The Final Chapter

Out of all of the skills that I have developed as an MBA student, I think the most important has been my ability to analyze situations much more effectively.  I have found that I am able to take a more practical, business-minded approach to topics that might not be business related. 

While there is still an emotional element to most decisions that I make, I feel more confident that I am now able to see more sides of a situation than I did before. The most recent example of this came with the “Kony 2012” film that seems to have taken over Facebook and other social networking sites.  In short, the Kony 2012 film is a viral video that was released by an organization that is devoted to spreading the message about war crimes in Africa.  The film specifically focuses on Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, who has reportedly abducted tens of thousands of African children.  Surviving males are forced to fight for the movement and the females are forced into slavery.  It is not my intention to discuss the video itself or the situation in Africa that is referenced, but rather to show how my mindset and approach has changed during my time in the Kelley School of Business.

This video has spread like wildfire across the internet and with it, quite a bit of skepticism, mostly aimed at the organization responsible for its release.  The arguments that I have seen about the video mention that the organization that created and released the video, Invisible Children, Inc., has only given about 30% of the money it has raised to projects in Africa.  Many people also have issues with the transparency of the financials of the organization and the way that it spends the money that it has raised.  I believe that three years ago, I would have taken the same approach as many of these skeptics.  I would have probably dismissed this video because I had an issue with the organization behind it and they way they spent the money they had raised.  Now, my mindset has changed considerably and there were two thoughts that came to my mind as I read the critiques of the video.  

My first thought is: You don’t need to support the organization to support the message or the cause.  Before even researching the spending practices of Invisible Children, Inc., I already had some issues with the organization.  Specifically, with the tactics they mention in the video for spreading their message and the recommendations for their supporters to help spread the word.  However, more importantly is the fact that I do agree with their message and I believe in the power of social networking to inform the masses.  This led me to even share the video on my own Facebook account.  My decision to post the video was strictly based on the fact that I supported the message of raising awareness of the situation in Africa, not in support of the organization that created the video.  

My second thought (which is where my business mindset really kicked in) was regarding the mission of Invisible Children, Inc.  Critics have stated that the organization has only given one-third of the money it has raised to projects in Africa, however, at no point in time while I watched the video did I see this organization as one that is working to rebuild war torn communities.  Even after a little research, it is clear that the mission of this organization is to spread the word about the crimes being committed in central Africa and make people (mainly younger people) in developed countries aware of the situation.  Therefore, I would assume any money that the organization raised would be going specifically toward that mission. Raising awareness, NOT rebuilding communities.  However, it has become evident that many people fail to see the difference and as a result the message gets diluted, which is very unfortunate.

The ability to separate my own issues with a specific organization or medium with the overall message it is trying to send is something that I developed in the Kelley MBA program.  It is something that is going to be very valuable in my personal and professional life.  Admittedly, I still find myself dismissing or ignoring a message because I might not like the person that is delivering it, but I have become better at recognizing this, and will continue to improve.  It is easy to find fault or reasons to disagree with something or somebody, but many times the overall goal is more important.  Successful leaders are able to make this distinction and look at the message rather than the messenger.

When I started the Kelley MBA program two and a half years ago, I wanted to make sure that I didn’t repeat the same mistakes I made when I graduated from undergraduate school when it was almost impossible for me to find a job.  As I enter into my final semester as an MBA student, I find myself in a much better position than I was when I was entering my final semester as an undergrad.  For starters, I actually have a job, but even more important, I used the experience that I gained from all those failed interviews to structure my MBA experience.  While the degree is essential, it is important to have substance to bring with it, which is something that I lacked as a new college graduate.  All of the internships, volunteer experience, and extracurricular activities that I had during my undergraduate career gave me the opportunity to interview, but I didn’t have what it took to close the deal.  I was more focused on adding to the list of things I have done, than taking the time to really think about and express what those experiences taught me and how they can relate to the job market. 

While this was a tough lesson to learn at the time, it was something that stayed in my mind even after I found a job.  That is why, throughout my time in the MBA program, I have continually asked myself “what can I talk about in a job interview?”  Potential employers are going to look at my resume and see an MBA from the Kelley School of Business, one of the best business schools in the country, and be impressed enough to take the time to interview me.  However, what am I going to say in the interview that will give me an upper hand? What can I say about my time at Kelley that will close the deal?  An interviewer is not going to want to hear about what specifically I learned in class, or the formulas that I have memorized, they are going to want to hear about my experiences and, more importantly, how I can apply these to the job.  Simply following the class schedule required to get the MBA credential and completing the degree as quickly as possible really wasn’t going to provide me with the story I want to tell.  Instead I looked for opportunities to give me something I could talk about…”interview fodder”, if you will. 

For instance, I took the opportunity to participate in DIVE, the entrepreneurship enterprise.  DIVE was a valuable learning experience, and the type of “outside of the classroom” learning I was looking for.  In addition, my DIVE project is a perfect example of something I did in business school that would be interesting to talk about in a job interview, something that a potential employer would like to hear about.  The same can be said about why I joined the Student Advisory Board (formerly the Evening MBA Association).  Not only do these things add to the list, but they will be what will lead my conversation about getting an MBA.

The Kelley School of Business provides countless opportunities to enhance a students experience in the program, from the enterprises, to overseas study opportunities, to mentoring and facilitation sessions.  It is important to take advantage of these and begin to create interesting stories to tell in a job interview. Simply following the schedule to get the degree will only provide a credential that opens a door; it is the experiences you create and can relate that will give you the ability to land the job.