Moving on....to INSEAD !

Till I collapse.

2009-11-09T04:25:00.000-08:00

Years ago I read an economic theory which talked about growth in emerging markets. I dont remember much of it, but it went something like emerging markets, such as China, could trigger economic growth through policies and subsidies. But this growth could take the economy only so far. When its time for "gear shift", the government needs to inject capital by the truck loads and hope the shift happens. Like China's manufacturing prowess headed for stagnation and the government had to inject tons of capital in knowledge driven sector hoping it would take China to the next level.

For many, MBA is similar to this. You are doing well in your career/ life but you have that one dream and MBA for you is a major push which might help you realise your dream. It doesnt have to be a specific job in a specific location, rather it is the impact it has on your life. Some are trying to get over their past, some are trying to pursue a different life and some are just pushing for a prosperous future.

You dont know for sure if it will happen or not, but it is your dream and you had enough balls to go for it in the first place.

Screw sunk cost - Keep pushing!

A drunk post!!

2009-10-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

Ok...this had to be done, so here it is.

Its 4am in Sgp and am just back from a "happy drinking" session with my mates. And it was fuckin awesome.

If I take the capitalist view of my life, I am pretty fucked up. No job, and no sign of one in the near future, rapidly depreciating bank balance and soon to be kicked out of the safe world of INSEAD.

But you know what, I am fuckin happy with my life. First of all, I have these great bunch of friends that I have made. Once you leave undergrad its pretty hard to make friends for life. It is really rare and this MBA was a way to get out of the fuckin mundane life and get a big picture view of life. And I am pretty satisfied with it. On the career side, well its a looong fuckin story. But since I am pretty fuckin drunk, I think I am gonna spill it all out.

You see, I did very well in my pre-MBA career. I was making great money doing my entrepreneurial gig. What I did lack was self-confidence. I always thought that guys from Mck, KPMG or any bluechip ass are lot more intelligent than I am. This self-confidence in a way made me explore the MBA option and then I ended up at INSEAD. Today I am 6 weeks away from graduation and I have proudly accepted the fact that I am different and that there is nothing demented about it. There is nothing fuckin wrong with seeing the world in a different way, there is nothing fuckin wrong by not accepting the frameworks and there is absolutely nothing wrong by believing that blue ocean strategy is a fuckin scam. Yep, you heard it right...its a scam as far as I am concerned.

This is what I got out of INSEAD....the fuckin confidence. I always had a dream and while at INSEAD I got to live that dream. That David vs Goliath thing is in a way connected to my dream. Last night I had a major setback in that project but I am still optimistic and excited about things. Before INSEAD I had a dream, while at INSEAD I lived that dream and after INSEAD I will fuckin achieve that dream. Will it take time? Of course it will and rather it should....good things take time to come through right.

Recently I asked a dear friend of mine what he got out of INSEAD. And in his words, "I met a bunch of people who might be labelled as complete fuck ups in today's world, but rest assured these will be the guys who will do the most amazing things in this world during our lifetime. And knowing them was INSEAD for me". And it is so fuckin true. Its unbelievable.

Last week I met this guy who is doing the exact same thing that I want to do in my life. It was very surreal meeting him but it was also extremely reassuring as I know that I am not whistling daa dee daa out of my backside. I am targetting something real, something very much achievable. Of course it is a different story that very few of the people around give something like that a shot. After all, entrepreneurship is not about frameworks but more about balls ;)

Adios fuckers. Be proud!!

PS: Yes, I have foul language....so?

P5 !

2009-10-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

Now in P5, its really hard to accept that INSEAD will be over in under 6 weeks. Where did it go? And more than that, it wasnt supposed to end like this? :(

These are interesting times. Everyone is neck deep in job search and success is extremely fuckin hard to come by. In good times, firms look for potential and MBA recruitment does very well. But in bad times, firms look strictly for a profile fit and this is where all the dreams which MBA marketing dept. made you believe in doesnt stand strong.

Consulting recruitment has mostly been a function of your office selection. Middle East, London, A few smaller European offices, Manila, Jakarta and Sgp have recruited. China is in the shittier end of the spectrum. Finance recruitment has been mostly through internships. And industry is going as slow as it possibly fuckin can.

I am focussed on industry and have nothing yet. From the looks of it, I dont think it will be realistic to expect an offer before graduation. The David vs Goliath is still on but it is such a fuckin long drawn process with so many variables that it questions the effort I have put in.

I knew INSEAD would be intense and quick. And officially, I am emotionally exhausted. My body can still keep up but mentally I am done. Only if I had a job, I could go back home and sleep for a week.

There will be a day when we all will look back and smile.

WTF...when will that day come!

News Flash !!

2009-09-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

David vs Goliath just got real !! We are going live peeps...going fuckin live!

And in other news, I am being dinged around by every living soul who has the authority to ding me. But fuck them. I aint gonna give up so easy.

Will be back with more news guys. Hang on tight to you knickers.

Anxious moments !

2009-08-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

Am getting a bit nervous now. As P4, the honeymoon is over. Now its time to wake up and get the honeymoon suite organised before checking out. Next two terms would be all about jobs and career decisions. And I have no fuckin idea where I will end up.

When I came to INSEAD, my target was Consulting in China. Pre-MBA I was in China in industry and earlier in my career I was in Consulting so I knew I could connect the dots. But throughout INSEAD, everyone told me that consulting is not for me. I am more of a doer, a hands on person which is not the case with consulting. I agreed but then again, I knew consulting would open a number of doors for me which would take me where I eventually want to be.

Then came the surprise summer internship in healthcare. It changed a few things in my life. For one, I dont want to be in consulting anymore. I love the challenge of managing teams, managing deliverables and driving real businesses. I like working with people instead of MS Powerpoint. Second, the internship re-confirmed my passion for my long term goal. The only question is how the fuck to reach there.

Well, it will be long and tough. There will be celebrations and breakdowns. A year to challenge yourself....fuck...its true. I might make it through or I might not. By December I will either have a job or I will be on a one way ticket to home. Ya...I will go home and sleep like a baby for a few days before thinking of jobs again.

Right now I dont know where I will be in 6 months from now. I am shit scared but at the same time I am anxious to see how things shape up. INSEAD changed my life irrespetive of where I end up. I became a better person for my partner, I realised my real interests and priorities in life and I blew up everything I earned over the past 5 years. Boy it felt good. I met some amazing people here, made some truly good friends and the memories will last forever.

Huh...fuck. Right now it feels like sitting in a roller coaster in the front seat. The security lock has kicked in and the ride is about to start. I am scared, I know I could potentially shit in my trousers, I know there will be an embarassing picture taken half way through the ride, but I also know that when this ride stops, I will be thrilled and be glad that I took this ride.

Guys, I am still on with the David vs Goliath thing. Its getting serious now and please pray for me. I want this thing to work. I know I am way out of my depth on this but fuck me, good things are supposed to happen once in a while right.

YouTube of the day (poor video quality though!)

Update from Sgp !!

2009-08-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

Guys,

Time for update from my side.

I moved back to Singapore campus and its great to be back. Having lived across the campuses, I think now I am in a position to compare:

- If you are looking for relaxed, good times, go to Singapore.
- If you want to study hard and learn a lot of models and frameworks, go to Fonty.
- If you want the career services to kick ass, then go to Fonty.
- If you want to be in Europe post MBA, go to Fonty. If you want to be in Asia post MBA, go to Singapore.
- If you enjoy looking at trees all day long, go to Fonty.
- If you can either cook your own meal or can survive on donner kebabs then go to Fonty.
- If party for you is about seeing the same people every night out, then go to Fonty.
- If you want to try your luck with new non-MBA women, then go to Singapore.
- If you want to increase your chances of getting laid, go to Fonty.

Yep, that sums it all. Singapore is my favorite campus. This place ROCKS! The atmosphere is lot more relaxed, intimate and there is a positive vibe about this place which is missed big time in Fonty.

On other news, I had my first interview and got dinged. Well I kind of fucked up the interview. Important tip - dont drink too many espressos before an interview. It takes you to turbo boost mode which does not go down well with the interviewers always.

The whole gang of consulting firms is coming on campus next month. Although coming to campus and making offers are two different things. Banks are absent all together. Its no more sexy to say you are from IB.

In terms of job search, its not very promising but lets see what comes out of it. Recruitment freeze is still around in most companies and it sucks to compare the list of companies visiting Fonty vs Singapore. Fonty wins. Singapore career services needs more local folks with years of Asia experience and network.

And finally, an update for David vs Goliath. Its not over yet. I am still in with a chance. I always knew it will be tough but am glad I survived this far. I should have another update on this within 3-4 weeks. I will let you guys know what it was even if I fail. And no, its nothing to do with jobs or women. Although I could potentially get women and jobs if I am successful ;)

And YouTube of the day !

David vs Goliath??

2009-07-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a situation where you follow your instincts and end up against a Goliath? A situation where you know that most likely things wont work out but even then you want to give it a shot?

Well I am in such a situation right now. I know its a fight which most likely I will lose but I dont want to give up till am defeated. I firmly believe in what I am doing and if I fail it would only be because I was pitched against a very tough opposition.

Aarrgghh...its driving me nuts. I kind of fucked up 30 mins ago but so far I have not been kicked out of the game. And that is good news.

No, this is not about a job interview.

I will reveal all once this is over. If I fail, then this could be over anytime from now and if I succeed then it should be some 6-8 months from now.

Finger's crossed.

INSEAD & Break-ups !

2009-07-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Two of my good friends are on the rocks with their partners. This happens to a lot of people during their INSEAD year. On the flip side, it also means a lot of hook-ups!

Why break-ups?

Well I am not your usual agony aunt but I think I have something to say here. INSEAD is an adrenaline injected, super-charged life where you feel like the king of the world. Life here is full of excitement and possibilities. The school admin on their part tell you that the world is your oyester. You can become that snooty rich PE guy or the entrepreneur who can create the next big thing in renewables. With all this madness around, you are hard pressed for time.

And then you get a call from your partner who is miles away and is mad about the little dent on her car. She starts the story about how she left home in the morning for work, how she had tons of things on her mind and before she could finish, you interrupt, "Cut the crap, a dent is no big deal. Dont worry about it. I gotta go now".

You change as a person. Your partner not being at INSEAD means that she has no clue of whats going on in your life. You forget the person you were when you left your partner behind for this MBA. And instead of getting your head out of your ass and think about it, you complain that your partner does not understand you well, is not practical enough etc. But you dont remember that in the months preceding MBA, your partner was there with you, listening to all your gibberish about how badly you need this admit, how your job sucks and you want to do so much more in life. You were shitting yourself about this MBA, finances etc. and your partner was there supporting you all throughout. Perhaps, you are here because your partner encouraged you since that very first moment when you thought of getting an MBA.

My only advice is that dont forget who you are. Dont forget your priorities because all being great about INSEAD, sadly it has to end in 11 months. When you talk to your partner, be the same person you were before INSEAD. Invest in your relationship because that is more valuable than another weekend getting sloshed.

(I told you I suck at this agony aunt gig!!)

Signing off with one of my favourite tunes.

Temptations !

2009-07-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

After more than a year of self restrain, today I gave in to my temptations. I know it wasnt the smartest thing to do but sometimes its good to have some fun just for the heck of it.

I bought myself an iPhone 3GS, 32 GB. And I fuckin love it. It has to be the coolest thing since Google. You can waste hours after hours on this little work of art despite knowing that you are being stupid. I think this is a serious fun phone. The apps are super cool and it delivers a serious "convenience" punch to your life. Like, I just discovered that there is a fuckin Mexican joint near my flat.

Over the years I have used all sorts of phone. I preferred the Windows mobile over Blackberry because it had pull email instead of push. You see I am a lazy person and I cant be arsed into reading emails at odd hours of the night. But despite all that I have experienced in the world of mobile phones, there remains a winner. And sadly that is a Nokia basic brick phone. You might wonder why. Well because that little pc of shit can wake me up every morning without fail. Windows phone on the other hand used to ring once and then leave a reminder. Now you tell me, what fuckin good it is to wake up at 10 and see a reminder "Alarm 7am" on your phone. The other thing which I like about the brick phone is that because it is so cheap that everything in it is basic. There is not a drop of sophistication in it. So the speakers are basic and therefore noisy. The vibrator is also basic and hence fuckin efficient. I can keep that phone under a pillow and it will still make itself audible while vibrating my whole damn bed. And thats why, despite all the iPhone, Crackberry and the flip phones, my preffered choice in times of peril will be Nokia basic brick phone.

Now phones aside, I am also doing other meaningful stuff these days. Like experiencing Parisian life, meeting new random people and also an internship.

It is hard to believe but my MBA is more than half way through. I have two more terms to go and since it will be recruitment season, it will be over before I know it.

During the next few weeks I will blog a bit more than I usually do. I want to blog about Fonty vs Sgp, the impact of INSEAD MBA and of course the fucked up job market. Today someone asked me where I want to be after MBA. And I had no answer. I have never been this lost in my life ever. I was the one who always had plans. But now I dont know squat about where I want to be.

But you know what, I am konfused and extremely excited about life at this stage !

IN-SANE

2009-06-22T11:30:00.001-07:00

Things, as always, are getting fuckin insane. It happened end of P1, P2 and now again in P3. I always had plans of being better organised but fuck me. Its not gonna happen..not in this life time.

My things to do for now:

- Prepare a presentation for t'row (just found out that the guy I was supposed to work with is out of country...so its only me on this)
- Reaction notes based on some 100 pages of boring pre-reading material
- Poll...just finished this one. Did not bother to read the case, just went online and started bullshitting. In the world of business education, you must be able to play with words like sustainability, stakeholders, streamlining, strategy, leverage....
- Book my tickets
- Find a place in Paris for the summer
- Review and submit 2 assignments

And if possible study for the fuckin exams. Oh..INSEAD...I will miss this action when I graduate !

Dingfest

2009-05-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

There is some serious dingfest going on out here. And I am getting enough of personal action too.

I applied to a handful of internship opportunities where I thought I really had a fit but I got dinged left, right and center. Some after an interview and some without the interview. I always knew it will be tough, but man...this shit is messy. I just wonder what P4/5 will be like. Royal fuck up I guess.

Here's an interesting one. We had this career fair in Singapore. Country manager of a top Pharmaceutical company was there. Since I could not see him at the fair, I later sent him an email showing my interest and stuff. I got a reply saying the HR is scanning the opportunities available and should get back in 2 weeks. 4 weeks later no news so I sent a reminder.

Lo and behold.....the HR replied today saying..."Thank you for sending your CV. We were highly fuckin impressed and shit. But unfortunately yada yada. None the less, we will retain your super kick ass CV on our system and have also forwarded it to other regional offices. We wish you the best of fuckin luck."

But...a big fuckin but here....I NEVER sent my fuckin CV to this company !!

I always had a certain hatred for HR people. Let me give you another example. 2 years back I applied to a consulting firm and was rejected straight away. A while later, I was headhunted for the same company, for the same fuckin job. How does that work then?

Fuck it. I am not looking for internship any more. I will take the summer off, improve my Mandarin and scope out certain markets and business interests I have. Instead of getting dinged for jobs which wont take me anywhere, I might as well spend the summer and figure out where I want to be. So thats the fuckin plan.

Interestingly, 5 years ago when I was going through a similar dingfest, my life took an interesting turn and I came out on tops. Will it happen again? Fuck yeah !

Gentle Reminder

2009-05-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I was walking back from a party, drunk, tired and everything else. It was 2am and a bit cold and then it started raining. I got completely drenched and instead of running for cover, I stood in the middle of the road with open arms and enjoyed the rain.

You see I love getting wet in rains. Its such a refreshing experience but I cant remember when I did it last. I guess it must have been almost 3-4 years since I got completely wet in the rain - intentionally.

Last night reminded that life is not all about MBA, financial models, internship, jobs bla bla. There are a number of trivial things which bring joy and happiness in my life and perhaps they wont change ever. I still enjoy the rains, I love a decent home cooked meal, I love watching movies etc. But over the past years, I was running around like a headless chicken, pursuing things which would bring me happiness and recognition from a social perspective. Of course its important to have a job and stuff but its not everything. And I am glad I got caught in the rain. I am glad I was made aware of simple things which I still enjoy and which I almost forgot about.

On a different note, I met mbamrs. She is such an interesting person. I have been following her blog for a long time and it was great to finally meet her. Someone with a clear sense of things, well composed and willing to explore.

So how is Fonty? This place rocks (so does sgp but at a different level). I dont think I have been this relaxed in such a long time. I love this small town, love the campus and just getting adjusted to the house party concept. The two campuses are definitely different and I will soon do a post about the differences.

Note: mbamrs pointed out that my blog contains a lot of foul language and hence to prove that I can survive otherwise, this post contains no foul langauge.

Moi...Fonty...Génial

2009-05-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

I am here boys...Fonty.

Arrived last evening in what seemed to be an endless drive through French countryside. Was tired and eager. I booked myself a small studio in Fonty city centre and I was kind of sure it would be a complete dump.

Boy I was wrong. The studio I got is a loft converted into a living space and its cute. Yep...you heard it right..me saying "cute". Its small, its beautifully done and just perfect. Since my childhood I wanted to live in a loft. And finally I am here. There is only one problem though...I am kind of tall for this loft. But who cares....I love it !

Fontainebleau campus is huge. I have been on campus for about 4 hours now but still dont know my way around. Open spaces, gardens....its the complete package. Food is much better here than Fonty. You might struggle for Asian food but I personally dig sandwiches, smoothies etc. and Fonty is waaaayy better than Singapore. Infrastructure is great but then again Fonty has 3 times more people than Singapore.

Classes start from t'row. Today I have to organise tons of stuff...bank account, paper work bla bla.

By the way, just heard that MBA applications are up by 500%. Thats going to be one hell of a competitive process. Good luck to those who are applying.

The first 2 terms were all about MBA business - you know getting back to school, coursework, assignments etc. The next 3 terms will be about the individual participants. You choose the electives, decide your workload etc. For me, P3 is going to set the tone for P4-P5. I need to prepare myself for the job search battle for the second half of the year. And what better place to do that than the beautiful lawns at Fonty. Job situation for July 09 is really bad. Its much worse than December 08 class. So you see, I really need to get my act together if I dont want to shit myself during P4-P5.

But for now, its me, my cute little studio and the beautiful lawns at Fonty.

Miss you H...Wish you were here... :(

Yeah...I know...we ROCK !!!

2009-04-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

End of P2

2009-04-27T03:26:00.000-07:00

P2 is almost over. One more paper to go and then I will be off to Fonty for P3.

INSEAD is really intense and unbelievably fast. Before coming here I used to completely disregard this notion of intensity at INSEAD, but believe me...I was so wrong. This place is crazy. You go days without sleep and you always have a million things to take care of. Fuck...this shit is unreal.

Anyways...so now I am off to P3. This campus switch is great because how more international could an MBA be - two continents in one year. But at the same time this system has a serious drawback. You can switch at the end of P2, which is like 4 months into the program, but it usually is in P2 that you make good friends....people you will stay in touch and meet in your post-MBA life. And because of this switch, chances are that you wont meet some of them again in rest of the MBA. Sucks....

Fuck it.

So how was P2? Shit...absolute shit. We had Marketing which was the most frustrating experience ever...the other courses were way too fast and only finance was brilliant. But brilliant with a twist. Brilliant because you learn the smart things...you know the ones you could talk about in a social set up and impress people...and twisted because it made your life miserable. It was painful but exciting. Everyone at INSEAD was motivated by the challenge of the subject. We all worked hard. We knew its beyond us but that very fact made us work. For me...I went down...went down fighting.

On career front nothing much is going on. I applied to only those places where I saw a fit. I applied to 1 consulting firm for China office and got dinged. Before coming to INSEAD, I was targeting China for post MBA career but in the current difficult environment, firms are taking only native Chinese so I am screwed. I speak the language, I understand China and know how to deliver results but still things are not happening for me on that front.

I have once again come to hate the HRs. They are so full of it. You get called from random places but rejected from the right ones. And some rejections are just lame. I got rejected from one place and they said my level of education does not match their expectation. Are you fuckin kidding me? Of course it was a standard rejection but I think firms should consider the kind of message they want to send out. But right now its a buyers market so who am I to complain.

Alright...I better go and start preparing for operations exam for t'row. After the exam we have a bad ass 6 hour champagne party. Cant wait !!

P2...

2009-04-03T00:21:00.000-07:00

Ok...am back from another hiatus.

We are now in P2 and life is mad. The workload is high, quite a few are worried about internships, most are going nuts with elective bidding for P3 and some of us have to move to France in 3 weeks.

Got the results from P1 and I bombed...thats bombed with a capital B. I was shocked. This Z curve thing is a bit tricky. Although it saved my ass in subjects which I found really difficult, it sank me in subjects which were easy. Because, when its easy getting a 80% score is as good as flunking the subject. And my grades got screwed.

P2 is much different from P1. In the first term it was whoa ! after whoa ! for each prof while in P2 its WTF mostly. Marketing prof is the worst one. Marketing is supposed to be fun but the prof makes it even worse than statistics.

On internships roughly about 40 opportunities exist out there and firms are being very very picky. I applied to 3 firms and got the royal up yours reply. Doesnt matter...just another reason to get shit faced.

I will be moving to Fonty for P3 and then back to Singapore for P4/P5. I want to work in Asia so I reckon being in Singapore would help.

I gotta go. As some of you might have guessed, am in the marketing class updating this blog !!

Peace !!

The story so far....

2009-02-21T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hey People,

Sorry for such low post rate. Been really busy with course work :(

Ok. So here is the deal. In about 12 days, P1 will be over. Yes, it will be fuckin over. Its been awesome so far and I am now going to share my experience with you.

What is P1 all about?

There are two ways to look at it. Either you focus on the course work or you focus on meeting interesting people. As far as course work is concerned its mostly finance related. If you have a background in Finance then you will sail through P1. If not then it will need some work but not too much, unless you want to be on the Dean's list. For me, I dont want to be on the Dean's List because honestly I know what I want to learn at INSEAD and am focussed only on that.

As far as meeting inteteresting people is concerned, let me tell you that it is really important. You meet tons of people here and some of them tend to become your good friends. But then again, most of them will move on to Fonty and wont return. (This is for you V, mate come back to Sing Sing....). For me meeting these new people has been the high point because there is so much to learn from them. For example I know now that consulting sucks as far I as I am concerned. I know a lot more about PE than ever. And above all, I can run a fuckin spreadsheet on Excel like a breeze which I couldnt do before INSEAD. It is important and I suggest it be your priority too.

As far as grade performances are concerned, there are two grades at INSEAD - Dean's List and Non Dean's List. Dean's list is usually abour GPA 3.25 and it doesnt matter how close or far you were, you belong to the second category. If you my reader are into Dean's list and all, work your ass off son. If not then use this time to do things you have never done in your life before. For me, I did two things in P1 which I never did in my past 27 years. And hopefully I will add one more thing to that list by next weekend.

P1 and P2 is all about group work. I will let you discover that by yourself.

Now for jobs. Its all screwed up. So if any of you could link me up with a potential opportunity, I will give you my first month's salary. Number for D08 is around 65% with about 35% returning to their old jobs. J09 is now up for job search and we'll soon find out what the market is like. But I have been doing my snooping around and it honestly doesnt look good.

As far as internships are concerned, there are enough opportunities provided you are competitive enough. ML, GS, Citi etc. have been recruiting in banking. The numbers are very small like 1 or 2 and my personal opinion is that its only because they want to maintain the relationship with INSEAD.

Anything else you want to know??? Ping me and I will reply.

Take it easy guys. The world is all messed up but like the good old saying:

"In the end, everything is good. If its not good yet, then perhaps this is not the end."

Ciao
K

P1 @ Singapore

2009-01-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys, I know its been ages since I blogged. I was traveling in December and landed at INSEAD Sgp on 3rd Jan and its been crazy ever since. But I do intend to improve my blog rate and give you the real scoop about life at INSEAD.

Right...so where should I start from???

Intense - You all must have heard intense and INSEAD in the same sentence a million times already. I personally thought it was an exaggeration but let me be honest here, this place is fuckin intense. 24 hrs is just not enough. It is a fact that you will be sleep deprived, knee deep in course backlog and still find a reason to party till the wee hours. And somewhere in the middle of all that, you also need to figure out your career. This place is not for the weak hearted. You need to be able to prioritise, perform under pressure and be ready to sleep 6+ hours only once a week.

But, this is an awesome school. I cant tell you how glad I am for having chosen this school.

Course - So far the course content has really impressed me. P1 is mostly about finance aka. corporate finance, accounting, prices etc. The profs are super cool (on this note of cool...I think it reflects in everything INSEAD. Profs, food court, admin staff etc.). I dont have a background in finance so am kind of struggling but the trick is to make sure you do the pre-readings and you should be fine.

Party Scene - In the first ten days I was sober only one evening. From the welcome cocktail to the Bain party to your section parties. Its hard not to get trashed or being in the mix without being a party animal. Its an awesome break. I guess everyone realises this and makes sure to make the most out of it.

Jobs - This is the tricky one. And am sure quite a few of you want to know whats the reality of the day. Well, its fucked. Plain and simple. From the class of December 2008 only about 65% got jobs and of that about 50% went back to their pre-MBA employers. There still are a couple of IBs scouting for talent but the volumes are definitely low. Consulting is steady (oh...and by the way this really is a fuckin Consultant's school. Every other person is McBain Consulting and out here on a study leave. They are sponsored too and hence they account for most of the party animals) and industry is also ok. 2009 does not look any better at this point in time and my guess is that jobs will be hard to come by. By March I should have better numbers as internship recruitment will be on full swing.

Alright fellas....I need to sleep tonight. T'row evening we have another party and I plan to get absolutely loooooosee !!

To life...!

All set for next year !!

2008-11-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

I am still alive. I know its been almost a month since I blogged but I was busy with a lot of things. Plus, I wanted to post only when everything was in place for this MBA year. And fortunately things have fallen in place over the past 4 weeks. I have also formally resigned from work and the next two weeks will be all about handing over. Then am off to a much awaited month long holiday before moving to Singapore on 1st of Jan.

I have confirmed a condo at Heritage View. Its a 3 bedroom unit which we got for SGD 4600, which seems to a very good deal, and I will be sharing it with a European tech consultant and an Asian banker. They both seem to be really fun people and am sure we will have a great time next year. We need to, especially because the world around us is falling apart and recruitment at INSEAD is totally screwed up. My advice to guys coming in for future promotions is look for a condo first and then flat mates. If you can get your hands on a good deal then people will always be willing to share it with you.

I started with one of the books from the pre-reading list and it was really a silly book. If you have read Freakonomist or Undercover Economist then you can definitely skip Principles of Microeconomics. I couldn't get my hands on the other two books which are all about hardcore financial models but am sure they are the ones which do need to be covered beforehand. But one thing worried me. You see my view is when you study something, it helps you develop new ways of looking at a situation. But in the book I read, at the end of every chapter there were silly questions like "Name the 7 models.." and honestly speaking I think that is a load of bollocks. I think education should be about reading new concepts and then applying them to a situation to show how much you have learned instead of just writing down the name of concepts you came across. I honestly hope this is not the case at INSEAD.

My finances are sorted out. Got a scholarship from INSEAD and also secured a small student loan from Prodigy Finance. Initially I was not keen for student loans but given the current economic situation, I was not too sure if I should dry up my financial resources. Don't want to be unemployed and broke. This scholarship and student loan will allow me to have a comfortable MBA year and my savings will ensure I have something to fall back on in case no recruiter shows me love next year.

There needs to be a special mention here for Prodigy Finance. What comes to your mind when you think of a Loan? For me it is, first a well dressed rep talking in some non human language about all sorts of conditions and stuff, then a truck load of papers which you need to submit for your case and finally another truck load of papers which you need to read and sign. With Prodigy, you can cut it all out. Its a very simple process and they have structured it really well.

Prodigy was started by a couple of INSEAD grads. Their view was that INSEAD looks for truly international people and often most of such people find it difficult to raise finances in their home country due to their global career or quite a lot of applicants come from emerging markets where the cost of MBA converts into a few millions. They aim to help such candidates by raising funds from INSEAD alumni, recruiters etc. and offer student loan to only those people who have already been accepted to INSEAD. Plus having themselves been through the process, they are able to look at a candidate's profile and evaluate if it will be worth anything in the market post MBA. Of course you have to do the traditional background/ credit check but even that has been simplified to a large extent. In my case for example, I have never used a credit product and a credit check on me would result in "no trace". The only catch is that they cannot guarantee a loan to every applicant as the funds they are able to raise is limited. But nonetheless they are doing an excellent job and hats off to them !!

At work, I have been officially relieved of my duties although I will continue to work for the next 2 weeks. This job has been a life changing experience for me. I came in as a clueless boy and am leaving as an ambitious, capable man. This job really broadened my perspective and gave me the balls to dream big. And I am leaving not because I am unhappy with the job but because I have set higher goals for myself which cannot be achieved from this platform.

So finally, I really am moving on to INSEAD.

By the way if you are thinking about what the recruitment scene at INSEAD is at the moment, then let me be the one to tell you this - its all fucked up at the moment. Jobs are hard to come by and even though firms are coming in, the offers aren't. I will be able to get some solid numbers on recruitment only when am at the campus but don't be surprised is recruitment at time of graduation is around 50%.

Singapore Accommodation

2008-10-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

Having resigned last Friday, now I am working on the relocation to Singapore. And first stop is accommodation.

There are two options which are extremely popular with INSEAD participants. Dover Parkview & Heritage View are within walking distance of INSEAD, are a bit posh and because of ample demand from INSEAD are definitely overpriced. I spoke to one real estate agent over the weekend and he mentioned that one other reason for them being pricey is because quite a few landlords have had bad experiences with INSEAD students and hence they want a premium for taking the risk.

Anyways, at these two places you are looking at about SGD 4500-5000 for 3 bedroom apartments. Other option could be Normanton Park which is a 5 minute bus ride from INSEAD. It is significantly cheaper and lacks the Club Med feel which Heritag & Dover have to offer. Normanton Park goes for about SGD 3500-4000 for 3 bedroom units. Third option could be Clementi, which is one subway/ MRT stop away from INSEAD (which is by Dover stop). At Clementi, decent condos go for about SGD 3000-3500..

The cheapest option is HDB units which is available all across Singapore. These are low cost units developed by the Singapore government and go for about SGD 2000-2500 for 3 bedroom unit.

As for me, I am preparing a list of all available options and then will look for fellow INSEADers to share the condo with. I am open to Dover & Heritage, second option being Normanton. Given the supply of condos around INSEAD, its not too difficult to get your hands on one. With recent economic downturn, the rentals do seem to be coming down but not so much so at Dover or Heritage.

On a different note, my wife will not be able to join me during this MBA year as she really wants to use this year to build up her professional experiences. Before taking up the assignment in China, I had little or no knowledge about what professional opportunities it could offer to my wife. Unfortunately, the opportunities were hard to come by and even the ones that came through were not as exciting. Both of us are now done with our first phase of professional life and we both want to use this MBA year to build up our future. And our post MBA goal is to see ourselves moving to an exciting place where both can pursue professional growth. I will definitely miss her a lot next year. She has been with me through thick and thin. I almost got her to kill me because of my constant nagging during the INSEAD application process. Unfortunately, next year I wont have her by my side telling me that I am an absolute champ irrespective of all the failures that I have in my kitty.

H....will miss you tons !

One year to challenge yourself !

2008-10-05T19:20:00.001-07:00

This is what INSEAD says and you bet your ass its true. Right from GMAT to applications to actually moving to INSEAD. Its a tough ride and given the current economic situation, it also becomes highly unpredictable. I did not post in the last 2 weeks as I was running around like a headless chicken. I was excited about INSEAD but at the same time nervous about the whole transition. Yesterday I was talking to a potential applicant and he said once GMAT is smashed, everything will fall into place. That is so god damn wrong. If you had access to INSEAD portal you will know how so many of admits are working hard for raising funds for this MBA. Plus there is also a big question about the employment scene next year.

Argh....am sick of challenging myself. And its still P0!

On scholarships I got pre-selected for one of the juiciest scholarship worth Euro 25k. But I screwed up in the interview and here I am back to square one. I still have two applications pending but I dont expect much. Right now I am preparing for funding this MBA year all by myself and at many times I do question if this is the right thing to do. Am I being lazy about career building and going for this expensive MBA as an easier way out? Only time will tell.

Last week I was out traveling and met a French admit and it was quite reassuring to get a feel of the kind of people I will be studying with next year. Young, ambitious, smart risk takers. The only disappointment was that we failed to achieve our goal for the evening, which was Drinks>Dinner>Drinks>Drinks>Breakfast>Sleep. Somewhere in the early hours right before breakfast, we both had to give up and go back home. J, if you reading this then we gotta do it again at Sgp !

I also spoke to my contacts in Consulting across APac. Message is simple - Consulting is still seeing significant growth across Asia and recruitment will be strong next year. But firms will look for the fit in terms of regional experience, language skills etc. On banking side, the picture is really gloomy.

Agenda for this week:

- Resign - Yes...finally its time for me to f off my employers. I am planning on scheduling a telecon later today, talk about some important project and our growth and shit and right in the middle of it all, I will say..."urmm...listen fellas...go screw yourselves...am outta here". Naah...only in my dreams. I am going to speak to my Directors and be cordial about this whole stuff. I still have got money stuck with the firm which I need badly and above all, they gave me the opportunity which helped me become a stronger professional. I know I am being politically correct here but its the truth. No one else would have given me the opportunity to run a full scale business at the age of 25.

- Setting things up for the relocation. Accommodation, flat-mates, lease etc. etc. Waiting for confirmation on available condos and then will look for partners to share with.

1 down, 3 to go

2008-09-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

Late Friday night I got a ding for my Sasakawa Scholarship application. I wasn't much hopeful for it but still, a failure is a failure. Sasakawa scholarship is through some Japanese endowment and is about leadership experience in a multicultural set up. Even though I didnt have high hopes but I thought I had a good story for it. I led the turnaround of a British company in China.

Anyways, I have 3 more scholarship applications to look forward to and am really optimistic about 2 of those. I definitely need some sort of financial assistance from INSEAD as I cannot apply for any kind of educational loan. If I get the scholarship then my savings will allow me to go through the INSEAD year.

I have also applied to Prodigy Finance but am not sure if they have funds available at this stage.

Lets hope for the best.

Difficult times ahead

2008-09-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

Is this a terrible time to go for an MBA?

In my view, it depends on how you look at it. If you have a clear idea of what you want from your MBA, you have realistic goals and also a background fit, then you might just do fine. On the other hand, "I am really passionate about consulting/ banking and am excited at the prospect of working for you" wont fly with the recruiters at all.

Its a fact that there are considerable number of people hoping for a career switch to Banking/ Consulting via MBA. Most firms in these sectors are bottom heavy. They go to business schools and recruit army of Associates. But it all makes sense when its blue sky and sun shine. Quite similar to IT industry where firms always keep a certain number of techies on reserve/ hold to ensure they are highly responsive to client needs. But when the going gets tough, firms try to make their operations leaner, reduce costs etc.

What it means for prospective MBAs is that recruitment will still go on, probably at reduced levels, but recruiters will now look for much more than passion and other superlative adjectives. There has to be a fit (firms expect you to get on with the job from day 1), a sensible reason (as a Tunisian you cannot say you prefer Shanghai office) and a background match (as PhD in Microbiology, you might find it difficult to become a TMT analyst). So you got to be very very clear about your goals, target industry, target location etc. Cast a wider net and have a solid Plan B. Dont burn the bridges with your current employer and make sure your network remains strong during the MBA year.

Its going to be tough. There is no doubt about it. The current turmoil will eventually affect other industries. But before you start whining, remember that there are folks out there graduating right in the middle of this global shit storm.

To the participants of J09/ D08, hope it all works out well.

All the best !!

First Deposit !

2008-09-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

This is it. No turning back now. I have officially accepted the INSEAD Admit by paying the initial deposit of Euro 5000.

I got a pretty decent exchange rate. Almost 4% better than the rate I benchmarked against. The next payment of Euro 30000 is due in November and I am yet to figure out how to pay that. Next week is important. I will be consolidating all my savings into one account and hopefully it should be enough to pay the entire tuition fee. Scholarship results will be out by end of September so that could help too.

My savings are in 2 different currencies and with some stroke of luck, both are doing really good against Euro. Dollar deposit is up 9% while Chinese RMB deposit is up another 9% since Feb 08. I am hoping to capitalise on this unexpected gain and convert all savings to Euro.

With the first deposit, the process of being bankrupt has started. All my savings will be gone within next 6 months. I will have to borrow some money to survive the MBA year and by the time I graduate, I will be in sizeable debt.

Well...INSEAD did say "One year to challenge your thinking, change your outlook and choose your future".

Financing INSEAD MBA

2008-09-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

INSEAD Tuition Fee is Euro 50000. I am budgeting for additional Euro 25000 for the year and I hope it is enough. The biggest cost component will be the rentals. Singapore rentals around INSEAD is anything but steep.

Financing options in general include:

- Savings
- Educational loans (Most need a co-signer except Prodigy Finance)
- Scholarships (You can apply for a maximum of 5)
- Borrowing from family

I have some savings but it wont be enough and I certainly need assistance. I have applied for 4 scholarships and am really praying for a positive outcome. Should hear about it by end of September.

For educational loan, I dont qualify for it. I have never worked in my home country so dont have any credit history. I do have properties for collateral but again I have been told that having never worked in my home country, I wont get through the documentation stage. I dont have citizenships of the countries I have worked in so again, I dont frigging qualify. I checked with Prodigy Finance, which is a brilliant concept started by INSEAD grads, but they dont seem to have enough funds to allocate. But I will still apply and hope for the best. Then there is Paras foundation but their decision/ interest rate depends on a million factors. It didnt make sense to me so I skipped it.

Final option is, parents - bank provided by nature. I really dont want to borrow money from them and this will be my last option. Absolute last option.

Its not easy paying for an INSEAD MBA even though it is not the most expensive one out there. For all you potential applicants, start saving as early as possible. I have been working for about 5 years now but started saving only from May 2007. This is when I seriously started considering an MBA. And as you can see, I have not saved enough. So start saving from the very moment MBA flashes in your mind.

Things to do

2008-09-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

After one hell of a weekend, its time to get working now. Job is going steady with sufficient work load and I need to start preparing for my INSEAD year. I now need to really sit down and figure out all the things which need to be taken care of straight away.

1. Resign from my job - I work under the Board of Directors of my company. All of them are very busy at this time but I have to get this done sooner than later. I want to give them enough time to fill my gap.

2. Secure finances - This is a tough one. I have some savings which wont be enough. I applied for 4 scholarships and should get the result by end of September. Raising loan from Banks seems to be difficult as I have never worked in my home country. Might just have to borrow from family and am really dreading that moment. But as of now, it will be waiting for Scholarship decisions.

3. Accommodation at Sgp - Dover & Heritage seem to be obvious favourites. But both are significantly expensive. Especially the two real estate firms mentioned on INSEAD Connect. At this point I am not sure what kind of accommodation I will need. My wife doesnt want to move to Singapore without a job and we need to figure that out latest by mid November. I would really miss her if she doesnt come along but I also totally understand her viewpoint. She wants to build up a career and thats great. But without knowing if she will be coming along or not, it doesnt make sense going apartment hunting.

4. Pack and Move - This is perhaps the easiest one. Packing shouldnt take more than a couple of days. Right now am thinking of leaving my job/ country by end of November. Would like to spend whole of December catching up with family & friends and of course a short vacation with my wife.

5. Pre-reading - The books mentioned are expensive (like most other things within the INSEAD loop). I am kind of fearing the quant heavy side of it and need to get started before its too late.

6. Exit Language - Mandarin will be my exit language and INSEAD needs basic fluency level. I am able to carry out pretty decent conversation in Mandarin but when it comes to reading or writing, then everything goes blank. I need to be able to read about 150-200 characters to get through this hurdle but as of now all Mandarin characters look the same to me.

7. GMAT - Yes, I really need to improve my GMAT. I will need it when gunning for placements during second half of 2009. From 660, I need to move up to at least 700. My Quant is acceptable, I averaged around 47-49, but Verbal is really weak and I really dont know why it is so. I scored 37 in GMAT verbal and need to be around 41+ to achieve 700 in GMAT.

Aargh...way too many things to do.

I will start working on my exit language from today. 1 hour everyday should get me at least 20 characters and I need about 200 to get through the test. Next in line is resigning from my job and I am hoping to do it sometime within this week. Actually the truth is, I have a part of my bonus still with the HR and I want to get it out before resigning. I dont want to be in a messed up situation where HR from UK and China are passing the ball and making my life difficult.

So thats it - Language + Resignation for this week !!

INSEAD Application

2008-09-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

INSEAD application requires you to write about 7 essays. You can also go for the additional optional one but I skipped that. Your essays have to be precise and present your personality well. INSEAD selection process is pretty intense and my view is that roughly 30-40% applicants are selected for interviews and about 40-50% of interviewed candidates are offered admits. Interviews are easy as it is about your personality and the way you conduct conversations. If you are ambitious, international and an interesting person to be with, then interviews will be a walk in the park for you. (Still, a great interview doesnt necessarily mean an admit)

Therefore it is very important that you do your applications really well.

Before you start, spend considerable amount of time on your product pitch. You should know what you are trying to sell, your USPs, your strengths, your personality etc. And then you have to build your essays around it. With 7 essays of low word count, chances are your whole application will be read in one go. So what do you want the reader to walk away with?

In my essays, I avoided too much technical or business information. I used stories from both professional and personal life. I knew what I was trying to sell - young, successful with business building experience in unfamiliar territories and truly international professional with great soft skills who is bound to pursue entrepreneurial ventures which will lead to community development. That was my pitch, and I used different stories from my life to reflect these elements. Whatever you want to pursue in your post MBA career, make sure you have something to connect your past with it. If you have no connection then show your passion and genuine interest through actual actions. If I say I want to become an astronaut then I should have at least visited the top Space Museums and did one of those weekend programs. There should be a connection. When you say you are going to save the world then make sure you saved at least a small county in your past.

A few things you might consider:

- Your essays have to be crisp and with the word limit you need to work with, avoid technical/ business details where possible. You might be really keen to use all the business lingo but may be its not worth it. The AdCom is looking for a well rounded candidate and not a guy who uses the word Strategy in every sentence.

- Include examples from different facets of your life. Show them that you are a fun person and will fit well with INSEAD's culture of work hard play hard(er).

- Career Goal essay is perhaps the most important/ difficult essay. You cannot possibly be too specific about your post MBA goals (working as an Associate with BCG in the Pharmaceutical practice in London). But you can give a fairly reasonable idea. Like, working with C level executives from consumer goods in emerging markets on boosting bottom lines. It could be an internal consultant position or a position with one of the tier 1 firms. Your essay should give an indication about the geographic region and nature of role and the why/how of it. You have a past, you are gunning for a particular future 10/20/30 years from now, and this MBA will help you implement the road map you have prepared for your journey.

Whatever you do, do it with an absolute honest intent. Dont kid yourself or try to bullshit the adcom. It wont work. Unless you are really convinced about where you want to be, what you want to be doing, how do you expect to convince others about it?

For word limit, most of my essays were within limit+10%. You can do the same if needed, but dont go way beyond the limit. These essays are designed to be a comfortable read for the AdCom. Keep it that way.

All the best.

PO

2008-09-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

Right now am in P0. I have the admit and I have to exit from my job, go for a holiday, secure finances and also get everything sorted out for Singapore.

The feeling is great. I am still giving my 100% to my company but at the same time I dont have to put up with the non sensical things around as I will be leaving soon. What I am really looking forward to is my resignation letter and the report which I plan to submit thereafter. In the report I want to highlight areas where the company needs to improve if they want to survive the global economic slowdown, how they can build up from where I leave and the options they have on filling my gap.

I am sure quite a few of you are eagerly waiting for that moment when you know you have that precious admit and you just cant wait to bid adieu to your employer.

It will happen. Be patient.

Why INSEAD?

2008-09-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

When I was looking at business schools to target, I had a clear approach. I pulled out the latest FT Rankings, and researched each of the top 15 schools. Of course you can argue if FT is reliable or not or if ranking really matters. My view is that each one of us during our professional years develop some sort of loyalty to any particular business publication. It could be Business Week, Financial News, FT etc. Whatever it is, your loyalty will create a sense of reliability and that will influence your approach. I have been loyal to FT for years and therefore looked up only FT and nothing else. I am not saying it is the best one out there, but it serves me well. As for rankings, yes it does matter when creating your initial targets.

I knew what I wanted from my target school:

- Short program, starting sooner than later.
- A school where my Asian experience could be leveraged well.
- Strong orientation towards my target industry.
- Truly global program.
- Certain degree of intensity in both academics and social set up. (aka. work hard play hard)
- And, within my budget.

INSEAD and IMD fit my requirements very well. Both are great schools and because INSEAD scored better on my parameters, I decided to apply only to INSEAD in the calendar year. I was also a bit younger for IMD and another year would not have hurt my chances.

School selection needs significant efforts. Dont go about random applications as it will take you no where. You should know what you expect from your school and then do your research to identify suitable schools. I spoke to a number of graduates, recruiters and also met INSEAD representatives at an MBA fair.

The more efforts you put in your school selection, the stronger will be your essays/ interview performance. Each school is positioned strongly for certain industries, geographic regions, nature of recruitment etc. And when you are risking a fortune for an MBA it is but obvious that you do your homework.

Why MBA?

2008-09-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Quitting your job for an MBA is not an easy thing. You must have a solid reason for that.

Most of the applicants fall in one of the following categories:

1. You are doing great in your profession and need an MBA to climb the ladder.
2. You are in a dead end job and the only option you think you have to change tracks is an MBA.
3. You are an entrepreneur and have had considerable success so far but on a small scale. You want to do an MBA, get that network and credibility and then pursue bigger businesses.
4. You are sailing just fine and your employer wants to spend some moolah on you and that sought after MBA will now literally be yours for free. So why not?

Whatever your reason is, be absolutely clear about that. This will help not only with your mental preparation but also when it comes to writing those application essays. AdComs can smell bullshit from a million miles. Believe me when I say that. If your application is nothing but fluff then dont expect it to come across as anything else.

One part of your application will be about your long term/ post MBA goals. This essay is really important so think hard before you start writing. Of course no one expects you to know exactly what kind of job you will be doing after MBA, but this essay is about checking your professional outlook. How realistic are you with your expectations? Does that fit well with your background? Are you going to be successful?

Most business schools look for candidates who are already reasonably successful, have a great outlook and are bound to go places in future. And all they want is the right candidate to wear their brand tag when he/ she is featured in Fortune. Of course you learn a lot at business schools but most of the theories and models wont stand ground after you graduate and are facing a million dollar investment decision (unless you are working in Finance or Consulting, doing those spreadsheets and fancy powerpoints). Face it, the real world doesnt work like that. But yes, all the structures and tools you learn will improve your thought process, your risk appetite, your business skills etc. Of course you can try discussing DCF with a blonde in a bar and hope to get laid. Good luck with that.

The key takeaways from an MBA (strictly my opinion) is the personality impact it has on you. You go in as a chump, who has the potential but limited experience, spend your MBA year with a number of intelligent, passionate, driven people from across the world/ industries, you leverage the school brand to build up your own credibility and finally you become a member of an elite global network. After MBA, chances are you will know someone in almost every imaginable industry, you will have the network to open a lot of doors for you, and finally you will come out knowing a lot more about this world and different business scenarios than you ever could. The way you carry yourself, whether socially or in business, will change and you will be better prepared to pursue whatever dream you wanted to before starting your MBA.

If you fall in Category 1 then its fair play. Quite a few firms expect senior managers to be MBA grads and if they are not ready to pay for one then its better to get out of the job and do one yourself. There is no point in spending a few more years hoping for things to change. Because, to put it bluntly, unless you directly are responsible for increasing the share value of your company, you wont go beyond that glass ceiling. You dont want to be too late for an MBA. Have a plan and stick to it. Quit when you are the top of the game.

If you are from Category 2, being realistic will make all the difference in your life. Are you sure you will be able to change tracks with MBA? There are tons of MBA grads pouring in the market every year. Its competitive and when a recruiter has an option, he/ she will definitely go for the candidate who has some sort of fit. Without doubt, most career changers target bottom heavy industries/ firms. Which works out when its all sunshine and blue sky. But on a gloomy day, that shit wont fly. So think carefully about your chances. Dig your past and see if you can connect with any particular industry post MBA.

If you are from Category 3, then well done mate. The network/ credibility offered by an MBA will definitely help your ventures. I have seen others do it and am sure you can do it too. But there is a downside for you too. Can you afford to be out of market for a year/ two years? Will the changing landscape still allow you to be competitive? What about your existing ventures? Are they mature enough to operate in your absence?

If you are from Category 4, then you can buy me a drink anytime you want.

One thing which helps me in my decision making is considering worst case scenario. Whatever you are faced with, just think of the worst case scenario and ask yourself if you can live with that? If yes, then go ahead and kick some ass.

Good luck !

The Moment !!

2008-09-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

INSEAD decision deadlines are usually Friday. For J09 applicants, the deadline was Friday 29th August. Going by the trend most admit calls/ emails were expected by Wednesday 27th August, a mix of admit and waitlisted on Thursday 28th August and mostly dings for 29th.

I was following the action on BW forums (have to say it is the most active MBA forum). On 27th, quite a few people got admit calls. My heart sank a little. But the saving grace was that no one heard anything from my admission coordinator. On 28th, I was hoping for news to start pouring out by 10 am Paris time, but nothing happened. It was very quiet. By around 3pm Paris time I had kind of given up and was preparing for a formal dinner with German colleagues. Throughout the dinner I was looking at my phone hoping to get the call anytime.

By 4pm, waitlist emails stared going out. The next 20 mins was mostly one waitlist after another. I reached home by 4.40pm. Still no news and I was losing it. I knew I was going to be dinged as I should have definitely heard back if I were either accepted or waitlisted. By 4.50 pm, I tried calling my admission coordinator only to reach her voice mail.

Finally by 5 pm, with a gloomy face I logged onto BW forum to bid my farewell. As I was logging in, my iMail beeped with a new email. It was "INSEAD Confidential Final Decision". I MADE IT !!! The next 3-4 hours were just frantic calls to all my friends and dear ones. Lots of drinks and sleepless night. I dont think I am going to forget that evening for a long long time !

The thing with INSEAD application was that I knew that INSEAD was a perfect fit for me. Plus I also believed I was a natural INSEAD candidate (one interviewer mentioned this) and therefore it was the only MBA application I made. It was one of those moments where you know that you really deserve something but its the fear of an unknown factor which could turn things the other way.

Fortunately it all worked out well !!

GMAT & MBA

2008-08-31T19:07:00.001-07:00

Now this is a tricky one. Is your GMAT enough to get you through?? When schools say they take a holistic view of each application, chances are they actually mean it.

GMAT is just one aspect of your entire package. Of course having a great GMAT wont hurt but when you score below the average, you will be taking a chance hoping that your other areas of strength make up for it. I for one got below average GMAT but my overall strengths made up for it.

Your MBA application is about YOU as a person, your passion, your interests, your dreams and your logic behind all of these. If schools want only top GMAT then there is a strong chance that most top schools will end up having over 70% + Indians & Chinese. But that is not the case, so whatever you score don't lose heart and do an honest self-appraisal.

When I scored low on my GMAT, I asked a few current students if I should go ahead and apply. And the reply was, if you are ready and you believe in your overall package then go for it. Fortunately I did and things worked out.

Bottom line, target 7XX, if you score below that then look at the overall breakdown of your score. Is the balance within the range that the school asks for and finally consider your overall package and see if you are truly unique.

Another thing I would like to mention for the smart ones out there - MBA admission is a game. If you know how to play it, then you will get through. Most certainly the school of your choice looks for certain traits - cultural sensitivity, tech background, creativity, international exposure, leadership etc. Play your cards well and if you think your case is still weak, then target a stellar GMAT.

You have two elements here - Your Application Value (which is based on your background/ diversity value/ traits the school is looking for etc.) & your GMAT/ Academics. Your application package should be at least above average overall. So if you score very high on the first element (aka. Application Value) then you can survive with an average or even below average GMAT/ Academics. But if your Application Value is not that great, you will need a solid GMAT to remain competitive. Try to remember this balance when working on your applications.

Good luck !

GMAT

2008-08-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

There are tons of resources available on the internet about GMAT. I wont get much into how to best prepare for the test but yes, know yourself well. Take a trial test to see where you stand, identify your strengths and weaknesses and take it from there.

In my view GMAT is not about how good you are at Maths or English but its more about how smart a test taker you are. The test works on certain patterns and if you spend enough time, you will be able to identify these patterns and have your own way of tackling them. I prepared for 2 weeks, took 2 trial tests on the official software and that was it. Of course, my score was not 7XX but more like 6XX. But it was a balanced score.

Some tips:

- Practice sitting for 4 hours at a stretch. It is very important.
- Dont spend too much time on difficult questions. I did this mistake and had to run through the last 15 in Quants.
- Try and relax in between tests. Take the pressure off, have some water and try to ease it off.
- Practice Practice Practice !

About Me !

2008-08-29T01:22:00.000-07:00

I would love to say that I am just your average next door guy. But I am not. Neither I am a hot shot banker nor the entrepreneur who just sold his startup to Google.

But by all measures, I have had a very unconventional career. When I was young (I still am !!), I wanted to be anything and everything around me. But with each day I grew as a person and the more I saw of this world, the bigger the things I pursued in life. That is me. And the funny thing is, I never thought I could achieve any of it. Its like, "Gosh...did I really do all of that !!".

Without getting into details, I started my career as a consultant and moved on to lead business turnaround for western investors in Asia. I have also been advisor to startups, and some of them survived while others ran into ground.

Now you might say whats unconventional about that? Well I never ever had to work for a boss in my professional life. And how that happened is a totally different story !!

My first blog !!

2008-08-29T01:13:00.000-07:00

Finally I have decided to blog. I dont know how regular I will be but I really want to share my views on MBA with potential applicants.

Doing an MBA is not an easy decision. You are talking about taking 1-2 years out of your steady job, investing a significant chunk of your life's savings or perhaps even borrowing from family/ banks for this MBA and above all, you are willing to go through the emotional ups and downs associated with MBA. Lets just say its not easy.

In my blog, I will share with you my own experience of this process.