Category Archives: Guest Blog

[Guest Blog] Keep It MBAchic: What to Wear to your Holiday Office Party

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It’s that time of year. Holiday e-cards, secret santa gifts, and holiday office parties! These parties are a time to wind down with your colleagues, take a small break from work and celebrate end of the year holidays. For some it can also be a time to break away from the boring business casual and to show your co-workers that you CAN clean up nice!  So MBA ladies, what should you be wearing to the holiday work party?

In choosing the perfect outfit for this occasion, there are a few things to consider:
1) The type of office environment – Do you work in a more corporate and conservative office? Is it more business casual? Or can you pull off more laid-back and casual looks?
2) Venue and type of party – Is the party at a swanky space with the entire office invited? Or are you just celebrating with co-workers at a local bar?

Depending on your work environment and the type of party, you have some flexibility in choosing an outfit that will have your colleagues remembering what you wore well into the new year.

Since holiday work parties vary for many of us, I’ve come up with some stylish options for a few different party scenarios – formal vs. casual and at a few different price ranges.

A Very Formal Corporate Affair

My office every year has a really big, fancy holiday-bash which calls for more formal wear. I chose to cover up a bit by opting for a longer hemline but I like to spice things up with a bright, bold color or with some sparkly fabric.

DVF Clarice Dress
Diane von Furstenberg Clarice Dress
($980 at DvF.com)		 Warehouse Halter Maxi Dress
Warehouse Halter Maxi Dress
($155 at asos.com)
Alice + Olivia Lurex Dotted Cocktail Dress
Alice + Olivia Lurex Dotted Cocktail Dress
($385 at MyTheresa.com)		 Robert Rodriguez Black Label Avril DressRobert Rodriguez Black Label Avril Dress
($125 at RenttheRunway.com)


A Fun B-School Party

You current MBA ladies can opt for a dress that is a bit more fun and flirty, but still professional. Since you can be a bit more daring, I’d even try something chic and unconventional like a well-structured jumpsuit.

 

Reiss Eyelet V-Neck Dress
Reiss Eyelet V-Neck Dress
($137)		 Fringed Metallic Dress
Fringed Metallic Dress
($30 at forever21.com)
Asymmetric Jumpsuit
Asymmetric Jumpsuit
($90 at zara.com)		 Pleat Bust Jumpsuit
Pleat Bust Jumpsuit
($91 at asos.com)

Getting to know your colleagues (or classmates) in various social settings is part of the job so I’d recommend dress styles that suit your tastes and show off your style and individuality. Don’t forget to complete the package by adding accessories and a polished makeup look. Happy holiday partying!

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Ivie Ero of My So-Called Corporate Life is a recent MBA working in management consulting. She blogs about her personal corporate style and workwear inspiration.

[Guest Blog] To Find Yourself Truly Thankful…

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Armed with my first “free” afternoon to reflect and a tummy that will never look at turkey or stuffing the same way again, I find myself truly thankful for resilience.

This past August marked my return to Darden Graduate School of Business as a SY student. On my third weekend back in Charlottesville, three friends and I drove the winding road to a local vineyard to revel in a weekly polo match. Twenty minutes into the drive, I had my first seizure. In the ambulance en route to the hospital, boom, another seizure. After numerous MRIs, the neurologists explained that I had a cavernous angioma, a group of abnormal blood vessels the size of a plum, growing inside the left frontal lobe of my brain. To make a long story short, I had two options: remain at risk for seizures for the rest of my life or undergo a craniotomy. I chose the craniotomy.

Thanks to a friend, a nearest and dearest friend, I was fortunate to find myself in the hands of a world-class neurosurgeon at Duke. A few short weeks later, I emerged from the hospital with a 14-inch scar across my head and a 6-week road to physical recovery.

After the seemingly never ending weeks of bed rest, I returned to the hospital for a follow-up MRI which showed a happy, clean brain. My neurosurgeon gave me those words that I had been itching to hear, “Go. Build back your strength. Be young. Return to your life.”

Returning to Darden (a mere 4 weeks ago) with the understanding that I was no longer on track to graduate with classmates, I decided to take a walk on the bright side. I had a new opportunity to bounce back with vigor and start recruiting from scratch with the FYs in an industry never previously considered. Yes, recruiting is intense. Yes, the end seems so far out of reach. But now, armed with a strength I never knew possible and the knowledge that I am truly a survivor, I find that working towards this new goal fills my life with a fresh purpose and intensity with which to succeed.

As an extra bonus, I now find enjoyment in cover letters. Each letter is an opportunity to showcase my personal strength and talent, in hopes that a future employer will see beyond my words into a world and career path that I *will* conquer. Each of us is unique. Let your unique-flag fly and put yourself out there. Make those networking calls. Find pleasure in your day to day activities (as grinding as they may currently seem). Create your own future – a future of which you are truly desirous.

Resume drops are upon us, but even in the midst of the stresses, enjoy your holiday season and reflect upon all that for which we are thankful.

Tina Glickman is a graduate student at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business, pursuing her Master’s of Business Administration and a career in Private Banking. Follow her on Twitter or send her an email at: tinaglickman@gmail.com.

[Guest Blog] How to Juggle Work and School

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Two years ago, I made the decision to get my MBA while continuing to work a full time job. Although the past two years have been a whirlwind, I am very happy I made the choice to continue my education. I have found that although I currently have a job I love, I am now performing even better and also finding new opportunities that better match my interests and skills. I have also been fortunate enough to be able to keep my income and not have to worry about finding a job when I graduate.

Before starting grad school I tried to mentally prepare myself for this juggling act. But, the truth is I really had no idea what to expect. Here is what I wish someone would have told me before I made the leap:

1. Learn to Say No. You do not have to attend every networking event. Just go to as many as possible.

2. You will have to work extra hard to maintain your social life and previous friendships. But, the important friendships are worth it to maintain even if you only have an hour of free time every week.

3. Your management will take notice of how hard you are working and the knowledge that you are bringing to your job. I was promoted in my current company after only a year in school.

4. Technology makes the juggling act easier. Having access to my school email on my phone while I work allows me to stay connected with my group and make changes to projects at the last minute. With all of my classmates juggling so many responsibilities, it is almost impossible to get us all together in one location. Fortunately, Skype allows us to hold group meetings virtually. Also, don’t worry if you have to travel frequently for your job. Professors are very understanding of work travel and my school even videotapes classes for us so we can watch them online when we return.

5. Schedule time out for a break because the to-do list will never end. Don’t be afraid to take a day off from work or skip a class if you have to. It is impossible to get an A+ at both work and school, just do the best you can. Schedule a vacation, a day with no work or even a night to just enjoy a movie with your family.

6. Grad school consists of way too many group projects. I have learned that other people juggle their responsibilities differently than I do. I try to get work done as early as possible but others in my group wait until an hour before a paper is due to finish. I have learned to respect others juggling habits which has allowed me to be a better manager.

Continue reading →

[Guest Blog] 10 Questions to Ask Yourself: How To Choose The Right Grad School Program for You and Your Career

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When I began my pursuit of grad school, I did all of the right stuff you’re supposed to do to get into an MBA program. I filled out admissions cards at MBA fairs, talked to admissions reps and alumni grads about their B-school experiences, and toured business schools across the country. I stocked my bookshelf with purple Kaplan guides to study for GMATs, and read books like Richard Montauk’s How to Get Into Top MBA Programs and Robert Miller’s Business School Confidential.

Then I started to question myself. Was an MBA what I really wanted, or was it what others expected of me? Why did I REALLY want the degree?

The truth is, something in my gut kept holding me back. I had networked with and met so many accomplished and amazing MBA graduates and visited beautiful campuses. But I couldn’t relate to their ambitions such as making a lot of money, and didn’t see myself working for top investment banks or climbing the ranks at management consulting firms.

Getting an MBA was the next logical step in my career. It was supposed to teach me about more areas of business, open new doors in the corporate world, and give me better career opportunities.

But for some inexplicable reason, it just didn’t feel right.

Be Honest with Yourself

When I put my MBA pursuit on hold and really thought about what I wanted to do and what I was passionate about, I realized that it actually had nothing to do with getting an MBA. Continue reading →

[Guest Blog] Why You Should Start Building Your Network Before You Get to School

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Networking. It’s this bizarre word that describes so much of what we do at business school – socially and professionally, actively or subconsciously – but no one really likes the word, or the connotation that comes with it.

It doesn’t all have to be bad, but business school doesn’t teach you a lot about how to do it. But the truth is, building your network is critical to your success and your happiness as an MBA. And the one thing they certainly don’t tell you at the Career Management Center is that you should start networking the day you find out you’ve been accepted to business school.

Here are some reasons to start networking now:

People will believe that you are serious about their industry. Especially for those students who are looking to transition to a new career, start informational interviews before starting school, or very early on in the first term. It shows commitment to the industry, and it shows that you know what you want.

Also, it’s a way to differentiate yourself – you don’t want to be the twelfth person who asks someone for an informational interview during a heavy recruiting cycle – it will be obvious what you want, and it will be difficult to differentiate yourself from your peers. As they say, to be memorable, you want to be the first interview, or the last one.

You can avoid the networking semi-circle of doom. Continue reading →

[Guest Blog] Creating a Professional Network

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Networking.  It’s the name of the MBA game and during a typical two year MBA program, the word will be thrown around so many times you’ll start to think it may actually be more important than finals.  The truth is, making meaningful professional connections can create as much value for you as your degree, but there’s a right and wrong way to do it.  Here are some tips on developing your soft skills and networking effectively:

  • It is quality that counts.
    Don’t go to every event, every speaker, and every dinner only to hand out your calling card to every person that glances in your general direction.  Don’t follow quantity theory and hope that with all the cards you pass out, someone is bound to call you (this also applies to résumés).  It’s a time waster for both parties and your potential professional contacts, professors, and classmates will sense your insincerity.