How to Rock your next MBA Fair

Our guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a member of Forte's MBA Launch program for MBA applicants. She is excited to share her perspectives on the process of pursuing an MBA.

MBA fairs are intimidating, plain and simple. After all, they are massive, overwhelming, and complete with seemingly endless superficial conversations where you have to “sell yourself” over and over again. They usually occur after your workday, when you are already tired and hungry as it is, and you may have a coffee stain on your shirt from the morning but you didn’t have time to change clothes. You might even be tempted to dismiss the MBA fair entirely, opting for your long sought after post-work exercise class, happy hour, or a Bravo TV marathon. My challenge is this, ladies: use the below tips and tricks to walk into your next MBA fair with swag, make solid impressions when you’re there, and walk out with results.

Do Your Homework: Your first MBA fair may be an exploratory opportunity for you to see what the MBA is all about, ask some very general questions to recruiters, and pick up basic school promotional material to consider. This is highly encouraged and is a great first start! Moving beyond your first fair, you should be well researched on two key things to get the most impact for your time:

1. Schools—You should review the list of schools attending, and narrow down that list to top preference and secondary preference schools. There is typically only 1-2 hours for mingling amongst the school booths, and much of your time at the fair may be spent waiting in line to talk to recruiters. Therefore, you should have a strategy for approaching your top 3-5 schools first that you will definitely meet with before leaving, and approaching your secondary list of schools if there is time.
2. Specific Questions—MBA fairs are nowhere near as formal as interviews, but similar to an interview, they are opportunities for you to ask some specific questions that you should have prepared in advance. I will never forget how mortified I was when I asked a school which semester MBA candidates typically study abroad, only to be corrected by the recruiter that the school is on the quarter system. Details like these are basic! To be your most polished self, come armed with several questions you’d like to ask specifically in advance.

Bring a Friend: Showing up to an MBA fair alone can feel like showing up to a party where you don’t know anyone. Bringing a friend to your MBA fair can help quell any nerves you may have, aid you in asking important follow-up questions if you approach schools together, and provide you with someone to discuss school impressions at the end.

Steal the Show, Politely: I really dislike when people are pushy with food, social media, or invites to forced social interactions I’d rather not attend. A close top contender for the coveted “top 3 pushiness hates” is the pushiness people seem to exhibit at MBA fairs. When you are pressed for time and want to make an impression, it can be tempting to slyly cut the line that forms when talking to recruiters at the school table, or insert yourself into someone’s conversation in a not-so-subtle manner. Just remember, recruiters are people who tend to be socially intuitive, and they are appreciative of people who approach them politely and are respectful of others’ time spent waiting. When you do get your opportunity to meet the recruiter, distinguish yourself with a friendly smile, firm handshake, and your 30-second introduction spoken in a clear and audible voice (MBA fairs can be very loud). Your introduction should be thought-out in advance but should not sound rehearsed or rushed. I have found that starting out with “I am interested in X Business School because Y” goes a long way, because it shows that you are interested in their school and are not wasting either of your time. Give them time to respond, and then ask your 1-2 questions. Please remember: this is not your opportunity to take up 15 minutes with individual questions! There are many people in line, and you can and should email your follow-up questions to the recruiter afterwards in order to be respectful of everyone’s time.

Leave with Something Tangible: I don’t mean the glossy booklets the schools give out for you to take. (Personal side note: I really think the MBA programs should ban together and consider going paperless. They are a huge cost and usage of paper; most of us toss them after reviewing once; and all of the information is provided online). Aside from obtaining the answers to your questions from recruiters at your top schools, there are three things you can walk away with:

1. Invites to Events in your Area—If you live in a major city, chances are that your top schools may have receptions, panels, and information sessions with alumni and recruiters in your area. At many MBA fairs, there will be handouts with follow-on event information, or recruiters may provide you with an invitation to a future event.
2. Invites to Events on Campus—In addition to getting information about when the best time is to visit campus, you may receive invitations to specific events on campus. For example, while at the Forte Forum 2012 in the Washington, DC area, the Colombia Business School recruiter notified me about the “Spotlight On” series that the MBA program puts on. This series is open to recruits, and features high-profile business individuals who speak to students and the community on campus. I most likely wouldn’t have known about this opportunity without meeting the recruiter at the fair, which in turn provided me with a more targeted time to visit campus and attend a “Spotlight On” event which appeals to me. 
3. Informational Interviews—Some fairs, such as at the QS MBA World Fair, offer you the opportunity to sign-up for informational interviews with school recruiters in a one-on-one setting during the week leading up to the MBA fair. While not all schools at the fair will participate in this aspect, this can still be a great opportunity to practice for your school interviews and ask broad questions that any MBA program can speak to.

Go out and rock your next fair!

I’d love to hear your feedback and questions in the comments section below.

Ashley Wells is a Strategy and Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled in Forte’s inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate hopeful and is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA application process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George Washington University.

You + the GMAT: How to Not Lose Your Sanity While Studying for the Test

Our guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a member of Forte's MBA Launch program for MBA applicants. She is excited to share her perspectives on the process of pursuing an MBA.

Every person’s “GMAT story” is unique.

Taking a Class: I’ve read in storybooks that some people scored a 700 right off the bat on their diagnostic test without ever cracking a book. I’ve heard of others who simply read GMAT books and prepared on their own and got the score they desired. For the vast majority of us humans, a GMAT preparation class is necessary for one simple reason: it helps you to structure your studying and stick to a designated plan, complete with a weekly check-in with a brilliant instructor to guide you and answer your study questions. Not to mention, if you are in line with all the other competitive MBA candidate hopefuls, you will be inspired to stay current on the homework assignments in order to be relatively stable when called upon in class or showing your answers on practice questions. Overall, the MBA class is a safe space to make mistakes, practice mental math and re-learn 7^th grade math concepts (remember those isosceles triangles?), improve your grammar, and accomplish the core task at hand: surviving the GMAT.

Timing: Taking the GMAT is kind of like having a child, there is no “perfect time” to do it. There will always be a major project or proposal at work, vacations you want to take, and unpredictable life events that steal our attention. No matter what, if you are studying correctly for the GMAT, you will be setting aside a significant amount of your time on a weekly basis to give all you have to the GMAT. For me personally, I chose Saturday classes because my regular work week was too unpredictable for me to commit to an evening class. My Saturday class became my ritual every week, and as best as possible, I adhered to the syllabus in order to tackle GMAT studying in chunks, rather than cramming or dragging it out for longer than necessary. I devoted 15-20 hours per week to study quant most mornings before work, and study verbal several evenings during the week. I took the weekend to take practice tests or do long problem sets, as well as sit in on my weekly class. If I had time during my lunch break, I would even listen in to online study session webinars that my test preparation company provided. All in all, breaking up my studying into multiple times throughout the day helped me concentrate in smaller doses rather than studying 4 or 6 hours straight and losing focus.

Controlling Your Emotions: The GMAT nearly “got to me” on several occasions. Whether from exhaustion or frustration or sheer sadness at the riddance of my normal social life, there were many times that I found myself in tears after a bad practice test or studying a certain topic multiple times only to find myself stillmissing questions on problem sets. As an A-student all of my life who was used to studying hard before tests and performing well, the GMAT really threw me a curve ball with its adaptive test methodology. There were several practice tests, for example, where I was in the 75-80% percentile range on quant through question 30, and then would miss 5 of the last 7 questions to end up in the 30% range. On my first official GMAT test, I scored 110 points lower than my last practice test—110 points. I quite literally almost blacked out in the testing center when I saw my score. However, despite these experiences, I had to force myself to get back on the horse, continue studying, and achieve my goal which I knew was within reach.

Your Support Network: The people you surround yourself with during GMAT studying are extremely important to your overall sanity and long-term test success. There are three types of support you need:

1. People who care about your GMAT success—These are your friends who understand your goals and level of commitment. They may be taking the test at the same time or have taken it before. Your parents most likely fall into this category. They want you to succeed, understand your frustrations, encourage you, and tell you to keep going when you want to quit.
2. People who could care less about your GMAT success—These people are the ones who encourage you to go away for a beach trip in the middle of your study sprint and want you to go out on Saturday nights instead of staying in and studying. It is wise to politely decline their text message, email, and phone invitations about 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time, you should go out with them for your own personal wellbeing. Being around people whose face would not change if you told them you got a 300 or an 800 score can be liberating.
3. People who you do not know but commiserate with you and the GMAT—These individuals are strangers who you can find on the world wide web. I referenced many study support sites, mainly the blog on GMATClub.com, to hear honest GMAT stories and struggles from people all over the world taking the test. There are inspiring stories with titles such as “From 450 to 780,” and ones less positive but that are real and let you know you are not alone in your frustrations.

Take Time to Celebrate: Your GMAT studying process is designed for you to reach your goal score. While you are on your way to that ultimate success, you should reward yourself by celebrating the small stuff. If you finally nail your timing on quant in a problem set, take an evening off to get together with friends. When you first score in your goal range on a practice test, treat yourself to a pedicure or great meal out. And finally, have something really freaking fantastic lined up for you at the finish line. My first test, which as mentioned did not go so well, at least resulted in a big group dinner right afterwards so that I was with my support network. The day after my second test, which was a personal success, I took off on a vacation to Israel, Jordan, Greece, and Turkey. These were things I could look forward to throughout my GMAT journey. Celebrating your short-term and long-term achievements along your study route will definitely help keep your mind in check.

Good luck studying!
I’d love to hear your feedback and questions in the comments section below.

Ashley Wells is a Strategy and Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled in Forte’s inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate hopeful and is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA application process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George Washington University.

Considering an MBA? The 5 People You Need to Talk To

Our guest blogger is Ashley Wells, a member of Forte's MBA Launch program for MBA applicants. She is excited to share her perspectives on the process of pursuing an MBA.

Whether you were inspired to pursue an MBA from your college accounting class, Lipstick Jungle (but seriously, why was that show cancelled?), or your most recent career inspirations, many of you out there are in the preliminary stages of considering one basic question: Should I go through a grueling application process, 2 more years of school, and $100,000+ in debt for the MBA?

Every individual’s answer will inevitably differ, and diverse career paths will offer contrasting recommendations or requirements to pursue the degree. However, there are five people that each of us should speak to while deciding if the MBA is right for us:

Leaders in your current field: For those of us looking to stay in our current industry (hand raise anyone?), you are likely in one of two positions:

1. It is required for you to pursue the MBA in order to move up—It may seem like a no-brainer. Everyone at a certain level takes off for the MBA and you are expected to file suit. Before you start penning your applications, take a breath and think about who you look up to in the firm or organization. Regain the enthusiasm of your first year in the workforce and your energy for networking, and take time to meet with these individuals to ask them about: their MBA path, how expectations of you will be different post-MBA, and what skills you should be looking to gain through the MBA experience. This guidance can be helpful to you during the application process and will help you keep perspective throughout your MBA experience.
2. It is not necessarily a requirement to move up—This is a slightly tougher position to be in, as the path is less defined. In most cases, there will be executives and partners in your field who don’t have MBAs, and who pursued interesting life paths to get where they are today without the degree. There also may be an “unspoken” skew towards the MBA degree, where these “interesting” leaders are actually the exceptions to the rule and in fact most leaders in your field do have the degree and have found it useful. Talk to both those who do and don’t have the MBA under their belt to offer you contrasting perspectives on the necessity or advantage of the degree.

Leaders in the field you want to move into: Approximately half of those pursuing an MBA are looking to switch careers post-graduation. If you are in the same “career switching boat” as many of your future classmates, it is essential that you speak with people in your dream job field to understand: how the MBA can be beneficial to that career track, if most leaders at the top of the industry have MBAs, whether or not it is the “norm” for people in the field to have MBAs or other degrees, and if the MBA is a prerequisite to getting hired. You should also ask what other qualifications (different degrees, PMP certification, etc.) you can pursue in lieu of the MBA that are recommended alternatives to a business degree.

People who pursued other degrees you may be considering: As complex, multi-faceted citizens of the world, many of us have more than one interest when it comes to pursuing a graduate degree. When weighing your options, there is only so much reading you can do to help you decide what your best graduate degree fit is. Your best bet is to actually track down people you know (either personally or through alumni networks) to talk to them about their degrees and use them as a sounding board for the options you are considering. As a Political Science undergraduate, I was very interested in an MPP or MPA degree because of the excitement I took in the coursework, but I also felt strongly that the MBA would be the more “practical” option to enhance my skillset and build my business network. To help me sort out my thoughts, I spoke with several trusted mentors and recommended leaders in my firm with MPP, MPA, and MBA degrees. These individuals offered me critical (and free!) advice that ultimately helped steer me towards the MBA choice.

Women with MBAs: I have spoken with many smart females who possess MBAs on the topic of business school. Many women have the perspective that in an increasingly competitive workforce and in a job atmosphere where a male-female income disparity still exists, the MBA is critical because it offers credibility. These female business leaders have found their MBA to offer them authority in the board room, while speaking to public audiences, and with clients. This is a subject up for debate, but I’d encourage you to speak with some female MBAs you know on this topic to offer you first-hand perspective on how this may apply to you.

Yourself: Yes, it sounds cheesy. I hate that this section has to be in here, but as many of us people-pleasing, career-ladder-climbing, type-A, high-achieving women can be distracted from the most important thing—what WE think—this section merits a few lines. Amidst all of the conversations you are having, with the people above, and your friends, family, and significant other, the most critical conversation you must have is the one with yourself. Is this the right move for you? Are you willing to assume risk and debt in light of a higher payoff in the end? Will the MBA help you pursue the career path you really want to be in? Are you ready for a location change and career move? These are questions you and you alone can answer.

Happy MBA Deciding, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

I’d love to hear your feedback and questions in the comments section below.

Ashley Wells is a Strategy and Operations consultant at Deloitte. She is currently enrolled in Forte’s inaugural MBA Launch program for women. She is an MBA 2014 candidate hopeful and is excited to share her experiences and insights throughout the MBA application process. She has a degree in Political Science from The George Washington University.