International Business School vs. US Business School
First time poster here. Have a few questions about business school...
-I am curious as to if there any particular benefits to studying at an international business school, London Business School, per se, as opposed to just staying at a top tier business school within the US? If the end goal is management consulting, does going international make me more marketable to a top consulting firm?
-I've read that getting an MBA is a great way to switch industries if you would like to transition to another...but is it actually plausible to say that I could transfer from an industry as far from consulting as Marketing or Advertising by getting my MBA? I'd like to clarify that that is not the sole reason for considering an MBA. I realize in addition to switching industries, there are innumerable potential networking opportunities, as well opportunities to travel, etc.. But in my current situation, would be the biggest incentive.
Thanks!
Regarding your first question, it depends. If you intend on working in the US directly post-MBA it doesn't really make sense to go to LBS. Any of the T14 in the 'States would generally serve you better for US recruiting, plus they all have wider US networks.
As for switching industries, many of those going into consulting post-MBA tend to be career switchers, so that is eminently doable.
Top US schools (USNews Top 10) are better quality programs compared to top international programs (LBS and INSEAD). Your chances are better at top 10 US schools, even for positions in Europe. Consulting firms can recruit for offices worldwide so location of your school is not as important.
Second questions, you can come from any pre-job and get into consulting. Consulting firms value smart people coming from diverse backgrounds. This almost has no impact on your hiring prospects if you are a strong candidate.
International vs American MBA for International Finance in China (Originally Posted: 01/11/2018)
Insight on my current position: I go to a Big Ten School, pursuing a dual degree in Finance and Chinese. Am in the Department of Defenses’ Chinese Flagship Program which is a program that,” trains the nation’s most qualified undergraduate students from diverse disciplines to achieve superior-level Mandarin Chinese proficiency and promotes their success as global professionals”. This program includes heavily subsidized studies in china (1 year abroad + internship in china required). To put together a picture for you, I am a Caucasian, male that expects to be fluent (including finance/business vocabulary) by undergrad graduation. (Just wanted to make it clear that I wasn’t a Chinese international student or an American born Chinese.)
My GPA will be about 3.7-3.8 by graduation and will have decent work/internship experience including in China. My interests are working in China at a U.S. or European based investment bank in the M&A space. Asset management, private equity, and Hedge funds are also areas I could see myself in. Not interested in corporate finance.
My plan is to work for 1 to 3 years after graduation, then pursue an MBA. My question is: considering my interest in cross boarder/international finance should I be focusing on American MBA programs like HSW, Dartmouth, MIT, NYU, Columbia etc. or would an international MBA like CEIBS, HKUST, University of Hong Kong or Peking be a better fit for my goals?
Please note: nearly all target American Business schools have international exchange programs with the top Chinese MBA programs stated above-another idea I am considering. I understand that my situation and angle that I am taking to break into the finance industry is slightly un-orthodox and unconventional-any insight or help would be very much appreciated. Thanks much
Definitely go M7. The Chinese love brand names, and there's no better brand name than an M7 school for MBAs. If you can actually read, write, and speak Mandarin, you will have no troubles.
I'm not doing traditional finance per se, but I've worked for a Chinese company, lived in the region and am familiar with some of the greater China MBA programs you mentioned. I can with 95% certainty assure you that HSW, Yale SOM, Columbia will get you further in China than any of the local programs. Sure, the local MBA will land you a job, perhaps even at GS, but I haven't seen a single graduate ending up at, say, Blackstone - in fact I am not even sure they recruit at these schools. And why would they? The best Chinese talent do their MBAs in the US. If you don't have a strong network, which would be the argument for studying in the region, I suggest you go on exchange to mainland (not HK). That way you'll get the chance to meet everyone you need and have the stamp on your forehead from your American alma mater that Chinese firms love. The one exception perhaps is the Schwarzman scholars at Tsinghua, which is completely free and totally worth it, but that's not even an MBA program.
Your input is much appreciated. Why do you recommend to do exchange on mainland china? -not exactly what I expected, although I would be open to staying mainland for MBA exchange (Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai).
First time I ever heard of Schwarzman scholars, looks really interesting and EXCEPTIONALLY competitive. Appears that Schwarzman Scholars can almost choose which MBA program they would like to go to, very impressive.
MBAs from US vs International MBAs discussion (Originally Posted: 03/05/2013)
http://www.city-data.com/forum/miami/885180-how-move-miami-without-job-…
Some of the highlights (understand this will piss off a lot of monolingual North Americans):
1) Learn Spanish and speak it fluently, appreciate and love the Latin culture... sure many jobs don't require you to learn Spanish, but speaking it gives you an inside track on so many things here, I'd feel awful living here if I didn't know the language... not knowing Spanish is like not owning a cellphone
at my office, I've got one financial analyst position open, 100 resumes, I interviewed 2 people thus far, one is an American, no Spanish. The other guy is from Argentina, MBA from INSEAD in Paris speaks 4 languages, AND is a cousin of one of my friends... guess who has the edge?
We actually don't prefer Top 20 MBA candidates. We seem to integrate well MBAs from Europe and South America. They seem to have better social skills, higher emotional maturity/emotional intelligence, and are better in international situations for global business expansion.
We prefer MBAs who are multilingual, and if they happen to be from Argentina, that's fine. It depends on the individual; I take it case-by-case. Just because you graduated from a Top 20 MBA doesn't mean you are a better performer. INSEAD grads can run circles around MBAers from the Northeast - both intellecually and culturally - from my own perspective of course.
Your entire post was based on the assumption that I am at GS (you're close, I used to work there). "We" was referring to my present company, and "we" hire mostly Europeans and Latin Americans (you didn't analyze the wording correctly). I have received resumes from Ivy Leaguers for jobs here in Miami, but the American-born ones don't impress me at all. Sometimes I'll call them anyways, just for a good laugh. Besides, not only are the salaries lower in Miami, they would go nuts culturally speaking, making enemies, with their arrogance, sense of entitlement, and superiority.
I would put a Bocconi, INSEAD, IAM, IAE, or BSP MBA grad up against an American-born Ivy Leaguer any freakin day of the year regarding pure intellectual power, culture, international adaptability, and languages.
Now, I'm late for a jet ski date with a female client from Venezuela. She better wear a 2-piece this time. Last time, it was a one-piece in a separate jet ski. I'm going to convince her to ride on the back of mine today. Sometimes there's more to a career then just a salary. Can we say Latinas, everyone? Enjoy your day!
You left out one crucial piece of information: this guy was writing about how to get a job in MIAMI. You do NOT need to speak Spanish in New York. It is true that you need to speak Spanish for 95% plus of financial jobs in Miami.
tldr.
I am quite familiar with MIA (yet I have never lived there) and I think Michael De Meo's comments are very spot on (I laughed when he says "buy a 2nd hand BMW, Mercedes or Audi to fit"... 100% accurate).
It is not about the language; if you are an arrogant white anglo bragging your Ivy League credentials (even if you speak Spanish) you will not fit into Miami's "culture". That might work in New York, Boston or Chicago, not in Miami. People will think you are an asshole if you think you are more important than someone else because you are a Yale or Harvard degree.
In that sense, Miami is very "socialist", very Latin American or European. They want "social" and language skills, and that is more important than pedigree to a larger extent. Also connections are more important. And by connections, I don't mean the typical anglo "networking" but someone you personally appreciate (family, friend...)
That doesn't mean that a better MBA is not gonna help you like anywhere else, but they are more open to different backgrounds or experiences, and more companies don't have this obsession with ranks.
What is the US obsession with rankings due to? Insecurity, crave for self validation? Lack of affection due to families kicking you to the curb at age 18? It's amazing how rankings are applied to just about everything...best cities, most miserable cities, best professions, tier 1, tier2, etc (according to whom I may ask)...only in the USA even in the world game players are ranked by assists, shots, shots on goals, and saves. In any other league in the world, only the goal scoring ranking matters.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/stats
Matter of fact in most European countries Engineer is one of the most respected titles you can carry. It places well above any business graduate in the eyes of companies and the public opinion.
It's really sad how the US society is created around the concept winner/loser. Just watching all the homeless on the street and the middle class people living segregated in their boring cookie cutter suburban homes made of cardboard makes you wonder whether capitalism has gone too far...
Being an engineer in the US is, while still a pretty low-status job for most, still far, far more impressive than being a "business graduate." There's a pretty huge difference between millions of "business graduates" and a relative handful of investment bankers.
IMBA is great (imho, as a grad), but no question Americans don't speak enough foreign languages. But in corporate finance is it really that necessary? (I don't know personally). I do myself, and it's part of the reason I chose an IMBA instead of traditional.
I'm moving to MIA in June, so we'll see if it actually helps me with a non-finance background...
What was the point of this post? If you are trying to work in the US, US MBAs> International. And vice versa.
Your bank sounds mediocre at best.
According to what ranking? (see above for rankings reference)
Many Latin Americans with MBAs struggle to get IB jobs in NYC with past banking experience cause their English language skills are weak. NYC/London are still the center of IB universe, not Miami.
Most North Americans could never get a job outside of English speaking countries and it's not only because they are monolingual
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