Online Learning Offers More Convenience in Getting an MBA

There are more and more people nowadays who are getting into online learning to satisfy their interests, educational needs, and long-term career goals. Online learning is especially useful for business-oriented people, who are often too busy to attend class at a regular university. Such workaholics can consider the option of taking an online MBA degree program as a more flexible means of achieving a masters in business administration.

Clearly an MBA is a degree for someone who is into business or entrepreneurship, but even someone with an undergraduate business degree and many years of work experience in the business sector may not necessarily need to get an MBA. It all depends on your specific career needs and goals. For example, you may be a professional in a different field who wants to change to a career in business. Or perhaps you have a personal career goal of becoming a general manager or a management consultant. In such cases, an MBA would be exactly what you require to further your career change or advancement, and as a busy professional, you should consider the option of an online MBA program.

In considering this option, you should try to see what advantages online learning may offer to the prospective MBA student. Well, an online learning program clearly offers greater convenience and flexibility than a course held in a classroom. Much of the convenience comes in being able to take an online class at home or wherever you wish to be located. You can also take it at a pace and schedule that is amenable to you--with some online MBA programs you have the option of completing your distance learning in a time range from two to five years.

These factors make an online learning program attractive to those who want to complete an MBA but are caught up in the demands of work and family life, and require more flexibility to be able to take classes at a time, place, and pace that is fitting for them.

Did you find my tips on online learning helpful? You can get more answers to your questions about online education here.

3 Surefire Methods for Arts Graduate to Succeed in the MBA Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Being an Arts Graduate, you should do away with the notion that you would not be Good enough in the face of competition from the Engineering and Commerce Graduates. Having cleared the written test - the Group Discussion panel and Personal Interview panel will already have a high respect or you. To improve your chances use the following surefire methods.

1. Strong Decision Making Capability: Gather sufficient knowledge of the economy to be able to take the lead in the group discussion. You emphasise your decision making ability by STATING THE NUMBER of your viewpoints. Make viewpoints of possible solutions that you visualize for the economy. For example in a GD Topic such as: Can India witness double digit growth? You should state: There are 3 factors that could lead to double digit growth – suitable infrastructure, simplified administrative procedures, and Intellectual rights protection for Indian innovations. Trust me – if you choose to say nothing else from there on you would already have made an impression.

2. Teamwork and Listening capabilities: Arts students are supposed to be more humane in their managerial approach. Make sure you listen carefully and actually jot down the key viewpoints made by other participants. Then integrate them into your own viewpoint without pointing out that anybody was wrong. The Group Discussion panel gives higher weightage to candidates that were able to integrate the viewpoints of others into their own key statements

3. Facts and Figures of the economy: An Arts graduate who can roll of key economic figures is definitely going to be noticed in the Personal Interview. You can bet that if you can talk about the changing economic climate and explain how with the explosion in job growth and retail malls – customer relationships and customer experiences are essential for serious marketers, and how you fit into the overall picture will definitely give you a good grade by the panel. However make sure you have defined which niche you wish to enter into first to state the most relevant economic facts and figures.

Priyanka is a MBA from IIM- Bangalore and works as a communication specialist. Her website http://www.mbainterview.in provides useful tips for MBA aspirants to succeed in the MBA Group Discussion and Personal Interview

4 Reasons Why Knowledge of the Economy is Crucial to your Success in the MBA GD/PI

Knowledge of your educational background is simply not enough. You are now choosing a career that involves making profits in a dynamic economy. Unless you know enough information about the economy you cannot create viable real life solutions for the organization. Here are 4 reasons for having a good knowledge of Economics

1.) Economic Prospects in your chosen field: Those who are not aware of the economy cannot be expected to be adept at handling rapid changes in laws, competition and economic opportunities. India is growing at a rapid phase in a semi state of urbanization and industrial growth. So many factors affect your chosen industry and not merely competitors. The Personal Interview panel is sure to ask your views on what are the economic prospects within the field that you choose to build a career on whether IT, Retail, or Banking and Finance.

2.) Case Studies in Personal Interview: when you understand the economy you are better equipped to spot viable opportunities. We all are told time and time again that Real life and book knowledge are world’s apart. Those who keep a close track of the economy are able to quickly spot when a small legislation passed by parliament would create better opportunities for a certain segment of business, or when currency movements dictate better hedging to protect export earnings. MBA’s are supposed to come up with solutions that work. If you are given a case study in the Personal Interview, knowledge of the same may help frame a better answer.

3.) Capability to Analyze Real life competition: The competitors are not merely your industry players. An unfavourable law could make a state less tax efficient, or a decision by China could move raw material prices through the roof. Being part of a global economy means that one has to keep an eye out for not merely players within the industry. The Personal Interview may be sure to ask you what threats present India in your chosen field, i.e. Chinese strength in BPO, IT etc

4.) Abstract Extempore: You may be given abstract topics to speak on. A capability to talk about economic situations in an extempore will definitely impress the panel. However unless you have a good understanding of Economic news you will not be in a position to make convincing viewpoints related to your Extempore

So knowledge of the economy and economics is clearly essential for preparing for the MBA Interview. You don’t have to fear unnecessarily even if you don’t have a background in Economics.

Priyanka is a MBA from IIM- Bangalore and works as a communication specialist. Her website http://www.mbainterview.in provides useful tips for MBA aspirants to succeed in the MBA Group Discussion and Personal Interview

3 Mistakes MBA Aspirants Make In The Personal Interview For The Indian Institutes of Management

Blaming your College/School Professor for low scores: You are always 100% responsible for your grades. If you have low scores then don’t ever state that your teacher did not clarify the subject or rushed the topic. Do you think studies at IIM’s or any MBA institutes are designed to be studied in an easy relaxed spoon fed manner? Wrong the MBA curriculum is a real test of your abilities to stay awake and perform at your best. If you blame your teachers – you are out.

2. Blaming ill health: What are you LOSER NO 1? If exam days give you bad health, how will you be able to achieve corporate profit targets? Unless you are actually physically handicapped you cannot be expected to fall ill under mysterious circumstances whenever pressure builds around you. Even if you were truly sick - try to come out with some other reason for your lack of extra curricular activities or low scores.

3. State hobbies just for the heck of it: OK so you enjoy cricket. Do you know the technical details of the game? How many members are there in the BCCI governing council? The IIM professors do not appreciate mere couch potatoes. Hobbies are not merely for adding spice to your CV. State only 2 hobbies and try to learn everything there is to that hobby.

The MBA Personal Interview is actually tougher than job interviews. In job interviews they actually need manpower so they don’t ask tough questions. Here you are being SHORTLISTED against equally capable competitors so they are trying to find means to NOT SELECT you. So be careful with your replies.

Priyanka is a MBA from IIM- Bangalore and works as a communication specialist. Her website http://www.mbainterview.in provides useful tips for MBA aspirants to succeed in the MBA Group Discussion and Personal Interview.

3 Necessary Requirements For Succeeding In The Indian Institute Of Management MBA Personal Interview

Now that you have cleared the written test you must place an equivalent amount of preparation for the MBA personal interview. Remember that now you are fighting among the elite, so the competition is even fiercer. Here are 3 surefire methods to apply for success in the Personal interview

(1) Goals: The MBA Interview panel is sure to ask you what your goals are in life. What is that you want to achieve through an MBA qualification. To answer this question use your current qualifications as a starting point. Perhaps you have a background in hotel management – you can take the example of the Indian retail mall explosion and the need for professional management in managing retail shoppers to ensure high customer satisfaction.

(2) Social Achievements: What kind of achievements have you had in life, academic qualifications will definitely help, however the MBA Interview panel is trying to evaluate if you are the kind of personality that can manage teams and coordinate effectively. Suppose you have no significant social achievements to speak of, if you have been involved in organizing religious festivals such as Dusshera or Janamashtmi you can outline how you planned for distribution of food, crowd control and guiding the aged. Try to bring out the professional in you when you handled these social activities. Remember religion helps in sales in India

(3) Innovations: If you have developed something new, perhaps SOMETHING SMALL like a website or a blog to guide people to perhaps tips on how to set up a router for small businessmen will definitely be viewed positively. The main thing is to show how your innovation adds to bringing customers or repeat viewers. In short can you market your innovation properly? Engineers definitely have a head start as you can talk about your summer projects. Those from Arts and Commerce background could probably start a blog on some useful topics and then show how they marketed it.

These tips are useful for those who do not have any significant awards or achievements to speak of. You will have to show what you have done extra in life apart from studying. Many have come and gone with high scores. It is those who sought to do a little extra by applying their knowledge to come up with something useful to the lives of others who end up as entrepreneurs. All organizations look for these qualities and so do the IIM’s

Priyanka is a MBA from IIM- Bangalore and works as a communication specialist. Her website http://www.mbainterview.in provides useful tips for MBA aspirants to succeed in the MBA Group Discussion and Personal Interview.

How to Tell If an Online MBA Program Is Worth Taking

When you study for an MBA you are looking to gain advancement in your career. Cost can be an issue--it is always an issue--but for the sake of your future you should go for the highest quality of education that you can afford. You can also get financial aid. In any case, do not settle for a less reputable institution just because it is cheaper. You may end up earning an MBA degree that is not worth the paper it is written on, completely wasting your time and money. Top companies will not take every MBA at face value. They look for graduates who earned their degree at a top business school.

With online MBA degree programs, you have to be especially careful and discerning. There are a number of reputable universities that do offer online programs. You would be better off getting your online MBA from one of these respected institutions, rather than just any online school. Reputable universities that offer distance learning MBAs include Penn State, Carnegie Mellon, Drexel, and Duke University. There are sure to be others as well. A great place to check would be at your state university. Sometimes they do not advertise their online programs well, but they do have them.

Whatever university you decide to take your degree with, you need to ensure that they have the proper accreditation. That basically means a school should be accredited by the AACSB, or the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, or an equivalent accrediting organization. AACSB, however, is the oldest and most respected organization of this type. If an institution does not have this type of accreditation, it is likely to be a diploma mill and a degree from it will not better your chances of getting a job.

There are different forms of accreditation, so when you are told that a school is “accredited,” take some pains to figure out exactly what that means. There is such a thing as regional accreditation, for example. That is fine if you are based in the right region. But take note, it is not the same as professional accreditation by the AACSB. A school can have regional accreditation and yet lack AACSB or an equivalent professional accreditation. That would make its degrees less attractive and less impressive to recruiters.

The number of online MBA programs has been rapidly increasing, and many corporate recruiters are extremely wary about hiring people with online MBAs, partly because there has been a glut of graduates with such degrees. That is why it is important to stand out from the pack by having an MBA, online or traditional, from a university that matters.

Read about how to Use an Online MBA to Get Ahead and many other useful tips and articles. Visit http://youronlineeducation.info

Why You Don't Need An MBA to Make It in Business (In Fact It Could Hurt You)

A common reason people choose NOT to go into business is that they feel they don't have the right training or background.

There's this myth out there that if you haven't studied accounting, marketing, and operations management on some college campus somewhere with vines growing on buildings and professors in tweed jackets, you don't have what it takes to succeed.

Bah! Humbug!

Jim McCann, the CEO of 1-800-Flowers, built a billion dollar a year business, and his background was that he had worked for 14 years as a social worker in Brooklyn at a group home for teenage boys.

So how does a guy who's working in a group home as a social worker end up as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country, with no formal training or background in business? He used what he had.

What do I mean?

He said, quote, "I learned more from those 10 young teenage boys in that group home, who would have been in jail if they didn't come to us, than I could have in a 100 years at the Harvard MBA program."

If you've never been around a group home for troublesome teenage boys, you might imagine what it'd be like. Things tend to break more often, "disappear" more often, fights break out, drugs, despair...it can be pretty ugly. And all you're trying to do is help them see the value and worth in their lives.

But Jim soon found out that teenage boys are about as excited about "counseling" sessions as they are about math class. So as things went from bad to worse in the home, Jim just about threw in the towel.

He was afraid not only for the boys, but for himself. As the group home was run by an order of monks, Jim went to resign...but the monk in charge of the order had another suggestion: to look at those around him who seemed to be successful at this work, and copy what they were doing.

So what were they doing?

FIRST, they always came to work with a plan, whereas Jim always seemed to show up and just react to what was going on around him.

And SECOND, he realized that he was trying to develop a relationship with the whole group...10 guys.

The problem is, you don't have relationships with groups. You only have relationships with people one on one.

So Jim didn't quit. Instead, he found opportunities in the problems around him.

And one of those problems you're probably familiar with if you've spent time around teenagers, is the problem of keeping food in a kitchen cabinet for any length of time without it disappearing. So Jim decided that he was going to build a pantry for the food, with a lock on the door.

And sure enough, as soon as he started building it, two of the boys jumped in and helped him. And that's when the magic happened!

Because instead of just talking about the things necessary to build the pantry, Jim and the boys talked about girlfriends...school...life on the street. In other words, they CONNECTED.

Soon, Jim and the boys were working on projects all over the house...planting a garden, building a fence, repairing the roof...and by working together, side-by-side, he was able to break through, share, learn, understand, and, ultimately, to make a difference in their lives.

These skills he later took with him to 1-800-FLOWERS, which is a whole other story in and of itself.

You can read about it in his book STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES, LESSONS ON BUSINESS AND LIFE.

It was the PEOPLE skills he developed in connecting with people, understanding them, and motivating them towards positive change that he applied in building his billion-dollar business. In other words, his ability to break through and influence others positively.

If you are currently NOT massively successful as an entrepreneur, it has nothing to do with your background, college degrees, or anything else. IT HAS TO DO WITH FINDING THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL YOU ALREADY POSSESS...and unleashing it, to build relationships towards positive change...in their lives, and in the world.

THAT's ultimately what we're talking about here in our business: helping you master your sphere of influence, and expanding it, to create positive change in others' lives, and in the world.

Integritas Group Community http://www.integritas-group.com/blog

How in 4 simple steps Shalini cracked the IIM-Ahemdabad, Bangalore, Calcutta MBA Group Discussion

Shalini was one of the typical Economics graduate from St Stephens College. Studious and softspoken she could hardly ever raise her voice much less have the courage to get into an argument with others. Having cracked the CAT she knew that being an MBA required more than high grades, it required effective communication skills.

Shalini adopted 4 simple steps to improve her communication technique for the MBA Group Discussion

(1)She would skim through economic dailies, as well as the free economic resources at mbainterview.in to obtain the latest economic topics and pick 3 keywords for each topic. For example after reading about SEZ in the newspaper she selected three words--- SEZ, Growth, Jobs

(2)Based on each of these 3 keywords she would make a 25 word phrase which sounded the most simple, persuasive and convincing viewpoint around that keyword.

(3)From those 3 keywords, Shalini would pick one keyword and use data in that phrase to sound intelligent yet uncomplicated. For example of the 3 keywords, she selected only the keyword “Jobs” and built into her phrase the data of potential jobs that would be created.

(4)She would then practise aloud in front of a mirror, timing her every keyword phrase so that all 3 keyword phrases were complete in 3 minutes.

Finally she kept repeating and refining the process for atleast 25 topics. When the actual GD came, Shalini managed to impress her GD panel within the 3 minutes of time allotted to her for introduction, not only that her points were so powerful that the entire GD participants kept discussing her viewpoints, indirectly making her the leader of the GD.

For more of the actual strategies that Shalini used to bring success in the MBA Group Discussion. Visit http://www.mbainterview.in Obtain FREE ready made strategies based on economic and abstract topics to guide you for sccess in the MBA Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Priyanka is a MBA from IIM- Bangalore and works as a communication specialist. Her website http://www.mbainterview.in provides useful tips for MBA aspirants to succeed in the MBA Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Looking to Get a Raise: Get Your MBA

According to most salary researchers and guides, getting your MBA can mean a $10,000 to $30,000 salary increase, but don't let the numbers get you too excited about the possibilities; there are still other factors to consider when calculating the potential for and the size of a salary increase if you get your MBA.

Timing

Timing is everything when you're trying to get your MBA. If you get the degree too early in your career, you may have trouble finding a job that offers a salary comparable to what you deserve for your advanced degree. At the same time, if you wait too late, you simply may not need it or may not be able to find an employer willing to pay for you to go back to school.

A Free Degree

The advantage to working for one company for a while is that they may be willing to pay for your degree. Then, not only will you be getting a pay raise, but also you'll be getting a free degree out of the bargain that will come in handy in the future. Just realize that your current employer will want you to promise to stay for a certain amount of time or they won't pay for the degree. If you do leave the company early, you'll owe them the cost of at least part of your tuition and sometimes even a hefty interest payment. So, if you're thinking about leaving soon, think again about allowing the company to pay for your degree.

Get Some Real World Experience First

In most industries, experience is worth much more than a degree. If you're looking for a significant pay increase, it's best to work for a while before getting your Masters. Your experience will usually add quite a bit to your new pay, and it can be nice to start a new job with experience and credentials so that you get the highest salary possible starting out. Then, you have nowhere to go but up.

Is the Increase Worth It?

For some people, the salary increase simply isn't worth all the work. Perhaps you've already reached the top of your salary spectrum or maybe as a high ranking executive a simple MBA just doesn't make sense. You may want to choose a different degree that would better add to your experience and increase your knowledge.

For some people, though, getting a higher degree simply isn't reasonable. Maybe retirement is only another five years away - why bother now? Decide based on your schedule and needs whether an MBA is really worthwhile for your situation. Don't get a degree just because it's a popular thing to do.

Others may find that it makes sense to get a degree but they don't have time. If this describes your situation, consider getting a degree online. Most of the schools offer classes that are just as challenging, or more challenging, than those offered in traditional programs, and you can make the classes fit your schedule, not the other way around.

Before Signing Up

Before applying and paying for an MBA program, consider the following:

Is the timing right?

Can you get a free degree?

Do you have applicable real world experience?

Is the salary increase worth all that work?

When you've answered all the questions, then you'll be ready to decide whether or not an MBA program is right for you.

Review more industry related articles by Catherine Zandueta at CareersandEducation.com. Catherine Zandueta is a feature writer and often covers topics related to Campus Degree Programs and Career advice.

3 Quick Steps For Making Quality Points For The MBA Group Discussion

For those having cleared the IIM CAT exam and other entrance exams of XLRI, IIFT, FMS- Delhi, JBIMS, the preparation for appearing for the Group Discussion involves having a clear strategy for the same.

Here are 3 quick steps for making quality points in the actual Group Discussion

(1) Information: Make clear concise statements; use data in your statements for effective communication. However avoid data overload- novice speakers often imagine that if they ejaculate a stream of information then the Group Discussion panel will soak it up like a sponge and become instantly informed, persuaded or convinced. The actual retention level lasts only 15 seconds of the actual statement.

(2) Emotions: the Group Discussion panel is not only evaluating your knowledge but also your personality. You are being selected for being an MBA, You are expected to be Professional, positive and calm. Deliberate attempts or topics may be given that will evoke your emotions such as Reservation. Always talk objectively. The use of data in such topics will be regarded highly useful by the GD panel

(3) Impression: You want to portray your leadership skills to the Group Discussion Panel. So speak in the first-person, active voice as it is important that you convey the impression of action, involvement, and decisiveness. Your ability to blend economic news and speak economically viable solutions will be a key factor in creating a strong impression

Using these 3 quick steps will greatly enhance your ability to make a convincing impression on the Group Discussion Panel, and help you get that prize seat for the MBA institute of your choice.

For more FREE TIPS on preparing for a Group Discussion/Personal Interview USING ECONOMIC CONCEPTS AND USEFUL GROUP DISCUSSION STRATEGIES based on economic solutions. Visit www.mbainterview.in

Priyanka is a MBA from IIM- Bangalore and works as a communication specialist. Her website http://www.mbainterview.in provides useful tips for MBA aspirants to succeed in the MBA Group Discussion

To MBA, or not to MBA - Is that the Question

I was attending a Seminar a short while ago being headed by Simon Woodroffe (the driving force behind Yo!Sushi). Simon is a very entertaining speaker and touched on an interesting idea. That idea was central to those people who consider that to be a true entrepreneur you need the prerequisite of a selection of qualifications. In this case, the difference between an MBA or, as Simon put it, ‘attending the University of Life' (a great expression). This prompted my own idea for today's ‘121 Tip'. Just out of interest, which one do you think he is more in favour of?

So, have you been looking to firm up your business skills by finally going for that MBA? Or thinking that you need to be more ‘qualified' before you take that extra step in the direction of your business success?

While I do advocate that you should attain to be an expert in your field, let's consider the qualifications that you need to be a lifetime member of the ‘University of Life':

As Entrepreneurs to be a member of this University here's what we agree to do:

 

• Generate new ideas and imaginative solutions on a continual basis!
• Encourage creativity in others. Inspire and empower your team out of their day to day complacency and motivate them to feel valued in your business.
• Be aware of threats but focus on opportunity. Regularly look for signs of threat (either from inside or outside of your business) and rather than fearing it ask yourself: "Where is the potential in this threat and what to I need to do?"
• Never accept the status quo ... ask yourself how you can ‘shake things up'. Just because your competition has always done things a certain way doesn't mean you follow the fold - especially if they're slowly going out of business!
• Bring your ideas to life and provide forward-oriented goals and objectives for yourself and your team.
• Take the word "can't," from your vocabulary. Realise that that barriers (real or imaginary) are simply temporary roadblocks and little ‘tests' that you can get around with some creative thinking.
• It's easy to get knock backs in business and in life. Accept all your challenges with passion and enthusiasm.
• Relish the opportunity to have your ideas challenged and debated, knowing that by engaging this process you and your team can turn a simple idea into a great idea.
• Instead of saying "It won't work," ask the question, "How can we make it work?"

Now what ideas have sprung to mind from this timely tip? Pick just one and play with it - then remember that without action it's just another idea...

 

To Your Success,

Mike Yates

Coaching gives you: Training-Inspiration-Motivation-Education

121 Business Ltd, Unit 33 Stephenson Road, St Ives, Cambs, PE27 3WJ

T: 0870 16 24 121 F: 0870 16 24 122

E: info@121business.co.uk W: www.121business.co.uk

©MikeYates121BusinessLtd 2006

Mike Yates is a Business Growth Specialist, trainer, speaker and author who inspires and motivates business owners to create and attain their business and lifestyle goals and to accelerate business growth and success. Utilising the most advanced business tools and business strategies, Mike practices the belief that running a business should be a fun and rewarding experience which encourages a life / work balance that enables business owners to work 'on' their business rather than 'in' it and to attain their life dreams

The Top MBA Schools in the United States - Based on Employment and Average Salary Post Graduation

A Close Look at the Best MBA Colleges in the Nation – With Statistics

If you are looking for the top MBA schools in the United States, then you must be business minded. Many questions can be brought up when you are asked to rank the best business schools in North America. On what basis do you rate a business school? Do you rank them based on recent graduates experiences or do you rank them based on the return that you will receive by attending a business school? Well, for most business minded people, the answer is simple-rank them on your return in plain old dollars and cents. So, here it is: The Top Ten Best Business Schools in North America according to the top financial business leaders-Forbes.

1. HARVARD

Graduate Stats:38% of graduates are hired in the Northeast United States.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates is $93,050 with a signing bonus of $20,000.

Tuition Stats: The class of 2004 paid $64,000 in tuition.

2. COLUMBIA

Graduate Stats:11% of graduates were hired in Europe. 5% were hired in Asia and 3% were hired in Latin America.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates is $90,000 with a signing bonus of $25,000.

Tuition Stats:The class of 2004 paid $67,000 in tuition.

3. CHICAGO

Graduate Stats:34% of graduates were hired in the Midwest and 24% were hired in the Northeast.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates was $85,000 with a signing bonus of $20,000.

Tuition Stats: The class of 2004 paid $67,000 in tuition.

4. DARTMOUTH (Tuck)

Graduate Stats:59% of graduates were hired in the Northeast.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates was $87,000 with a signing bonus of $20,000.

Tuition Stats:The class of 2004 paid $67,000 in tuition.

5. YALE

Graduate Stats:63% of graduates were hired in the Northeast.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates was $85,000 with a signing bonus of $18,000.

Tuition Stats:The class of 2004 paid $65,000 in tuition.

6. PENNSYLVANIA (Wharton)

Graduate Stats:38% of graduates were hired in the Northeast.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates was $85,000 with a signing bonus of $20,000.

Tuition Stats:The class of 2004 paid $58,000 in tuition.

7. STANFORD

Graduate Stats:54% of graduates were hired in the West.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates was $95,000 with a signing bonus of $20,000.

Tuition Stats:The class of 2004 paid $70,000 in tuition.

8. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA (Kenan-Flagler)

Graduate Stats:32% of graduates were hired in the South.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates was $82,000 with a signing bonus of $15,000.

Tuition Stats:The class of 2004 paid $54,000 in tuition.

9. NORTHWESTERN (Kellogg)

Graduate Stats:34% of the graduates were hired in the Midwest, 16% were hired in the Northeast and 16% were hired in the West.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates was $85,000 with a signing bonus of $20,000.

Tuition Stats:The class of 2004 paid $66,000 in tuition.

10. VIRGINIA (Darden)

Graduate Stats:36% of the graduates were hired in the Northeast, 21% were hired in the Mid-Atlantic, and 13% were hired in the South.

Salary Stats: The base salary for first year graduates was $85,000 with a signing bonus of $20,000.

Tuition Stats:The class of 2004 paid $64,000.

So there you have it, the best returns on your college education.

© GradResumes.com – specializes in writing graduate resumes and college admission documents. With dozens of professional resume writers and education specialists, and some of the finest editing staff in the industry, GradResumes.com has effectively helped thousands of clients launch their post-graduate careers and successfully gain admission to their schools of choice. Any reproduction or reprint of this article must include this information.

What Kind of Jobs Can I Get With an MBA?

Wondering whether or not an MBA will truly advance your career in business? Read this article to discover what kind of jobs you can expect to get with an MBA degree.

What is an MBA?

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is granted after one or two years of study at a graduate level institution. Students who are enrolled in an MBA program receive training in the theory and practice of business management. This degree can increase the number of jobs that you are qualified for, as well as your earning potential.

Jobs for Grads with an MBA Degree

Earning an MBA degree can make you much more valuable to employers. This degree certifies that you are prepared to handle almost any management role found in a modern corporation or organization. The type of job best suited for an MBA grad depends on the type of MBA degree that was achieved.

For example, an MBA grad that specialized in marketing will easily be able to obtain employment in the marketing field, while an MBA grad that specialized in finance will be best suited for a position in the finance industry. General MBAs, on the other hand, can secure employment in almost any business sector.

MBA grads most commonly work in the following fields:

· Accounting
· Consulting
· Finance
· General Management
· Human Resources
· Marketing
· Sales

Salary Potential for MBA Grads

MBA grads can command higher salaries than those who have not obtained a master's degree. Base salaries for MBA grads typically start out above $80,000, with total compensation amounting to more that $100,000 when benefits, bonuses, and profit sharing figures are taken into account.

Visit http://www.businessadmin101.com to find more information about MBA Degrees. Also, visit businessadmin101.com to find information about Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Can You Out Market an MBA in the Real World?

Are you worried because you are up against a huge company with millions of marketing dollars? Do you have competitors who have MBA Marketing Degrees? Are you worried that you cannot compete? Well if you are let me tell you right now; Don’t be! You can out market anyone and win over your customers.

How do I know? Well, our company did this in every city we went to over and over again. We flat won markets and we smoked the competition with huge advertising and marketing budgets and yes they were ALL MBAs and had degrees in marketing.

In fact, I can remember competing against many of them in many regions and well, they blow money like it is going out of style and it is free? Silly really. I once had a franchisee in our company; Carwashguys.com whose father in-law was a war planner for the Pentagon and retired and he came to visit my home in California once. We had maps all over the wall and he said to me; My God we invaded countries with less information than you have here? I laughed and he said; No, I am serious.

Then I got quiet and it finally hit me, no wonder no one could ever compete with our marketing teams, what we were doing was miles apart from anything that they teach in school. Of course what we were doing was what we learned worked thru trial an error and we were efficient and we focused on one thing; Winning! This is an unclassified glimpse of what I am talking about; kind of another way we use to do it;

http://www.truckwashguy.com/vegasexpansion.shtml

I can tell you this, we never missed a beat, we slaughtered the competition; they did not have a prayer. But it was kind of fun to compete against kids with unlimited budgets from Corporate America, if they were really smart they would have simply hired me to show them how? No disrespect to the business schools, many are quite good actually, but you know there is time when the rubbers need to meet the road you see? And that is when the talk stops and winners race on!

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

MBA: Sweeping Changes for the Mortgage Industry

A special report organized by the Mortgage Bankers Association looks at the future of the mortgage industry in the US.

Last fall, the MBA helped organize an independent group to identify future trend in the mortgage industry.

According to the "Council to Sahpe Change," the next five to ten years will show sweeping changes in the $12 trillion mortgage industry. The Council specifically expects the industry to continue to consolidate, while fragmenting components into smaller portions that can be "isolated, optomized, automated and outsourced."

The fragmentation could lead to disintegrating cash flows and smaller risks for mortgage investments, according to the study.

In return, lenders will be expected to place the ability to cross-sell a diversity of financial products to exitsting customers as a top priority.

Many financial institutions have already began the process of making this happen, according to the Council report.

Borrowers are expected to begin to view a mortgage as a normal financial product. Many will become open to more innovative products. The changing patterns of regional migration and the growing number of immigrants will help to change the industry.

According to the Council, the baby boomer phenomenon will affect even the mortgage industry. Many older seniors are expected to reconsider traditional notions of debt management.

The scope and intesity of industry regulation is expected to increase, according tot the Council. This could lead to higher costs for consumers.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Get Your MBA in Real Estate Investing In Less Than 12 Months: Your Mega Bank Account

I used to be one of the many people who think that you have to have a lot of money to get started in real estate investing. But it's just not true!

But on the other side we've all heard the gurus talk about how easy it is to invest in real estate with Other People's Money (OPM). But that's not entirely true either.

What is true is that there are many ways to accumulate lots of money through real estate if you have the right team and are using the right strategies at the right time.

The team is such an important piece of the puzzle - these are the people that are going to make each deal happen. Real Estate is a networking business, and I didn't say a NOT-work business. The more people you know, the easier it is to run your business. Period.

When your team is in place is when your MBA starts accelerating. I have a lot of people on my team, and yes, that means I have to share the profits. But I can do more deals in less time with fewer headaches. Makes sense to me.

This is one of the most important concepts for building wealth quickly. One that almost every type of guru out there tells us to do. But one that seems to get the most resistance. Many people want to do it themselves because they don't want to split the profits, or pay for the help.

I'm telling you from experience that you need to do whatever you need to do to build your team. Contractors, lawyers, mentors, coaches, project managers, assistants, bookkeepers, CPAs, and the list goes on.

I've paid for many coaches. I'm grateful that I have a mentor who is congruent with my own dreams. I've also created many joint ventures with other team players that have cost me nothing but my time or my experience, and made me lots of money. But it's because I built my team that I was able to do that.

Now let's talk about the strategies. There are many ways to do real estate deals with OPM, but if you're in a hurry to make some money, the fastest way that I have found to work is the Assignment of Contract method.

Here's what this means: you find and negotiate a deal with the seller, for a certain price with certain conditions, giving you so many days to find a buyer. Whether it's you or somebody else. When you're assigning the contract you're entering into with the same exact terms as you got into.

This contract is where all the details are: How much you'll pay for the house (even though you're not going to pay for it personally), how long you have to come up with the money (This gives you the time to find the end buyer for the deal - another reason to build your team).

Then when you find the buyer - you sell this contract to the buyer - with the same specified terms. So if you say that you'd close in 30 days, and it takes you 15 days to line up a buyer, you have 15 days to close. Or whatever other terms you stipulated in the contract.

Preferably you're working with great deals, properties you can get for 70 or 80 cents on the dollar. And that's because you will ALWAYS find buyers for these deals.

Once you have the seller under contract, you start promoting the deal through your network, list with a realtor, put an ad in the paper, whatever works. Then you have the seller, you have the buyer - you simply sell the contract.

Once you get started and get your feet wet, you can do 3 or 4 or 5 of these a month - or as much as your team can handle. I've done many projects where I've sold the contracts for a flat fee to another investor or rehabber. It's a great way to build your bank account when you don't have a lot to start with.

Like I said: Get Your MBA (Mega Bank Account) in Less Than 12 Months!

Raul Luna officially became a millionaire before he turned 21! This successful speaker and educator is turning ordinary people into millionaires. Discover his secrets: http://www.moonvesting.com

MBA Schools; Are They Worth It?

If you are considering a career in business then you know you must get an MBA. But what if you are going to start your own company or work with a fast moving start-up? Well perhaps an MBA may not be what it once was. Why is that you ask?

Well as an entrepreneur I have some comments about all this. You see, as far as academia is concerned, I have given enough speeches at enough colleges and universities teaching business to know that those kids are not as bright as purported. Some of the questions they ask after or during the speeches scare me to think these kids will soon be business people. Well not in my company, that is for sure. Scary stuff. Does that mean the kids are stupid; No, certainly not, they simply have not been taught how the real world works.

Currently, I have very little use for academics other than the scientific research in hyper advancing technologies and even that is limited to certain programs within only certain schools. You see, Universities are too liberal, deny observation for political correctness and talk too much and do little of anything? Yet sport their high-flying resumes in everyone's face as if they actually know something that those who do it every day do not.

So, the possibility of real entrepreneuer doing business with an academic? Probably not, except to sell them on an idea or an account to solve a problem that has perplexed them and they cannot figure out an efficient method to do it themselves due to being stuck in linear academic thought while shackled and watching flickerings as cave dwellers. Consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Tobin MBA Graduate Invents International Product

Queens -
November, 2006—Angie Parlionas was always fond of lip gloss as a child, constantly reapplying it throughout the school day, so she thought, “wouldn’t it be great if the lip gloss could be permanently attached to me?” That was the day YOYO Lip Gloss was born. The lip gloss, made in five different shades, is attached to a retractable reel that clips onto your jeans, making it easily accessible.

The groundwork of her project began with a search to confirm no other similar product was currently on the market. When no exact matches were found, Angie proceeded to build a business plan, based on what she had learned in Professor Larry Boone’s Entrepreneurship class in 2003. This plan helped her to determine profit potential, industry and target consumer information, and growth potential within the US cosmetics industry.

Outlined in her plan, Angie estimated that the female teen, tween and young adult segments, aged 8 to 24, will reach $34 million in 2010 and that this same market accounts for 20% of all US cosmetic sales.

To create the vision of YOYO Lip Gloss, Angie had a designer, and personal friend of hers, create the characters, packaging and brochures of the product. From that point she got online and researched manufacturers around the world and chose three in Zhejiang, China because of their excellent pricing and communication skills. Angie and her mother, who is also an investor in YOYO Lip Gloss, traveled to Guangzhou, China to attend The Canton Fair and to meet her manufacturers of choice.

When Angie first came up with the idea of YOYO Lip Gloss she had no idea how she would find the money to finance her project. That’s when she remembered what she learned about venture capitalist funding in Dr. Boone’s class, and asked her parents, to invest in her invention. Angie was pleasantly surprised, however, by the enthusiasm that so many others showed in her product. Angie says, “I live YOYO Lip Gloss. It is all I think about and there is no doubt in my mind that this product will be profitable.”

Top 7 Things They Do Not Teach You in MBA School

Often when I give speeches at MBA schools I am flabbergasted by some of the questions that I get from the students. It is often as if the students have no concept of reality and that is very scary for a potential employer. It is even more scary to think that they are being taught by a professor who has never actually been in business but only studied the theory and written textbooks on how to do something that he has never succeeded at.

Nevertheless this is the case at many MBA schools. Not all are like this of course, many other top MBA instructors have been in business and come back to teach. But the superstars of business are still in business and they have no time to teach.

Some more critical of MBA schools say that; “Those that can't teach” and I myself have turned that phrase in a good number of articles on business. Indeed, this may be the case at many MBA schools. There are many things they do not teach you at MBA schools and there are many books written on the subject.

One of the most serious things that they do not teach is that when doing business deals they are never cut and dry or black and white. Everything is a shade of gray and you need to be a little bit pragmatic in order to make it work. I hope you will consider all this in 2006, as perhaps it might help you in your business career in the future.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

 

Using Low Grades As Assets In Admission Essays For College Or MBA School

You are seriously aiming to apply to the college or business school of your choice. You have taken the required tests, and now, you are ready for the grueling application process. In particular, you need to pay attention to the College Admission Essay, or MBA essay as part of your application, since the college admission essay or MBA essay allows you to explain certain weaknesses in your grades. Many colleges and universities still have reservations on admitting applicants whose school records contain grades that they consider low as per their standards. And this is your big dilemma. How to explain your low grades. This is where the College Admission Essay or MBA essay will play a vital role.

In cases where you unfortunately received a bad grade, the best thing to do is to give a valid and genuine reason. Do not ignore it, but address it head on. In the college admission essay or MBA essay you have the golden opportunity to explain your low grades and provide rational reasons on why these grades are not necessarily reflective on your potential as a student. Offer a specific example to explain your side of the issue. For instance, you can say that personal problems (sick family member or unexpected accident) kept you from focusing more on your studies.

Just try to keep in mind that your aim in your explanation in the admission essay or MBA essay is not to make excuses nor create tall tales to cover the fact that you have a low grade in one or two subject areas. The goal is to emphasize the reality that the bad grade was not because you failed to study but because circumstances were simply beyond your control. Make it a point to stress that it was just a temporary setback and that overall, your school record is still academically excellent, and that you are worthy of admission to the school of your choice. In fact, you may want to explain how such unexpected experiences actually made you into a better person, a more mature and understanding person, who now appreciates life more and is more driven than ever before. Your primary goal should be to convey to the reader that you are a better person as a result of your personal experiences, which in turn make you a better candidate for admission.

Also, remember that different schools place different weights on test scores or grades and may emphasize your college admission essay or MBA essay instead. Rather, they look more into your extracurricular activities since the approach of their program is the total development of an individual. In such cases, lower grades may not be as crucial in the admissions process, but you should still aim to explain them as best as you can, and doing so can best be done in the College Admission Essay or MBA essay.

For more valuable information on MBA Essay and College Admission Essay please visit http://www.admissionsessays.com

MBA: The Master of Business Administration And Your Career

Holding an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree used to be a virtual guarantee of a good job and high paying salary.

While the benefits of holding an MBA don't necessarily guarantee that you'll get a better job and more money anymore, holding the designation can certainly help you in more ways than one.

I graduated from an undergraduate business program and found myself in the same classroom as MBA students during my senior year. We essentially took some of the same classes and I got to see firsthand how MBA classes operate.

Generally, classes were based on course work, case studies, exams, projects and class participation.

Verbally participating in class can be a big component of your final mark in MBA programs.

As a recruiter, I've worked with plenty of companies who won't hire a new staff member if they don't hold a certain level of education ie. a university degree.

In some companies, advancement to senior management could be at least somewhat dependent on holding a post graduate degree such as an MBA especially if other managers in the company already hold one.

In that regard, holding an MBA might help to qualify you for certain jobs that might otherwise be unattainable.

Among other things, an MBA can also help prepare you to compete in the business world by developing your communications and presentation skills, improve your ability to debate and get your point across in a business setting, and expose you to various business functions ie. finance, marketing, HR, etc.

Further it helps you to understand how each of these business functions work together and are correlated in the business world.

o learn more about the MBA program, visit http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/mba.html

Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who has written an ebook for career-minded individuals: http://www.RecruiterSecretsRevealed.com

Recruiter Secrets Revealed sheds light on job search and career management "secrets" that you can use to supercharge your career and distinguish yourself from other job searchers.

Executive MBA: The Executive Masters of Business Administration

The Executive MBA (Executive Masters of Business Administration) is an increasingly popular option for business professionals who want to improve their skills and add a degree to their resume.

The Executive MBA is also an increasingly popular option for business schools who realize that offering such a program can bring a great deal of income, prestige and attention to their school.

With typical programs fees ranging from $20,000 - $100,000 (and perhaps even higher depending on the specific program and the demand) it's not a cheap option.

The idea behind the Executive MBA is to provide experienced professionals the opportunity to gain a professional university degree in business without having to quit their job.

In this regard an Executive MBA can provide you with flexibility to continue your education without too much disruption in your professional and private lives.

In addition to looking good on your resume, an Executive MBA can help you gain important insight into current and future trends in the business world, expose you to new contacts who might be relevant to your career and also help you improve upon existing skills or learn new ones that you can apply in your current position.

Increasingly, there are options available for busy, working professionals who want to attain a certain educational level but don't have the time to do so with "traditional" classroom-led programs and might not have the ability to quit their job to pursue it.

For more information on the Executive MBA and other educational options including online options, visit http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/executive-mba-program.html

Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who has written an ebook for career-minded individuals: http://www.RecruiterSecretsRevealed.com

Recruiter Secrets Revealed sheds light on job search and career management "secrets" that you can use to supercharge your career and distinguish yourself from other job searchers.

Consultancies return to MBA hiring

These days a top MBA is almost a prerequisite in order to reach senior or even mid-management levels at many of the major consulting firms. The leading strategy consultancies in particular have redoubled their recruiting efforts: McKinsey hired over five hundred MBAs in 2005 and this figure was set to rise in 2006; Booz Allen Hamilton, BCG, Bain and IBM Consulting all hired over one hundred MBAs in 2005 and were expecting increases again in 2006. By comparison, the larger banks have been hiring as few as two hundred MBAs a year and the numbers relating to the technology and industry sectors are significantly lower again.

According to the 2005 TopMBA.com Recruitment and Salary Survey, demand for MBAs in the consultancy sector rose by a colossal 35% in just twelve months (June 2004-5), and it’s a trend that looks set to continue. The dip in economy and the consulting market at the start of the decade meant that many consultants used the time to study for an MBA; now that the market is on the rise again, consultancies are looking to these MBA graduates with prior consulting experience to meet their needs.

More MBAs hired from non-consulting backgrounds.

There are also an increasing number of MBA graduates who are being hired from a non-consulting background. Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, for example, reports that in 2005 only 13% of those entering a consulting career post-MBA had previous experience in the field. Similarly, at INSEAD Business School in France the number of graduates being hired into consulting from different backgrounds, such as industry, rose from 36% to 47% in one year (2003-4). What is behind the change? Consultancies are recognising the diversity and wealth of experience and expertise that candidates from a non-consulting background can bring, particularly as the average age and work history of MBA students rises. There is an increasing need for consultants with specialist skills and knowledge and these attributes can often be acquired outside the consulting profession.

Strong UK market attracts more MBAs than anywhere else in Europe.

Demand for MBA graduates is particularly strong in the UK. The healthy economy and policy to attract highly skilled migrants make it the most popular destination for European MBA graduates. Overall the UK drew 23% of INSEAD students in 2005 and of those choosing to remain within western Europe, it attracted an enormous 37% (the next most popular destination being France with 18% and Germany with 8%).

Consulting remains a highly lucrative option for MBA graduates.

According to the 2005 annual report from the London Business School, earnings for consulting jobs outweighed those in both finance and industry, averaging at £65,000 per annum before bonuses. This compares with an average figure of £58,000 for those who found jobs in the finance sector and £55,000 for those in industry. Employees also received an average annual bonus of £25,000 and a sign-on bonus in the region of £10,500. Companies are also attempting to lure in the brightest graduates by offering a range of perks, from company cars to all-expenses-paid days out.

Lifestlye and choice are stronger motivations than salary.

Interestingly, though, the reason that are given by the majority of MBA graduates for making consulting their preferred career choice is not high salaries. According to the students, the real motivation for making the move into consulting is the career and lifestyle options it can bring – the opportunity to find a stimulating and varied role with the chance to progress in different directions.

This article has been provided by Mindbench. For more information about MBA Recruitment visit: http://www.mindbench.com/Consultants/MBA-Recruitment.aspx

What Can An MBA Do For Your Career?

It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required – Sir Winston Churchill.

An MBA helps you acquire the broadest range of people skills and a perfected set of proven management skills in addition to helping you develop your thought processes. An MBA also prepares you for positions of leadership. Simply put, an MBA helps you become a leader with appropriate leadership tool set. Once you get these things under your belt, which is the essence of getting an MBA, the things such as making the “right career move” and “achieving your goals” all fall into their logical place.

What Does An MBA Teach You?

An MBA helps you by broadening your educational horizons. As an MBA you are looked upon to lead teams and carry out the goals of an organization. MBA’s are routinely called upon to implement tasks that require both strong leadership skills and vision.

1. Personality Development: The general aptitude that one has developed during his or her undergraduate studies will need to be translated into management ability. During the course of MBA studies, students learn various aspects of business activities and the intricate nuances involved.

2. Leadership Ability: Leadership abilities are not limited to those who born leaders. The characteristics of leadership such as composed nature, analytical abilities, an eye for detail and identifying winning strategies are instilled during the course of MBA. A manager is looked upon as a leader having vision and ability to lead from the front and by example. Six Sigma Professionals often have as much, if not more, leadership potential than newly-minted MBA’s.

3. Domain Expertise: An MBA is supposed to be a person of resource. If for example, marketing is your chosen field for MBA, you will deeply study the science of marketing and selling consumer and capital goods. This goal is also achieved by studying the psychology of the market as a whole as well as consumers. As an MBA student, you will also study how to quantify the market, budgeting and how to manage corporate finance.

Characteristics of an MBA

There are several attributes of an MBA. But the critical one which differentiates an MBA (or any good manager, for that matter) from others is the understanding of the difference between choosing a conventional approach and a radical approach, on a case by case basis. In addition to this, through an MBA you will learn the intricacies of planning, goal setting, and interpersonal skills (being a team player). You will identify the importance of building relationships with your employees; creating a good working environment, developing intuition, commitment and discipline. This list also includes work culture, competence and the ability to delegate tasks.

What Does All This Do For You?

Brainstorming, which is the mainstay MBA training, teaches the techniques of developing great ideas and strategies. But more than that, apart from your academics, you learn composure, empathy and team building skills which are all the qualities of a good manager.

Large corporations are looking for more and more MBAs for their senior positions not because others are incompetent, but because MBAs will have learned things that would take years for others to learn without going through a formal MBA program.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions – Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts

MBA Applications and Your Application Essay

Lvy League admission officials revealed that the best chance of a candidate to get accepted lies in his application essay. That is why your purpose in writing your MBA essay should be similar to the purpose of a college admission essay. Years back, weren't you thinking that your goal was to make your dream university think that you're a worthy student to walk through its halls? The same goes for the MBA application. Double the effort you exerted in writing your college application essay but think along the same lines. Below are reasons why MBA essays are not resumes or a reiteration of your grades and accomplishments.

Limited space is allotted for MBA application essays, so there is simply no space for unnecessary details. Skills and academic excellence are expected and commonplace in the competition. After all, no one in his right mind will aspire for an MBA if his brain dried out in college or in writing his college application essay. Your SAT scores and excellent academic records might have helped to get you in your dream college. Collegiate achievements undoubtedly have had a role to play in getting you a good job. But members of an MBA admission board are not to be steam-rolled by grades and professional history alone. If you're an overachiever, you are likely just one of the many overachievers trying to get into the same MBA program. You all have good academic records and professional accomplishments but impressive resumes don't really cut it in for the admissions board. There is no way to get accepted in an MBA program without distinguishing yourself from other applicants except in an MBA essay. So weeding out information like these is not only wise but practical.

Similar to how a college admission essay is evaluated, MBA admission boards evaluate MBA essays for traits and non-academic qualities of the candidates. Obviously, personality is not measured in grades. The members of the board want ambition, honesty, maturity, diplomacy, and other traits in their students. They evaluate inter and intra-personal strengths in their potential students. They want dynamism and enthusiasm -- individuals who have interests outside the academe and actually experienced what it's like to live (if you want to be poetic about it). If you recall, your high school adviser gave you the same advice regarding your jargon habit and verbose essay. Do not repeat the same mistakes in your MBA essay. Flamboyant words take up too much space and a highly-technical language hides your personality which defeats the purpose of your MBA essay.

You might be surprised but Ivy League admission officials actually claim that the best essays they've read (read: those they accepted) often talks about a key memory, an important experience, a hobby - things the authors felt passionate about. The topics seem like the kinds people use in writing a college admission essay but they are highly effective for MBA application essays. The two are similar to each other although at varying levels. A college admission essay shows universities what a student wants to achieve and how they are influenced by the people around them. The same goes for the MBA; the board wants to see how you've matured because of your experiences. They are not interested in your high marks but how you achieved them. Or more likely, how you managed to have a life while performing excellently in academics. So take a deep breath and erase all resume info in your MBA essay. After all, the resume is already part of your application.

For more valuable information on MBA Essay and College Admission Essay, please visit http://www.admissionsessays.com

How to Prepare for MBA Entrance Exams

Vince Lombardi once said “Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.” Success in MBA Entrance Exam in India is also no cake walk. You need in-depth knowledge, analytical mind, sharp memory and above all, systematic planning and preparation. Needless to say that the candidates cannot and should not attempt preparation for his MBA Entrance Test overnight. Since the competition is amongst the best available talent from all disciplines, meticulous and long term preparation are required to get admitted to the MBA program. Although the syllabi in the admission/entrance test differ from university to university, there are certain common aspects that appear in most of the entrance test, CAT, XAT, MAT, XLRI, SNAP and MBA Entrance Exams conducted by State Universities in one form or the other. These aspects include tests on quantitative aptitude, reasoning, intelligence, comprehension, case analysis, relationships, word power, synonyms, antonyms, general knowledge/awareness, etc. It is therefore, essential that the candidates start preparing well in advance on all the above aspects. If one can get hold of previous year's papers or at least the pattern, this would go a long way in guiding the candidates to prepare properly for the test.

Here are some tips to prepare on important aspects which are common to most of the MBA entrance examinations in India:

(1) Quantitative Aptitude: A candidate seeking admission to MBA programme is expected to have aptitude for basic and elementary accounting as well as the knack of solving the simple arithmetic problems. This is one of the areas in the admission test which, if properly prepared and practiced, is likely to put the candidate ahead of others, as one can hope to score even 100% marks in this part. There may be several types of questions that may form part of quantitative aptitude test. The first category could be simple arithmetic problems including profit and loss, percentages, ratio, averages, partnership, etc. Such problems involve simple calculations and with a little practice and basic aptitude, can be solved correctly. The second category of questions could involve multiplication or divisions in 5 to 6 figures or decimals. It may be quite time-consuming if the candidates start actually attempting the entire calculations. Since the candidates are required to work against time it is not advisable to waste time on such calculations. With a little practice, the candidates can easily eliminate most of the choices straightaway to arrive at the correct answer even without any calculations. This can be achieved if the candidates look at all the choices carefully before actually attempting the calculations. Another category of questions may be directed at testing only the intelligence of the candidate and not his/her ability to calculate. There may be some other questions aimed at testing the common sense of the candidates. The entire area of quantitative aptitude, therefore, needs constant practice to calculate quickly with accuracy. More practice is also essential for the candidates to gain confidence in this part of the test. Even if a candidate does not have the basic aptitude for figure-work, he/she can make up for this deficiency by regular practice and a lot of hard work. It is strongly recommended that the candidates practice and attempt all the questions on quantitative.

(b) Logical Reasoning: Questions on logical reasoning may be of several types and in several forms. These could include a statement on which the candidates are asked to draw correct interference out of the given choices. There could be questions on series of words and figures, arrangement of alphabets, brain teasers or even such questions as only call for drawing logical inferences. Just like quantitative aptitude test, this portion of admission test also needs special and detailed preparations and practice. Most of the questions under this category infact test the common sense and sense of proportion and reasoning among the candidates and therefore, must be attempted with a cool head. In case of statements, the given statement as well as choices given must be read at least twice before choosing the right answer. In case there are more than three questions on arrangements of alphabets, it is advisable to write down all the alphabets on the rough work sheet. This will facilitate easy and quick attempt of questions on alphabets. Similarly, there could be certain questions on distances traveled in different directions. In such questions it is proper to draw a rough diagram giving distances traveled in various directions to get the correct answer. Constant practice in the questions on reasoning would make the candidates confident to tackle this particular aspect of the test. To do well in this part of the test, the candidates must therefore, practice hard.

(c) Comprehension Test: Comprehension test is aimed at gauging the understanding of English language by the candidates. Usually, a paragraph is given which the candidates are required to go through carefully and then answer the question by choosing the correct answer. To attempt this part speedily and correctly, the candidates must practice reading with a quick speed and understanding the entire passage. Answer to most of the questions are easily located within the passage itself. But there are certain questions, answers to which are not directly available in the given passage. Such questions can only be answered by those candidates who can understand the passage fully. Regular practice would help the candidates to attempt the comprehension test in more effective and appropriate manner. Tests of English language given in every issue of this magazine invariably contain small comprehension passages. Practice of such passages may be of great help to the candidates for preparing this test.

(d) General Awareness: As the name suggests, the test of general awareness aims to judge the general knowledge of the candidates. Basic facts about all aspects of general knowledge like Science, Geography, History, Economics, Polity, etc are essentially required to be known. A good knowledge of all branches of general knowledge is essential which can only be achieved by reading good books. Reading Newspapers regularly will keep you updated in whatever important is happening around the world.

 Anurag Chopra is the Webmaster of http://www.successcds.net - A complete resource portal for Entrance Exams for Professional Courses in India.

MBA And Tertiary Education Programs in China

With China becoming the 6th largest economy in 2004 and likely to rank 4th in 2005, this is likely to fuel further anxieties over the impact of China`s rising economic might for the world economic leaders. But for company executives and aspiring young entrepreneurs, it has become imperative to understand China so as to explore the increasing business opportunities in China.

One of the usual route for this is to study and build social networks at the leading Chinese universities. Latest available figures show that there were about 85,000 foreign students studying in China in 2002. Almost 500 Chinese universities, mainly in Shanghai and Bejing, accept foreign students. The top 5 universities with the largest foreign students are Beijing Language and Culture Center, Fudan, Peking, Tsinghua and Shanghai universities.

If you are planning to do a post-graduate MBA program while working in China, there are many learning organizations to choose from.

The University of Maryland`s Smith School of Business offers a degree, custom and certification programs at learning centers within Beijing and Shanghai. Smith`s first executive MBA program class started in Jan 2003 and graduated in spring 2004.

The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee`s School of Business Administration has recently launched an EMBA program in Beijing in partnership with Motorola for staff of Motorola`s China operations.

Together with the top-ranked Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, the University of British Columbia is also offering an International MBA in China. Besides having the same curriculam as its Canadian MBA, professors from the University of British Columbia teach all of the courses.

Another EMBA program is the Cass EMBA 2-year part-time off-campus program by City University from Britian which has been launched in collaboration with Bank of China and the Shanghai University of Finance & Economics.

Britain`s Nottingham University is the first foreign university to establish a physical campus in Ningbo in September 2004. Nottingham Ningbo`s degree is comparable with its degree from the British campus with all courses conducted in English.

The Chinese government is actively promoting more educational tie-ups in China to develop university graduates who will be better geared for the many multinational corporations operating in China and spearhead economic growth. Currently, there are about 700 such jointly managed educational programs in China.

With the many future and current leaders and managers in China enrolling in the many tertiary education and post-graduate MBA programs, it makes good career sense to take up these courses and build a social network which will be useful for operating within Chinese business community for the future.

Author Ken Yap is a director of Suwa Precision Engineering in Singapore and represents niche manufacturers of metal stamping, swiss screw machining, pcb fabrication and gear hobbing from Suwa, Japan.

Is an MBA Worth the Time and Money?

It depends what your priorities in life are. Before asking the question, you should be clear about what you are trying to achieve with an MBA. It does not only mean higher salary, better position but also much more working hours (50-100% more than for a normal job) and more responsibilities, more stress - you also have to be psychically and physically fit for this (consulting and management jobs require lots of travelling, adapting the body to quickly changing factors, less time with the family).

If you are ready for such a challenging life than the MBA is really worth the time and money.

Of, course, the MBA should be at least accredited by one of: EQUIS, AMBA or AACSB. It is an invaluable resource of networking, contacts, getting the soft skills to mastery level and getting the tools for a successful career in management, finance, marketing, etc..

Recommendable would be a 1-year full-time program, or an accredited part-time / distance MBA in order to keep the time and money factors as optimal as possible. Today there are so many offers available that you should really spend a while analysing the best oportunities. Having a look on the accreditation lists of AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, or on the Financial Times, Forbes or Businessweek rankings might also be helpful.

Ioan Hepes is currently working as Consultant in Hamburg, Germany. Prior to this he has worked in large corporations like IBM, Siemens and Airbus, an NGO which is part of the Open Society Foundation, a financial software company and as Teaching Assistant at the International University Bremen. He has a blog at: http://hepes.blogspot.com

Incredible But True: Twelve Completely Free MBA Courses

Incredible But True: Twelve Completely Free MBA Courses

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your website or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.

By S. Maurer

It seems incredible, but it is true.

The old Abet Open University created his non-profit Business Technology Open University - http://business-technology.us - totally free. Its operations are supported by ads - content oriented - of companies, inside the texts of the lessons. However, Business Technology is totally independent and without any connection with any manufacturer or consultant.

Its twelve free MBA courses are the following:

- MBA Business Administration & e-Company
- EMBA Executive Business Administration
- CIO Chief Information Officer
- ERP Enterprise Resources Planning
- CRM Customer Relationship Management
- SCM Supply Chain Management
- BI Business Intelligence & Data Mining
- BA Business Automation & Workflow Management
- HRM Human Resources Management
- CIMO Internet Marketing & Sales & e-Commerce
- Public Administration & e-Government
- PM Project Management.

Those 12 MBA courses are the so called Next-Generation because its teached matters are very modern, as the new management of companies and Governments, the new management technologies, etc.

Those courses are only in English and by correspondence, with 2 to 5 lessons a week and they durations varies from 1.5 up to 5.5 months. In the total they have 2,600 lessons and additionally more 11,000 complemental lessons, everything sent in e-mail attachments.

The pre-requirements for the registrations are one of the following:

- College/University graduated or in course to graduate, or

- Good job experience in the choiced MBA matter

and those registrations can be made individually or in groups of employees' of companies or Governments officers.

In the moment Business Technology already has 193,000 students from the entire World, and the projection for the end of this year is of more 400,000 students.

The business in the Internet more and more are of that model, some thing free be financed by ads in the sites. The booming Google is like this... This Business Technology model is the same, but financed by ads published inside the texts of the lessons. That is to say, free education financed by ads in the lessons, and more and more we will see this education model in the Internet in a not very distante future.

We believe that in more 5 to 10 years this will be a very standard education procedure used by a lot of open universities together with the accredited ones. A matter to think.

S. Maurer is a 53-years old college graduated IT professional, with 30 years of experience in the computer & technology business. Now is the Correspondence Courses Director of the Abet Open University: http://mba-open-university.net and http://distance-learning-mba-online-mba-program-executive-jobs.net

Entirely Free MBA of Customer Relationship Management CRM

The non-profit Business Technology Open University - http://business-technology.us - offer a completely free MBA of Customer Relationship Management CRM. Its operations are supported by ads - content oriented - of companies, inside the texts of the lessons. However, Business Technology is totally independent and without any connection with any manufacturer or consultant.

This course MBA of Customer Relationship Management CRM teaches the foundations of the administration of companies on the relationship with its external world, with the use of the modern information technology CRM, and its goal is to give you a general vision on what is now the CRM level.

More and more in the next 5 years the companies will need a CRM Customer Relationship Management, that uses the new technologies (computers, Internet, communications, etc) in all types of relationships with the external world of the company.

The Course presents a general vision of each one of the angles of a CRM, the computer system that actuate in reciprocity directly with the customers through voice by phone (and recognition of the voice, if necessary) without human actions, for marketing, sales, several types of supports, accounts, etc. To be abbreviate, in any relationship with a customer or a potential customer, or suppliers, etc.

In recent research with IT Managers, 46% answered that the CRM is the number one in its lists of priorities for the period 2006/2007.

The CRMs principle is very clear, if a company takes care of its traditional assets with the use of a computer system as always happened, why not to use the computer system - less and less expensive and simultaneously more powerful - to take care of the great assets that are its customers, vendors, potential customers, etc., that is to say to take care of its external world?

In fact, it's a paradox that a company give absolute priority to its standard assets, managed by the computer system, and has never used the same computer system to take care of its other great assets that is its external world.

This open MBA of Customer Relationship Management CRM are only in English and by correspondence, with 2 to 5 lessons a week and they durations varies up to 5.5 months. In the total the Business Technology fre courses have 2,600 lessons and additionally more 11,000 complemental lessons, everything sent in e-mail attachments.

The pre-requirements for the registrations are one of the following:

- College/University graduated or in course to graduate, or

- Good job experience in the choiced MBA matter

and those registrations can be made individually or in groups of employees' of companies or Governments officers.

In the moment Business Technology already has 193,000 students from the entire World, and the projection for the end of this year is of more 400,000 students.

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your website or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.

S. Maurer is a 53-years old college graduated IT professional, with 30 years of experience in the computer & technology business. Now is the Correspondence Courses Director of the Abet Open University: http://mba-open-university.net and http://distance-learning-mba-online-mba-program-executive-jobs.net.

MBA Dissertation: Managing Creativity and Innovation

There are a number of critical issues to master in the art of creativity and innovation management:

• What are the critical differences between creativity and innovation? Are different competencies required?

• Do "creative people" have common characteristics and, if so, what are they? Are they stable across situations?

• Can creativity be learned and developed or is it a special gift? Why is it that some people just are more creative?

• Why is motivation more important than nature or nurture? How can it be enhanced, measured and managed?

• Blocks and unlocking. Organisational culture. We can all be more creative, so what is stopping us? What properties of an organisational culture cultivate productivity?

• What properties of an organisational structure foster creativity and innovation? Organisational structure results from a number of factors and modifying it is often not desireable, so how do we get around this?

• What is the most effective team structure?

• What is the role of knowledge? How do we effectively collaborate and use networks to frame-break and reduce path dependency? How do we tap into tacit knowledge? Does mastering all the literature foster creativity and innovation or does over-specialisation cause blinkered vision?

• What are the differences between radical and incremental creativity and the consequences for structures, processes, skills and resources? Is it wiser to target radical or incremental ideas?

• Is there value in structure and goals or is "do your best" more effective?

• Is there a process that makes insight, eureka, the aha! experience more likely? Does this process allow us to produce a stream of consistently good ideas?

• How do we value an idea, so as to decide how to invest resources? How do we risk manage the innovation process

Learn more…

The Complete MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity and Innovation can be found at http://managing-creativity.com

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com

MBA Research Project - Creativity, Innovation and Effective Teams

The right team structure is essential for a variety of endeavours. let alone creativity and innovation.

Defining creativity as problem identification and idea generation and innovation as idea selection, development and commercialisation, it becomes easy to see how team structures can vary according to the specific area of the creativity and innovation process.

There are essentially four possible structures:

a) The single individual - many single individuals have been known to make significant contributions in their fields - Einstein etc. But can you separate the idea from its influences? Individuals also suffer a high degree of path dependency.

b) The pair. This structure goes some way to overcoming path dependencies but does not benefit from the intellectual cross pollination of large groups.

c) The small group. Intellectual cross pollination increases but so do core and peripheral information pathways, creating hierarchies and restricting information flow.

d) The large group. Very high levels of intellectual cross pollination but an increase in group think, a decline in individual performance, higher evaluation apprehension, an increase in political behaviour and more.

In conclusion, it seems that a pair and small group combinations are most effective overall. But different combinations geared for the specific endeavour produce the best results overall.

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

The MBA research project and other creativity and innovation tools can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/. You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen After Wife Gets MBA

Hesh, where is your business plan?” It was a question I expected from my banker, but not from my wife. She tried to sweeten it by adding, “honey?” It didn’t help. I looked at her in disgust. I realized I had created a monster.

Let me explain. I had encouraged Sue to go back to school. The kids were entering middle school, she was bored with car pooling, and we also could use the extra money.

I told her not to limit herself to speech therapy, her profession before having children. I suggested she see a career psychologist. To my surprise, she scored very well in finance. I think it related to her compulsiveness for details. Then, as always, luck played its part.

The business school was under pressure to bring more women over the age of 40 into its mid-career MBA program. Sue applied, was accepted, and a year later she had an MBA (and I am proud to say she finished in the top 10 percent of her class).

But then she crossed the line. Sue started getting involved in my business. We always had a non-verbal agreement. She stayed out of my business, other then answering the phones when my secretary took a three-month maternity leave. And I stayed out of her gourmet kitchen. She hated all those husbands who thought they could star in their own cooking shows on cable TV.

And yet, she just could not let this one issue pass her by. I thought I had found manna from God again. I was ready to bet all of this year’s profits on the acquisition of my competitor’s inventory. The guy was liquidating his company after 20 years in business. Sue saw this as a sign that future growth was improbable. I, on the other hand, saw it as an opportunity to buy low, sell high, and pocket a hefty profit.

She reminded me of some of my other purchases that were real dogs. I counter punched, reminding her of the one killing I had made; that deal had paid off the mortgage on our condo at the beach.

Sue continued to pepper me with questions about projected sales, potential competition from China, warehousing costs, and rising interest rates. All the while she was putting the numbers into a spreadsheet on her laptop.

She flipped it around, and showed me the results. Her projections showed that I had miscalculated. She thought I would be so proud of her work. Instead, I stormed out.

She followed me upstairs. “Don’t clam up,” she yelled. “Remember what Walter (our marriage counselor) told you. Stop distancing yourself. Tell me what you really feel. Say it to me right now.”

“OK,” I blurted out. “Stay out of my business. When I started, I had no help. I did it all by myself. Sure, I made mistakes, but I just kept on working harder.

“Now you want to get involved, use all your MBA smarts to improve the business? And who will get all the credit? You.”

She continued her ranting “My God, I married you because I thought you really respected me as an equal. Now I realize you are jealous. You’re just like your friends. You’re afraid I am smarter than you; and you can’t deal with it.”

Just as quickly she calmed down and asked, “Honey, how can we fix this problem? I love you too much to let this get between us.”

“Let me cook Sunday night dinner,” I said. “I have this great brazed-beef recipe.”

Her response was quick and emphatic, “Hell no. Stay out of my kitchen.”

Hesh Reinfeld writes a syndicated business humor column. You can read additional examples of his columns on his website: http://www.heshreinfeld.com. Or contact him at hesh1@comcast.net