The MBA Student Voice

Applied Management Research -- my project

In the second your of your MBA experience at Anderson, you will be required to complete a two-quarter thesis project, referred to as AMR (Applied Management Research). Although there is an option to create a business (aspiring entrepreneurs, email me if you'd like more information about that opportunity, and I'll put you in touch with friends who are going the BCO -- business creation opportunity -- route).

My project has been amazing. On top of getting work with four talented, brilliant classmates, I've been getting valuable real-world consulting experience. Our field study engagement is focused on improving the operational efficiency of a Ghanaian health care facility called Korle Bu. Korle Bu is the largest provider of medical services in Ghana, and is the teaching hospital associated with the University of Ghana. It's located in the capital city of Accra, and three of my teammates were there last week doing extensive research on the current practices employed by the hospital. In January, I'll have a turn to visit -- by then, we will have a set of recommendations and will take advantage of another week on the client site to test them out and put on the final touches. The project will conclude with a final presentation in early March.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

My apologies to all for yet another writing hiatus.  Those midterms took a lot out of me and the rehab from the exam related injuries took longer than expected.  First, there was some carpal tunnel as a result of using some Excel functions too much, and then I tore my ACL walking to a printer in the computer lab to collect an accounting problem set that I printed out.  All kidding aside, there's not much of an excuse except to say things have been busy.

So, what have I been busy with?  Well, as I've eluded to before, I'm trying to balance the holy trinity of academics, job search, and a social life.  Of late, I've been attempting to focus on the job search and the related requirement of networking.  Since I want to get back into the entertainment world post-MBA, albeit on the business side this time around, I joined Anderson's Entertainment Management Association.  The organization regularly puts on panels to educate its members about various portions of the industry, be it film, TV, videogames, and music.  These presentations are led, more often than not, by alumni within said fields and they've proven rather informative.  Additionally, the EMA organizes Days on Jobs (DOJ), where we have an onsite visit with a particular company and executives talk to us about their various functions.  We had one such DOJ last week at Fox. 

Long story short, classes take up your mornings and afternoons and then there's plenty more activities to gobble up the rest of your day.  The key, it seems, is to choose the right events and not spread yourself too thin, especially this first semester.  Maybe if I do that, you'll hear from me a wee bit more.  But for now, I gotta go ice my ACL. 

The MBA Advantage

Every week, Anderson welcomes several prospective students seeking to learn more about the MBA program.  During their visit, prospectives have the option to attend a lecture in one of the sections.  Last week, I was discussing with a prospective who wants to transition into the healthcare business, and I was asked the sempiternal question: should I do this MBA or what?  While I used to agonize over this question, I can answer it pretty simply now that I am two months into the program.  If you currently hold a good job and can transition on your own, forgo the MBA and save yourself some time and money.  However, here are the factors that will catalyze my career change and that may apply to you as well.

First, I have numerous venues to reach top employers.  I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: don’t engulf your precious savings into an MBA unless you are accepted at a top school, such as UCLA, because top employers recruit at top schools only.  As an MBA student, not only do you get to meet in person with company representatives on campus during corporate presentations, but you also have the opportunity to visit their offices during Day on the Job events, eat with them at Dinner for Eight events, and interview on campus.  If a company does not actively recruit on campus, you have access to the alumni database to determine if former students work there and tactfully ask for some guidance.  Moreover, many current students can help you connect with companies they used to work for.

The goal is to use these resources to obtain a summer internship with your favorite employer and secure a full-time position one year later.  Since these internship positions are typically only open to MBA students, I have a significant advantage over non-MBA would-be career-switchers.  What I did not anticipate before attending Anderson was the importance of what I’ll call “MBA grooming” to penetrate super-competitive fields such as consulting and finance.  These firms have a precise idea about what they are looking for in a candidate in terms of knowledge, but also behavior.  The career center and the many student associations help us train for these competitive positions and act in ways that increase our chances of being recruited.  Again, I feel that it would be very difficult for a non-MBA to switch to a super-competitive field without this kind of guidance.

Finally, I’ll add that, for people with minimal business experience, doing an MBA is an even better deal.  I have learned tremendously during the past weeks, and I am impressed to see how all courses – Economics, Accounting, Statistics, Marketing, and Finance – are interrelated.

–Simon

UCLA Anderson = Quality People

I often get asked why I decided on UCLA Anderson. There are several reasons but one of the main reasons was for its people. The UCLA Anderson student body has a reputation of among other things being bright, collegial, down-to-earth and well-rounded. It sounded like the kind of people I could enjoy two years with and now that I'm here, I certainly have not been disappointed. Starting from the first day of orientation it has been really easy to make connections with my classmates. And while everyone is here to get a degree, that doesn't mean mean we're in the library all day. While we do get our study on in Rosenfeld, you're just as likely to find an Anderson student working out in the Wooden Center, volunteering with C4C, tailgating or just hanging out in the sun. We come from all different backgrounds, and if you want to get a better idea, take a look at the audio animations created in conjunction with the UCLA film school (bottom of the page). Very cool!

Interacting with such talented and fun people makes me look forward to going to school (even for the 8am classes, although admittedly it is a bit harder). And while some of my classmates may have questionable tastes in the sports teams which they support *cough Sreesha*, they have been a huge highlight in my UCLA Anderson experience thus far.

--JP

~We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken. ~ Fydor Dostoevsky

The Ander-flu Strikes Again!

It's going around again. 

The Ander-flu, the nasty virus that isn't really the flu but still makes us Andersonians sick, is making a second pass around campus and decided to stick on me.  For a change, I've decided to fight back early: I took the day off from school (ok, so there's no classes because of Veterans Day, but I'm still taking credit), doused myself in Theraflu and Gatorade already.  And I slept very soundly for 10 hours.  

Poor Mrs. V. was up half the night, however.  Funny how that works. 

* * * * *

As I mentioned in my last post, entertainment industry titan David Geffen came to speak to us here on campus last week.  It was a massive opportunity for us to hear from someone so accomplished in music, film, television, and theatre.  The Dean of the Anderson school moderated the session.  

What I found most impressive was that Mr. Geffen took opportunities as they came, rather than having a clear goal in mind.  He started in the mail room of a talent agency, getting that job only because he lied on his resume about having graduated from UCLA.  (The Dean was quick to point out that (a) it was never too late to do his degree, and (b) that lying about graduating was not a path that she would advocate.)  He got into theatre because a friend of his recommended an opportunity.  

He donated $200 million to the UCLA Medical Center because he was tired of going to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for his constant back problems.  (You know, for $200 million, I think the Dean can let some or even all of the credits slide and just give him the degree.  Although if he was in my section, I would definitely vote for him for social chair.)  

Most interesting for me, though, was his response to the question I got the opportunity to ask him: what is one thing that you would change in the entertainment industry today?  His response: "I wish there was no digital."  

That really surprised me.  I appreciate that digital content has been and will continue to be a massive driver for change in the entertainment industry, but I would have thought that Mr. Geffen would be in the camp of promoting the opportunities that come with it.  To be fair, I had the last question of the session before the Dean took back the reigns and asked more of her own questions, so maybe he didn't get a chance to elaborate.  But I definitely didn't expect that answer. 

But then that's the point with these events -- we get the first-hand experience and insights of some of the most respected captains of industry, across many different sectors, and in my experience, these insights have been genuine and unfiltered.  It's these insights that are such a big part of the MBA experience, especially at Anderson.  

* * * * *

If you ever surf onto this board and don't see any updates from me, you should definitely check out what my fellow blogeteers are up to.  I thought my buddy Simon Jaud's post on video games and brand management was insightful (especially as, for a change, he didn't mention DaVita!).  

My interest in video games is on the brand management of sports titles.  John Madden may have retired from broadcasting, but his video game sponsor, Electronic Arts, still hosts "Sundays with John" where EA clients can watch football with Madden in his office, which EA has kitted out with multiple HD LCD big screens.  Tony Hawk became legendary after his video games -- now an Activision property -- took off outside of X-games enthusiasts.  I found the Activision presentation equally as exciting as Simon did for that reason. 

Simon failed to mention a crucial detail though: he mentioned that at their corporate presentation on campus, Activision gave us free video games, including their massive hit "Band Hero".  But Simon didn't tell you about the raffle: they held a raffle whereby a few lucky winners won various prizes.  The big prize was a free Band Hero set.  And, for the first time that I can remember, my ticket was drawn!  So I got to walk away from the presentation with such a big video game hit.  It was very thrilling and exciting.  I can't wait to crack it open out of the box!  

* * * * *

Capitals update: 10-3-4.  Am very happy with the win over Florida on Saturday especially because the goals we scored were the grinding, banging in front of the net type goals that we will need in the playoffs.  And to score seven goals with Ovechkin hurt and Semin a non-factor is a HUGE plus.  Check out the highlights here!

Till next time! 

-- Sreesha

Straight From Freshman to Senior

It's funny -- I thought it was going to get easier second year.

It definitely hasn't, but there is a big difference this go-round. I'm doing a lot more things that I've chosen to do, as opposed to things that are mandatory parts of the program. That's not say the mandatory stuff last year was anything less than fantastic (see any of the posts from the 1st-years this fall), but it's definitely a different mentality going into Year 2. 

In this sense, Anderson definitely has a Senior / Freshman culture, and it's actually a great way to have this b-school experience since there is such a strong sense of camaraderie among all the students here. The "Seniors" really take care of the "Freshmen" here -- I got the benefit of it last year, and am proud to have the opportunity to give back now that it's my turn.

Second-year provides a ton of opportunities for leadership at Anderson, and I'm trying to take advantage of a few of them. First, I am co-Partner of the Anderson Strategy Group, which is the student consulting firm. Anuradha Kumar, the other partner, and I have hired 10 first-years to join the group, and have them staffed on seven different strategy projects this fall.

Second is that I am a TA for the core Economics class. This is a great way to get to know the first-years, since I spent 3 hours a week in class with them, give review sessions, and hold office hours. I also get to make a good connection with a professor -- in this case, Victor Tabbush, who is an accomplished and gifted professor here and specializes in Economics and Health Care Management. (I'll write about my awesome AMR project in a future post). 

Third, I am the Coordinator of the Management Communications TA program, which provides communications consulting services to students preparing for presentations.

These are just a few of the many leadership opportunities that exist here. You can also be on the board for a club (such as the Marketing Association, the Public Speaking Club, or the Investment Finance Association, just to name a few). You can be an ACT coach and help first-years prep for recruiting. You can help with Orientation. You can be on the student government. The list goes on ...

Video Games!!!

Ok.  Full disclosure: I am a video game addict.  So much so that I have never dared to play World of Warcraft because I know it would fully engulf my life.  I suppose this makes me a lucid addict.  Regardless, I haven’t played anything since I started my MBA at UCLA Anderson because I have just been way too busy.  I’ll dare say I am even too busy for these painful withdrawal symptoms!  Ironically, I discovered that Anderson is relatively well connected to the world of video gaming.  Thus, I figured that, since I am such a fan, I owe it to myself to at least explore the possibility of transitioning into that sector.

I am just out of a presentation by Jeremy Miller, a video game consultant… yes, there is such a thing.  According to Mr. Miller, the video game industry is relatively resistant-proof to recessions, although the hardware market seems to have already lost some steam.  Video game publishers are likely to keep consolidating, but from my perspective they are still recruiting.  Last week, I attended a corporate presentation from Activision, which announced that it hired all four of its marketing summer interns this year full-time.  I will grant you that four is by no mean a large number, but then I never said getting a job in the video game industry was easy.  By the way, both Mr. Miller and Activision gave us free games – including a "Band Hero" set – just for attending their presentations.  How cool is that?

Here are a few practical facts about the industry I have gathered over the past few weeks.  So far, I have seen more internship and job opportunities in brand management than in any other function.  Video gaming is a very popular sector, and as such salaries can be 10-15% lower than in other industries.  I was also told not to go into it just because I like video games – although it is important – but also because I have a special talent or interest in marketing, finance, etc.  Although one could argue that this last piece advice applies to pretty much any line of work.  I have spoken to a few video game brand managers, and it looks like fun, hard work, so I will definitely give it a shot.

–Simon

UCLA's Stature in the Entertainment Industry

One major reason I came to UCLA Anderson was the school's ability to connect with major leaders in the sports and entertainment industry.  For further evidence of this, all I had to do was check my diary over last week and this week. 

Last week Mitch Kupchak, the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, came to speak to a small group of 40 students from the Sports Business Association, as well as 30 students from USC Marshall's sports business club to attend; every year, each school puts on an event for which both clubs are invited.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Mr. Kupchak and hearing about how he came to UCLA Anderson because he had a long-term knee injury that he needed to rehab and figured an MBA would give him a leg up (that's my pun; he was far more eloquent) on a career after his playing days were over.  He said two things that resonated with me.  He said that after graduating from UCLA Anderson, he gained the confidence that he could hold his own in any business negotiation.  As a career-switcher, I'm stepping into a new arena, industry and possibly location; hearing from him helped me gain some confidence in that respect as well. 

I also had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Kupchak personally after the session, where he also weighed in on a big debate happening right now in sports.  Social media has allowed athletes to strengthen their individual brands dramatically; some teams are concerned that the athletes are starting to become bigger than their teams.  Mr. Kupchak, in his usual candid demeanor, put a succint perspective on it, saying that the Lakers were around for 20 years before Magic and Kareem, and will be around for 30 years after Kobe.

Am running out of space, so I'll be quick: this week, David Geffen is speaking here on campus.  I am really looking forward to hearing the thoughts and vision of one of the most respected titans of the entertainment industry.  The Dean of UCLA Anderson herself is moderating the event.  You'll hear all about it in this space - till then, I'm going to enjoy the 28 degree sunshine! 

-- Sreesha 

  

My first 2 months at UCLA Anderson

Today is Nov 2.  I arrived in Los Angleles on Sep 2.  Two months went by like a snap.  But it is one of the most fulfilling two months.  I came to UCLA Anderson to change my career--- I have a PhD degree in biochemistry and been doing biomedical research in academia and the biotech industry.  I am an international from Chinese.  Here is what I observed and thoughts along the way of the two months:

1. UCLA and LA are truly a melting pot.  As a Chinese who has studied and worked for about 10 years in the US, mainly in Missouri and North Carolina, I know better to say that nowhere is more melting than LA. People in other states I have seen do not melt but keep distance. I guess the difference is because more than 30% international students are at Anderson plus the American citizen born in foreign countries. Thus it is fair to say that more than 50% of the Anderson students  either welcome or belong to international cultures.  

2. Compare to other states, LA is crowded but extremely enjoyable. Too many bars that are fun.  Mild and balmy weather are so nourishing and calming to my body and soul that I sleep way better than anywhere else.  However, as with all good things, there is always a negative side: 1.the outbreak of so-called Anderson cold last month brought down more than 30% of my classmates 2. Highways (especially 405) being constantly jammed, which is extremely hateable, reminding me of the crowded mice cages that I used to do research on at UNC.  

3. UCLA MBA students are smart but surprisingly friendly and cooperating.  I am totally comfortable at UCLA even with a different culture and career background.  It is common to see my classmates go out of their way to help each other.  A few examples:  Our section A academic VP sends out reminders every week to remind the class of the upcoming homework and assigned readings for the following week; Students who have cars offer ride to those who have no cars. Such a helping and giving culture is not coincidence but took shape since the first day of orientation--two 2nd year MBA students, Vee and Brian, set a good role model and volunteer to lead our section through the two week long orientation.  It was a totallly awesome experience.

Leadership, which is recognized as the center piece of any business school learning, sounds empty to me who is used to the black and white solid subject in science.  But on second thought, what is leadership and who has leadership?  My definition is that anyone who understands and can interact with every kind of people any time and anywhere is a leader.  A place to melt into everybody else is what UCLA Anderson provides me, an international students, for developing leadership.  That is priceless! 

Of Beer, Human Food, and Zombie Fodder

One of the first courses you’ll take during Anderson’s MBA program is a statistics class during which, O joy, you’ll learn all the intricacies of confidence intervals.  While this topic is more of a conversation killer than anything else, it does have pretty useful applications in real-life.  For example, imagine that you want to market a new product, but you are unsure whether it will be well-received by consumers.  How many people should you poll until you can be confident that their opinion about your product is representative of, say, the country as a whole?  What we learned in class is that solutions to such problems lie in the Student’s distribution, developed by a statistics enthusiast who worked for the Guiness brewery, which of course prompted a "beer: is there anything it can’t do?"

On a completely unrelated topic, I was fortunate enough to participate in a Dinner for Eight event hosted by McKesson last Thursday.  Eight students, mostly first-years, had the privilege of being wined and dined by McKesson and, more importantly, asking questions about the company straight to recruiters.  McKesson is an enormous healthcare company that specializes, well, in many things actually, such as pharmaceutical distribution and IT solutions for hospital administration.  I cannot overemphasize how helpful it is to talk to a recruiter for more than five minutes at the end of a corporate presentation.  It is obviously great for networking, but even more invaluable is the insider perspective and the better understanding of the company that I gained.

Speaking of dinner, I was also served at a Dinner for One at Universal Studios last Saturday (see picture below).  Every Halloween, Universal Studios throws a horror night, during which the park is taken over by a multitude of ghoulish monsters.  Simply put, the goal is to have a good scare, and I must say Universal did a very good job.  Of course, many theme parks do the same thing, but what’s great about this one is that many of its monsters are based on its movies, such as Halloween, Child’s Play, and Saw – although shame on Universal for daring to come up with a fifth sequel to Saw!  If you’ve never tried this kind of event before, consider going next year.

According to this zombie, I don’t taste that great, so he let me go after a few munches.  That’ll teach me for not obeying signs…

–Simon