I can't believe it! Reading and writing actually paid off!” - Homer Simpson

This article from the Financial Times is written more so with Executive MBAs in mind, but I think the same rules apply to anyone. You already have some work experience under your belt, and now have learned all kinds of useful things at business school. But, how do you combine all of that into a nice little package that gets you a job/promotion? 

1. Set realistic goals

2. Increase your networking 

3. Don’t wait until the program has finished

4. Sell the brand

5. Demonstrate loyalty

6. But be open to possibilities in other directions

For further explanations on all of these points, click here for the full article.

The Big Announcement!

Here it is people. The moment you've all been waiting for. In no particular order, here are the schools that will be attending the upcoming John Molson MBA International Case Competition. Check out our website to see the complete list !!!

Make Things Happen

The difference between managers and leaders is that, well, leaders make things happen. Do you have what it takes to be a leader? AchieveGlobal did a study which identified 42 different behaviours and thought processes that characterize leaders. This BusinessInsider.com article discusses this topic and has a link to a nifty quiz that will tell you if you have what it takes!

I'm Seeing Numbers.

It's said that the U.S gave 300 billion dollars to charity last year, but what does that really mean? Well, it depends on the context of the situation, and what you compare it to. This TED video by David McCandless demonstrates that by making information visual it can put the information into context and help identify trends...like break up trends on facebook. Watch and be amazed!

Be the Man With a Plan

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." So, you thought about, and you have a plan...but will it work? The lovely people at the Harvard Business Review have written an incredibly lengthy article with all kinds of wonderful examples to tell you there are seven important questions you should ask yourself when deciding on a strategy to make sure the plan is on track. Some are obvious, but I thought I would save you some time...

To identify and set your priorities, ask yourself:
Q.1) Who is your primary customer?
Q.2) How do your core values prioritize shareholders, employees and customers?




To stay focused, think about:
Q.3) What performance variables are you tracking?
Q.4) What strategic boundaries have been set?


To ensure your plan uses creative tension and commitment:
Q.5) How are you generating creative tension?
Q.6) Do you employees help each other?


To see if your strategy can be adapted with time:
Q.7) What uncertainties about your plan keep you up at night?


Now you have it. The quick and dirty version. For full explanations and more details, the article is definitely worth checking out. The Harvard Business Review knows what they're doing.

Burn Out

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we're only about half way through the semester. Yes. I know. How can that be you ask? Well, if you're feeling like the rest of us, Seth Simonds has written this lovely article with some tips that will hopefully help keep you sane.

Tip #1. I say party, he says, "Schedule regular social activities".....you get the idea.
Tip #2. Go for a run or hit the gym.
Tip #3. Do something that's not school related.
Tip #4. Volunteer.
Tip #5. Write a plan to make sure you're on track.
Tip #6. Ask for help
Tip #7. Laugh and make others do it too 
Tip #8. Make an escape list 
Tip #10. Have a morning ritual


See Tip #11 and a full explanation of why these work here.

No Chairs Allowed

Picture it. You arrive at your meeting, but when you get there, you find your team in a room with no chairs. People still have busy schedules though so you have the meeting anyway. But, do you think that the meeting will drag on for hours and hours like they usually do, or will people be more likely to get to the point?

Something to think about. This is just one of marketing expert Seth Godin's twisted, yet clever ideas on how to reduce the amount of time spent in meetings. Check out the full article here!