2nd Years From a 1st Year's Perspective

An author once said, “Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” We’ve all heard similar sayings or quotes to that effect – the idea that painful failure can actually build positive character in the long run.

That lesson is poignant to a first-year BYU MBA student, especially when they take a moment to observe one of their second-year counterparts. The bar to get into the Marriott School is high enough that you probably won’t make it without a notable history of success to one degree or another. That means that most of us showed up on the first day of orientation with optimism and high hopes for the challenges that lay ahead.

But, every first year can attest to noticing something a little different about the class just ahead of them, and not just because the second-years have authoritative roles. A new MBA student can sense that a second-year carries a quiet type of confidence – the kind deeply based on assurance.

Most first-years now have an idea of where that confidence comes from. And, the class of 2013 will get that same sense from them. It starts with experiencing failure that is more painful and stressful than most probably expected. It is refined when they overcome that and succeed.

Whether it comes in the classroom, at the career center, or beyond, failure and stress are trademarks of a BYU MBA. But, we move passed it and collect our war stories. Next fall, a bunch of second-years will don the Sherpa polos and get down to business helping the new class. The new batch of first-years will be enthusiastic, optimistic, and talented. But, the second-years will have that quiet assuring confidence that can only come from prolonged time in the battlefield that is the Tanner Building.

Devon Black, Class of 2012, OB/HR

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Thinking Beyond the Resume

Last Christmas, I received a book in which I found a quote from Neal A. Maxwell which reads, “How important is a line in a resume if it comes at the expense and neglect of loved ones?” Upon reading it, that line pushed me to instant introspective contemplation. Since starting the MBA program, I admit to focusing too much on lines of black text over a white sheet of paper, and not enough on the relationships that will endure beyond my money-making endeavors. I think this is a common problem for MBA students and driven business professionals. We become laser focused on getting to the end of the ‘great thing’ we are working on now, only to realize that we squandered our precious time and resources on things that don’t really matter from a long-term perspective.

Twenty-three years ago, my ele¬mentary schoolteacher Mrs. Jackson didn’t come to class. A substitute teacher came in her place, explaining that Mrs. Jackson had some personal issues to take care of and that she wouldn’t be back for a couple weeks. She came back eventu¬ally but never mentioned what the pro¬blem was. Being young and disinterested, none of us pressed to know why she was absent. It wasn’t until the last day of 5th grade that she unloaded on us.

She asked for our absolute attention. Her face changed from a crooked smile to a quivering lip, to all-out weeping in a period of 15 seconds. Through her flowing tears she said, “You probably remember when I was absent for a couple weeks a few months ago. I was afraid to tell you what happened but now I think I need to explain for your benefit. I was gone because Mr. Jackson killed himself. I needed some time to recover.”

She continued on for a while explai¬ning that her husband hated his job and was unhappy working there. Although he hated the long hours, he couldn’t walk away from the big pay checks he was bringing home. She told about how two of her children didn’t care to talk to their father because they never built a strong relationship with him at home. He was always too busy for them. The image of Mrs. Jackson’s swollen eyes remains indelibly in my mind.

I assume that most of us arrived at BYU with the expectation that we would be successful in our classes, work hard to find that perfect job, graduate, and then live happily ever after. We knew that earning an MBA would require rigorous work and sacrifice, but that it would only be a temporary burden to our loved ones. Unfortunately, we all know of too many cases where some have conditioned themselves to the sacrifice and continued that practice for the rest of their lives. Their loved ones have become conditioned to not having their father or mother or son or daughter or brother or sister around very often. How sad.

I remember a quote I read years ago on the wall in a YMCA: “Be careful climbing your life’s ladder of success; you may get to the top to find it is leaning against the wrong wall.” I’m not suggesting that we neglect our studies or cheat our employers of an honest day’s work. What I am saying is that each of us vitally needs to inspect ourselves and truly prioritize that which is most impor¬tant to us—not most important right now but most important in the long run. And we should repeat such an examination often. I know I will benefit from doing so.

-Adam Cuppett, Finance, Class of 2011

Interned at: Property Reserve Inc.

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Interview With Carine Clark

Morning Market Call reaches another milestone: First interview with a C-level Fortune 500 exec! Carine Clark, CMO of Symantec Corp, joined Morning Market Call to share her secret sauce to MBA students on the traits they need to succeed. Be assertive. Be brave. Have your life in order. Know the numbers.

Check it out! Leave comments and tell us what you think!

Check out more interviews at the BYU MBA Morning Market Call.

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The Academy Positions You to Achieve Your Goals

As a junior undergraduate finance major, I had just barely begun to understand the benefits of continuing my business education when I was first introduced to the Academy. I wasn’t sure how or where, but I knew I wanted to eventually push on in school and get my MBA. My Academy experience has helped clarify these previously clouded ideas and goals.

Most BYU students are like me and knew little of the Marriott School Academy. The Marriott School website explains, “The Marriott School Academy is a structured program designed to assist prospective graduate students with the MBA application process, GMAT preparation, and the post undergraduate job search. Its purpose is to attract talented college juniors and seniors who can offer a diverse perspective to the Marriott School MBA program.”

I feel the program successfully completed its purpose. The Academy is designed to help students who are interested in a graduate degree in business identify the best possible option and put them in a solid position to achieve that goal. This is done by helping students in various ways. I have discussed just two below:

Learn How to Network. “Networking.” This word is so often misunderstood. It’s the word that often conjures up emotions of resentment, fear, political correctness, and even fear. At the same time, I’ve come to understand how “networking” may be the most important factor in learning about career options, making professional connections, and ultimately landing a career position. Through the Academy, I learned that networking was more about building mutually beneficial relationships that can open doors to you. Although we discussed networking in class, most of what I learned about networking I learned outside the classroom. The Academy offered me significant networking opportunities which were great opportunities to practice this skill but also to build real, meaningful relationships with recruiters and other professionals from reputable companies.

At one Academy event, I was able to pitch myself to 10 different companies, such as Cisco, Deloitte, Union Pacific, KPMG, and AFLAC. Each company then gave me feedback about my networking, what I could build upon and what I could improve upon. This proved valuable at later events at which companies such as Ford, Intel, and Goldman Sachs exclusively invited Academy members to attend luncheons with their representatives. As a result of joining the Academy, I was able to take advantage of the pre-existing relationships the Academy has with many companies, to learn to build my own professional relationships, and to confirm a career-launching position before leaving school.

Understand How an MBA fits on a personal level. “Fit” was a common word in many Academy discussions. Although I knew an MBA would be beneficial, the Academy helped me understand how an MBA “fits” with my goals and endeavors. As a student with an undergraduate business background, my eyes were newly opened to the fact that most MBA programs seek diversity. Yes, this means different nationalities but it also means different backgrounds. In the Academy, I found myself among psychology, dance, engineering majors who brought a different perspective to light and who all were competitive MBA student candidates.

Learning about this MBA “fit” produced different results in the Academy. One undeclared-major-student decided she wanted to prepare for an MBA by becoming an undergraduate business student. Another member and fellow finance undergraduate student decided he wanted to move in a different direction. He later noted that his Academy experience was “just as valuable as it was for those who decided to pursue an MBA” explaining it was just as important for him to know what he didn’t want to do. The Academy is organized to help students decide if an MBA fits for them, and if it does, provide every resource possible to find a job that will prepare them for graduate studies, prepare to take the GMAT, compare MBA programs, and even choose a specialty tract – whatever “fits” for the student.

Joining the Academy was one of the most influential decisions I made during my time at BYU. It has proven valuable in every aspect of my future professional life by guiding me to current opportunities, preparing me for future education as an MBA student, and increasing my ability navigate a successful career.

Spencer Barlow, Marriott School Academy Student

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BYU to Compete in Hult Global Case Challenge

Provo, Utah (February 3, 2010)—Hult International Business School announced today that Brigham Young University has been accepted and will compete in the 2^nd Annual Hult Global Case Challenge – a call to action for the world’s brightest business school minds to tackle the world’s most pressing issues. This year’s competition, in partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative and Water.org, an organization co-founded by Gary White and actor Matt Damon, will focus on developing solutions to the global water crisis. Hult will make the winning idea, along with a $1 million prize, available to Water.org to accelerate access to clean water and sanitation.

“Hult is thrilled that BYU has joined the Challenge,” said Stephen Hodges, President of the Hult International Business School. “This year, we have thousands of students from around the globe competing to help solve the issue of clean water access which can benefit millions of people. The diversity of these teams, from the world’s top business schools, consists of some of the most talented thought leaders of our time, ensuring a spirited competition. We wish every team the best of luck and thank BYU for supporting this effort.”

Each team selected was chosen from more than 1000 applications received. Most schools had multiple team applicants with one or two teams from each school being chosen.

Regional competitions will take place on March 5 on Hult’s five campuses in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai and Shanghai. BYU will compete in San Francisco.

All regional winners will be flown to New York City for the final competition which will be held on Thursday, April 28 at the W Hotel on Lexington Avenue. Every finalist will receive the opportunity to meet and have photos taken with President Bill Clinton, who will serve as the keynote speaker and present the winning team with the award.

BYU’s team members include second year MBA students—Andrea Cordani, Dan Myers, Edgar Cheney, Thamina Sbai, and Tim Young.

Hult chose fellow CGI member, Water.org from among CGI’s 1,800 ‘Commitments to Action’ made by the world’s top organizations dedicated to world change. The organization was chosen by Hult because of their pioneering efforts in the clean water space – including their innovative WaterCredit initiative, which facilitates small loans for water and sanitation access.

The Hult Global Case Challenge is an annual event by the Hult International Business School, which plans to continue its financial commitment each year toward the implementation of solutions for a select cause.

• To learn more about the Hult Global Case Challenge, please visit: www.hultglobalcasechallenge.com.
• Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/hultglobalcasechallenge
• Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/hultglobalcase

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