and why those relationships were valuable
  • 8:38 – Tony talks about how to effectively build relationships with key stakeholders or cross functional partners throughout the summer
  • 11:00 – Al shares some insight into Business Chemistry, and how it can help you communicate and build relationships with your colleagues
  • 13:50 – Al talks about why you need to spend time understanding and relating with your cross functional partners or stakeholders during your internship
  • 17:30 – Al shares some tips for the types of people you can spend time building relationships with during your summer internship
  • 21:40 – Tony talks about how he set goals and defined success for himself for his summer internship experience, prior to starting his internship
  • 25:00 – Al talks about some of his goals for his summer internship
  • 29:30 – Al talks about how the internship is just a small part of your overall career, but why it can be so critical to your long-term career development
  • 34:52 – Tony talks about the key things interns should do to focus on securing their offer
  • 38:18 – Al shares his approach for having a conversation up front about your summer internship goals
  • 42:00 – Al talks about how to reframe the internship opportunity if a full-time offer isn’t an option
  • 45:45 – Tony shares the ways in which summer interns can add value immediately

Episode #13: How To Make The Most of Your MBA Internship (Part 1)

MBA Internships are right around the corner, but they’ll certainly look and feel a little bit different this year. In this two part special, Tony Morash (UNC Kenan-Flagler, ‘16) joins Al to talk about tips, best practices and general advice for MBA Internships. During the first part of this two part Podcast, Al and Tony talk about tips to be successful, how MBA students can prepare, and guidance around communicating and navigating a virtual MBA Internship. Find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Show Notes

  • 3:30 – Tony shares some of the things he think he did well during his MBA Summer Internship
  • 6:40 – Al talks about the importance of contributing and adding value, even if you are a brand new summer intern
  • 8:50 – Tony talks about ways in which students can figure out ways to contribute, even as they are learning and getting up to speed in a new role
  • 10:50 – Al talks about a specific example of how he used his past skills and experience to contribute to an important project on his team during his summer internship
  • 14:00 – Al shares why taking the initiative and raising your hand, can lead to new experiences and opportunities
  • 16:00 – Tony talks about some of the common mistakes he sees other MBA Interns make during summer internships
  • 21:00 – Al talks about the importance of hitting the ground running starting on day 1 of their internship
  • 24:23 – Tony talks about what MBA students can do to prepare for their summer internships
  • 29:46 – Al talks about practical and actionable things you can do to prepare for your summer internship
  • 35:40 – Al provides context of the corporate working remote environment right now, and the implications for your summer internship
  • 39:45 – Tony talks about relationship building in the virtual and remote working environment
  • 43:30 – Al talks about the importance of understanding the communication styles of your team, and some examples of how he communicates with his teammates virtually

Episode #12: How to Pursue Your Unique Path to Success in Business School

During his time at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Adam Miller (Darden, ‘20) has done his best to align his interests and goals to the activities and experiences he chose to participate in. In this interview, Miller speaks to why he chose to come to business school, some of his career and recruiting journey, and some of the highlights of his MBA experience, including launching his very own podcast. Miller also talks in depth about some of the honest challenges or difficult aspects of business school, and his advice for how MBA students can stay true to following their own goals, and vision of success. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Shownotes

  • 4:38 – Adam talks about why he wanted to go to business school
  • 7:18 – Adam shares why he chose to go to Darden
  • 11:42 – Adam talks about his approach to pursuing various career paths for his summer internship
  • 13:10 – Adam talks about his experience at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
  • 21:53 – Adam shares how he learned about networking in a prior job, and how it helped him in the recruiting process
  • 28:20 – Adam shares how he helps others when he is reaching out for informational interviews
  • 33:22 – Adam talks about some of the challenges of business school especially in the first semester
  • 36:05 – Al talks about some of the realities of the struggles MBA students face, and why its hard to admit them
  • 40:08 – Adam talks about the challenges of managing “FOMO” in business school
  • 44:53 – Adam shares the value of taking time to reflect
  • 46:42 – Adam talks about the activities he was involved in at Darden
  • 52:48 – Adam talks about his podcast, The MBA Candidate
  • 56:21 – Adam shares his advice for how to focus on your own goals in business school

Links

Episode #11: Building Career Management Skills For Life in Business School

John Huang (Ross, ‘15) has been an MBA graduate for five years as of this April. In this time he’s worked for the largest company in the world, a 10 person startup, and 2 other companies in between. Regardless of his career steps, he’s always found ways to pursue roles that allowed him to use his skills and experiences, as well as to find and position himself for future opportunities for growth. In this podcast, John shares his journey to business school, how his time at Ross helped him build career development skills for life, and how he has used those skills to chart his career after he graduated. Find this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

  • 4:00 John shares why he chose to get an MBA
  • 6:03 – John shares what he recruiter for his summer internship, why he chose that path, and how he ended up pivoting to something else
  • 9:50 – John talks about the career development skills he learned during the internship recruiting process
  • 12:34 – John shares his guidance for how students can identify the right career path when choosing amongst multiple career paths
  • 17:00 – John shares some of the career development skills you build in business school that you rely on after you graduate
  • 20:40 – John talks about his first job out of business school
  • 22:21 John talks about how he went from the largest company in the world, to a 10-person startup
  • 24:50 – John talks about how he was able to make a career switch into a new field without having the title
  • 27:50 – Al provides guidance on how to position yourself in an interview in the hiring process when you are making a career transition
  • 31:30 – Al talks about the importance of knowing your priorities and managing the trade-offs in the job search
  • 34:04 – John shares how MBAs sometimes get “career FOMO” and how to manage it
  • 35:50 – John talks about how to stick to your own goals and interests
  • 38:40 – John talks about how he thinks about his own career journey now that he is 5 years out of business school
  • 41:23 – John shares his job search advice for MBA students

Jeremy Schifeling is a former Kindergarten teacher, an MBA Alum of the University of Michigan (Ross) Product Marketer, and Founder of BreakInto Tech. Throughout his career, Schifeling went from not knowing much about networking to working at LinkedIn, and now runs an online course that teaches job seekers how to successfully navigate a career search using LinkedIn. He is an expert in career development and job searching and in this episode, shared his advice for how MBA students can effectively use LinkedIn in their career and job search.

  • 5:05 – Jeremy shares how he used to avoid networking, and how he overcame it
  • 7:00 – Jeremy defines networking, and why it’s important for MBA students
  • 10:08 – Jeremy shares some of the most important things you need to be utilizing on LinkedIn
  • 14:00 – Jeremy goes through some of the basics of Networking Communications including a warm introduction and cold introduction
  • 18:18 – Jeremy dissects how to connect with a “cold introduction”
  • 22:26 – Jeremy shares what MBA students should be doing on LinkedIn
  • 27:23 – Jeremy provides his advice for using this time for self-discovery and external discovery

Find This Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Show Notes

Episode #6: Navigating Uncertain Times in Business School


In this episode, I have Adam Miller, a 2nd-Year MBA Student at the University of Virginia (Darden). Initially I had set out to talk to Adam about some of the stories he shared in MBA Insider, but given the uncertainty that exists in the world I decided to chat with Adam about how he was doing, what he was experiencing, and his general outlook of navigating business school during these uncertain times.

  • 2:25 – Adam talks about the changes that have happened in the past month to his MBA experience
  • 4:30 – Adam talks about trying to adjust to the new normal
  • 8:30 – Adam shares how he is responding and trying to help other students
  • 9:45 – Al shares how he is managing his own stress and challenging thoughts
  • 10:22 – Al talks about how to improve your resilience in challenging times
  • 12:45 – Al shares why being in an MBA program is a huge asset in a time like this
  • 13:33 – Adam shares a learning from his MBA experience with various business frameworks
  • 17:30 – Adam share some of experiences and thoughts he and his classmates are navigating through
  • 22:20 – Adam shares his tactics for continuing to make the most of his time left at Darden
  • 25:50 – Al shares what he learned from researching what business school was like between 2007-2009
  • 28:30 – Al shares some of the research on why people who graduate during the recession are happier in their jobs
  • 31:40 – Adam shares his advice for focusing on your goals in business school

Show Notes

Episode #5: What a Potential Recession Means for MBA Students

As the world economy moves towards a potential recession, there is a lot of uncertainty and concern in the job and labor market. In this episode I talk through some suggestions on how to manage the stress of a job search during tumultuous times. I share some research I did on how MBA students navigated the job market during previous recessions, and provide some thoughts and advice for how MBA students can use do now to navigate their career and job search during uncertain economic times.

    • 2:15 – Advice for managing stress and concerns as a result of COVID-19
    • 9:45 – The power of resilience in the job search
    • 11:45 – The “3 P’s” of Resilience
    • 16:05 – Tips to Get you moving on your recruiting and career search
    • 18:10 – Potential Alternatives to build skills for MBA Internships or Full-Time roles
    • 22:15 – How to build relationships through networking that can enhance your job search
    • 24:15 – Research on the MBA Class of 2009 after 5-Year Anniversary (Via Bloomberg, 2014)
    • 29:05 – Stories and insights around what the MBA recruiting was like in 2009

Additional Articles

Episode #4: MBA Insider School Profile: My Journey From the U.S.

Navy to Duke University (Fuqua)

It is MBA Admit Decision Season, and I’m profiling students and alum from different schools to give you the inside look on the MBA experience at that school. In this episode, I have Jackie Callahan, a first-year MBA Student at Duke University (Fuqua). In this interview, Callahan shares her story from her journey from the U.S. Navy to Duke, why she chose Fuqua, and her advice for admitted students and Veterans who are prospective MBA students.  

Show Notes

  • 2:10 Jackie tells us what she wanted to be when she was a kid
  • 4:14 – Jackie shares her experience in the U.S. Navy
  • 6:26 – Jackie shares why she chose to go to get her MBA
  • 9:10 – Jackie details why she choose Duke University’s Fuqua MBA Program
  • 13:10 – Jackie shares her thoughts on what Veteran MBA Admitted students should evaluate when deciding on an MBA program
  • 18:47 – Jackie talks about the unique experiences at Fuqua that interested her
  • 21:50 – Jackie talks about what helped her decide that Fuqua was the right program for her
  • 23:25 – Jackie shares more insight into her first semester at Fuqua
  • 27:57 – Jackie shares some of the highlights of her first year at Fuqua
  • 31:17 – Jackie shares what is unique about the culture and people at Fuqua
  • 33:59 – Jackie talks about what MBA Admitted students should evaluate when choosing an MBA program

Episode #3: MBA Insider School Profile: My Journey to Yale SOM

with Jasmine Ako

It is MBA Admit Decision Season, and I’m profiling students and alum from different schools to give you the inside look on the MBA experience at that school. In this episode, I have Jasmine Ako, a graduate from the Yale SOM class of 2019. Ako shares her journey to Yale SOM, why she chose it, and how Yale is helping her in her career.

  • 2:14 Jasmine shares her timeline leading up to her admissions decision
  • 4:22 – Jasmine talks about the important questions she had to answer before selecting a school
  • 9:14 – Jasmine provides the criteria she used to select Yale SOM
  • 19:10 – Jasmine shares some of the unique aspects of Yale SOM
  • 22:53 – Jasmine provides other criteria admitted MBA students should evaluate when making their admissions decision
  • 26:37 – Jasmine gives some advice on how to make the right school decision

For more info on Jasmine, check her the following

 

Episode #2: How MBA Applicants Can Respond to COVID-19

COVID-19 has impacted everything including the MBA Admissions and Application process. Many MBA programs have responded by extending admissions deadlines or creating new opportunities for students to apply for this year and next year. To help make sense of all of this, Linda Abraham, CEO of Accepted.com joins me to talk about the changes to MBA admissions, and how current and future MBA applicants can navigate them.


Show Notes
5:17 – Linda talks about recent trends in MBA Applications prior to COVID-19
6:15 – Linda shares how COVID-19 is impacting MBA schools and the MBA Admissions process
7:26 – Linda shares some examples of some of the changes MBA Admissions schools are making to their admissions policies to encourage applicants to apply this year
9:30 – Linda talks about what happens with MBA applications when a recession comes
10:22- Linda talks about what’s happening today versus other recessions
14:00 – Al digs into his research from MBA graduates who graduated during Great Recession
15:50 – Linda talks about implications of COVID-19 for current MBA applicants
21:42 – Linda provides guidance on how to navigate the waistlist this year
26:52 Linda shares her advice for current and future MBA applicants

For more details:

Episode #1: COVID-19 and Navigating Business School

Welcome to the MBA Insider Podcast! In the inaugural episode, I talk about COVID-19, and the implications for current and future MBA students. In this episode, I’ll share my thoughts on how current MBA students can navigate various aspects of the MBA experience including the online academic experience, internship and career search, and extriccular activities. I’ll also share my ideas on some tactical steps you can take to make the most of your MBA experience given these new constraints

Show Notes

  • 4:04 – Tips for navigating the academic experience
  • 10:30 – Tips for navigating the career search
  • 14:00 – Why using LinkedIn not just for job searching is important
  • 15:20 – What second years need to know about the job search
  • 20:02 – What 1st Years with Internship offers and 2nd years with full-time offers should do now

For more information: