Getting to Know Alumni Might Just Make all the Difference Where You Decide to Do Your MBA
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Written by: Eric Lucrezia, creator of?Candidate Coach, author of the book series?"Getting into an MBA", and co-host of the weekly vidcast,?MBA Waves.
Beyond what you can learn about an MBA program from its website and the recruitment and admissions teams, current and former students are who will give you the real scoop about what lies ahead for you, if you’re admitted. Only alumni can give you first-hand accounts of their employment success post-MBA, while only current students can give you the most up-to-date information about the program itself, with all its bells and whistles. Most programs do change quickly, so be mindful of this when speaking with and seeking advice from alumni.
Current MBA students (or participants, as they are often called) are usually very approachable. Many MBA programs will enlist their support in the form of an ambassador program, whereby you, as a potential candidate, can learn from and about these students, reaching out to them directly, or via the school’s website. Perhaps in reading their profiles, you’ll come across a current student with a similar professional background to you, who has similar goals, or comes from the same country. This could be an ideal starting place to get a sense of what someone similar to you has to say about their personal experiences so far, and their thoughts about the MBA program they are currently pursuing. Current students are especially valuable to speak with since they have the most up-to-date student perspective on how the program is being run, the latest classes and career opportunities, and what’s going on campus.
It should be noted that it’s generally considered inappropriate to ask a current student to evaluate your profile. Should you ask students about your admissibility, you’ll most likely get rerouted to an admissions rep, who is in the correct position to give you such feedback.
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If someone has spent a year or two doing their MBA somewhere, spent tens of thousands of dollars, and is happy?about their experience, then there’s a?good chance the school is doing something right.
Alumni can be a bit more difficult to reach at times, as they are often over-solicited by many fantastic candidates such as yourself, sometimes seeking answers to a seemingly infinite number of questions. Even the kindest, most open personalities can get overwhelmed with the volume of questions they may receive, and of course, they are busy professionals putting their MBA to good use in a demanding managerial role somewhere in the world. Nonetheless, engaging with a few alumni can be one of the most valuable steps you take in your research process, since they are the only people in the world from a given MBA program, who know first-hand what the full experience is like during and after that program, as well as their personal return on investment as a lifetime member of the alumni organization.
LinkedIn can be a great place to start for identifying alumni from whom you could potentially gain insight. To find someone that matches your target profile, simply search the name of the MBA program plus whatever industry, professional activity, or company you may be targeting. Depending on your account, you may be able to message him or her directly, but this would certainly be a justifiable reason for investing in a LinkedIn Premium account, which is something you’ll very likely do during your MBA anyway. Why not start now?
Another approach to consider is setting some targets with an alumni “wish list”, school by school. This is your database of contacts that you hope to connect with throughout your research process and beyond. If you’re having difficulty getting in touch with people on this list for a given program, you could certainly ask your recruiter for support, citing a few names of people that you’d like to get in touch with. They would most likely be happy to help reach out to those alumni, or provide you with some contacts of alumni they already know are reliable and responsive.
It should be noted that some schools may require at least one interaction with an alumnus prior to submitting an application. Again, it is an indicator of how serious you are, and to what lengths you will go to learn about one of the biggest decisions of your life.