Thursday, 11 January 2007
MBA at SCU vs. Berkeley.
The question to do their MBA at either SCU or Berkeley props up on the SCU networks occassionally, considering both are located in Silicon Valley and offer part-time/executive MBA programs. And the answers are never simple, coherent and without their self-contradicting aspects. So, in this blog, I'll attempt to analyze why and how to go about making this decision.
Sometimes, simple things like not being able to get into Berkeley help one make up their mind, but that's the simple solution. If I learnt anything, I'd advise you to attempt one application at one time, since each application is unique and requires full attention. Those silly essays about yourself are important for the school, although chances are the reader is eventually going to have to just skim them (no matter how passionately you've written them!). Your selling point is to provide a great story (re: you) for them to read.
Now coming to actually deliberately deciding which is more applicable for you; know that several years ago I was in this position. Hence, I'll do something different from the kind of help I got then.
The advice I got, and was right on many counts, was to first find out what I wanted to do in life. Well, I had a hazy picture of what an MBA does before joining it -- and I was really asking what do MBAs do after they finish? It turns out MBAs do a lot of different things when they come out -- the combinations are mind boggling (engineering manager, finance manager, product manager, various industries, changing career completely, etc., etc.). It was really a circular dependency at that level -- in that, you can't answer the second till you knew the first, but you were seeking the second to know the first!
Then the advice differed depending upon who I spoke to. The very thing one said was "the way to go" was negated by another -- and I was like "you guys are confusing me more than I initially was!".
Here's what I have found out at the end of the tunnel years later upon completing my MBA. But consider my inputs just one sample among many inputs -- and that'll be the way to put yourself in many folks' position to make up your mind.
There are two to three key parts to the equation on academics and education that people use very interchangeably. If you focus on them, you'll be able to distill your decisions through the noise and overwhelmingly different opinions -- and be able to discern what apply to you and how importantly.
a) Your Career (promotion, bonus, stocks, etc.)
b) Your Family (savings, health, stage in life, etc.)
c) Period or Time or Duration in consideration (aka., short-term vs. long-term)
For example, if you build your "world box" around career-heavy factors, you'll have to spend that extra effort/money trying to get into Berkeley and leverage network connections that are considered premium in the industry. In my opinion, Berkeley's MBA program is not hyped up -- hype can't carry on hype, only results do. And they have very good results in the market, which is undeniable. It may just not be applicable to some of our criteria. What I mean is that a BMW is a BMW (i.e., "looks like one and drives like one") whether we choose to drive one, or instead choose to drive a Toyota for our personal reasons (which may be ingrained in assessment of superior value to ourself). So also, if your short-term has a commute problem, a new born baby at home, limited cash to spend and/or a bad/difficult/unsupportive boss -- then you are going to have to watch that short-term risks/threats closer than your long-term. That's when folks' who have unlimited cash or an ability to an additional loan don't see your problems -- even as they [and you yourself] very well know the long-term gain can't be denied when you come out of Berkeley (all other things remaining constant). For everything said, you could almost create an Excel sheet on those 3 parameters above, give them your importance, and then factor in any new advice people have given you.
It seems to me the advice people give is based on a rosy picture of places they've not been to -- hence, I've seen Berkeley students rave about SCU. Even as, at SCU, I've spent a sizable number of quarters telling myself that a professor is either spewing b.s or is cutting off the sessions with the "bare basics" -- myself being completely dissatisfied with the course in question. Suprisingly, some of those courses had gotten strong reviews from other SCU students. Finally, nothing was more depressing than seeing a professor be extremely poor on the subject and students having no clue in going gaga about his/her amicable/simple/anything nature. One obvious explanation for that was easy MBA course and easy "good" grade was an important thing for some; and poor content as the excuse didn't cut it for the others. In sampling these mindsets, I've learnt that people at SCU, like at any other MBA program, are operating in two broad categories w.r.t the above parameters. Once you've put them in that box, you know their bias and their motivation; and whether you are sharing a box with them on that issue. However, to give the story a proper ending, when I reached the final quarter, and things started coming together in the "advanced classes" -- I saw my peers in new light. I must say, we have some of the brightest people and very great enterprenuerial ideas that could potentially be great successes in the industry. I agree there's no shortage of good ideas these days; the problem that stands out is whether we can execute them with the SCU network's reach, say, like Stanford grads can/do.
Most of our decision-making thoughts on this issue, or any other for that matter, are linear -- in that we are considering one or two of the three matters. When we are thinking of short-term family issues, we switch off (or instinctively play down) on the implications of long-term career issues. However, in reality these aspects are terribly interconnected with each other -- and some of those interconnections are better understood as you go through the MBA. This transforms you and your needs/perspectives -- and you want to do/be a different thing even as you are doing your MBA! Given this complexity, how do you decide?
I've taken this approach/answer: go in with an open mind to learn, keep asking these questions, and keep the possibilities open. Something strikes you as important/genuine, explore it first. There's nothing wrong in changing the course later, say, because your situation changed. If you can't think far enough ahead, try your best to plan and then pick a fork in the road from there on to go as rationally as you can. If you were wrong, you'll know how to recognize it (and what people meant when they spoke of it) as a part of your "unique experience". To enrich/balance/round this "experience", diversity is invaluable; even if you plan on staying within your domain. Some successful folks go the place where they can find more of a diversity, say, to challenge their current values and subsequently improve themselves. That's where you get fresh ideas and abilities to get into places others who stay within your domain can't.
Most importantly, assimilate the new facets, and let yourself "evolve" into something better at each step.
- Kaleem Aziz.
Sometimes, simple things like not being able to get into Berkeley help one make up their mind, but that's the simple solution. If I learnt anything, I'd advise you to attempt one application at one time, since each application is unique and requires full attention. Those silly essays about yourself are important for the school, although chances are the reader is eventually going to have to just skim them (no matter how passionately you've written them!). Your selling point is to provide a great story (re: you) for them to read.
Now coming to actually deliberately deciding which is more applicable for you; know that several years ago I was in this position. Hence, I'll do something different from the kind of help I got then.
The advice I got, and was right on many counts, was to first find out what I wanted to do in life. Well, I had a hazy picture of what an MBA does before joining it -- and I was really asking what do MBAs do after they finish? It turns out MBAs do a lot of different things when they come out -- the combinations are mind boggling (engineering manager, finance manager, product manager, various industries, changing career completely, etc., etc.). It was really a circular dependency at that level -- in that, you can't answer the second till you knew the first, but you were seeking the second to know the first!
Then the advice differed depending upon who I spoke to. The very thing one said was "the way to go" was negated by another -- and I was like "you guys are confusing me more than I initially was!".
Here's what I have found out at the end of the tunnel years later upon completing my MBA. But consider my inputs just one sample among many inputs -- and that'll be the way to put yourself in many folks' position to make up your mind.
There are two to three key parts to the equation on academics and education that people use very interchangeably. If you focus on them, you'll be able to distill your decisions through the noise and overwhelmingly different opinions -- and be able to discern what apply to you and how importantly.
a) Your Career (promotion, bonus, stocks, etc.)
b) Your Family (savings, health, stage in life, etc.)
c) Period or Time or Duration in consideration (aka., short-term vs. long-term)
For example, if you build your "world box" around career-heavy factors, you'll have to spend that extra effort/money trying to get into Berkeley and leverage network connections that are considered premium in the industry. In my opinion, Berkeley's MBA program is not hyped up -- hype can't carry on hype, only results do. And they have very good results in the market, which is undeniable. It may just not be applicable to some of our criteria. What I mean is that a BMW is a BMW (i.e., "looks like one and drives like one") whether we choose to drive one, or instead choose to drive a Toyota for our personal reasons (which may be ingrained in assessment of superior value to ourself). So also, if your short-term has a commute problem, a new born baby at home, limited cash to spend and/or a bad/difficult/unsupportive boss -- then you are going to have to watch that short-term risks/threats closer than your long-term. That's when folks' who have unlimited cash or an ability to an additional loan don't see your problems -- even as they [and you yourself] very well know the long-term gain can't be denied when you come out of Berkeley (all other things remaining constant). For everything said, you could almost create an Excel sheet on those 3 parameters above, give them your importance, and then factor in any new advice people have given you.
It seems to me the advice people give is based on a rosy picture of places they've not been to -- hence, I've seen Berkeley students rave about SCU. Even as, at SCU, I've spent a sizable number of quarters telling myself that a professor is either spewing b.s or is cutting off the sessions with the "bare basics" -- myself being completely dissatisfied with the course in question. Suprisingly, some of those courses had gotten strong reviews from other SCU students. Finally, nothing was more depressing than seeing a professor be extremely poor on the subject and students having no clue in going gaga about his/her amicable/simple/anything nature. One obvious explanation for that was easy MBA course and easy "good" grade was an important thing for some; and poor content as the excuse didn't cut it for the others. In sampling these mindsets, I've learnt that people at SCU, like at any other MBA program, are operating in two broad categories w.r.t the above parameters. Once you've put them in that box, you know their bias and their motivation; and whether you are sharing a box with them on that issue. However, to give the story a proper ending, when I reached the final quarter, and things started coming together in the "advanced classes" -- I saw my peers in new light. I must say, we have some of the brightest people and very great enterprenuerial ideas that could potentially be great successes in the industry. I agree there's no shortage of good ideas these days; the problem that stands out is whether we can execute them with the SCU network's reach, say, like Stanford grads can/do.
Most of our decision-making thoughts on this issue, or any other for that matter, are linear -- in that we are considering one or two of the three matters. When we are thinking of short-term family issues, we switch off (or instinctively play down) on the implications of long-term career issues. However, in reality these aspects are terribly interconnected with each other -- and some of those interconnections are better understood as you go through the MBA. This transforms you and your needs/perspectives -- and you want to do/be a different thing even as you are doing your MBA! Given this complexity, how do you decide?
I've taken this approach/answer: go in with an open mind to learn, keep asking these questions, and keep the possibilities open. Something strikes you as important/genuine, explore it first. There's nothing wrong in changing the course later, say, because your situation changed. If you can't think far enough ahead, try your best to plan and then pick a fork in the road from there on to go as rationally as you can. If you were wrong, you'll know how to recognize it (and what people meant when they spoke of it) as a part of your "unique experience".
To enrich/balance/round this "experience", diversity is invaluable; even if you plan on staying within your domain. Some successful folks go the place where they can find more of a diversity, say, to challenge their current values and subsequently improve themselves. That's where you get fresh ideas and abilities to get into places others who stay within your domain can't.Most importantly, assimilate the new facets, and let yourself "evolve" into something better at each step.
- Kaleem Aziz.
