The MBA Student Voice

The New York State of Mind Meets California Dreaming

Well, I've left New York and arrived safely in Los Angeles.  The transition to student at UCLA's Anderson School of Management is officially upon me!  While I didn't immediately go to my apartment because it lacked a bed, I had already visited Westwood and found an apartment a few weeks prior to the move.  I determined early on that after ten years of living in New York and embracing its pedestrian culture, I'd probably go insane dealing with a commute in LA traffic every day, so I was motivated to live within walking distance of campus.  I achieved that goal, but I still plan to get a car because, hey, it's LA - if you want to get anywhere, you need a vehicle.  I'm not that much of a walker.  You won't see me speed walking in London in 2012 or anything (side note:  how softball, for instance, is not an Olympic event, yet the IOC will hand out medals in speed walking a few years from now boggles the mind).  But anyway, I highly recommend coming a few weeks early to find a place; it made my move incredibly easy.

Regarding finding an apartment, I got some recommendations to try Westside Rentals, but I'm not one for spending any money, no matter how little, unless it's absolutely necessary, so I used your good friend and mine, Craigslist.  I'm a recent convert to the site.  That whole don't talk to strangers thing that my parents taught me stuck real good, but as it turns out, strangers offer some great deals, so I will now trust them implicitly.  Except for the woman from the roommate ad I answered who wanted a UCLA student to move in and claimed she was 31 (she offered her age, I did not ask) even though she looked like she was at least 50.  No offense to the 50 year old people out there, but I'm not very interested in living with you.

In fact, Craigslist proved to be a real boon to me even before the apartment search.  After taking the GMAT, I never wanted to see any of my prep books again, so I used the site to sell them.  The first person I sold some to has since become a friend and has introduced me to people out here in LA too.  Moral of the story:  trust strangers.  Trust me.  I'm a stranger.

So, besides taking care of my new apartment, the most important thing I've done is get a California driver's license.  Another obvious tip:  make an appointment.  I made this mistake in July in New York and waited for hours.  I was probably in and out here in LA in about an hour.  If you already have a license from another state, you have to take a vision and written test.  I passed both, but embarrassingly or not, I missed 3 questions on the written exam.  What I found odd, though, was that the proctor didn't go over the incorrect questions with me.  For one, I'm curious about what I missed.  But more disturbing is that apparently knowing 91.6% of California's laws is good enough for the DMV.  What if I missed the blood/alcohol content question?  That's kind of important to know out here, I presume.  "I'm sorry officer, I just passed the written test last week and I'm fairly certain I can legally blow a .5% and drive just fine."  

My other concern was whether I could keep my New York license.  You see, I was not working the last few months before school (meaning I had little reason to care about my appearance) and I grew one of the coolest handlebar mustaches you've ever seen.  My friends dubbed it the "Jondlebar Sternstache" and I did not shave it for my license photo.  You should've seen the looks I got at the DMV.  New York certainly has a lot of weirdos in the city, but I was up there with them that day, I tell you.  My apologies, but I do not possess a digital copy, otherwise I'd link to it.  If you're really curious, I suggest photoshopping a mustache on my profile picture and you'll get the idea.  Feel free to send me your handy work if you do.  Thankfully, California only pokes a hole in your old license.  Otherwise, if they tried to take it away from me, the DMV would've seen some road rage.   

Now that I'm settled, I partook in weekly drinks with some of my future classmates the other night.  I think I've already met some great people.  Apologies, though, to my fellow Anderson-ite (you know who you are if you're reading) about my strong feelings regarding marathons.  I just simply think that humans in general should refrain from activities that could conceivably cause death, bleeding from strange areas, and involuntary bowel movements.  People should not be expected to get up early on a Sunday morning and pay for that privilege.  Nor should their friends be asked to observe it.  

Tomorrow, I head out on one of the many pre-orientation trips Anderson offers.  I will be rock climbing in Sequoia forest.  I'm quite excited.  More details about that and the rest of this crazy thing called graduate school to come, presuming I survive the rock. 

LA Here I Come!!!

As I write this I'm getting ready to move from the San Francisco area to Los Angeles to start what's shaping up to be a great adventure at UCLA over the next few years.  It's funny as a northern Californian I never really pictured myself living in Southern California but I've fallen in love with UCLA so LA here I come!!!!!! 

Before the LA adventure starts I figured I should introduce myself.  I'm a Berkeley, CA native but I spent most of the last ten years elsewhere.  I went to school in Upstate New York at RPI, when I graduated in 2003 I moved to the New York City area to become a management consultant first with American Management Systems (now CGI) and later with IBM.  I consulted to financial service firms, at AMS in a technical role, at IBM in organizational change and regulatory compliance roles.  I loved consulting both for the work and also because it allowed me to feed my love of travel, I did client work in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Gabon, Vietnam and Laos.  The more exotic work locations came out of a consulting engagement I had with one of the worlds biggest environmental NGO's that ran in parallel with my financial service roles over a four year period.

Consulting provided all sorts of amazing professional opportunities, it also opened the door to a really amazing personal opportunity.  Through all my work travel I built up a lot of airline miles which made it possible to pursue my life long dream of taking an around the world trip.  Last year I turned in a little over 200,000 miles for an around the world plane ticket and traveled through twenty countries. 

I came back from the trip and launched into the school hunt which is a little more complex for me because I'm hoping to get a JD/MBA.  I knew I wanted to attend a west coast school, first and foremost because after ten years away from home I was ready to come back and secondly because I wanted schools with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and social ventures.   

I moved back to California last summer and started looking at schools.  I actually didn't initially look at the southern California schools but I eventually decided to take a trip down to LA to check out the schools.  During my first visit to UCLA I absolutely fell in love with Anderson, the campus culture just clicked, I really liked the interaction between the students and faculty in a class I sat in on, UCLA has great entrepreneurship and social venture programs and I really liked the area around the UCLA campus.

With my heart and mind set on attending UCLA I applied and got into Anderson, the law school side of my JD/MBA is a little complex so I'll get into that during a later post.  Once I had the application process behind me I decided to learn more about what it's like to work at a social venture so I took a volunteer role with Kiva.org in San Francisco, CA for six months prior to school.  I had an amazing time at Kiva and learned a ton, I'm now wrapping things up in the Bay Area and preparing to move down to Los Angeles.  I'm really looking forward to my time at UCLA, I'll be posting again soon as school gets going in the coming weeks. 

One way ticket to Los Angeles...

You have to admit, it is a fitting picture. 

Over four years ago, I arrived on a one-way ticket into London Heathrow's Terminal Four, at the time its nicest terminal.  My firm was transferring me to London; I flew business class, was picked up in a corporate Mercedes Benz E-class, then was whisked into a corporate apartment, fully kitted out including a 50-inch plasma TV. 

Now, I am sitting in Heathrow's worst terminal, Terminal Four.  My firm, Lehman Brothers, famously went bankrupt.  Mrs. V drove me to the airport in our VW Golf; I bought my own economy class ticket and will turn up in Los Angeles needing an apartment and, among other things, a new 50-inch TV. 

When I decided to go to UCLA Anderson, I knew nothing about Los Angeles.  So I bought, then binned, the Lonely Planet guidebook and decided to watch a lot of LA-based TV shows.  Research, I explained to Mrs. V.   

After marathon days of "24" and "Entourage", I confidently explained what will happen upon my arrival at LAX: I will immediately be issued loads of military gear so that I can arrest some terrorists before going to see the Lakers or Kings at the Staples Center with Emmanuelle Chriqui.  

Mrs. V was not amused. 

I'm excited to go to UCLA Anderson.  Like many others in my class, for me, the MBA course will be the start of a career change. 

I spent the past seven years trading, structuring, and selling the now-infamous derivatives known as collateralized debt obligations.  I love the energy and pace of a trading floor, where decisions that affect millions of dollars are made in an instant.  Doesn't every job involve being in seven conversations in three languages at once (two phones, chat, email, Bloomberg, your neighbor, and someone shouting at you from two rows away)?  

But after seven years, I knew it was time for something new.  Being laid off made me realize how much of a sports geek I really was - not as an armchair quarterback, but in a business sense.  After boring Mrs. V, my friends, family -- anyone who would listen, really -- about my ideas for the sports industry, it finally occurred to me to try to make a career out of it. 

For me there were many reasons to come to UCLA Anderson, but one sticks out in my mind more than any other.  It's no secret that investment banks and consulting firms recruit heavily at MBA programs; but I felt that UCLA Anderson had a great mix of other potential employers as well -- not to mention strong links into the sports and entertainment industries.  UCLA Anderson's famed entrepreneurial bent was icing on the cake.

Time to board.  Last thoughts before the flight: to London -- I love you, will miss you, and am proud to call you my adopted hometown.  

To Los Angeles -- tell Emmanuelle my flight lands at 2pm. 

To MBA or Not To MBA? That Was the Question

In the U.S., a typical MBA will cost you approximately $100K, two years of your life, and a pound of flesh; thus, you better know why you need the degree unless you’re in it just for the punishment.  As an extreme career-changer, my needs are rather straightforward: becoming more knowledgeable about everything business, especially finance.  But how many new MBA graduates can this country really need as its economy is shrinking?  Call me a bear if you must, but I expect the unemployment rate two years from now to be at best comparable to its July 2009 value, i.e. 11.6% in California.  Moreover, the housing bubble hangover resulted in drastic fee increases and service cuts at both California public university systems.  Therefore, can my investment in a UCLA Anderson MBA ever pay off?

Dr. Phil was unavailable, so before choosing UCLA I decided to share my angst with Eric Mokover, the director of Anderson’s career center.  Frankly, I was shocked – and very satisfied – that Mr. Mokover’s replied so quickly and openly.  In essence, he reported that the 2009 rate of internship placement, 98%, is comparable to that of last year, although internships are increasingly unpaid.  This is good news to me because I was afraid there would be no opportunity to gain experience through an internship.  Of course, some might frown on the idea of working for free, but the reality is that most internships are unremunerated outside of the business world.  Mr. Mokover also explained that staff will be furloughed, but that the center will try hard to mitigate any ensuing service cuts.  Finally, he mentioned that private universities are not immune to service reduction, which I believe is true considering the current situation at Harvard.

So, the reason Mr. Mokover convinced me I was in good hands at UCLA is… he gets it!  He understands that an MBA program is only as good as its capacity to get its graduates hired, which in large part is hinged upon the support provided by its career center.  Naturally, I will be performing most of the career-related efforts, but doing so will be easier and more focused under the guidance of the career center staff.  And frankly I am impressed by the amount of help I have received from the career center even before the quarter has started; a counselor has already reviewed my resume twice, I have downloaded numerous Vault and WetFeet publications, I was given tools and guidance to start working on a career-search strategy, and so much more.  Needless to say this will keep me busy for weeks.

–Simon

Navigating the F-1 VISA

I arrived at Pearson International Airport, anxious and excited. I was off to LA! I had waited a long time for this day, and as I said my good-byes to my family, visions of sun and fun danced in my head. Alas, it was not meant to be. As I made my way through US customs, I would eventually be detained by a US customs officer, questioned, and then sent back home. My visions of sun and fun would tragically remain unfulfilled.

This happened to me in June 2000. I had applied for a summer internship with a not-for-profit organization in LA. and I was fortunate to be chosen as the first non-American to participate. However neither the not-for-profit nor I was sufficiently knowledgeable with the US customs requirements. Long story short, when asked by the US customs officer what the purpose of my trip to LA was, I said "internship". Without any documentation nor a visa for that matter, I was sunk.

Fast forward to 2009 and I was once again faced with the prospects of going to LA and navigating through US customs. Luckily this time I had the benefit of the help and resources at UCLA. First and foremost, there are the hard working people at MBA Admissions. In particular I wish to acknowledge Mr. Craig Hubbell, who is Associate Director of MBA Admissions. Craig looks after the international students admitted to the program. Over the past few months I've probably emailed Craig about, oh 1,598 times (give or take a few emails). Craig has been super helpful and the international students would be wise to make Craig your best friend.

In addition, there's the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars which assists international students in a number of different ways. For instance, it is there to help with F-1 and J-1 visa matters, as well as help international students make cultural, educational and personal adjustments to the campus and the community. Pursuant to US customs requirements, checking in at the Dashew Center will be one of the first items of business for international students once they arrive.

Thankfully, the second time around there were no issues. In fact, things went so smoothly that I was a tad disappointed. I had all my papers organized, was mentally ready to answer some tough questions...but all for naught. So I made it to LA and am currently settling in. It was nine years in the works, but I am finally enjoying the sun and having fun. Better late than never!

~I handed my passport to the immigration officer, and he looked at it and looked at me and said, "What are you?"~ Grace Murray Hopper

Mad Scientist and Career Changer

When I announced that I intended to get an MBA at UCLA Anderson, I was met with astonished stares not unlike those traditionally set aside for circus freaks.  Admittedly, my path so far appears unfocused, if not completely mad.  After all, I left Montreal, Canada for Irvine, California ten years ago to start a Ph.D. in computational chemistry.  I then worked as a performance analyst for the state and later served as the assistant director of financial aid for the California State University headquarters.  And I am now about to start an MBA at UCLA Anderson this September to execute my transition into finance.  So exactly what am I doing?

Simply put, I am taking the long way to the world of finance, which is the price I pay for failing to know myself better earlier in life.  I was 18 when I had to elect my major, and frankly I limited my choice to the discipline easiest to me.  When I realized that my undergraduate studies led to little more than technician jobs, I took the next “logical” step and attended graduate school rather than research my alternatives.  However, my specialization seeks to answer questions so fundamental that practical applications are rare outside of academia.  Uninterested in the academic profession, I decided to reorient my career after graduating.

Therefore, I spent the last three years extensively evaluating potential career paths while holding positions that utilize my analytical, quantitative and communication skills, and finally selected finance.  Of course, you may be tempted to sigh at the prospect of one more greedster making over-leveraged bets in the stock market or baking new flavors of exotic, layered-cake security; did Iceland and the rest of us not suffer enough already?  Worry not, for I seek a position in corporate finance, ideally for a scientific/biotech/medical company in order to leverage my background.  Corporate finance appeals to me because it plays a vital role in any organization and covers a wide array of activities.

Holding an MBA from UCLA Anderson will help tremendously in my endeavor because it offers a solid finance background in addition to the general management training.  Considering the astronomical price tag of getting an MBA and the sheer number of new graduates manufactured every year, I felt that the degree would only be worth my investment if it came from a top 10 university.  The year I applied to UCLA, U.S. News ranked the MBA program 11 overall and 7 in finance, outranking schools such as Harvard in this specialty.  Thus, I feel that Anderson is definitely the right choice for a career in corporate finance, especially in Southern California.

–Simon

Moving On Up to the West Side at UCLA Anderson

Well, I'm less than 48 hours from my official move from New York to Los Angeles to begin my two-year journey at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.  It’s a pretty big change for this guy.  I’ve been living in New York for almost exactly ten years now (four for college and six as an “adult”). 

But this past decade doesn’t really begin to explain my affinity for New York.  It started far earlier.  My parents grew up in New York, and even though I was born and raised in Florida, we went north to the city a few times a year.  Broadway shows.  Museums.  Mets games (don’t get me started).  It was my second home.  And when I got into Columbia University, it really became my primary home.  My folks would rib me that it never seemed like I wanted to return to Clearwater to visit them.  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see them – I just had little desire to return to the land of the early bird special when New York was so great.  Florida, I would tell them, was where old people go to die.  It’s ingrained in them the same way homing pigeons know how to travel.  That’s why your grandparents live there.  Admit it.  They do.  Plus, my parents came up to New York a lot during my college years.  So much, in fact, my sophomore year roommate saw them more often than his own folks, and he lived an hour’s drive from Manhattan.   

Needless to say, it’s been really strange packing up not for a move to a new apartment across town, but for a trip clear across the country to a city I never imagined calling home.  I admit it, I’m a New York snob.  I think it’s the greatest city in the world.  Even if I take to Los Angeles, I will probably never admit that it stands up to New York.  I’m that delusional about this town and simply that stubborn.  I thought I’d never leave.  However, when it came time to evaluate my future, Los Angeles just made sense.  I’m a media and entertainment maven and LA is at the epicenter of the field.  I already have New York contacts, so why not make some left coast inroads?  And quite frankly, if I stayed in New York, it just felt like my life wouldn’t change all that much.  I wouldn’t be fully testing my mettle.  There’d be no inner challenge.  

And that’s what I need right now.  I want to challenge myself.  I want to learn about facets of the biz I’ve never encountered before.  I want to meet a new and diverse group of people to call friends and colleagues.  I want to enjoy In N Out Burger.  I want to embrace perennially gorgeous weather.  But most of all, I want to determine if Los Angeles is really like how it’s depicted in Swingers or Entourage.  Because if things turn out even remotely similar to Mikey or Turtle for this transplant, maybe leaving New York isn’t going to be so bad.  See you next time in Westwood.    

New Identity - "International Student"

"Canadian," "corporate lawyer," "director," "brother" - these are some of the ways in which I have been identified to date. Now I'm about to add a new one to the list: "international student." Having been born and raised in Canada, it feels a bit strange that I will be considered an international student when my UCLA Anderson adventure, as a member of the Class of 2011, begins in a few weeks. During the course of my undergraduate and law school studies, I've been lucky enough to make friends with international students from places such as Kenya, Germany and Korea. Therefore I have always associated international students as coming from far off places with different languages, cultures and experiences. Hardly the case in this instance for a guy who grew up mere hours from the US border (Toronto), followed the Lakers, watched Seinfeld and ate Big Macs.

Nevertheless I'm excited at the prospect of being an international student along with the other international students who will form 1/3 of the class. The diversity of my classmates along with the diversity of Los Angeles were important factors in my decision to attend UCLA Anderson. And with the emphasis that UCLA Anderson places on collaboration, teamwork and collegiality, I know I will have the benefit of learning from the varied experiences and perspectives of my fellow classmates from around the world. In turn I also have my Canadian experiences and perspectives to bring to the table. =D

And of course in addition to "international student," I will also be newly identified as a "Bruin" and as a part of the UCLA Anderson family and network. I have an idea of what all this will mean and am eager to get started. I look forward to sharing this and the rest of my UCLA Anderson experience as it unfolds.

~An identity would seem to be arrived at by the way in which the person faces and uses his experience.~ James Baldwin