Inside the London MBA

Gelato Mio Grand Opening

Last week was the grand opening of Gelato Mio, the first outlet of this new chain of gelato stores. What's so special about that? Well that is a London Business School MBA2009 and his wife MIFFT2008 who are starting that business! You have probably read on that blog that the 1st year of the MBA (especially the autumn term) is quite busy and that the fulltime master in finance programme is too. That is entirely true, so that shows you how determined these 2 students (namely Carlo and Simone) are! On the video you see the outcome and how successful the opening was, but what is not shown is how much time has been spent on studying the market, defining the project, financing it, finding a strategic location, bidding and negociating for a lease, registering to the local authorities, finding a chef, arranging the supply chain, advertising,... All that knowing that before September, neither Carlo nor Simone lived in London!
And now you're saying "Enough, enough, you're gonna make me cry. This is just another ice cream shop, it's never gonna work in London". Well that would be a big mistake. It's not icecream, it's gelati (Carlo explains the difference very well on the video) and it tastes damn good.
On the day it was open gelato bar from 2-5 PM, so needless to say I took the opportunity to try a few flavours (out of the 20+ available). And they are damn good, hard to say which one is best. I would shortlist pistacchio and hazzelnut though. When you go there, you have to try at least one of these.
For those of you who are going to the Notting Hill Carnaval (the day before school starts!) get off the tube at Holland Park, take a right and walk for 2 minutes, you're there! And don't forget to ask for a loyalty card, you will need one!

The summer internship

It's been almost a month of summer break already and my life is so different now. I'm already a third through my internship with Booz & Company. They are the management consulting firm that separated their operations from the U.S. Government consulting business, Booz Allen Hamilton, earlier this year. There's a lot of buzz around the change and they say there's a different kind of energy now that they are an independent, more nimble firm. Either way, I'm learning loads.

The first week was a worldwide Summer Associate Orientation spent in the US. 7 from LBS (and strangely, 6 from Stream B) made it out for several days of training, networking with such a diverse & smart group of people, and relaxing in the warm NY sun. Since I've started working at the London office, it's been non-stop. Coincidently, my team is made up of two other LBS alums who have been great at coaching me through the work. It's amazing how much of an "expert" I've become in an financial services industry I barely noticed before. More importantly, I'm picking up and practicing the consulting methodologies needed to convey my message and sell an idea. The next steps after crack-a-case training.

Speaking of crack-a-case... despite the break, there is still activity going on with all the campus clubs. I'm signed up to get training to become a case giver for the Consulting Club next fall. Student Association has been quite good at making sure all the clubs are submitting their activity and budget planning for the year. We've got a lot planned the Responsible Business Club - let's see how much we can get done!

Moving On...

When girlfriends have dumped me in the past, I did all that I could really do... I moved on. So, as the milk round has ended for finance, I have now moved on. I was fortunate enough to get a job, so I am excited, but the experience was a humbling one altogether. I was told by one bank that I was too competitive, and yet not competitive enough by another bank. I like that this is an industry where the yin and yang between competition and collegiality is held at such a zen-like balance. As when girls dumped me in the past, I was also told that they didn't find me attractive enough, or they really didn't like that I was flirting with other banks. Recruiting is like dating, and an offer is like their way of saying, "I love you (for a limited time of 10 weeks)."

But this blog is about advice for 2010 and beyond and not necessarily my catharsis, so my advice boils down to this... Take the milk round in stride. Stay confident when rejected. Everyone will get a job. And the best way to get over rejection is to find a better looking bank and make the other banks jealous. Because in the end, revenge feels good too.

As the world turns... we wait by the lines.

Getting a call from "private no." has become the highlight, the climax, of the day. Watching classmates, friends briskly excuse themselves from the classroom is the excitement of the day. "Private no." is the HR manager calling to invite one to the next level in the interview process. Banks have been handing out their offers, the golden tickets to a long and prosperous career. Consulting girms have been a bit more dramatic; the added element of the wait. But thankfully it gives time to prep and decompress... sort of.

I have to agree with Scuba Don's tips  - what I've gained the last several weeks, which I hadn't expected, were friendships solidified by us supporting each other on CV & cover letter reviewing, case cracking, and morale boosting. I may not have had the invitation or offer by so-and-so firm, but at least my friends did. Awesome.

'Crack-a-Case'

The Consulting Club continues to deliver one-on-one 'crack-a-case' training sessions, getting students ready for consulting interviews on campus. We have delivered over 700 sessions during the first four weeks of the 10-week term. The sessions, delivered to first-year students by second-year MBA students, demonstrate the commitment of our student community, career services and the Club, to help others achieve their dream jobs. Last Friday, five of us, who last year prepared to achieve a full-time offer in top consulting firms, hosted a second workshop on how to structure a case interview. This is an example of the Club's efforts and the eagerness of fellow students to help out. I am really proud of our training initiatives and hope we can continue to make a difference.

No. 2

Hi all,

In the midst of milkround we were surprised by the new FT ranking. London Business School climbed 3 spots and is now number 2 worldwide, just behind Wharton. That means that at least on paper our school is now ranked ahead of Stanford, Harvard and Columbia.

While everyone can think of the ratings what they want – the international mix of students and faculty at London Business School is unrivalled. Additionally you can – within a 25 minute subway ride – meet with alumni at all big investment banks and consulting companies. This alumni network is extremely strong and supportive. Together these factors create a powerful and efficient platform for every student - it's up to us to use this platform. 

Don

Weekends - spent happy or frustrated

Hi all,

These past two weekends must have been among the toughest for those students interested in finance / consulting. Friday a week ago the first shortlists came out – and quite a few hopeful students found themselves without an invitation to interviews. During the past week classes were constantly short of people – interview preparation and interviews themselves took priority. Throughout the week more shortlists came in – and the first round interviews took place. The resulting atmosphere was an interesting study in psychology – people showed all signs of frustration and panic. People who had not used the previous months to network or had not prepared during the Christmas break suddenly realized that 3 vault guides, 2 brainteaser books and the daily FT and WSJ are just too much to read. Additionally the choice of the banks – and some consulting companies – sometimes seemed rather random: strong candidates only received 1-2 invitations for interview, while others who had not been shining previously received 5-6 invitations. However, in striking difference to last year, the markets had a strong effect on the number of interview invitations extended. Finally – you get to know your friends well. As well as those people who suddenly exhibit a strong interest in – only themselves. You learn who really helps out in a give- and take- fashion and who only takes. Oh yes, my personal favourite: the people who walk around telling recruiters of their great achievements in a certain field when it is quite obvious to fellow students from the same field that they did nothing of the kind. Careful – what goes around, comes around.

So, some tips:

-          Start preparing early!

-          Try to get a head start, either by attending a trek or by getting your application in early. You will interview before everyone else (ok, you need to have your act together earlier) which gives you (in case you are successful) a strong psychological advantage: while the rest scramble for interviews, you already have an offer on the table (if things go well).

-          Have friends who apply for the same as you – helps balance the workload. Don’t see each other as competition, help each other out. Chances are you will need someone else’s help somewhere down the line.

-          Have friends who apply for something totally different. Helps get the pressure out.

-          DON’T PANIC! The most important advice.

-          Don’t question why xyz got more interviews or was forwarded to second round when you were not. Those thoughts do not help. Focus on yourself.

-          There are no easy interviews. Talk of “this guy is easier in interviews than that guy” are absolute non-sense. People who talk like that forget that each interview has its own dynamic and it is up to the interviewee to steer the interview.

This week continues with second round interviews and – offers!

Regards,

Scuba-Don

Focus

I haven't written much despite all the activity since I've been back, I know. Part of my new year's resolution was to become extremely focused on my internship search. I came back to the milkround reviewing CVs and cover letters, over and over, between friends and classmates, with current consultants, with career advisors, etc etc.

Although they say that networking is not as important for consulting firms as for banks, I've found that it is the only real way to understand the differences in the work and cultures of each company. Plus, I've managed secure some speakers and leads for the Responsible Careers Conference.

Ah yes, that is coming along quite well too. We have several panelists confirmed, the keynote speaker (woo hoo!) secured, and my team getting all fired up. I remember feeling so nervous about it last September, when I got the position of Conference Chair, and now I can see it all coming together. Great feeling.

True that my social life has changed. It hasn't gotten "worse" though, as one might imagine. I've been working late nights at school with a good support group - all with the same intensity of drive and focus. Many dinners from Ali Baba and the Light of India.  Lots of laughs and great friendships brewing in the these study rooms. It's two months of this, I tell myself, and hopefully I'll be reaping the rewards soon enough. A trip to Portugal is booked for March, and spring break comes right after.

Speaking of spring break, the Kenya Trip has been disbanded due to the unstable situation there. The Africa Club promises they will still host a trip there once things settle down. It was disappointing that our plans to visit Kenya fell through, but really the largest disappointment for me is that the political situation has escalated to where it is now. I wonder to myself, what is it that we should be doing about it from here? What can we do about it once we're important business people in big companies and governments in the future? Just something to think about, as we refocus our attention to another holiday destination...

Applications

Hi all,

Quick word on applications: you need TIME!!! I had done the process once before for the Hong Kong applications but again it took ages. The banks all have differently working application systems and want to know an astonishing amount of information! Be ready to provide high school grades!

Term has started again and we are on the way learning about entrepreneurial opportunities, organisational behaviour, marketing, risk analysis and, of course, finance. So this term is less number-heavy and more fluffy – but we have the interviews to prepare for. Anyhow – for the finance and consulting applicants it will all be over after February, one way or another. It remains to be seen how much the current economic developments, read recession, in the US will affect the summer internship hiring.

All the best to all of you,

Wherever you are,

Scuba-D

Hong Kong Finance Career Trek - Day 5

The resounding topic today was – tiredness. The week was taking its toll (of course it had nothing to do with Lang Kwai Fong).

We happily met at noon in front of Macquarie Bank and were updated on the strategies of this Australian bank which can call Asia its “home turf”. After the investment banking introduction a trader explained the usage of adaptive algorithms, specific for Asian markets, and how Macquarie tries to generate profit from it.

After a nice lunch we went to the event of Deutsche Bank which was great as they concentrated on networking. This reduced the pressure and gave everyone a chance to talk to the people they wanted to talk to. Funny story – again making my point about the observation regarding the US schools we met. The following conversation took place between a guy from Tepper and an employee at Deutsche Bank:

Student: I have a background in Software Engineering. Do you think I can be a success in markets? [argl! You must convince him, not ask him!!!]

DB: Well, sure, we have a lot of diversity. What are you interested in?

Student: Derivatives, options. DB: What do you know about options?

Student: Well, I have not taken the course yet. [!!!!!!!]

DB: Well, I recommend you take the course….

My point: Be prepared and be smart. Convince them that they must hire you!

The day ended, again, in Lang Kwai Fong, this time at my favourite Lebanese take away at 3 am in the morning …. A great trip! I continued to Shanghai where I spent Christmas and New Year – and met up again with Mike and Irfan from the trip. This signifies one of the greatest advantages of London Business School: All BSchools claim to be very international. London Business School is. It does not get more international than for a Chinese/American, a Kenya/Canadian and a German/English guy to study in London, do a career trek to Hong Kong and meet again in Shanghai.

Milkround Madness!!

This will be possibly the shortest blog I will ever send.....time is money at this particular point in my MBA career - literally!

The "Milkround" is the recruiting season that we are all now heavily involved with. The scene:

1. One MBA student (without a finance/business background)
2. 100s of companies to potentially apply to with presentations every day and deadlines to meet
3. 4+ core course and 2 electives this term (one at UCL on exchange)
4. 24h in the day

If you think the maths don't really add up, you would ordinarily be correct. But this is business school, somehow there does seem to be 25h in the day if you look really hard and are super-duper organised!

My top tips for the milkround:

1. Start early (November is preferable)
2. Rest well on Christmas break
3. Have a good idea of what you want to do (being a financi-consultanti-industry type employee does not really work!)
4. Have CVs and cover letters prepared for each choice
5. Do your research
6. Keep smiling - there IS light at the end of the tunnel!

Now off to meet the deadlines for the Capital Group/Amgen and Wellington Management!

More to follow I hope.....

Hong Kong Finance Career Trek - Day 4

We started off at Temasek this morning who, the only company except Toyota with a AAA rating) can look back at an CAGR of 18% per year. The 120 investment professionals look for opportunities mainly in Asia but increasingly world-wide. When making an investment Temasek does not only go for the ride but instead takes an active interests and tries to leverage its existing contacts and client base. Especially in the light of the recent acquisitions of Temasek this meeting was very timely and interesting.

Afterwards we headed to Credit Suisse where we met again the people we had met already on Campus for the CS Asia meeting. Kurt Ersoy, a director of Equity Derivatives highlighted the mix of cultures, the mobility and the diversity at CS. A bank whose offerings spans wealth management, investment banking, all kinds of derivatives and fixed income trading as well as real estate financing has a lot of exciting career opportunities to offer. Again – the Asian growth opportunities were emphasized. Splitting into groups we had smaller sessions with employees from the equities and fixed income side as well as investment banking.

This time we had to rush as the next event was JP Morgan. We convened and listened to an MD in investment banking who told us of the key differentiators of the company as well as recent success stories. The successful interaction of financial input, control, partnership and people is very important at JP Morgan.

I had to rush off as I had a private meeting afterwards. In the evening we again met at the Red Bar and had invited all alumni currently in Hong Kong. This event then moved to Lang Kwai Fong into an interesting bar and continued …

Hong Kong Finance Career Trek - Day 3

After a leisurely morning we met at noon to attend the event at Morgan Stanley. After a video (Thiri, an 06 alumn, is getting famous in the video!) the employees explained the possible career options. Especially the market of equity derivatives is exploding, due to tycoons using leverage and hedge funds modelling volatility expectations. Regarding China they mentioned that the developments, in a historical context, were just a reversion to the mean.

We had a free slot afterwards to enjoy some very delicious dim sum before we reconvened for Lehman Brothers. John Dere, an MD in Equities, used an overview of the history of Lehman in FI and securities as well as his own career development to help us understand the options in the growing Asian markets. Other attendees from ECM, FI and IM further encouraged us to seek out the chances in Asia.

By now we were all rather tired so this evening was rather uneventful and (at least I) went to bed really early.

Milk round

Hi all,

For those of you looking for a mobile phone and wireless portable broadband – I have had excellent experiences with 3. Although there seem to have been problems in the past, right now their network is excellent and I have had very good coverage wherever I go. Additionally the team around store manager Paul in the Baker Street shop is very friendly and accommodating. Oh – and the deals are very good as well! Definitely worthwhile to check it out!

Milk round: All the big companies come to campus for 45 minutes presentation and 45 minutes networking. Make no mistake: If you had not met some of the company representatives you stood a slim chance of making an impression. The greatest chances had those who could walk up to someone of the company and greet them again. All in all I was happy about the Hong Kong experience which had been more intense but also more productive.

Several observations:

- Student asks an IBanker: So, what is the lifestyle in investment banking? [argl! You should know that by now!!]

- Student barges into a group, no introduction, and steps right in front of the employee of bank XY and says: Here is my business card! [no comment]

- Group of students talk to an employee. Afterwards they want to shake hands. Both hands extended, suddenly someone shoots out a hand from behind the group and grabs the recruiters hand and shakes it firmly!

Bottom line: As well as recruiters remembering people they like, they also remember people they do not like.

Back to next term tomorrow!

All the best, wherever you are.

Scuba-Don

Hong Kong Finance Career Trek - Day 2

I convinced Paul to take the ferry in the morning and it was as great as the previous day.

Our first appointment today was with Citibank who sent a very senior and convincing investment banker, Mark Renton. Instead of telling us how great Citibank is he focused on his view on the Asian economies. He alluded to the global credit crisis and the fundamental change in capital markets and how businesses will have to deal with it. He mentioned the issues of collaboration or competition between China and India, the advent of Vietnam and Indonesia and the rising importance of SWF from Asia and the Middle East. This was excellent as all of us learned a lot and picked up valuable pieces of information.

After a quick break we attended the session of HSBC who, despite a lot of effort of our group, had only confirmed us at the last minute. After the HSBC presentation we ventured back (the maps in our trip bible book proved very valuable) and attended the event at UBS. In a great conference room with arguably the best view of all bank we listened to a panel of high-ranking employees who related to the unique positioning of UBS in Asia, especially in the area of wealth management.

This time I convinced some of our group to take the Star Ferry and all loved it. To finish this second day we went to one of the nicest places in Hong Kong to have a sundowner – the Felix Bar in the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon. After a great G/T I left to meet old friends from Accenture; time for a great Japanese Dinner.

Hong Kong Finance Career Trek - Day 1

Waking up in the morning back in Asia was a fantastic feeling. I needed to get some toiletries and hunted for a 7/11 – in shorts and flip/flops. This must be the only metropolis in the world where you can do that!

As we took the subway and met in front of the Merrill Lynch building it became apparent that while back in London the most important item to carry around was an umbrella, in Hong Kong it were your shades! What a welcome change!

Merrill Lynch hosted a really interesting event and highlighted the tremendous opportunities available in both investment banking and markets in Asia. After the presentation and ample networking opportunities we went down and tried to make sense of the streets of Hong Kong. The great thing about Hong Kong – the financial district is really small. It is no problem to walk from one bank to the other. Additionally – no one walks the streets, you walk through shopping malls. As strange as it sounds – you can literally get from one tower to any other tower via shopping malls.

The afternoon event was hosted by Goldman Sachs where the current head of Asia, Dave Ryan gave us a view of careers at Goldman by describing his experiences in the firm over time. Subsequently a panel of associates answered questions. We were not alone this time – students from Chicago GSB as well as from Tepper (Bschool of Carnegie Mellon) were present as well. And we were surprised: by objective observation our group came across as more professional and better prepared (i.e. by the quality of the questions we asked). This definitely reflects on the preparation we did prior to the trip and also highlights that if London Business School has a problem than it is that our brand is undervalued!

In the late afternoon we ventured into Soho and took the escalators which go all the way to the top. This was my 3^rd time in Hong Kong and it was fantastic and intense to be back. The first time was the beginning of my very first backpacking trip – the start of the adventure. Back then I was quite inexperienced in a lot of things which just a year later should become very ordinary (such as traveling on your own for extended periods of time, not knowing where to stay the following nights etc.). The second time was when I was working in Shanghai and my parents came to visit me – I met them in Hong Kong. Now, job hunting in suit and tie was definitely a very different but not unpleasant event. We finished the day in the Red Bar with drink and employees of Olympus Capital, a PE firm. And what surprise – as it turned out the guy I was talking to had previously worked with my current flat mate at Booz Allen! Small world!

Still jet-lagged we soon left the bar and I took the Star Ferry back to Kowloon. Taking the Star Ferry and smelling the salty air of Hong Kong harbor while watching the skyline of the island was the perfect way to finish the day.

Milk Round

I have more respect for what Matt writes than what he says and I tend to agree, to a great extent with most of what he has to say about the milk round. In the absence of the Hollywood writers, I will gallantly come to his rescue (talk about 'times, they are a changing') and add point 6.

6) Try and make it to the gym or buy larger clothes. With all the free and fattening food, the suits might increasingly become a bit tough to breathe in. And in case you are doing up your wardrobe now, I'd recommend you buy one a size larger. That being said and done, I’ll get to why I started writing this post in any case.

When we came to school, we were being narrated horror stories by those in the 08 batch and before of how difficult it will be to speak to company representatives at the networking event, of how friends turn into foes and how elbows are overworked (from either elbowing in or others out of circles surrounding the company representatives) and the 6-pack goes sore from being jibed at. I tend to understand what would cause such behaviour, but that does not necessarily mean that I agree with it.

My own, personal, first hand experience at these events have been markedly different. And the few others I have discussed this with also tend to agree with me. The atmosphere was obviously tense and purposeful, and the US economy, together with the mortgageholders could not have better timed their performances, but at the same time we all remembered that we are human beings in an educated and civilised society. I didn’t have to push anyone and nor was I pushed around, I got to speak to whoever I wanted to without anyone trying to outspeak or outwit me and every time I tried ‘breaking into’ a group, someone did indeed make place for me !

I am not going to attempt to analyse this experience beyond what it was, but I am glad that at the end of the day, we all chose to continue to be who we are and not transform ourselves into attention seeking, self aggrandizing, individualistic monsters.

The Milk Round

So... vacation has ended (Italy was great though I am still getting feeling back in my neck after snowboarding), and we have now started Corporate Partners Week, or On-Campus Recruiting, or some even call it The Milk Round. This is the period when all of the big companies come to campus to peddle their wares and look for a lucky few interns for the summer. While there are many presentations, only a third of the class will actually get their summer associate positions through this process though many more than a third are trying very hard. So the following is what I have gleamed so far:

TOP FIVE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED AFTER TWO DAYS OF THE MILK ROUND

1) Everyone here thinks they are awesome. Most aren't. Most people are effectively the same exact person on paper -- graduated form university and spent 3 to 6 years working at a bank/consulting firm/random company. What you (as a current LBS applicant) can do now is... differentiate yourself as much as possible before you start school. Now is the time to compete in an Ironman Triathlon (Will) or start a charity that helps Malawi orphans avoid adoption by Madonna. Because really, being the 2009 Representative to the XY Club is not going to be that separating factor. I think most people will realize this soon when we all get rejected more often than a young American couple seeking a home loan.

2) If you have not been networking before The Milk Round, it is already too late. The networking sessions consist of over 150 students reeking of desperation surrounding approximately 5 to 10 company employees. They will likely not remember you from today. Nor is handing off somebody your business card the end game. They probably won't do anything with it unless they ask for it.

3) No groceries for the week. This is a week of free food. Don't do groceries this week. Save yourself that 10 pounds or 100 bucks. Every presentation comes with a bountiful supply of sandwiches. Some even have French macarons which are truly a tasty treat. Go for the hot trays first -- they will be in the most demand.

4) Figure out what you want to do before today. Every company sounds great in a presentation. They will seduce you with talk of their culture, their money, their free food (I might be more susceptible to the latter than most). Research properly what you are interested in before, otherwise you will end up interested in everything during the Milk Round.

5) When a banker asks you if you do modeling, he isn't asking you if you go down the catwalk. I was indeed flattered the first time I was asked before I politely responded that I am not tall enough to do that professionally. Apparently, you should learn how to model before the Milk Round as well.

That is what I have gotten so far. I would have a Top Ten list but the Hollywood Writer's Strike continues, and I can't come up with an extra 5. Peace to my brothers in Hollywood. If the Simpsons or Conan O"Brien needs writers, I am shockingly still unemployed after two days.

Hong Kong Finance Career Trek - Day 0

Hi all,

The school organized a Finance Career Trek to Hong Kong for students interested in pursuing a career in Finance in Asia! As I have lived in Shanghai for 3 years, am very bullish on the Asian capital markets and personally love Asia I of course went!

Day 0 was a very interesting day – fitting to a global business school student (hahaha). I was down with a cold for a week and had to finalize the applications for summer internships in Hong Kong, which had an obviously detrimental effect on my preparation for the accounting exam. So I got up at 5.30 this morning to finalize my “crib sheet” and go over the exercises and past exams one more time (in theory, in reality it was the first time I looked at them …). Alas – the accounting exams came and went and I was relieved to find that almost everyone found it as tough as I did …

Afterwards I unfortunately could not have a relaxed beer at the Windsor but rushed home, finished packing, met a good friend of mine for a quick tea and swooshed off to Heathrow – which, once more, lived up to all expectations of the world’s worst airport - I so much prefer the London City airport or Stanstead.

Unlike the other participants of the Hong Kong Finance Career Trek I am not going London – Hong Kong direct. I had the return leg of a Shanghai - Munich flight left which gave me the rather strange routing London – Munich – Shanghai – Hong Kong. A quick 2 hour flight brought me to Munich – unfortunately the short turnaround time did not allow me to go outside for the beautiful Christmas market at Munich airport. Instead I tried to break the record of how many wheat beers one can drink in 10 minutes in an airport lounge. At least my upgrade to business class on the Shanghai flight was confirmed so I traveled (and slept) very comfortable. Stepping of the plane felt strange – arriving in Shanghai strangely feels like home-coming now. The immigration officials were surprisingly friendly – they actively showed me the shortest queue (I used to get yelled at for taking a queue “not for foreigners”) and there are 4 buttons to rate the service of the immigration officer. Wow! It was great to finally see Nathalie again after 3 long months – but unfortunately not for very long, as I had to take the next flight to Hong Kong.

This was 2 hours delayed so once I finally reached the hotel I had been traveling for more than 24 hours. The room looked more like a shoe box (which I am used to after the room I had in London for the first 10 weeks) but it was only me (most of the other participants shared rooms) and - free wireless! :-)

Sleep came soon, despite the jet-lag. Off to the first companies on Day 1!

Scuba-Don

Second year!

It has been a while since my last post.  I promise I have good excuses.  I became a father on August 23rd, and have been very busy at school this year as President of the Student Association and a full load of electives.  I have a lot to report.  After a great summer at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products, I was sure I wanted to continue with a career in Brand Management.  I was lucky to have a couple of offers and have accepted a position with Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, OH.  I can’t wait! 

So this year is all about preparing myself through my electives to excel in that position (and of course savoring my last moments as a student).  This term I took a second course from my favorite professor, Bert de Reyck.  This course was Project Management, which taught a disciplined approach to managing the many constraints (resources, budgets, people, expectations, deadlines, etc) of large scale projects.  It had some of the risk mitigation elements in common with his first year course in Decision & Risk Analysis, but took it out of the individual decision environment into the complex world of massive projects.  I also took Creativity & Personal Mastery with guru Srikamour Rao (check out www.areyoureadytosucceed.com), who teaches this course at Columbia Business School and Haas.  It was a great course which breaks the mold for MBA courses.  My third course of the term was Brand Management with Mark Ritson (check out www.MarketingRitson.com).  This was my favorite course thus far at London Business School, absolutely fantastic.  I am biased because I am going into Brand Management as a profession, but my classmates going into other industries would likely say the same.  Academically, a wonderful term. 

I have also landed a really cool second year project.  I am working with a classmate on a project at Apple, in their marketing group.  We just started in December, and the project is set to last until April.  I can’t say much about the project, but it is of great importance to Apple’s business in the EMEA region, and our advice is intended to guide major actions for the company (assuming it is approved by Apple’s board).  As an Apple user, and a future marketer, this is a tremendous opportunity and I am thoroughly enjoying it. 

Finally, the Student Association has been doing some great things this year.  We put on some terrific events, are adding more value to the student clubs, and are making headway on key priorities to further enhance the student experience.  Our goal is to make the place even better for you (prospective students), than it was when we arrived. 

Happy New Year!

我们在吃早饭 (we are having breakfast)

No day can start without a hearty breakfast. Mike, Irfan, John and I are staying in a very nice hotel (thanks to corporate discounts!), where we have a pretty nice continental/chinese breakfast. After that you're set for the rest of the day.
None of us could eat at the buffet held by Merril Lynch yesterday. We had a very nice experience there. Four people presented us the various aspects of the firm, and opened the floor for a 30mn Q&A session. We then moved on to another room where a buffet was served and 15 other employees joined us. They ranged from VP to head of the region. That was very informative. On our way out we were given a few gifts (among them a laptop case!).
We also saw Goldman Sachs, along with 2 Chicago schools. A partner gave us a very interesting speech about his career path and the culture at the firm. He was followed by a panel of new associate, most of them former business school students.
Then after a few refreshments we headed to Soho when we went through 45 minutes worth of escalator! Pretty cool neighbourhood. We finished the day with drinks with Olympus (a Private Equity firm) where we had some very good insight into the PE world.
Today is gonna be a long day, UBS and Citi, with hopefully a stop at the Victoria Peak at lunch time!

第一天我们在香港 (1st day in Hong-Kong)

Here we are, in Asia. We had a pretty good flight from London, 11 of us in the same aircraft, that was kind of cool. Landing in Kong-Kong is just like entering a swimming pool. We came from 10 degree (celcius) to 22.
After checking in the hotel we took a quick midnight walk, wearing short sleeves shirts! Now we're about to start our marathon. We're meeting with Merril Lynch and Goldman Sachs this afternoon. Then we'll meet a couple of private equity people at the pub. Look forward to that.
We still have our take home exam to complete though, not sure when we'll find the time... Maybe at 6AM when we're too jetlagged to sleep!
More news to come very soon...

Imma gonna meet Al Gore

Thanks to the negotiation skills and persistance of fellow blogger, Stuart, I and several other LBSers will be attending the What If? Conference with Keynote Speaker, Mr. Al Gore himself. Amazing that even my most far-out dreams may actually be realized here at London Business School.

 

Let's just say we're not paying the original £1695 to attend this conference. Who else will be there? Jeff Swartz of Timberland, Alejandro Gutierrez of ARUP, Patagonia, Nokia, Unilever, Think MTV, Gib Bulloch of Accenture's Development Program... All my dream companies in one place :)

And the follow up:
here's a post of the question that Stuart posed to Mr. Gore, and the answer. Thanks to Jerome for the video editing!

The transition is complete: from hi-tech. to consulting

I came to B-school to shed my baggage. My baggage comprised of 2 technology degrees and ~5 years of work in the high tech sector. It was good work and good money but I give you my official story line - "I was rapidly narrowing into a niche which I was not comfortable with" (rights not reserved).

The journey through B-school was meant to be my 'wash and iron' which would allow me to develop and market my skills as a non technology business person. And it has turned out to be a premier cleaning service :-). 

Mind you it is a difficult and often depressing process. No matter how convinced you are, companies will always start by looking at your background (education and work experience) and the moment they see 2 high tech companies on your CV, it is thrown into a pile with other geek CVs. It's a fact and I reconciled with this very soon in the recruitment process.

For those of you who find yourselves in a similar situation, here are the things that I think have helped me cross the line:

1) A solid CV with almost no technical buzz words (I would say any thing more technical than hardware, software, database would be red flagged). Your future employers do not care that you used multithreading and ajax for developing something cool. They want to know how much money your company saved/made from your work. They want to know  the business impact, not the technical impact. Secondly you will see all your peers have achievements in each bullet while you as a technologist do certain things everyday because that's what you do at your job. I had this problem but you need to make every bullet in your CV speak of an achievement.

2) A solid internship in your area of interest: This is the bigest hurdle but one you mustn't compromise on. If you do an internship in your area of interest, you can build a convincing story about your aspirations.

3) Serious Involvement in clubs: To show your commitment to the area you are gunning for.

4) Something extra: Language skills, passion for things outside school etc. When 300 of your peers are all overachievers, often recruitment decisions boil down to marginal things and this is where your "other" skills come very handy.

This would not have been possible without the catalyst that  B-school has provided to my case. I at the other end of the transformation process and like many of you reading this, was in quite a dilemma about my life as a technologist when i'm 40. It was scary. Now i moving onto a more universal area of business which will bring its own challenges and keep my occupied for the next several years to come.

Should I stay, shoudl I go... on the Hong-Kong trek

Just to give you the background of this post: it's Friday 1AM, later I have an early breakfast (7:30AM) organised by and at the school featuring an MBA alumnus (now senior executive) then a 12 hour exam in Strategy. "What the heck is that?" you might say. Well it's a 9AM-9PM strategy case we will be working on in study group. Great team experience (at least before starting, I will give you the follow up!) on a case we were given the background a few days ago. Then well deserved birthday drinks.

So HKG trek. Career services put together a couple of treks. Matt already told you about the New-York one. This time we're off to Hong-Kong. Taking mandarin classes, I couldn't miss the opportunity. However it was a bit of a dilemma. First financially, then logistically. I managed to work out the money aspect of it (I guess I will have to cut some expenses in London) but it creates some conflicts in the course schedule for those who are interested in the International Exchange Program (which I am). Given that I joined the crew at the last minute (my bad here) I only had 2 days to figure all the details out: estimate pricing for flight and accommodation, reach out to second year students already in exchange, discuss with the MBA office the options to adapt my class schedule. A bit hectic I have to admit, next time I hope I will wake up a bit earlier.

Of course, this sort of things happen when the workload reaches a peak in the term. How can you cope with that? Exercise! Keep your body in shape, that is the key to go through all this without falling asleep in the financial accounting class!

Got to go now but stay tuned, more info will be posted. Don, my fellow blogger, is part of the party! He'll be posting nice pics. As far as I am concerned, I will be working on a little video!

PS: 1st stage applicants we're 1 week to the interview decision, so I hope you're back in business and reading this blog!

Do you want to work in New York?

Well, I think that I very well might want to work in New York someday, so I went on the London Business School New York Finance Trek this week. It was an excellent decision. Beyond being in the best food city in the world, I was able to visit 9 banks in 3 days with 8 other members of a motley crew led by our fearless leader, Lara. This trip was designed to enhance the reputation of the school in New York and hopefully gain employment for us as well. I also found out during this trip that London Business School truly has alumni located all over the world in many senior positions. It was a great opportunity to network and get to know these institutions better.

One thing that you may not know about B-School -- when the big companies come to visit the school, you often do not get to have prolonged discussions because there are so many people vying for their good graces. But we were a small group that was able to make real connections that will only help in the future.

On a side note, for those Americans coming to London Business School, shop as much as possible in New York before your arrival. I didn't realize how much I missed New York food and shopping before this week. Now, I get to go back to Tesco discount sandwiches.

I'm just a poor boy, and my project's still untold... (The Shadower)

You guys all remember Gabriele who's trying to shadow Steve Jobs (cf. Stuart's post). Well now that he has Fake Steve's attention he is working very hard to get the real Steve's. Last week, with the support of his stream (C that is, as in coolest) he sang a song he and Michal had composed. Such a great song couldn't stay away from this blog. That what an MBA is about: making the impossible happen by gathering people to your cause. Well this is one of the first episodes of a long long story which I hope will lead to a great shadowing project!

Good luck Gabriele, something tells me we'll see you again soon around here.

...with an apple in my hand, Steve oh Steve, I will shadow you and write you a report, ...with an apple in my hand...

Another weekend has flown by

Our weekends begin on Thursday afternoon, when our Economics professor sends us off at twelve noon.

Thursday lunches are for practicing Mandarin - I've started a series of lunches where native speakers are volunteering to coach those want to improve their conversational skills (strangely enough, I'm the only ethnic Chinese taking this course). I spent the afternoon working on the finance assignment and catching up with a friend over hot chocolate at The Windsor. Met with a group to discuss possibly joining the JP Morgan Good Venture competition. Ran late to meet another friend for tea in the Quad before he went off for the full-time AT Kearney dinner event. Attended the Alumni in Consulting event feeling cynical about the profession, but coming out in the end inspired by the passion and energy of some of them. Home late and hungry again.

Friday, up early for the Women in Business Conference - more inspiration from Entrepreneurs and CSR sessions - plus plenty of good take-aways from the Fashion workshop. Acting class. A couple of Guinesses at Sundowners. Then running off to the National Film Theater to catch the London Film Festival (and shamefully consuming McDs on the way). Home late, not so hungry and exhausted.

Saturday morning was meant to be easy before I meet two friends (a Croatian 08er, and my Estonian former flatmate from Delhi) at the Interdependence Day event at The Royal Geographic Society. But then got a spur-of-the-moment invitation for brunch at Le Pain Quotidien to celebrate the sunny weather. After the seminars: Starbucks at Knightsbridge; minor window-shopping to put the business fashion skills to practice. Then back at Baker Street to meet others for the Navratri event in Chiswick. Wiki says:

Navratri (Sanskrit:नवरात्रि) is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava - Nine and Ratri - nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti (metaphor for goddess Durga ) i.e. female divinity are worshipped.Navratri (Sanskrit:नवरात्रि) is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava - Nine and Ratri - nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti (metaphor for goddess Durga ) i.e. female divinity are worshipped.

So dance the night away we did indeed.  

...till 1am. Home with friends at 2. Chatted over midnight snack and a glass of wine till 3:30. Pass out.

There was no way I was going to make it to football practice at 10 on Sunday. Got a call asking where everyone else was anyhow. Finally arose out of bed at noon. Made pasta for lunch. Touched base with team at 2. Read through my pigeon hole mail in the sunny quad - played with the daughter of one of the Japanese 09s. She's quickly learning more and more English. Dove into the computer lab to upload photos and finish Finance and Accounting reading. Greet the same familiar faces. Hour-long tea break on Baker Street as everything else around campus is closed on Sundays. Pass a djembe class in the Fairbairn room. Back to basement to finish Accounting and reward myself by allowing time to blog. I promise myself I will give myself enough time to cook the spinach in the fridge and be in bed tonight by midnight.

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs!

So I feel the time has come for bloggers to unite, one and all and give a hand to one our MBA clan!

My colleague and friend Gabriele is on a mission to 'shadow' Steve Jobs, the brain of Apple Inc. and one of the most unconventional CEOs in business history. We had the good fortune of studying the rise, fall and rise of again of Steve during our Understanding General Management (UGM) classes and I have to say he is certainly a 'leader' rather than a 'manager', a visionary and a sure fire indication that success in business is more complex than simply having the right 'tools'.

Gabriele has worked hard to contact Steve through a number of avenues and has his own blog dedicated to shadowing Steve which you can read by clicking here 

There is a rather famous 'Fake Steve ' blog that has actually mentioned Gabriele's efforts (click here to read it) and although not entirely complimentary (this is the usual 'style' of the blog so it is actually quite in keeping with how Mr. Jobs himself might actually write!) it will increase the chances that the real Steve will actually read it. Rumour has it that Steve Jobs does actually read the 'Fake Steve' blog so there is some hope for Gabriele.....

The shadowing project (although now no longer compulsory) provides the opportunity to spend up to a week with a high profile manager/CEO/CFO etc. watching how they 'do business' in real terms, in the work-place and whilst following their normal, daily routine. I think it is a fantastic idea, although at present have no idea who I want to shadow (now that Steve Jobs is taken!!!). London Business School is very supportive of experiential learning and we are encouraged to really experience business within the corporate setting rather than simply be 'spoon-fed' a business education. It is one of the main reasons why I like the school curriculum and why I believe the students here are a bit more rounded when they enter the work-place!

So although 'Fake Steve' is not a big fan of business-school education, the hope is that the 'Real Steve' might realise that what Gabriele is trying to do is simply emulate this experiential learning but on a grander scale. I personally wish him every success and promise that next time the 'Mac parade' happens I will come along with my shiny white MacBook and support his efforts. Anything as high profile as shadowing someone like Steve will not only be a coup d etat for Gabriele but also a great achievement for us at London Business School....

If you wished to do the same, then have a look at his blog and send him a message of support!

Suited Up

It's official. I've worn a suit more times since coming to London Business School in August than I did in all of 2006. Suddenly, buying another suit before coming here (effectively doubling my smart business wardrobe) seems like a smart idea. Insider tip: Hugo Boss suits are practically free in Germany when compared to U.S. prices.

I just got home from Bank of America in Canary Wharf, where the Finance Club had organized a trading floor visit and panel presentation. It was a very informative event, capped off with a small networking event with a few London Business School alums and some others. I love networking; the shrimps were delicious.

In talking with some of my fellow students, it seems as we get exposed to more and more careers, some people are getting more and more confused. Those who had tunnel vision about their path after school are now having doubts, and those who had no idea what they wanted to do, well, they still have no idea what they want to do. Process of elimination seems to among the more popular methods of the undecideds, so I'm sure things will become clearer as the term moves on, as long as the professional clubs here continue to put on great speaker series, panels and company visits. I think I better get used to wearing a suit.

This time around..The Milk round saga continues

It has been a while since I posted anything and that has partly to do with the manic summer job that I wrote about a few posts ago.

With October has come back the recruitment season. I was somehow concerned about how quickly this time was going to come ever since the day I got my summer job (about 6 months ago) and here it is to haunt me again. However it feels a lot different this time.

Firstly, working over the summer has given all of us an inside view of the industries and jobs we put on the pedestal 6 months ago. Many of my peers came back with rave reviews. Many others did not find their bliss. Many came back with offers. Many are still looking for jobs. Invariably everyone is a lot more focused this time. What then has summer done to all of us over enthusiastic MBAs? I think it has given us a sneek peak into the real world.

Things seem clearer to me now. I know specifically which jobs i want and am focusing on them only. I went to a couple of banking presentation in January only to realise that those jobs are not for me. I know exactly what to do at milk round receptions this year. I go with specific questions, the answers to which will help me put in a better application.

To a lot of first year students "networking" seems  intimidating. It could be if you make it that way. I found it tedious in the first round but now i see the value in it and make it a point to go speak to people when i get a chance.

In the end, the tension of looking for a job remains. That will not change whether it you are looking for an internship or a permanent job. I just hope to get what im looking for. 

Why did you choose London Business School?.....

......the question I heard most during the 'Ambassador Tours' I did this weekend for the Open House Event at the school.

Open House Events

I was asked (very nicely) by someone from the Admissions Committee if I would not mind helping out on a Saturday lunchtime, showing prospective students around the school campus. I deliberated, wondered if I had space in my schedule, then realised that free lunch and beers in the Windsor were the highly prized award - SOLD! On a more serious note, I actually did want to get the chance to take people around MY school, somewhere I am proud of, and have the opportunity to chat in real terms as to why I chose the school over my other choices.

So we toured the campus and I was indeed bombarded by a number of questions from eager students, wanting to discover the 'real deal' about the school, the MBA programme and the reasons of a bona fide student for choosing the 'London Advantage'. I was somewhat surprised at some of the questions and when asked what the school indemnity policy was ("should I fall out of a library window or something"!!) politely pointed I was merely a glorified tour guide, moving on quickly to talk about my own spin on why London Business School is the best 'fit ' for me:

1. I personally believe it is the only top tier school that really does manage to get the right 'work hard/play 
    hard' balance and enables its students to develop a capture on work/life balance from the start.

2. The international diversity really IS a unique selling point over the US equivalent and as a Brit I am
    genuinely an 'ethnic minority' for the first time in my own country! There is not another school in the
    world that can claim to have 91% international diversity in terms of the host country whilst still managing
    to be located in one of the key cities in the world....plenty of European schools obviously have a great
    international mix but very few of these can boast a 2 year program OR major city anywhere nearby.

3. The students, school and staff do not take themselves too seriously and everyone knows exactly what a
    great brand London Business School without needing to 'sell' the school at every opportunity. It is a
    great place to learn, an amazing community to be a part of and an AWESOME place to socialise!

4.   Top MBA + London life + Great People = A Fantastic Experience......enough said I feel

Now before anyone reading this writes to the Admissions Committee asking how much I am being paid to put this stuff in my blog, I want to point out we are given a completely free reign when blogging and all of the above has been extracted from the dark recesses of my brain....I am a pretty honest type of bloke, and certainly not afraid to speak my mind when something does not work (as BT customer services will tell you!) but it just happens that the school has got it right and I am happy to have no gripes at this point.

So if you really want to know why people choose the school just pop along and ask us - the great thing about having such a diverse mix of people is that everyone will have a slightly different spin on it. The only real way to find out the 'weighted average' of opinions is to keep asking as many London MBAs as you can get your hands on and then read the reviews....that is what I did and can happily say it was 100% the right choice for me.

Roll on the 'London Advantage Oktoberfest' next weekend and please remember if you are going to attend an event that I happen to be doing tours at, I know NOTHING about indemnity or insurance!!!!

Enjoy these links and if you feel London is right for you then we hope to see some of around NW1!

FT MBA Rankings

London Business School News

Wikipedia - London Business School 

Busy days

Three weeks into our MBA program, I am already filling up my calendar with loads of club and networking events. Life as a London Business School student is great, there are tons of clubs and events to choose from and the classes we have so far are indeed very educating, especially for someone who comes from a non-business background like me. However, I must admit that I am most impressed by career services and their efforts in helping us choose the right career path. We have different career workshops every week, ranging from self assessment, to CV writing and coaching, to one-on-one coaching with our in house experts. It is very reassuring to know that the school takes our career planning very seriously and that there are always people there to help us when we are confused, which I suspect most of us are and will be for a while.

A Mexican in the Middle East

Places: I work in Abu Dhabi from Monday to Thursday evening. The rest of the time I work and enjoy my stay in Dubai. The trip between the two cities takes an average of ninety minutes. Note that the time could be dramatically reduced by those who drive at 160 kph, which is a pretty normal speed in UAE.

People: Mostly passionate Lebanese who travel back home almost every weekend. Lucky them! There are also many others who come from Germany, UK and other interesting Middle Eastern places.

Aaron Deste, former COO at Schlumberger and currently based in London, is my job manager. I am happy and lucky to have him as our shared background makes me feel 'at home'. Aaron is smart, practical and just 'cool' about everything.

My official mentor is Ibrahim El-Hussein, leader of the Energy Practice in Middle East. He is obviously bright and very supportive.

Chady Zein (see picture) is my junior mentor, a gentleman from Lebanon, who with only a year in the firm appears to me incredibly competent. Chady has done a great job getting me up to speed and leading by example. He is the source of my inspiration.

Hotels: I tried a few and decided that the Grosvenor House is the way to go. Rooms and suites are of a high standard, service could not be better and, food and gym are really good.

Running: Steady but limited to a few kilometers per week. I am afraid food and drinks have outpaced burnt calories and will need to get back to normal very soon.

Life: Simply great. Tonight I am meeting Nivi and Neville, two current classmates, for drinks at the Budda Bar, also in the hotel. I am expecting it to be great!

Transitioning to Student Life

As one of my flatmates and I discuss the merits of buying reduced price sandwiches at Tesco (soon to be expired food items get incrementally marked down as the day wears on), the reality of being a student again sets in. Sure, the stack of binders on my desk, the looming case study, stats homework, language test and business communications presentation might be better clues, but somehow those seem less visceral than devouring 50p sandwiches in a luxury flat in Fitzrovia. Penny-wise, pound-foolish, as the Brits say. Mom would be so proud.

Seemingly in recognition of our newfound plight, preparation for the all-important "Milk round" (recruiting season) has begun. We’ve started the process of overhauling our CVs a full one week into the term, and London Business School has been kind enough to provide us with personal coaches, who will help us hone our one page wonders for our targeted career path. My study group has also chosen to meet and dissect each other’s CVs, tightening up the language and content based on the advice we received. Results so far have been very encouraging. As the balance of this year’s tuition comes due in a few weeks, it’s programs like these, among many, many others (that I’m sure will be expounded upon here), that will make writing that check a little less painful.

Calling all prospective women MBAs...

Women play a vital role in the London Business School community; there may not be quite as many female students as there are men (yet!) but they occupy approximately half the club leadership positions around campus. Here in the office we are constantly looking for new ways to encourage top women to apply for, and join, our MBA, so several years ago we became the first business school outside the US to join Forté Foundation. 

Forté is an organisation dedicated to encouraging women to pursue careers in business leadership by providing access to information, scholarships and networking opportunities. Beginning in mid-September,  Forté is putting on a series of events for prospective women MBA students, mostly in locations throughout the USA, but also here in London.  Women business leaders will be sharing candid advice drawn from their own career experiences, and will be joined by admissions officers from the top MBA schools (including London, of course!) who will be able to answer questions and give advice about the admissions process. 

If you are working or travelling in the USA or London, this year's schedule of Forté events is as follows: Boston, September 17th (register by September 13th) Washington DC, September 18th (register by September 13th) Chicago, September 19th (register by September 13th) New York, September 20th (registration is closed) Atlanta, September 24th (register by September 20th) Houston, September 25th (register by September 20th) San Francisco, September 26th (register by September 20th) Los Angeles, September 27th (register by September 20th) New York, October 1st (register by September 24th) London, October 9th (register by October 1).

To register for any of these events, please visit http://www.fortefoundation.org/forum. And if you are able to attend the events in Boston, LA, NY, San Francisco or Washington DC, look out for the London Business School rep!

US Internship

So it has been a while since I have made a posting, the end of the year was an incredible whirlwind for me and it hasn’t stopped since.

Within 4 hours of finishing my Management Accounting Exam on the 16th of June (a Saturday), I flew out to Newark, NJ that to begin my internship at Johnson & Johnson that Monday.  I didn’t have much time to breath until that ended on August 21st.  I want to highlight my summer experience as it is a bit unique and might be of interest to some prospective students, particularly those thinking about working in the US past-graduation.  Most of the recruiting that happens on campus is for positions in the UK and Europe (even more so for internships).  I had to put in a bit more legwork to get interview opportunities in the US, but the Career Services office was extremely helpful and was able to put me in touch with most of the companies I was interested in.  The US recruiting season is a bit earlier than in the UK so I was doing my first interviews in December, before the ‘milkround’ kickoff for internship recruiting on London Business School campus in January.  But things went well.  The contacts that I made got me interviews and by mid January I had two offers for internships with consumer goods companies in the US.  One in NYC and one in northern New Jersey.  So although the formal, on-campus recruiting opportunities are mainly for the UK and Europe, if you want to pursue an internship or full-time career in the US, a little legwork and some help from Career Services can make it happen.

The internship I chose was a brand management internship in the consumer goods group of Johnson & Johnson.  For the 10 week internship, I worked on their Aveeno brand specifically on the Facial Care team.  I had not been in consumer goods or in marketing before business school so this was a complete career switch for me.  I chose this path for an internship because I like the industry, and wanted to get on a track towards general management.  Brand management in consumer goods is a great opportunity to get general management experience right from the start.  Brand managers are in charge of pulling all of the pieces together to get products on shelf and in the homes of consumers.  My time at J&J was great.  Moving to unknown territory with a change of industry and job function was a leap of faith, where I was relying on the knowledge I collected throughout my first year about this industry and this type of role.  I was very happy to see that it was exactly what I had expected.  As an intern, I was involved in numerous projects touching all parts of the business (R&D, package design, project management, advertising, CRM, copy writing, etc.).  As I head back to school for my second year I know that I want to continue with this chosen career path.  The internship was a huge success, allowing me to test out the industry, the role, and the company.  Now I can return to school and hone my marketing skills to prepare me for a full-time brand management position.   

Cool Dubai

45C is more tolerable than I thought. In fact, the weather has been really