Which MBA Program Type is Good for You?If you have to choose an MBA course then be carefree. There are enormous specializations that MBA offers. One can determine a course as per his suitability. While choosing a course just keep in mind your interest and motive. It sounds easy but it is not.Having an extensive range of MBA program opportunities, no more than a Google search away is terrific, but the process of making the final choice can be daunting.Let’s take a look at the various MBA program types or formats on offer. It is important to point out that the differences between one MBA program type and another are not always clearly delineated – there’s a lot of flexibility and overlap.MBA Program Types:
Full-Time MBA
Part-Time MBA
Online MBA
EMBA
Full-Time MBA:A full-time MBA is like normal regular classes. In full-time professionals need to leave their job for 10-24 months depending on the course duration. In it, student has to attend classes regularly. There are further subcategories of a full-time MBA.
Two-year MBA: A pretty common one and the longest duration one too. It offers tremendous opportunities to the students and also let them explore a lot more. Although candidates have less workplace experience.
One-year MBA: Similar to two-year MBA with a difference in duration. In it a student do study general MBA but do not specialise in any particular field. It is a good option for confident candidates enrolling slightly later in their career. It is an abstract form of two year MBA program.
Accelerated MBA: These are aimed at candidates who are confident in the functional core modules, and do not need to study them as rigorously.
Part-Time MBA:Equivalent to full-time MBA. It is flexible in terms of duration, timings as well as financially. Part-time MBA allows you to work along with the studies. Usually, classes are in the evening or on weekends. Prefer an institution near your place as you have to attend classes and it will be convenient. It provides dual benefits one the work experience other managerial skills that you can implement while working.Online MBA:The world is being digitalized. Why MBA would be left behind. As the trend continues Online MBA is being quite popular. Learning a course from your preferred B-school and professors without actually being there. Just be at your place and what you want to. No need to leave your job or even your place. But reputable programs are usually not conducted entirely remotely, featuring an on-campus requirement.EMBA –Executive MBA:EMBA is quite popular among professionals especially senior ones who want to combine their work with higher study. This part-time degree is usually offered in a modular format, where students can attend classes over a set number of intermittent residential weeks, or over weekends and evenings. EMBA programs can be fast-tracked so that they are completed in as little as 18 months, or studied over a longer duration.
In order to get a promotion or a better career profile, many professionals around the world pursue MBA programs. The aspects look sterling: a high paying job after MBA; an amazing career profile. Today, we would be talking about points to consider before pursuing an MBA program.Quality matters.You must remember that it is important to know about the business school from where you are plan to pursue your MBA program. If the business school is a reputed one, chances of getting placed increases exponentially. Having an MBA degree doesn’t matter, what matter is an MBA degree from a reputed institution.Cost matters.The cost of doing an MBA is expensive. Many universities around the globe provide MBA courses to the students but these courses are quite costly.Time matters.MBA is an intensive course. The time may vary for two years or one year depending whether it is a full MBA program or one year MBA program. If you aim to pursue MBA along with your job then you must consider a part-time MBA Program.Now, the ball is in your court, it’s your turn to decide the best course that suits your interest.We hope that our article cleared all your doubts. Have patience and your journey begins.Good luck!
Darden School of Business at University of Virginia
Just a little research to get you started…
Darden is known for its banking and consulting curriculum, use of the case method, tight-knit community in Charlottesville and broad-based career placement, and mid-Atlantic recruiting.
NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTSGlobal Business Experience: For students who do not wish to spend an entire term abroad but who are still interested in learning about international business and culture. While abroad for one to two weeks in places as diverse as Brazil, China, and Israel, students meet with business and community leaders, take classes at local business schools and visit companies with offices in the region. The GBE is one of the most popular programs on campus.
Health Care Club: HCC is a student-run organization dedicated to patients by promoting awareness of issues and opportunities in health-related fields. HCC achieves its mission by closely partnering with both academia and industry to Sponsor education and speaker programs focused on all aspects of the health care industry, provide information about career opportunities in health care, and join with communities and patients in supporting health-related causes. Events and activities include Healthcare panels and speakers, experiential trips to UVA health system organizations, sponsored trips to MBA healthcare conferences and Case Competitions, and recruitment prep.
Community Consultants of Darden: An actual consulting firm started on campus in 1956, providing marketing, operational and strategic planning services to Charlottesville-area nonprofits and small businesses. Community Consultants offers students a great way to gain hands-on consulting experience while contributing to the local community.
Turnaround and Restructuring Club: Darden’s Turnaround and Restructuring Club pragmatically dovetails the school’s strong finance, consulting, general management, and leadership development curriculum with a natural industry fit. The club fosters financial and operational restructuring careers by providing a knowledge and skills development program coupled with professional networking and employment opportunities.
Building Goodness in April: Building Goodness in April is an organization dedicated to keeping low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners safe and independent through home repair and rehabilitation volunteer services. Each year, Building Goodness in April repairs and rehabilitates 12-14 homes during a one-day event.
Consulting Darden Business Projects (DBPs): Consulting DBPs are for-credit projects that give students the opportunity to gain real-world consulting experience. Teams of three to six students work with a corporate client to address a business challenge, such as: Developing a business plan, performing market analysis and creating a financial forecast. During the project, students work closely with a Darden faculty advisor and present a final project to a corporate client.
Kaizen Projects in Manufacturing, Sales, Marketing, and R&D: Since 2006, over 150 Darden MBA students have applied what they have learned in class to kaizen (Japanese for continuous improvement) projects around the world with the Danaher Corporation, a global science, and technology company. Each project sends a small team of students to a Danaher facility for a one-week on-site experience to work closely with its employees to improve specific issues related to manufacturing, sales, marketing, or R&D.
FINANCEFinance Club: The Darden Finance Club serves as a comprehensive professional, social, and educational organization focused on all areas of finance. As the largest student organization at Darden, the DFC is the principal resource for students with professional ambitions in the world of finance. Events include Finance Conference, industry panels, Investment Banking 101, and a Week on Wall Street.
Darden Private Equity Club: DPEC’s mission is to develop a network of students and alumni professionals with a common interest in private equity investing ranging from angel stage and venture capital to leveraged buyouts and turnaround situations. They also host the Darden Private Equity Conference.
Entrepreneurial and Venture Capital Club: The EVC Club serves students and alumni interested in starting and/or investing in early-stage companies. By hosting networking events, speakers, educational seminars, and competitions the Club provides opportunities to learn and become involved in the entrepreneurial community at Darden, in Charlottesville, and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
George (Yiorgos) Allayannis: Professor Allayannis is popular among Darden students. He has taught in the First Year Finance program and elective courses in Portfolio, Valuation, and Financial Institutions and Markets as well as in programs in the CFA Institute, SNL Financial, and the World Bank. Between 2005 and 2007, Allayannis was a director in Citigroup’s Global Financial Strategy Group in the Investment Banking Division. He was awarded The Case Center award in 2014 in finance, accounting, and control, for his case on global banking and the impact of Basel III regulation.
ENTREPRENEURSHIPThe Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation: In addition to supporting research projects that focus on economic growth, emerging markets, sustainability, and healthcare, the Institute offers frequent opportunities for experiential learning and networking (i.Lab, Incubator, VC Bootcamp, Batten Venture Internship Program, Darden Venturing Projects), along with financial support for student entrepreneurs.
Darden Business Incubator: Teams that are selected to participate in the Incubator receive summer funding as they work to develop their ventures. In addition to this funding, Incubator support includes a business expense allowance, guidance and mentoring from an advisory board, and up to three months of infrastructure support after launch.
i.Lab: The i.Lab is a 4,000-square-foot learning environment intended to encourage innovative and entrepreneurial thinking through experiential opportunities. Included in this space is a full-fledged design studio, equipped with work benches, tools and an array of building materials, so students can actually design and create models and prototypes of entrepreneurial ideas. The i.Lab also features an open collaboration space where students can share and evaluate ideas and models.
VC Bootcamp: A three-day workshop for students completing their First Year at Darden who are interested in pursuing summer internships in venture capital and entrepreneurship, particularly in the Greater Washington, D.C., area. This program brings prospective venture capital firms and their portfolio companies together with highly motivated MBA students as a first step in exploring summer opportunities through the Batten Venture Internship Program
Business Plan Competition: Darden’s final competition of the academic year, the competition is open to all UVA students and features student pitches that demonstrate the value of the business. First Prize is $10,000. Pretty sweet.
NON-PROFITDarden Nonprofit Internship Fund: Many excellent opportunities exist for MBA internships in the nonprofit and public sectors. Unfortunately, many of these organizations do not have the resources to pay an MBA candidate adequately. This is where the Darden Nonprofit Internship Fund (DNIF) can help. DNIF is a program funded by both students and the Darden School that helps First Year students defray living expenses while pursuing low-paid internships with nonprofit organizations.
MARKETINGMarketing Club: The Marketing Club at Darden helps members understand the varied professional opportunities in marketing; develop the necessary skills and experience to be successful in their career search; build lasting personal relationships with peers, faculty and alumni; and build strong professional relationships with companies and organizations. The Marketing Club also hosts events and activities like the Marketing Club Forum, The Brand Challenge, and case competitions.
Paul W. Farris: As the Landmark Communications Professor of Business, Professor Farris teaches the first-year core course Marketing, along with Advertising, Promotion, and Integrated Marketing, Consumer Marketing, and Marketing Metrics. Professor Farris’s research, which has been published in professional journals such as the Harvard Business Review and the Journal of Marketing, focuses on issues of marketing productivity and budgeting.
Wondering what GMAT score is good enough for your postgrad application?
Why Are Schools Looking so Closely at Your GMAT Score?
The schools are looking at the score for a couple of reasons, so, number one, they are looking at the score as a measure of whether you can do the coursework, but the bar is relatively low on that. Once you pass 700, 710, you can clearly handle the basic finance and economics coursework. The schools are instead considering what’s the impact of your GMAT score on the school’s ranking, and to some degree, they may also look at the score in terms of your recruiting opportunities. The schools know very well that firms like McKinsey, Bain, or BCG use the GMAT as one of the indicators for who they want to interview. In those regards, managing the rankings and your employability, higher is better with no limit. MBA ranking mechanics mean that statements like “After 740, it doesn’t matter” are never true.
When Do You Need to Improve Your GMAT Score
There are a few clear indicators that you should retake the GMATThe number one indicator is if you’ve taken an official practice exam and you had a better score than what you got on your live exam, you should probably retake it.The official practice exams are quite reliable in assessing your progress because they’re based on retired questions from old live exams.
Number two, if you haven’t spent much time on studying yet and you still got a great score, that’s a sign that if you put some work into it, you could get an even better score. That’s another clear sign you should retake.
Number three, sometimes there’s a little clue in something else on your profile, so if you did a great SAT performance, but only a mediocre GMAT, or if you’ve just graduated summa cum laude in mathematics, you may have a little more in you than that middling GMAT score, so if you fall into one of these categories, you really should do a retake.
How to Determine If Your Score Is Good Enough?
As you’d expect, as your score goes up, so do your chances of admission. What this means, you look at your test score and you think, “Well, I could spend my time on increasing my score, I could spend it on networking with the schools, on extra-curricular, writing my applications.” You have to think about which one of those is going to give you the most bang for your buck because you’ve got a limited amount of time to spend on all these different things. You start with a class profile for the school and we can see the range and the average score for the admitted class.Then from there, you need to look at what kind of cohort of applicants you fit into. In some cohorts, it’s simply more competitive than others because of how many applicants there are. There are a few of the big things that if you are a man rather than a woman, there’s more men applying. They may want a little bit more. If you’re an international applicant from a country where there’s a very large number of well-qualified applicants, for example, China or India, the school may have the luxury to demand a score that is significantly higher than the average. Whereas, if you come from an under-represented group where the school is desperate to enroll more people to build the different viewpoints in the class, then you may get away with a little bit less.
It is well said, “Life is too short to experience all the experiences of life by yourself”. What does it mean we cannot experience everything in such a short lifespan. All we can do is learn from other’s experiences. Let’s check out some of the confessions and see what we can learn from them or reveal some of the secrets.Everyone in the world who is even remotely related to the education domain has an opinion on the MBA. Ask him and he will be ready to lecture you on the Pros and Cons of doing an MBA, life after MBA, or should you earn an MBA degree or not..etc.etc…This creates confusion in the minds of MBA Aspirants who are always looking for accurate information on how an MBA degree is beneficial for them.They all might not be CEOs or VP’s currently but their zeal to achieve success will definitely take them to the heights in the coming time. Here we begin with some of the stories and experiences.First MBA storyOur very first story begins with a graduate in B.Tech. Computer Science and was happy with his job in robotics. Soon he realized the need for managerial skills. Tech skills were not enough for him to be in a business which made him prepare for MBA entrance and enrolled himself in full-time MBA which touched all areas of business in the first year be it an HR, Operations, Marketing or Finance with the help of a lot of case studies that give a realistic view of the kind of issues that have cropped up in the past in the best of the companies and what measures were taken or should have been taken to overcome them. In the second year usually, the subject experts delve deep into the chosen areas to further polish their understanding of the subjects. Internships and live projects provide students with a platform to practically use their knowledge in the industry. And last but not least MBA teaches you that you realize your full potential only by working as a team and not as an individual no matter how bright you might be. Another BonusHere is another interesting story to have a look at. A fresher who hardly had any practical exposure. Studying through case methodology has changed my outlook to look at things from a broader perspective as well as getting into the nitty-gritty of the problems. He joined his family business and have applied a lot of things he learned during his MBA into his business. He has learned to add fresh ideas which helped my business in a big way. Was able to achieve 100 percent growth in my family business within a span of 3 years. Recently he has been awarded the “Young Achiever Award“ by Career Options Magazine.Some of the untold truths disclosed by MBA alumni:“Placements are a bloodbath sometimes. The year 2013 was one such year – 20% of the batch didn’t receive placements. However, in 2014 placements went very well. You never know how the market behaves. Be prepared for the consequences. MBA degree even from a top institute cannot guarantee an awesome placement, said by alumni.Everybody has an idea. Everybody wants to be an entrepreneur,” says graduate. The idea to be an entrepreneur is not so novel anymore. Almost every MBA graduate wants to start their own new set-up. What really makes the difference is how innovative or successful is your idea“The first day of college and our Academic Chairperson tells us that an MBA is like a commando training. Man, he was so right! The first year is crazy! If we don’t sail straight, the boat will sink forever,”“There are so many surprise quizzes, that the surprise element ceases to exist. Every day, at 1.45 pm, we are informed about the surprise quiz. Be ready to slog it out to the extreme,”“MBA teaches you that you realize your full potential only by working as a team and not as an individual no matter how bright you might be.”
Can an Engineering Graduate Choose MBA in Finance?Generally, students go for Post Graduation in their respective fields like and engineering students do prefer M.Tech or MS. Still, there are many who switch from technical to management, even some prepare for GMAT and GRE for abroad study. MBA does essential to get onto the corporate ladder. Only B.Tech knowledge is good for technical jobs but to excel in the corporate world MBA is mandatory. Without an MBA you may not be able to grab higher positions. Even for start-up management is mandatory. Technical alone is not enough to achieve success. This is why many students choose and should go for MBA after their engineering.It is a myth that students from an engineering background cannot opt for some branches like Finance for MBA. It is considered that engineering graduates will face difficulties to get into Finance as they are not from a commerce background and also will not be able to excel in it. It’s just a misconception. A student who has completed engineering can face any challenge and also do possess the capability to achieve it. Now students should open up their minds and widen their perspective and take it as a challenge to go for MBA in Finance. Why not? Until you haven’t tried then how can you say that it is tough, impossible or you can’t do it?For a surprise when you will analyze the course you will find that it is a highly simple and promising one.Mathematical and analytical skills will help in finance:In general, during their graduation, engineering students gain good analytical and mathematical skills. These skills will be of great help to them in understanding subjects like economics and accounting with ease.Wide job prospects:When a student has both engineering and finance as his/her specialization, the employment opportunities will also be wider with positions like accounts manager, bank manager, marketing manager either in a manufacturing firm or an IT company. They can find many employment opportunities in many techno-functional fields, where their knowledge of finance will go hand in hand with technical skills.After reading the above-mentioned points, engineering graduates might have gained confidence in pursuing finance specialization. But, the thing they should remember is that everything mentioned earlier depends a lot on where they want to be in the time span in the next 10-20 years. Everything depends on the individual aptitude of the students. For instance, if they are interested in marketing and want to stay away from accounts and mathematics, they can opt for marketing specialization during the MBA course. Even though they can get guidance from career experts, the final decision is going to be made by them and so they should conduct a complete analysis of their aptitude and areas of interest.
Books that can Bolster Your Management SkillsBooks that can guide you towards great marketing skills.Reading not only helps in expanding your vocabulary, but it also improves your analytical as well as thinking skills.Marketing forms the core of an MBA. However, before jumping to advance topics of marketing, it is beneficial for MBA aspirants to acquire a piece of basic knowledge about marketing before they take a step to pursue an MBA.Today in this blog, we have handpicked some of the best books that will guide you towards the field of marketing.Here is a list of the top 41 marketing books that can benefit you a lot.Good to Great by Jim CollinsWhat becomes abundantly clear in reading this book is that there is no secret program, no “good luck” or “right timing” that was alone responsible for the success of any of the companies discussed in this book. Instead, Collins has described that these companies simply defined their fundamental asset and then systematically changed their behaviors and actions to ones that complimented those strengths. Repeating these focused activities over time led them to fantastic success. The book instructs on how to reconstruct similar effects in your own business.Snapshots from HellThis book has been written by a very influential man whose career hinged on the words he penned. The book evidently differentiates the business administration specialization with various other courses which help in grasping theories, quantitative disciplines, financial, practical, and at the same time doing a lot of mental labor isn’t an easy chore. The book is thought-provoking and written from a student’s point of view. It is a must-read for a student in marketing.Outliers by Malcolm GladwellIn this book, Malcolm Gladwell outshines at pinpointing a social phenomenon, be it snap judgments (Blink) or cultural epidemics (The Tipping Point); putting forward his thesis; and demonstrating his evidence through a series of engaging, short, and self-encapsulated histories. Gladwell has examined the phenomenon of fantastic stories of success often attributed to tenacity, high achievement, innate individual talent, and hard work. The book is the best source for marketing students.Connect the Dots by Rashmi Bansal.It is one of the few English books written with an Indian audience in mind. ‘Connect the Dots’ is an assortment of 20 inspirational stories of businesspersons who never attended a B-school and were instead driven by the longing to realize their passions and fulfill their dreams. This book is written in a conversational form, wherein the author inquiries the subjects and appreciates their words with perceptive statements. This book is ideal for students pursuing an MBA in marketing.All these books are a masterpiece in themselves. We hope that you’ll have a great time with these books.Wish you a great reading ahead.
Non-Traditional MBA JobsAs tradition sets when one listens or dreams about an MBA, a fixed picture is already drawn in their mind. Also, the pace of work is already fixed. No one tries or wants to go for something different other than investment bankers or management counselors. The sad part is that everyone is being a driver of a bus that is already overloaded. Why go to that path that will not provide you your destination. Why not find a new route, now Google maps have made it easy.Supply chain or operations management jobsGaining quite a popularity and being a demanding job. Operations is interesting, because it’s an often-overlooked area of study in the MBA curriculum, and it really speaks to the supply side of the business, and how to transform inputs into outputs, and the processes used to do that.Data analytics jobs that involve interpreting data to identify new business opportunities.Data is a valuable asset in the business world, so MBA graduates who are skilled at interpreting data are attractive hires in a variety of industries. Nowadays, most companies emphasize data-driven decision-making. Employers are particularly eager to hire newly minted MBAs who have training in predictive modeling, the science of creating accurate business forecasts since these insights can provide companies with a competitive advantage.Leadership positions in fashion, sports, and entertainment companies.One may wonder why these three industries do require an MBA graduate. According to a survey, in these three industries, there is a need for MBA-trained individuals who can perform rigorous analysis of what types of products and services consumers want to purchase.Corporate jobs that focus on environmental sustainability and innovation.Many large corporations are searching for ways to make their business practices more environmentally sustainable. Corporations are trying to discover and implement policies that will encourage creativity among their employees. MBA graduates can find jobs related to either of these two common types of corporate initiativesManagement roles in the food and beverage industryThe food Industry is one of the most popular industry and there is no denying it will grow at a rapid pace. MBA’s get benefit as it gives them a tremendous competitive advantage because they just have a skill set and a frame of mind that most people in the industry don’t have.Company FoundersAspiring entrepreneurs who elect to attend graduate business school gain valuable networking opportunities. An MBA gives you access to a diverse set of individuals, and that network is something that stays with you after you graduate.
Age Limit To Apply For MBAIn actuality, there is no age limit for MBA. All you need an undergraduate degree or something equivalent to it to get into an MBA. As always said,” Learning has no age bar”. Many senior officials might be thinking that Are they too old to get an MBA degree? The answer will be not at all.Firstly vanish all these thoughts and make one thing clear all that matters is your objective. Generally, teenagers go for MBA in their early 20s with no corporate experience. But if you have crossed your 20s and have a desire to pursue an MBA then there will be definitely a good work experience with you. In countries like America, people go for an MBA at the age of 28-30 after a work experience of about 4-5 years. It should be like this only. As you will do have some experience rather than just being fresher. As a fresher, you will just not be able to contribute to an MBA class in overseas B-schools, if you have not spent a sufficient amount of time understanding the nuances of corporate life by spending some years working in an organized environment.Here is a story of a woman who was working in marketing but the company shifted and asked employees to look for new jobs. It provided her an opportunity to do what she wants to do. She wanted to go for a business strategy which made her go for an MBA after 11 years of field work. Age has no bar but if you are in your 40s and have a desire to go back to school and pursue an MBA. It is a tough one starting from scratch as a professional, in that case, you must know why is going back to school interesting or important to you? One may find it odd in going back to school. It is not mandatory to go for a full-time MBA. You can choose alternatives too.While going into a full-time MBA if you want to get an acceptance letter all you need is self-awareness. You should definitely know what you need? You can go for online MBA learning virtually without actually going back to school. Also, it will be absolutely convenient. Another option for which you can go is a part-time MBA. Similar to full-time one just with a change in timings.Executive MBA popularly known as EMBA is specially designed for the older folks. Executive MBAs, which are part-time or modular programs catering towards mid-career professionals. Admissions directors at some business schools say that they often nudge older students towards these part-time alternatives.In general, MBA programs are open to all candidates, but for students who are more mature and have more experience, we encourage them to do Executive MBAs because we think they would benefit more. If you want to do a full-time course, you would still have a great experience and it would still be a very beneficial program.A harsh reality is that “There’s an expectation that the farther out you are from undergrad, the harder it is for you to transform the way a full-time student should transform,”
Communication: A Must-Have Skill in Business WorldYou might be wondering what extra or essential skill one must possess to be in the business world. This is a skill, without which you are nothing in the corporate sector. At a time if you lack in some of the qualities it is OK but if you lack in this particular skill, no way. It is none other than communication skills. Yes, you heard it right communication skills are the most and essential skill that an individual must possess or work on to be in the corporate world. Also, B-Schools should also pay stress on communication skills. The question might strike you Why communication skills are so important? Also why B-schools should also pay attention to it. Let’s figure it outCommunication is the cornerstone of civilization, separating humans from other species. Without the ability to express, people cannot convey their basic needs our deepest desires. Dreams can never be uttered and therefore can never become reality.Certainly, no one can lead a squad into victory without solid communication skills. Yet, top business schools still struggle to find the best ways to teach this vital tool. This has consequences. Employers are sensing the lack of soft skills among new MBA graduates. Specifically, the interpersonal relationship and leadership skills, which include communication, were lacking compared to the importance employers placed upon them.Business schools have to make improving communication skills among students a priority. Learn why the following is the right path.
Learn to Listen
What people fail to realize is that more than half of proper communication requires being a good listener. In fact, relationship experts will tell you that learning to listen is vital to everything from being a successful teacher to keeping your marriage together.Once you actually hear another person, you can begin to take his or her ideas and opinions into account. You can hash out any differences you have. Perhaps, best of all, you can put yourself in his or her shoes and get a sense of the experience of another.
Boost Up the Spirits
The first step in creating a cohesive team is having everyone know his or her role in accomplishing certain goals. The next step is keeping everyone motivated, so together you eventually achieve success.This is where communication becomes less technical and more artful. In essence, this is the hard part. And this is indeed where many teachers lose business students. They get numbers and logic and putting together words, so the team knows its chores but communicating emotion to motivate people is far more complicated.
Improve Sales
Good communication skills usually translate into a better bottom line. After all, if you and your employees have the capacity to describe the product or service you’re selling and explain its worth to others, then you can convince them to buy it. Closing sales also requires relationship building and relationships are built on communication.
To better handle crises
Many businesses suffer a crisis every now and then. The difference between surviving or dying during one is how you handle it. Good communication can help your business stay alive as you can act swiftly to share the appropriate words explaining the crisis both internally and to the public. You can also adeptly answer questions from journalists, government officials, consumers, and others.Just imagine how much better things might be going for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the ongoing Facebook-Cambridge Analytica saga if he had better communication skills.“The message for MBAs is clear: employers are looking for visionaries, not just functional managers who are able to keep things ticking along,” according to the report. Obviously, communication plays an important role in being a “visionary” because you have to articulate what you envision for the future.
FINANCE
Finance Club: The Darden Finance Club serves as a comprehensive professional, social, and educational organization focused on all areas of finance. As the largest student organization at Darden, the DFC is the principal resource for students with professional ambitions in the world of finance. Events include Finance Conference, industry panels, Investment Banking 101, and a Week on Wall Street.
Darden Private Equity Club: DPEC’s mission is to develop a network of students and alumni professionals with a common interest in private equity investing ranging from angel stage and venture capital to leveraged buyouts and turnaround situations. They also host the Darden Private Equity Conference.
Entrepreneurial and Venture Capital Club: The EVC Club serves students and alumni interested in starting and/or investing in early-stage companies. By hosting networking events, speakers, educational seminars, and competitions the Club provides opportunities to learn and become involved in the entrepreneurial community at Darden, in Charlottesville, and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
George (Yiorgos) Allayannis: Professor Allayannis is popular among Darden students. He has taught in the First Year Finance program and elective courses in Portfolio, Valuation, and Financial Institutions and Markets as well as in programs in the CFA Institute, SNL Financial, and the World Bank. Between 2005 and 2007, Allayannis was a director in Citigroup’s Global Financial Strategy Group in the Investment Banking Division. He was awarded The Case Center award in 2014 in finance, accounting, and control, for his case on global banking and the impact of Basel III regulation.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation: In addition to supporting research projects that focus on economic growth, emerging markets, sustainability, and healthcare, the Institute offers frequent opportunities for experiential learning and networking (i.Lab, Incubator, VC Bootcamp, Batten Venture Internship Program, Darden Venturing Projects), along with financial support for student entrepreneurs.
Darden Business Incubator: Teams that are selected to participate in the Incubator receive summer funding as they work to develop their ventures. In addition to this funding, Incubator support includes a business expense allowance, guidance and mentoring from an advisory board, and up to three months of infrastructure support after launch.
i.Lab: The i.Lab is a 4,000-square-foot learning environment intended to encourage innovative and entrepreneurial thinking through experiential opportunities. Included in this space is a full-fledged design studio, equipped with work benches, tools and an array of building materials, so students can actually design and create models and prototypes of entrepreneurial ideas. The i.Lab also features an open collaboration space where students can share and evaluate ideas and models.
VC Bootcamp: A three-day workshop for students completing their First Year at Darden who are interested in pursuing summer internships in venture capital and entrepreneurship, particularly in the Greater Washington, D.C., area. This program brings prospective venture capital firms and their portfolio companies together with highly motivated MBA students as a first step in exploring summer opportunities through the Batten Venture Internship Program
Business Plan Competition: Darden’s final competition of the academic year, the competition is open to all UVA students and features student pitches that demonstrate the value of the business. First Prize is $10,000. Pretty sweet.
NON-PROFIT
Darden Nonprofit Internship Fund: Many excellent opportunities exist for MBA internships in the nonprofit and public sectors. Unfortunately, many of these organizations do not have the resources to pay an MBA candidate adequately. This is where the Darden Nonprofit Internship Fund (DNIF) can help. DNIF is a program funded by both students and the Darden School that helps First Year students defray living expenses while pursuing low-paid internships with nonprofit organizations.
MARKETING
Marketing Club: The Marketing Club at Darden helps members understand the varied professional opportunities in marketing; develop the necessary skills and experience to be successful in their career search; build lasting personal relationships with peers, faculty and alumni; and build strong professional relationships with companies and organizations. The Marketing Club also hosts events and activities like the Marketing Club Forum, The Brand Challenge, and case competitions.
Paul W. Farris: As the Landmark Communications Professor of Business, Professor Farris teaches the first-year core course Marketing, along with Advertising, Promotion, and Integrated Marketing, Consumer Marketing, and Marketing Metrics. Professor Farris’s research, which has been published in professional journals such as the Harvard Business Review and the Journal of Marketing, focuses on issues of marketing productivity and budgeting.
