1. First Ever Margaritas at Trudy’s. During orientation, some of the local students took some international students for their first margaritas. For me, it was a preview to sharing cultures and experiences with people from around the world.

2. Cohort One Thanksgiving. During our first year, Cohort One gathered at my house for a thanksgiving celebration. It was so fun to meet everyone’s families and socialize before finals started.

3. The GE Eco-Magination Case Competition. Angie Adams, Praveen Kata, and I represented Marketing Fellows and presented an idea for electric vehicles to Beth Comstock, GE’s CMO. The opportunity to present to someone at that level was incredible… and the icing on the cake was taking first place!

4. India Global Trip. Experiencing India with amazing friends and an equally amazing professor was hands-down the best way I could have seen that country… and we have our own music video to commemorate it!

5. Business Communications Club. What started with helping some international students work on their English and communication skills turned into a new MBA club. I hope this club helps many more students in the years to come. (Thanks Jessica Chang for co-founding this!)

6. Sympathy Card. My grandfather passed away during orientation, and I missed a few days attending his funeral. When I returned, my classmates – most of whom I had known for only a few days – gave me the most thoughtful sympathy card. Family forms quickly at McCombs.

7. New Venture Creation. While I had already started two companies before coming to McCombs, I had never truly worked on a business plan before. NVC gave me the chance to work with a group of ridiculously smart people to create what someday may be my third venture.

8. MBA+ Presentation. My MBA+ project for Booz & Company was the perfect opportunity to experience a new career option. My team did an amazing job presenting at one of Booz’s company-wide meetings in Dallas, and it gave me the last burst of confidence to pursue consulting as a career.

9. BCG Calls. Speaking of new careers, I will never forget getting the call from BCG saying I would be one of their summer interns. There were definitely some (happy) tears shed, and a grateful feeling that all of my hard work paid off. (See *this post* to see what I mean.)

10. Career Management TA. I loved being the CM TA because it afforded me the chance to get to know a quarter of the first-year class and provided a forum for me to give back all the advice, coaching, and mentorship I had received as a first year.

11. Mr. McCombs. When McCombs created the Mr. McCombs fundraiser, our cohort nominated T.S. to represent us. Not only did T.S. totally rock the competition, but our cohort came together in a massive surge of support that was overpowering.

12. Travels. I went on a totally impromptu Colorado trip for winter break 2012 with people I hardly knew but would become great friends with. I bonded with more Longhorns while studying abroad at ESADE in Barcelona. I met even more during Spring Break in France. And lastly I rounded out my travels in Europe with one of my closest MBA friends before graduation. These memories and friendships are some of my most cherished gifts from my MBA.

Like I said, I could go on and on… but I think this list is a good representation of some highlights. When asked what the best part of the MBA experience was, I think nearly everyone would highlight the friendships. At the end of the day, our new knowledge will carry us through our careers. But our friends will carry us through our lives.

Thanks for following along this journey with me!

Hook ‘Em.

Erin

May 16, 2012

“Texas MBA – Deadline approaching” the subject of the email flashed in my inbox. The mail reminded me – 10 more days to go before the final deadline on May 25, 2012.

I had taken the GMAT, filled in and saved my application, gotten my recommendations, and had a strong will to get my MBA degree from McCombs. I had done enough research on the courses, spoke to alumni, and attended information sessions to make sure it fit me. I hovered on the “Apply” button, but fell short just as I had over the last couple of days.

Mentally, I went through the same set of questions over and over again. They came in strongly without any coherent order.

“How will I make time for a time intensive course like this with a full time job?”

“How will my family survive with me being occupied most of the weekends (now I know it’s not just weekends) for two years?”

“How will I pay for my MBA, can I afford it?”

“I already am a manager, do I really need it?”

“Maybe I can give it another year and then go for it with a clearer mind.”

May 24, 2012

I decided to apply. I remember that feeling of pure elation mixed with a hint of trepidation, creating a perfect recipe for some sleepless nights. Little did I know that this was far from over. I completed the routine login to reach the website and was greeted with “Application not started”. I panicked and wrote to Denise Bynum on the admissions team – I didn’t know what to do. (Later I found out that changing my last name from my maiden name had confused the system.)

“Maybe this is an omen. I shouldn’t apply. Next year it is, Ms. Debjani,” I said to myself.

Then I did something which I cannot explain. I started over, filling out the application again and without a second’s hesitation clicked on the “Apply” button.

May 12, 2013

The rest is history. Arguably this is the best service I have ever done for myself. I still get goose bumps realizing how narrowly I missed being in this wonderful program with a great cohort. I am managing just fine (actually great). Other than the fact that I am missing out on being in the same cohort as you, I have no other regrets for hitting on that magical “Apply” button this time last year.

Go ahead, create the same magic for yourself. If you are like me, hovering on the “Apply” button, just click it. I’ll see you soon on your path to exciting times at McCombs – “What starts here changes the world”. It sure is changing mine for starters.

If there is anything at all that is keeping you from applying before this years’ deadline, don’t hesitate to reach me at debjani@utexas.edu.

By Curtis Hamlin

Hi everybody, I’m happy to be writing to you all after spending nine days in Southeast Asia for the Global Trip you will be taking your second semester. It was a whirlwind journey between Singapore and Jakarta, and a great learning opportunity for everyone involved. But I digress; the topic of this blog post will be the career management services that McCombs provides to students.

The Career Management team for the Texas MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth program has one goal, and that’s to help the students. We get treated just like full time students when it comes to career management and recently a new Associate Director, Michael Parker, was hired to support the Dallas/Fort Worth program. Living in Fort Worth, Michael will be setting up office hours here and building connections with the recruiting coordinators from local firms. On top of having a dedicated career advisor here in town for our program, we get all the benefits that are available to full time students in Austin.

The services offered by the Career Management office are listed below

• One-on-one advice, counseling, and planning sessions
• Career assessments
• Coaching on interviewing, resume writing, negotiating, and networking skills
• On-campus recruiting
• Online career management guide
• Peer and employer mock interviews
• Case competition: Annual competition that allows students to demonstrate their case interviewing skills
• Employer meet and greets: Opportunity for MBAs to meet employers and get comfortable with job fairs and similar situations
• Executive speaker series: Opportunity for students to learn more about specific companies and opportunities
• MBA+ projects: A group of 4-6 students work on a well-defined business issue and offer solutions to a specific client
• Career fairs: Two major MBA career fairs are held in Austin each year and other events are planned throughout the year
• Various workshops and seminars that cover appropriate career management topics

Of all the services that Career Management offers, I would like to review two, the MBA+ projects and on campus recruiting. First, the MBA+ projects allow working professional MBA students an opportunity to work with companies in the area on short term consulting projects to solve a well defined business problem. Because we don’t have the opportunity to do summer internships like full time students, this affords us the ability to get a similar experience. Second, on campus recruiting, this is important because not all schools offer OCR for their professional MBA programs. This process allows prospective employers to come to campus and interview MBA candidates from both the professional as well as full time programs. Participating in this is particularly important if you’re looking to change careers, which is often the goal of students in the program. Part of OCR is also a series of modules leading up to OCR which review important topics such as an alumni career panel, resume writing, employee mock interviews, and overall review of post MBA career options.

I hope that this has been a good introduction into the offerings of the Career Management team. They are a dedicated team that is always supportive and responsive and part of what makes this program great. I have personally worked with them numerous times and am always amazed at how quickly they get back to me and how no question or problem is too small for them to help with. Even though he has only been working with us for just a few weeks, Michael Parker has already started making connections in the Dallas/Fort Worth market for us. So I hope when you are considering business schools that the aspect of career management is not overlooked, because it can be the difference between getting a great education and leveraging that education to land a rewarding career.

Regards,

Curtis Hamlin

Preview Weekend

I missed Preview Weekend (open house for admitted students) last year and really regretted it as my classmates raved about it all year. And now I see why. Preview was so much fun even as a current student. I was able to connect with many admits and am really excited that several of them are coming to McCombs next year! It was also really cool to show off Austin for the weekend. From Rainey Street to local eateries – it was fun to see people’s reactions to Austin.

Visitors

The past few weekends I had friends in town. I love having visitors because it makes me venture out and do things in Austin that I would otherwise claim to not have the time to do. I run around and ride the bus past the Texas State Capitol all the time but visitors gave me the excuse to go inside and check it out. The Texas State Capitol is the biggest state capitol and is also larger than the US Capitol. Another stop on my tour is Whole Foods. You may be saying to yourself “That’s not an attraction, I’ve been to a Whole Foods.” The flagship Austin store is an attraction. There is a bar and several cafes inside the store and during the winter there is an ice skating rink on the roof. Everyone I’ve taken there has been impressed. These are just a few of the many things to check out here in Austin.

More Food Events

Epicurean Club at Uchiko!

The Epicurean Club took advantage of Restaurant Week in Austin and arranged for a special meal at Uchiko - one of Austin’s most famous restaurants. 30 of us dined in the private room and feasted on a 7 course tasting menu.

The highlights for me were the yellowtail and multi-use corn dessert. I’m also looking forward to another culinary tour this weekend. Austin Eats does food tours in the Downtown and South Congress Area. My college roommate (who coincidently now lives in Austin!) and I snagged a deal on Groupon and are looking forward to sampling our way through Downtown!

Halfway into my MBA, I’d say the opportunities and exposure I have received here have far exceeded my expectations and resulted in a positive ROI (I just feel obligated to drop some lame MBA jokes, forgive me). I have met a lot of coolios, weirdos, and hobos, all of which I can learn from in one way or another. Allow me to give you some examples of people I’ve encountered.

Biz Stone

Recently, I attended a talk on campus organized by the Student Endowed Centennial Lectureship. The speaker was Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter. He’s a funny, laid-back guy, and of course, a nerd. He was a shy kid that wanted to be cool so he got his high school to start a lacrosse team so that he could be a captain (#ChildhoodLeadership). He’s smart too – he negotiated with the school to have a no homework policy in exchange for his practice time. He went on and joined college, and yep, predictable – he dropped out. That leads to my favorite question from the audience. A student asked him, “So, when do you suggest me to drop out?” I thought, “Oh my, poor kid.” Anyways, what I learned from Biz is failures are important. We need them to get us going. If you think back to what you have been through in your own life, I’m sure you couldn’t agree more.

Ross Martin

Being a Marketing Fellow provides some perks. I joined the marketing conference held by our beloved practicum class at the AT&T Conference Center last February and BOOM – another great speaker! Ross Martin, the Executive Vice President of Viacom, introduced us to a new trend happening in the realm of marketing right now – capturing the Millennial market. He showed us some of the Viacom productions and marketing efforts, Scratch team for example, that cracked open this market completely. His ability to think outside the box led to co-branding campaigns with SunDrop beverages, among others, and he showed us some marketing pieces that blew our minds away. He preached that putting all your eggs in one basket won’t get you very far, a principal that aligns with what’s taught in several marketing classes at McCombs.

Richard Garriott

MBA students can also get involved with and take advantage of community events here in the wonderful city of Austin. I went to a local forum back in February called SXSW Interactive Preview: Space Exploration with Richard Garriott. He is a space explorer, computer game developer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, traveler, and the list goes on (I had to copy and paste from his profile). It was held by Texas Advanced Computing Center. The event was packed with people from various backgrounds and ages, undergrads to PhD., entrepreneurs to retirees (are they the same?), 20’s to 60’s. Garriott has a great vision that sets the ground for his SpaceX business. He talked about how he thinks the universe will be in the next 10, 20 and 30 years! Folks, be prepared to live on Mars!

None of these speakers I knew or even heard of before I attended their talks, yet I had an enjoyable time and learned so much from them. To current and prospective students, please take advantage of your time here at McCombs, keep your eyes open to things around you, appreciate your surroundings, and be happy!

By the way, this is my first published piece of writing aka another accomplishment since coming to get my MBA. I hope y’all enjoy it.

Hook ‘em.

Sadly, there’s some executive MBA gargoyle-lady standing post behind me.  She stays there after the execs leave, dutifully guarding the boxes.  What is this nonsense?    Who is this authority figure in my crib?  I’ve come home to find Joe Biden reading my magazines on the john with the door locked and when I knock, he has the chutzpah to tell me to keep it down out there.  Listen lady, how ’bout you take your carpetbagging table and printer out of my room and leave them dang sandwiches on your way out.  My room; my sandwiches, and I sure as @!%* don’t #$%@*&^ roll on Shabbos.

Some things weren’t meant to be.  Don’t worry, McCombs gods, I’ve got something for ya’.  Sans sandwich, come feast on wisdom: it’s B.A. Dan’s guide to being a better student:

1.  Effective name placard use is the key to reading The Source in class.  If ya’ll want more of the Jigga man, you’re going to have to use that base plate, raise the name placard a half-centimeter off the table, and position your mag in the antipodal position to the professor’s roving eyes.  Don’t neglect your breakfast tacos.  I’d like to recommend placing one (unwrapped) taco to each side of the illicit reading stuff, but that symmetry is prone to raise suspicions.  Stack two tacos on one side and a coursepack on the other and you’re good to go – a nice little grotto all prepared to nest your real study material.  Obviously, none of this works if you’re in any but the back row, and even then, you’ll want to draw an imaginary line tangent to the professor’s learned head and your placard to ensure he can’t see over your ramparts.  Watch out for TAs; like free radicals, they tend to pop up in unexpected places, pretending to match you for the third time to your facebook photo.  If you’re caught red-handed, worry not, it’s still a game of chicken.  Few academics will have the gumption to exclaim, “My god, you stooge, am I actually seeing this?!  Reading about Weezy in the middle of lecture?!”  The game is in the eyes; just cold stare your way to freedom.

2. Know and love the classics.  If you have absolutely no idea what’s going on and you find yourself smack dab in the path of professorial inquiry, it’s time to pull those leggies back inside the turtle shell: take notes.  As long you are actively in the act of frantically scribbling down the magma of genius erupting from the slides, you will rarely be called upon.  The key, again, is in the eyes.  Far too many of the hapless unprepared fail to understand that if you don’t know what’s going on, if you haven’t read the case, you have concomitantly forfeited your right to look around the room like a curious baby engrossed in the discovery of his own hands.  That’s it; finito.  Eyes sulky and down.  Eyes loose and dragonflyish are just begging to be called on.  So many times I’ve seen those little roaming hoplites leave the formation and get shot down…and then..it’s just sad..the stuttering attempt at sophistry…we know you didn’t read it, oh, we know.

3. Corollary to number 2, a quick way to never get called on for at least two classes is to over-inject your presence for one class.  Nothing grates a professor’s nerves more than a student who simply can’t get enough of himself.  Read one case inside-out and make sure you have your hand stiff in the air for every other question the prof asks.  When he calls on you, go on for far too long and then bait him to pick up again by pausing, and then, just when the air of his voice charges past the epiglottis, cut in and start talking again like you have a brilliant addendum to your already stayed-past-its-welcome thought.  Ahhh, the fresh-cut smell of too much contribution!

Here’s a picture of a cool hat to soften the bad news that’s the rest of your life.

4. Stop attending class so much.  Rarity = value.  Show up every time and you’re basically showing the professor that you have no price.  You’re like the wife who just keeps staying, year after year,  no matter how many lipstick-stained collars he brings home.  Instead, show up once a month and show up late.  Look past the words.  Profs may say they want a nice guy, but what actually attracts them is a bad boy.  Feet on the table, cabron.

5. Wear Sperries.  I can’t emphasize this enough, bra.  If you take away nothing else from this article, take heed of this: Topsiders make the man.  You can cut the Polo; you can cut your adolescent Prince Harry hair.  Hell, you can even cut the seersucker shorts.  But nobody, I mean nobody, puts Topsiders in the corner.  What’s the world coming to?  It’s like people forgot how hard we all laughed to “I’m on a Boat.”  Read my lips, nation: if you don’t own a pair, you are not an MBA (or my son).  What’s next?  Fluorescent Nike shorts?

Oops.  Roundup weekend.

This may lead you to wonder, does such a thing exist during the normal semester? Surely it does, and I’d like to show you we have just as many socializing and networking opportunities as our full-time counterparts. Below is a (mostly) comprehensive list:

Facebook:

Ah, the ever omnipresent social network. Not only do we use it connect with each other individually, but also we utilize the class group page, created by our class president, for informal announcements, questions, and sending out invites for events organized by students.

Image blurred to protect the innocent

 Weekly and after class happy hours:

What used to be an informally organized outing using Facebook (see above) turned into a very well-organized social activity by two forward-thinking classmates. They send out a meeting schedule for happy hours on off-Fridays and Saturday after class ahead of time so we can arrange to have some downtime. Friends and significant others are also encouraged to attend so they can meet the people we spend so much time with. Additionally, on Friday evenings after class, many will go to the Monarch bar located in Hotel ZaZa (the hotel used for the optional residency program) for a nightcap. Professors and other staff have participated from time to time in the past.

The Residency Option:

As mentioned above, the optional residency component at Hotel Zaza provides Friday night accommodations on class weekends. It allows an opportunity to further network with other resident students (and faculty) and provides dedicated space for study groups with the added convenience of being located close to UT School of Nursing, where our classes are held. This is essential for those who commute from out of town for class weekends and gives them a chance to connect with other classmates since they are unable to attend other extracurricular events.

GBC-Sponsored Activities:

From top left to bottom right: Food Bank Volunteer Day, Annual Texas MBA at Houston Golf Tournament, Flag Football against Rice MBA

The school plans its fair share of social, networking, and philanthropic activities via the Graduate Business Council (GBC), which comprises of student representatives elected by the student body. With the short amount of time we’ve been together, there have already been numerous activities, such as UT football game watching and tailgating, spring semester kickoff brunch, annual golf tournament, food bank volunteer day, and flag football, just to name a few

Work Luncheons:

Who says networking should be limited to after-hours only? As my Leading People & Organizations professor, Dr. Luis Martins, will tell you, it pays off to spend at least one hour networking each week. He recommended having at least one meal with people you’d like to get know better. After all, everyone’s gotta eat, right? One of the greatest benefits of being in a working professionals program is the vast network you automatically inherit—why not take advantage of it and connect with classmates who work near you? Odds are they’re in your industry as well. However, it was difficult to know who exactly worked near you with a class of 90+ people.

So, the class president and I created a Google Map to map out where everyone worked and lived to facilitate coordinating luncheons during the work week or after work happy hours and dinners. Participation is of course, optional, but we think the benefits are worth it. In my area alone, we’ve already had several successful NW HMBA luncheons, which were always a welcome break during the busy work week.

School itself:

This may be so obvious that it almost escaped me, but much of the socializing happens during class weekends. We have an hour-long lunch on Saturdays and many breaks, which are great opportunities to catch up with classmates who may not be able to come to after school activities listed above and with students from the other class. Furthermore, many of us use this time to catch up with our study groups, which is a mandatory part of business school and the number one way to network with fellow classmates.

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So, as easy as it may be to neglect the networking aspect of business school being that we are in a part-time program, we are constantly bombarded with activities that encourage us to socialize to make up for not being on campus full time. There’s really no excuse not to mingle!

Week 1: Austin

At McCombs we were fortunate to have 17 days off to allow those going on the Global Connections trips to fully experience the country. I spent the first week in Austin and managed to remain productive. I spent a few days in the LIVESTRONG Office, a few days answering the phone and emails in the MAC (McCombs Admissions Committee) office, and knocked out a few homework assignments. I enjoyed one South By Southwest event – a networking session hosted by McCombs – but heard fantastic stories from classmates that heard great speakers at the Interactive sessions and performances ranging from Justin Timberlake to Depeche Mode. Austin was super crowded by the end of Week 1 and I heard it only got more crowded the following week.

Week 2: Orange Walk, Belize

I was fortunate to accompany a group of undergraduates from the UT BBA Leadership Program on a service learning trip to Belize. The only turquoise waters I saw were from the airplane, but I had an incredible experience and saw a side of Belize that I would never see otherwise. We went to a vocational school and taught basic job skills workshops – resume writing, business plan development, and presentation skills to name a few. We also went to an elementary school and taught basic business concepts such as interest or taxes. The whole experience was so inspiring. The trainees from Orange Walk had incredible skills and our students did a fantastic job at mentoring and instilling confidence.

We also squeezed in some cultural things – a trip to the Mayan Ruins and the Belize Zoo. The welcoming culture and serene scenery will forever be lodged in my memory. The connections made within the group were also amazing as we played several rounds of Mafia and celebrated Greg’s birthday for an entire week. When I run into a Belize buddy on campus, hugs are immediately exchanged and smiles remain for the rest of the day.

So now I’m back in Austin preparing for the final six weeks of the semester. The professors were nice to ease us back into the first week but now it’s really time to get cracking on those group projects!

The second half of last semester was a blur of case assignments, company information sessions, and then final exams. It’s a strange time of year because you have to strike a delicate balance between focusing on your coursework and dedicating time to learning about and making connections at companies so you’re better prepared for the formal internship recruitment process in the spring.

Winter break was a nice time to go home and see family, but it was also filled with countless cover letter rewrites for interview applications. Going through the application and interview process has been a strange experience. When you start business school it seems like there are so many possibilities and that you could do anything. The application process sobers you up to the fact that you’re only going to go through one of those doors, at least as far as an internship is concerned. Ultimately, you find the internship opportunity that is right for you. My advice to others who will be going through this same process next fall and winter is to keep that perspective in mind.

So far this semester has picked up where the last one left off.  In addition to a full course load, I’ve started an internship through Venture Fellows and have worked with the MBA Healthcare Association to put together a speaker panel for an upcoming healthcare symposium the school hosts. The internship keeps me busy and I’ve learned how to better manage my time as a result. The other big thing I have going on this semester is a Global Connections class. I just got back from a two week trip to India where our group visited several companies over there. Life as an MBA is never dull!

I’m going to sign off for now, but be on the lookout for a post about the India trip, and some pictures from the Taj Mahal and other famous Indian sites.

It was a tedious process to say the least. Networking, resume updates, cover letters, first draft, revisions, second draft, revisions, final draft, interview preparations. There is a lot of effort that goes into it. But I have learned a lot from the process. This “exercise” made me a lot clearer in my thought process, boosted my confidence level, and made me ask difficult questions to myself – why do I want to work at one company versus other; would I like to do this job after 5 years, why and why not; what skills do I leverage; what is it that I need to work on; what is the company looking for in a candidate; would I be a good fit for the company; would the company be a good fit for me in terms of culture and career? The databases and my peers helped a lot but, not having worked for a corporate firm before and at the point of switching careers, I still didn’t know what to expect. I was prepared, confident and ready, yet had so many questions.

My first interview was a phone interview. That comes with its own set of challenges. Since you can’t see the other person, you really need to work hard on cues that suggest when to speak, when to start, when to stop. It’s tricky, but some pointers from communication coach really helped me ace it. Juggling between classes, assignments, and a series of first round interviews, there were never enough hours in the day. Add to all of this another series of second round interviews for which I had to travel at times. My days got even shorter. I now realized what 25 hours in a day would mean for me. One particular time after attending my regular classes from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., I drove myself to the airport to catch a 2:00 p.m. flight, appeared for three back to back interviews within the same firm, took a cab back to airport, flew back to Austin, and came home to attend classes the next day. All of this really helps you to prioritize and work efficiently with limited time. During this phase when you have a moment to reflect and take it all in, you realize you are just waiting for one call that says, “Hello Chirali, we have some good news for you. We would like to offer you a position in our firm for the summer. Would you like to join us?” It’s not the effort, the preparation, the physical or mental exertion that gets on to you; it’s the waiting and not knowing that totally drains you. But the key is to be patient and try until you succeed. Cliché I know, but still holds true.

And then it came – the much awaited call, and not just one but multiple. At this point, with the ball in your court, you choose how and what to play. And I did too! Ah, relief! The recruiting process is over, at least for now, so finally, I am relaxed and waiting to experience a normal semester focused on studies and fun. The key takeaways from this experience – connect with people, be patient, and help others as much as you can. I wouldn’t be where I am without the help of all the people who worked with me, guided me, motivated and encouraged me. I am so glad about the choices I made starting from the one of coming to McCombs. I look forward to my internship and hope to give back to others in the same way my new friends did for me.