MBA Insider's Blog

Student Perspectives: How to Prioritize Self-Care During Fall Quarter

About Shana: Shana Jacobson (’23) is a first-year MBA candidate at UCLA Anderson. She comes from a background in finance, having worked at Goldman Sachs New York City in various internal strategy-related roles. Shana will be recruiting for a strategy role within the health & wellness/ fitness space. Outside of school, she enjoys exploring LA - learning how to surf, hiking, and experiencing new restaurants.

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As I reflect on the first three months of business school, I am amazed at the number of opportunities and experiences that have been presented in front of me. At times, it has felt overwhelming to determine how to spend my time and which activities add the most value. There are so many recruiting deadlines and class deliverables to manage, social activities to partake in, and ways to get involved on campus – it can be hard to navigate, and it can be easy to forget to take care of yourself. It’s important to remember that you need to prioritize yourself to be able to show up for others. 

How can you prioritize self-care into your busy schedule? A few tips to remember: 

 

Make time for “me time”

Define your wants and needs. What are the things that you want to make time for? Is it quality sleep, daily meditation, weekly exercise classes, journaling, etc.? There are always going to be tradeoffs and you’re not going to be able to fit in everything all the time, but you can still do small things that go a long way. 

Carve out the time. Prior to the start of the week, sit down and look through your calendar. What days/ times can you make self-care a priority? Planning ahead can help make it easier to prioritize yourself. To reinforce the positive behaviors, think about the details in advance. Maybe this means laying out your workout clothes before you go to sleep or committing to getting off your phone a few hours before bed. Take time to reflect on why you’re doing what’s important to you. This will help make prioritizing your time feel more important and meaningful. 

Lean on your classmates. You are going to have weekly deliverables and it’s important to be honest and open with your team members. There are weeks that you might need to de-prioritize your classwork and your teammates can pick up the slack. Then, the following week you can take more ownership of the group deliverables. Open communication is key. 

 

Stay true to yourself 

Be honest with yourself and be authentic. It’s easy to get swept up in what your other classmates are doing. Everyone has a different career path and is on a different timeline. Stay honest with your goals and grounded in the steps you need to take to get there. For example, just because it seems like everyone is recruiting for consulting or technology, it doesn’t mean that’s what’s right for you. Although easier said than done, block out some of the outside noise and connect with what you truly want to do. The same goes for social activities – if you know you need a “me day” to catch up on work or maybe take a solo hike, take the time to do those things. Sometimes it’s hard to say “no” and at times it’s easy to feel FOMO but ask yourself how you want to allocate your time and what is going to make you feel your best. 

 

Don’t overcommit

There are a ton of ways to get involved while you’re in business school: clubs, case competitions, academic internships – just to name a few. The problem is, when we overcommit, we put ourselves under pressure and stress, and we can’t show up as our best selves. It’s easy to feel like you’re not participating enough or you’re not active enough.  Define your personal and professional goals and make a list of the things you can get involved in that will help you stay dedicated to those goals. 

Anderson is an amazing place that offers a ton of opportunities. Be intentional with how you spend your time. Learn, grow, feel challenged, have fun, and prioritize your health and happiness! 

Best Wishes for 2022 and How to Reach MBA Admissions

As 2021 is drawing to a close, we are filled with hope that 2022 will be a good year for all. Thank you for getting to know us this year (primarily virtually!) and for sharing your stories and Anderson spirit in person, online, and in your applications. And a special congratulations to our recently admitted Round 1 students!

Please note that the MBA Admissions and Financial Aid Office will be closed during the University closure at noon on December 17, 2021 through January 2, 2022. During this time, we will check emails sent to the MBA Admissions inbox ([email protected]) but responses may be a little delayed. Regular operations will resume on Monday, January 3. 

You still have the opportunity to learn more about our MBA program throughout December directly from current Anderson students by signing up for a Virtual Student Chat.

 

We wish you a wonderful and healthy holiday season and all the best in 2022!

 

-- MBA Admissions & Financial Aid team

 

 

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Student Perspectives: Finding Your Footing in Fall Quarter

About Annie: Annie McNutt (’23) is originally from Los Angeles. She graduated from Emory University with a Bachelors in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing. After graduation, Annie stayed in Atlanta and worked for Kimberly-Clark in a variety of marketing roles from digital marketing to global product management. Most recently, Annie worked as a customer marketing manager for Kimberly-Clark in London. At Anderson, she seeks to pivot her career from marketing into entrepreneurship. Annie is interested in the events industry and connecting people; she hopes to become a serial entrepreneur.

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Anytime you start something new, it takes time to get settled, and it can feel frustrating that everything isn’t clicking immediately. I know I felt that way as I started at Anderson. But hopefully my experiences can help you to find your footing a little faster as you embark on the grand adventure that is a UCLA Anderson MBA.

 

Classes

Heading back to school means, you guessed it, classes. And homework. Returning to school and not only having class every day but then having work to do in the evenings, is an adjustment from the working world. Take it slow and be gentle with yourself. And remember that UCLA has tons of resources at your disposal from office hours to TA review sessions to tutoring; be sure to take advantage of them! Anderson is also an incredibly collaborative environment. We truly do Share Success. Your learning team, with whom you will complete most of your group projects, will be a great support system. Just remember, everyone is in the same boat. Everyone is adjusting from the working world to being a student again; so talk to your peers and take a deep breath; you’ve got this!

 

Career

Your MBA is the time to explore career options. So many people in my class are “pivoting” meaning they are completely switching industry or function or both. Know that different careers recruit on different timelines so when you see bankers and consultants prepping for interviews and securing internships, you aren’t behind. I’ll say that again, you aren’t behind. Everyone is on a different schedule and that’s ok. Recruiting is a stressful time, but Anderson has so many resources from the Parker Career Center to 2nd year MBA students. I’ve found that 2nd years are always willing to grab a coffee and chat with me about their summer internship or their previous industry. They are a great source of knowledge, so make sure you tap into their expertise!

 

Clubs

In addition to classes, you will have the opportunity to join a plethora of professional and interest clubs; everything from Marketing Association to Anderson Wine Club. Clubs are a great opportunity to meet people who share similar interests. It’s also a great way to take a break from schoolwork and recruiting to socialize and network with your classmates. Clubs are also an opportunity to explore your interests and figure out what you want to do with your career. Take advantage of the speaker series and lunchtime events and consider taking on director positions in your favorite clubs.  

 

Finding Your Friends

Everyone told me before I started school that the people I met in grad school would be my life-long friends. I admit, I was skeptical at first; but I have to say that they were right. At first, meeting everyone feels overwhelming and a bit repetitive. But the more people you meet and get to know, the closer you get to finding “your people.” Try to schedule a weekly meet up with friends (a taco night, a wine night, etc.). It’s a great way to decompress from a busy week and take time to just get to know your friends. 

I won’t claim to have completely found my footing yet, but I’m making progress each and every day and hopefully these tips will help you find your footing in your Fall quarter at Anderson!

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Student Blogger: Annie McNutt ‘23

Undergrad: Emory University ’15 – B.B.A. Marketing

Pre-MBA: Customer Marketing Manager, Kimberly-Clark

Leadership@Anderson: First-Year Director, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Mentorship, WBC; Director of Speaker Series, Entrepreneurs Association; Director of External Partnerships, Anderson Wine Club; First-Year Social Director, Section E

UCLA Anderson Application Insider: Letters of Recommendations

This blog post is part of our "Application Insider" blog post series that provides insider information, tips, and advice about applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program.

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APPLICATION INSIDER TOPIC:

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

As part of your application to the UCLA Anderson Full-Time MBA Program, we ask for two letters of recommendation (and only one if you are a reapplicant). This post is designed to you to answer the most common questions we get related to letters of recommendation so you can get the most benefit from this important part of your application process.

Why are letters of recommendation a part of the MBA application?
Your letters of recommendation or “recs” provide the admissions committee with insight into your management and leadership capabilities and continued potential based on you past performance in a professional setting. They will help us understand your ability to work well with others, both as a leader and as a team player. They will illustrate your ability to deal with challenging situations, think strategically and learn and adapt from previous successes or failures.

Who should write my letters of recommendation? 
Contrary to popular belief, they do not necessarily need to come from the highest ranked person you know at work or come from people you have met in different settings (academic or personal vs. professional).
Your letters of recommendation should ideally come from a direct supervisor and/or manager who will advocate on your behalf and can speak to your work performance, capabilities, and potential for graduate studies and future career success. Your recommenders should be able to provide us with detailed and insightful information in response to our recommendation questions. They should be able to address how they know you, how you compare to others in your organization, and your potential to continue growing into a strong leader. Keep in mind that we are more concerned with how well your recommenders know you, and not their titles, so don't worry about getting a letter of recommendation from the CEO of your company if they don’t really know you well. By the same token, we know that it is tempting sometimes to want to ask a former professor who may have given you great marks, but most often these kinds of recommendations fail to provide us with the kind of detailed insights we look for in recommendations.

What if I cannot request a letter of recommendation from my supervisor?
If you cannot request a letter of recommendation from your supervisor, you can always contact a former employer. If you do choose to reach out to a former employer, make sure that it is someone that you have remained in contact with and can speak to how they’ve seen you develop since you worked with them. You want to make sure that their feedback is not restricted to speaking to who you were when they knew you, two, three, or five years ago.

If you are an entrepreneur or are working in a family business, in addition to considering previous employers, you can consider clients, vendors, as well as supervisors from volunteer organizations. It is not advisable that your recommender be someone who you are related to since they could be seen as biased in your favor.

What does the admissions committees hope to learn from a letter of recommendation? 
The admissions committee wants to learn about your leadership potential, your teamwork skills, as well as your ability to overcome challenges. Letters of recommendation allow us to see you through the eyes of your direct supervisors/managers; individuals who have witnessed your career progression. They can speak to what you have accomplished in your career, how your career to date can position you for future success and help support your post-MBA goals. For this reason, it’s important to make sure that your recommenders are familiar with your MBA plans.

How can you help your recommender do a good job with my letter of recommendation?
When you are reaching out to potential recommender make sure they understand how important this is for you and your MBA plans. Give them a way out if they simply are too busy and don’t have the time to write you a “great letter of recommendation.” You should take the time to speak with your recommenders about why you are interested in pursuing an MBA and what you hope to gain. Share a copy of your resume and remind them of some of your professional accomplishments. By sharing your plans, you will help them write a more compelling letter of recommendation. Refrain from ghostwriting material for them as the final product will not be as compelling or genuine as what your recommenders will be able to on their own.

How and when should letters of recommendation be submitted? Letters of recommendation can only be submitted electronically are sent directly by your recommender to us. You will need to enter each recommender’s details in your application so that they can be sent a personal link to the recommendation form. Recommendations should be submitted by the round deadline in which you are applying. To ensure that your application is evaluated on time, please make sure to inform your recommenders of the application deadline and stay in touch with them to confirm submission of the letter. 

Bonus Tip!
Don’t forget to thank your recommenders for taking the time to write your letters and for supporting you in your development. Keep them posted of your future MBA admission and share your future accomplishments with them.

Good luck with your letters of recommendation and make sure to keep checking back with us to learn more about our process and our program!

Check back for more "Application Insider" blog posts that will cover information and tips on the many aspects of applying to the UCLA Anderson MBA program!

 

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Student Perspectives: Consortium at Anderson

About Lillian: Lillian Fan (’23) is a first-year MBA student and native Angeleno. Prior to Anderson, Lillian worked as a consulting civil engineer in the aviation and defense industries. In her free time Lillian enjoys hiking/running, frequenting local boba shops, and playing escape rooms.

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In the midst of the pandemic, like many others, I began considering pivoting careers. I was working as a civil engineer in the aviation/defense industries and wanted to pursue an impactful, consumer-facing role in the healthcare or tech industry. As I began my research into business schools, I remembered a friend posting about the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management and the racial justice initiatives her fellow peers in the Consortium led during their MBA experience and wanted to learn more. 

As noted on their website, “the Consortium, the nation’s largest diversity network, links top-tier students, MBA programs, and corporate partners, providing merit-based scholarships.” Additional benefits include a streamlined application with reduced fees to many leading business schools and the Orientation Program, affectionately known as “OP,” where incoming students can recruit early for competitive internships. The Consortium’s mission is to “enhance diversity and inclusion in global business education and leadership by striving to reduce the significant underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in both our Member Schools’ enrollments and the ranks of global management.” However, the Consortium is not limited to those who identify under these groups; all U.S. citizens and permanent residents who demonstrate a commitment to the Consortium’s mission are encouraged to apply.

Applying to Anderson through the Consortium was the best decision I made in my journey to business school. In addition to the practical benefits of applying through the Consortium, being part of the Consortium community has transformed my experience at Anderson. Beginning in April, we started connecting with each other as we prepared for OP, bonding over the unique virtual recruiting experience and even meeting up locally during the conference. The 2022 Consortium students were passionate about welcoming us to Anderson and answering any questions we had about anything as we prepared to move to Los Angeles and start business school. From the first day of orientation, I felt comfortable stepping on campus seeing the “CFAM,” knowing that despite our diverse backgrounds, personalities, and recruiting goals, we were genuinely there for each other.

Throughout the year, we kept in constant communication with each other, sending each other homework reminders, sharing job postings and referral opportunities, nudging each other to get in a workout for the day, and getting in our weekly Taco Tuesdays. We supported each other’s goals in any way we could, from showing up to events to filling out market research surveys for case competitions. Even when multiple people were pursuing the same roles, we celebrated each other’s successes with no sense of jealousy or competition. Most importantly, we felt comfortable openly sharing our experiences and thoughts regarding racial injustice amongst our cohort and collectively strove to advance conversations and action surrounding these topics across Anderson within our clubs, classes, and activities. 

I’m forever thankful to be part of the Consortium family at Anderson; this community has made my business school experience better than I could have imagined. I’m excited to witness the successes of my cohort in their careers and in their efforts to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in businesses across the world. 

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Student Blogger: Lillian Fan ‘23

Undergrad: UC Berkeley, ‘16

Pre-MBA: Civil Engineer at Burns & McDonnell

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Admissions, Andertech; Director of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Craft Beer Club