The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

What do MBA applicants need to know about the recruiting process into the energy industry? Darren invites Vince Faherty, London Business School MBA ’10, to share his experience moving up from a Marketing Manager to Director at EnerNOC and then moving to Nest & Google, where he is currently Head of Northeast & Midwest Energy Partnerships. Vince shares what it's like to attend business school during one of the worst recessions in history and MBA career lessons he's distilled since attending LBS 10 years ago. This is Part 8 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Vince's background (3:53) Why Vince, an American, applied to London Business School (12:50) How Vince landed his internship & job (17:04) Vince's tips for networking with alumni (30:08) An overview of the recruiting process (36:36) What do applicants need to know about succeeding in energy (43:58) Vince's recommended resources (49:06) Vince's thoughts on the future of the renewable energy industry (51:32) 10 years later, Vince reflects on the value of his MBA (55:00) About Our Guest Vince Faherty got his MBA from the London Business School in 2010 and is currently Head of Northeast & Midwest Energy Partnerships at Google in Boston. Previously, he worked at EnerNOC for over 7 years, most recently as Director of Utility Solutions & Market Development. Vince got his B.A. in History from Princeton University. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-energy-sustainability  

Your resume is often what MBA admissions officers first see, and frames how they view the rest of your profile. Follow this checklist of CV 'do's and don'ts' to make make a strong first impression and set the stage for a successful application. This is a re-run of Episode #6 Seven Deadly Sins of MBA Resumesand Rotman MBA's Leigh Gauthier's answer to the question we asked in Episode #100 What 1 Action Can Candidates Take to Dramatically Improve Their MBA Application? The "7 deadly sins" 1. Too long 2. Hard on the eyes 3. Emphasizes the wrong thing(s) 4. It's a job resume (not an MBA resume) 5. No evidence of impact 6. Lack of context for employers and accomplishments 7. No evidence of career progression Leigh Gauthier's Advice  “For every resume bullet, ask yourself, 'what have you done and how is the organization better for you having been there?'” Episode summary, MBA resume templates, and more at:  http://touchmba.com/mba-resume-tips-templates

Rob O'Reilly performed stand up comedy for 16 years. Then he decided to get an MBA. We discuss his journey to USC Marshall. Questions Rob's background (3:25) MBA career goals and positioning (8:00) The GMAT and showing "quant skills" (18:13) Shortlisting business schools (23:06) Communicating your interest to business schools (32:30) Interviews (39:55) The future of entertainment content (45:32) Looking forward to USC Marshall (45:50) About Our Guest Rob O'Reilly worked as a standup comic, production assistant, staff writer, video producer, and TV producer - most recently for MTV's Ridiculousness - before applying for an MBA. He has landed appearances on The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing and Live at Gotham. He was named one of LA Weekly’s Top 10 Comedy Acts to Watch and one of TBS's 101 Funniest Comedians. He'll be attending USC Marshall's MBA program this Fall. Rob got his B.A. in Television from Boston University. Episode summary, show notes and more at:  http://touchmba.com/stand-up-comic-mba-student-rob-oreilly-usc-marshall-mba

Alex Tuininga, HBS MBA '18, discusses his transition from a navy intelligence officer to Harvard MBA to BCG management consultant. Alex also shares his thoughts on MBA recruiting and social life as a married, older student. Questions Alex's background (3:48) Alex's advice to military applicants (12:40) Where Alex applied and why he chose HBS (21:00) The HBS experience (24:28) Social life as an older, married student (35:02) The recruiting process (42:20) Summer internships and full-time offers at BCG (48:20) Alex's business lessons from business school (1:04:20) About Our Guest Alex Tuininga worked as an Intelligence Officer in the US Navy for 10 years before attending Harvard Business School. Alex majored in History at UC Berkeley and got a M.A. in International Relations and National Security Studies - Middle East from the Naval Postgraduate School. He'll be consulting for the Boston Consulting Group in Chicago this Fall. Episode summary, show notes and more at:  http://touchmba.com/military-to-mba-to-management-consulting-alex-tuininga-harvard-mba

Guest Host Sabaina Kamara, Michigan Ross MBA '19, invites her friend and classmate Kashay Sanders to share her experience as a first year MBA student at the Ross School of Business. Listen to get a real-time, inside look into the "MBA1" experience at a top b-school like Ross. Questions Kashay's background (3:32) First year internships and student activities (4:59) Reflections on the "MBA1" year and lessons learned (6:58) Multidisciplinary Action Project (MAP) at Ross (10:54) Dealing with imposter syndrome when switching industries/functions (16:16) First year summer plans (17:50) Healthy team dynamics at business school and getting to know classmates  (20:47) MTreks (26:34) Kashay's Vision for Ross as President of the MBA Council (27:59) Kashay's advice to MBA applicants (31:10) About our Guest Host Sabaina Kamara is currently an MBA student at the Ross School of Business. Prior to starting her MBA, Sabaina worked in as an HR Analyst at a management and employment law firm, focusing on HR compliance for diversity and inclusion. Sabaina is interested in pursuing a career as a strategy consultant post MBA. Sabaina will be interning at Deloitte Strategy & Operations in New York City this summer. About Our Guest Kashay Sanders is committed to building healthy workplace cultures to help people, and organizations, operate at their best. Prior to Ross, Kashay worked within the international development, government and nonprofit sectors, leading and designing programs aimed at gender equity, workforce development, neighborhood safety and ending homelessness. Kashay graduated from Dartmouth College in 2011, with a B.A. in Women's & Gender Studies and minors in Anthropology and Japanese. As an MBA student at Ross, Kashay is President of the MBA Council, a +Lab Fellow, and active member of the Human Capital Club. Kashay will be joining Microsoft this summer within the HR Trax Rotational Program in Seattle, WA. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/michigan-ross-mbas-reflect-on-their-first-year-discuss-the-journey-ahead

Prof. Randall S Peterson discusses successful MBA students, leadership development, and building high-performing teams. Topics include key traits for success, adapting personal characteristics for leadership, managing diverse teams, and the dynamics of study groups in an MBA program.

What do you need to know about MBA recruiting for top media and entertainment companies? Darren invites his good friend Mark Zee, UCLA Anderson MBA '14, to share his experience interviewing and working for companies like 20th Century Fox and the Walt Disney Company, where he is currently Director for Pay TV & Digital Sales. Mark also shares his thoughts on building relationships during and after the MBA. This is Part 7 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Common entry points for MBA grads in the entertainment industry (5:21) The entertainment industry is in flux (8:46) How Mark landed his internship with Fox (11:00) The importance of location in industry recruiting (19:08) How Mark landed his post-MBA job with Disney (20:10) Interviews (38:32) Mark's recommended resources (41:42) What do applicants need to know about succeeding in industry (44:21) Mark's reflections on his promotion at Disney (46:43) Mark's thoughts on the future of the entertainment industry (52:16) About Our Guest Mark Zee is Director of Pay TV & Digital Sales at The Walt Disney Studios. He joined the company after graduating from UCLA Anderson in 2014. In his current role, he negotiates distribution deals with digital platforms and MVPDs (e.g. iTunes, Comcast); develops new business opportunities (e.g. Movies Anywhere, VR); and provides strategic insights to senior leadership. Previously, he worked on the International Digital Distribution team. His responsibilities cover Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and ABC Studios. While pursuing his MBA, Zee completed a year-long internship in digital strategy and sales operations at 20th Century Fox International Theatrical. Prior to business school, he worked in investment management in Houston, Texas and starred in over a dozen television series in Asia. Zee received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University.  As a Chinese-American-Brazilian, he enjoys food, sports, and dancing with his hips. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-media-entertainment Episode Sponsor At MPOWER we believe that helping to turn the dreams of future global leaders and innovators into reality is of utmost priority. Therefore we offer international MBA students flexible financing for their education in the US, without requiring co-signers or collateral. What matters most is their future potential. Visit mpowerfinancing.com/borrow-touchmba for more information. MPOWER Financing, DC consumer lending license: ML9261, Public Benefit Corporation

Learn how MBA applicants can showcase quantitative skills beyond GPA and GMAT scores. Admissions directors from top business schools discuss the acceptance of online courses like Coursera. Hear insights from Eddie Asbie, Paola Eicher, and Christina Mou. Strategies include leveraging work experience, recommendations, and online courses to enhance quant skills for successful applications.

Learn how to ace your MBA interviews with a simple 3-part framework inspired by effective public speaking principles. Explore crafting engaging content, transitioning to a collaborative producer mindset, and elevating your speaking with genuine enthusiasm. Get tips on selecting interview content based on personal excitement and relevance, with a focus on defending viewpoints with conviction and engaging the audience effectively.

What do you need to know about MBA recruiting for top Consumer Package Goods (CPG) companies? Darren invites Ana Archbold, Michigan Ross MBA '07, to share her experience working for companies like Kraft Foods, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson, where she is currently a Senior Marketing Director for Neutrogena. Darren and Ana pay special attention to the recruiting process and what applicants can do to maximize their chances of landing internships and jobs. Ana also shares her thoughts on working internationally after getting a top US MBA. This is Part 6 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Ana's background (2:54 ) The importance of internships (5:48) Ana's tips to applicants on how they can get a leg up (9:16) What are top CPG companies looking for in hires? (16:24) The recruiting process (21:15) How important is prior industry experience? (25:20) Interviews (27:08) How interns are evaluated for full-time offers (30:15) Ana's advice to international students applying for US jobs & internships (37:09) How Ana landed a senior marketing role abroad in the UK (43:20) Ana's final advice to applicants (46:55) About Our Guest Ana Archbold got her MBA from Michigan Ross in 2007 and is currently a Senior Global Marketing Manager for Neutrogena, a Johnson & Johnson brand, in New York City. Previously, she worked as a Global Brand Manager, doing Strategy & Innovation for Unilever in London. Ana has over 15 years of experience in the marketing and brand management. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-consumer-package-goods