Darren

Helping Vietnamese & SE Asian MBA Applicants get into great b-schools | Former MBA Admissions Director | Get a free profile review:

[Darren @TouchMBA]

thought provoking & a must read -> "Why does a university that claims to be devoted to the pursuit of truth reward and promote influential ideas long before science has determined whether they are actually true?" https://t.co/zoIwbdYZMg

[Darren @TouchMBA]

MBA admissions next??? 👉"Since human gut instinct is a terrible predictor of performance, companies are looking to technology to help make better hiring decisions" https://t.co/aWyFkL6V1Z via @WSJ

[Darren @TouchMBA]

How to engage with MBA admissions teams before you apply. Everything you need to know about MBA pre-assessments here... thank you Roanne @CUHK_MBA, Patrik @iesebschool & Kenneth @UNSWAGSM https://t.co/Syoy9g4SrR

[Darren @TouchMBA]

EDHEC Global MBA: Nice campus on the French Riviera, €52,500 tuition, 10 months, top 10 worldwide for ROI, scholarships up to 40% of tuition. I sat down with Program Director Sandra Richez to learn more about this 115 year old French bschool: https://t.co/ukcm9ZwCJd

[Darren @TouchMBA]

@EDHEC_GlobalMBA: Nice campus on the French Riviera, €52,500 tuition, 10 months, top 10 worldwide for ROI, scholarships up to 40% of tuition. I sat down with Program Director Sandra Richez to learn more about this 115 year old French bschool: https://t.co/ukcm9ZwCJd

[Darren @TouchMBA]

@EDHEC_GlobalMBA: Nice campus on the French Riviera, €52,500 tuition, 10 months, top 10 worldwide for ROI, generous scholarships available. I sat down with Program Director Sandra Richez to find out more about this renowned French b-school: https://t.co/ukcm9ZwCJd

[Darren @TouchMBA]

The HKUST MBA has been one of Asia’s top-ranked MBAs for many years – the Financial Times has ranked it top 25 globally 15 times. But, what is it actually like to study there?
https://t.co/d4Dczih8Xi @HKUSTmba

[Darren @TouchMBA]

Have a mediocre (or alarmingly low) GMAT and need to show more evidence of your quant skills?

Check out Fortuna's comparison of MBA Math, HBS CORe, UCBerkeley MATH X402, UCLA MGMT X110 and Imperial EdX Pre-MBA Essentials:

https://t.co/YLL1aiNxB2

[Darren @TouchMBA]

Your MBA application is a movie preview of what's to come – a pitch for your candidacy. How can you get admissions officers to remember you, care about you, believe you and act on your application in a positive way (let's interview her!)? https://t.co/730SPvwQQZ

[Darren @TouchMBA]

Schools want “collaborative” leaders.

Don’t write: “I’m collaborative.”

Show it.

One applicant had her recommender say: “Doctors fight to work with her on tough cases.”

That’s louder than any buzzword.

Embody what schools look for

[Darren @TouchMBA]

4 Tips to Show Fit

#1
MBA applicants: Stop saying “X is the perfect school for me.”

Admissions directors aren’t looking for love-bombing. They want maturity.

Say: “X is my top choice because…”

Then prove it with specifics.

Fit isn’t a declaration. It’s a conversation.

[Darren @TouchMBA]

If another applicant could copy/paste your “Why This School” paragraph, you’ve wasted space.

Tie the school's resources to your unique story.

"X's faculty of social science & medicine will help me understand the Chinese healthcare system."

Specific. Personal. Undeniable.

[Darren @TouchMBA]

What does IESE look for in MBA applicants? How does IESE evaluate your academic aptitude, post-MBA career goals, leadership potential and fit? Check out my comprehensive interview w/ Patrik! https://t.co/X6iW7BIeL6 @iesebschool

[Darren @TouchMBA]

“Instead of listing accomplishments, you want to help others understand the journey that led to those accomplishments and where it’s taking you next. This creates an emotional connection that pure credentials cannot.” https://t.co/8FuceCnYkz

[Startup Archive @StartupArchive_]

Airbnb founder Brian Chesky on how to interview and reference check new hires

Brian’s first piece of advice comes from Steve Jobs:

“Start with the results and work backwards to the people. Most people start with resumes. They start with brands — ‘Oh, this person worked at Google.’ But you should actually ask yourself: What products do I admire? And then who built those products?”

With respect to actually interviewing them, Brian’s first tip is to ask follow-up questions:

“Ask them to explain how they did something, and then the key is to ask two follow-ups. You never want the first answer. You always want the third answer. And if people don’t know what they’re talking about, they struggle. They might be able to follow-up, but the second follow-up, they become absent of details.”

But more important than interviewing, Brian argues, is references:

“I prioritize references over interviewing, especially with executives who have more experience BSing you than you have experience detecting their BS.”

Brian recalls that Andreessen Horowitz would tell him to do 8 hours of reference checks per employee:

“[That’s] probably over the top, but you should probably spend as much time referencing as you do hiring.”

He also believes the CEO should interview and reference check new hires as long as possible. Brian interviewed the first 400 people at Airbnb, but he wishes he interviewed longer.

And with respect to tactics for reference checks, Brian offers the following advice:

“A lot of people are polite. They’re afraid of the feedback getting back. So the first thing to say when you start the call is that everything is off the record — and it should be off the record. It should never be attributed to them. The more it’s unattributed to them, the more honest they’re going to be.”

On this topic, Brian recommends avoiding disqualifying questions:

“A lot of people don’t want to say somebody sucks or is not good… Say, ‘Okay, separate from this topic, I just want to know who’s the best person you’ve ever worked with?’ Do they say the person’s name you just asked about? They usually tell the truth and if they don’t say that person’s name, they’re not the best, right?”

And then ask for specifics:

“They said they’re amazing — well why are they amazing? What would you point to? If they have no specifics, maybe they weren’t really good… Then ask questions like, ‘Okay, what do I need to watch out for if I were to hire them?’ or ‘What’s the one area of development you would give them?’ If you say that, they have to tell you something because they’ll feel like they’re not thoughtful enough…. And then you ask them at the end who else you should talk to: ‘Can you give me two more names?’ And then you use that to build a network.”

Brian believes recruiting should be more like building a talent network than a sales pipeline.

[Darren @TouchMBA]

@iesebschool MBA Admissions Director Patrik Wallen reveals how one of Europe’s top MBAs selects future leaders — and what truly makes an applicant stand out. https://t.co/X6iW7BIeL6

[Darren @TouchMBA]

He got into INSEAD & London Business School! 🤯
This episode is packed with actionable advice:
✅ Cherif's 5 key success factors for admissions success
✅ How to craft a coherent narrative - despite having worked 5 jobs
✅ Tips to ace your interviews
https://t.co/6W5J9pttWb

[Darren @TouchMBA]

My key takeaway: embrace AI with curiosity & a playful mindset! Experiment, learn its capabilities & understand its ethical implications. AI is here to stay, using it effectively is a huge advantage for future business leaders.

[Darren @TouchMBA]

Is AI coming for MBA jobs? Just dropped an episode with Sabine King, Director of Career Accelerator at AGSM, on how AI is impacting MBA careers. https://t.co/pDSCa8tnbn #MBA #AI