Lead Business Schools Meet to Discuss Diversity in Management Education
For today’s business world, “diversity” isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the reality. Firms are increasingly creating international teams, pushing for gender and racial balance, and advancing LGBTQ equality. That’s why leading scholars from ten of the top business schools in the world—including INSEAD, Columbia Business School, NYU Stern, and Harvard Business School—came together to have an in-depth conversation around the importance of diversity in management education.
Continue reading…Pick Your City: Should You Get an MBA in Chicago or Minneapolis?
The American Midwest is one of the friendliest and most beautiful locations in the country. For those looking for an area that offers a balance between heavy industry and agriculture, alongside finance, education, and medicine, the Midwest is where to be. It’s also home to excellent public and private universities, including many of the world’s top MBA programs.
But with so many amazing business schools in the Midwest, where should you earn your MBA? To help you out, our “Pick Your City” series is comparing Chicago, IL and Minneapolis, MN.
We’re giving you insight into the cost of living of each city, the job opportunities, the MBA programs, the culture, and more. Continue reading…
Top MBA Recruiters: MetLife
Founded in 1868, MetLife—one of the world’s largest providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs—currently serves over 90 million customers in over 60 countries, including more than 90 of the 100 Fortune 500 companies. With such a rich history, it’s fairly easy to see why MetLife careers can be so appealing for MBA candidates and recent grads.
What MBAs Love About MetLIfe
According to Glassdoor, associates (a common entry-level job for MBA graduates) can pull an average salary of $90,522, with another $26,781 in cash bonuses. This figure is well above the national insurance associate annual average of $42,849; a 47 percent difference in salary alone.
Another one of the main perks of working at MetLife is the variety of great benefits. MetLife offers health, dental, vision, disability, accident, auto, home, life, and even pet insurance. These insurance plans are also adaptable for MetLife employees who regularly travel internationally.
Legal services are also provided through MetLaw® for a wide range of potential legal issues, such as will and estate planning documents, real estate, traffic defense, and identity theft. MetLaw®, provided by Hyatt Legal Plans (a MetLife company), is a network of over 15,000 lawyers, with an average of 25 years of experience per attorney.
Working at MetLife
MetLife prides itself on offering employees training and development opportunities, allowing them to realize their full potential. MetLife’s international profile also offers employees the opportunity for global mobility and maximum geographic versatility.
The company actively fosters diversity through two distinct mechanisms. The first of which factors recruiting traditionally underrepresented minority groups. For example, the Global Women’s Initiative seeks out qualified female candidates and offers career development. The Veteran’s Initiative seeks to provide positive transition from military service to working life. And the People with Different Abilities Initiative empowers those with disabilities, striving to find the differently-abled candidates positions in which they can thrive.
The other method in which MetLife encourages an inclusive environment is through employee networks, such as the Global Multicultural Professionals (to create awareness around culturally diversity and to support diverse talent), Local Inclusion Action Teams (which support diversity in specific offices), GLAM (a network for LGBTQ+ employees and allies), and Families at MetLife (created promote a culture of understanding for working families).
MetLife sponsors a number of different resources designed to facilitate a healthy work-life balance. Work-Life ASSIST specifically offers coaching and resources to help employees with their day-to-day lives. Childcare and Eldercare support similarly offers resources for working families. On top of all that, workplace flexibility and PTO are integral to the livelihood of a MetLife employee.
Volunteer efforts, like its partnership with Habitat for Humanity, makes working at MetLife more than just a traditional job.
Finding MetLife Careers
MetLife has several programs that might appeal to recent MBA grads. The Global Leadership Development program offers those with three-to-five years of related experience an opportunity to cross-train in three rotational assignments, in conjunction with advice from a designated mentor and other senior leaders.
MetLife also prides itself on being proactive with regard to recent technological advances. As is the case across most industries, candidates with tech backgrounds are in high demand.
Current MetLife Careers
Several positions that favor individuals with MBAs are currently available at MetLife. Most of these jobs are located within the U.S.. However, there are also openings in Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UK.
Associate – Asset Management: Washington DC
Candidates with five-or-more years of experience in asset management or commercial real estate might be interested in this Washington DC position at MetLife Investments. This position focuses on managing and reporting on existing MetLife assets, while also exploring stable ways to expand MetLife revenue through investments.
Director – Global Customer Experience Strategy and Planning: New York City
This NYC position is best suited for those who specialize in customer experience. It requires eight-or-more years of professional experience in management consulting or strategy and program management. However, it is perfect for those with a global mindset and entrepreneurial disposition.
UCLA Anderson Coming Out Day, Digital Transformation, and More – Los Angeles News
Celebrate your Friday with MetroMBA and get familiar with the biggest Los Angeles business school stories from the previous week.
Out@Anderson Hosts Coming Out Day Anniversary Panel – UCLA Anderson
On Thursday, October 11, 2018, the UCLA Anderson School of Management marked the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day with an event featuring a panel discussion by MBA students, who shared their experience of embracing their LGBTQ+ identities both on campus and beyond.
Out@Anderson hosted the event, which took the form of a Fireside Chat. The organization prides itself upon providing a forum for students, faculty, and staff to gather safely to address issues relevant to themselves and their allies.
Coming out stories served as the jumping off point of discussion among the panelists, and a wide range of topics followed. One student, Diana Perez (MBA ’20) spoke of her time on active duty in the Air Force. “Although there has been significant progress on LBTQ+ issues in recent history, [such as the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’] … there’s still work to be done in the fight for equality,” Perez says in a statement released prior to the event.
Another student, Andrew Waldman, (MBA ’20), spoke of the need for vigilance in fighting for equal rights despite the liberal environment of UCLA’s campus and the city of Los Angeles itself. Discussions of revealing one’s identity at work, engagement with allies, and the nuances of LGBTQ+ experiences rounded out the event.
Digital Transformation and the C-Suite – USC Marshall Business Class Podcast
USC Marshall School of Business Professor of Management and Organization Bob Zukis recently spoke on an episode of the school’s podcast about the need for technologists at the highest levels of business.
Noting such factors as the influence of social media upon the U.S. presidential election (and the administration itself), Zukis warned that the necessary regulations and controls of social technology have not yet caught up with the technologies to the degree that they can generate positive outcomes.
USC Marshall School of Business Professor of Management and Organization Bob Zukis / Photo via marshall.usc.edu
If companies are to engage in true digital transformation, Zukis says, C-Suite leaders must be experts in the field.
“Only 14 percent of boardroom directors have any technology training … and even if someone on the board asks the right questions, they have a very low probability of understanding the answers.”
Director Richard Drobnick of USC Marshall’s International Business Education and Research (IBEAR) MBA program conducted the interview with Professor Zukis, which is available here for download.
Graziadio 50th Anniversary Endowed Scholarship – Pepperdine
Celebrating the business school’s 50th anniversary, Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School revealed its open pledged drive to the “Graziadio 50th Anniversary Endowed Scholarship.”
In honor of our 50th anniversary, we’ve created a special endowed scholarship to support the next generation of Best for the World Leaders. Join us in creating a better future, and make your gift of $50 or more today: https://t.co/szf1HMzItt#Graziadio50 #B4TWL pic.twitter.com/GjaIfkP8Bb
— Pepperdine Graziadio Business School (@GraziadioSchool) October 10, 2018
Click here for more information on the brand new endowment.
Top Business Schools Respond to Repeal of Diversity Guidelines
Diversity in the college admissions process was dealt a blow in early July when the Trump administration withdrew a guidance that encouraged affirmative action in regards to enrollment. The move was announced when the departments of Justice and Education retracted several letters and memos that advised schools on how they could consider diversity in admissions and other various decisions. Continue reading…
To Be Out—or Not to Be Out—in Your MBA Application?
In honor of yesterday’s National Coming Out Day, we thought we’d tackle a thorny question faced by some applicants to leading business schools: To be out—or not to be out—in your MBA application? In recent years, increasing numbers of top business schools have given applicants the opportunity to disclose their sexual orientation as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) as part of their application if they so choose. But what are the pros and cons of doing so? To find out, we spoke with admissions directors at schools all over the country to get their input.
The overwhelming consensus, we found, was that there are multiple positives and few, if any, negatives to sharing your sexual orientation as part of the application process provided you feel comfortable doing so. This is not to say that anyone should feel pressured to disclose anything that they are not personally comfortable sharing—just that those who feel inclined to share shouldn’t have any hesitation from an admissions standpoint.
“I Really Only See Pros”
“I really only see pros,” says Soojin Kwon, managing director of full-time MBA admissions at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “We are always encouraging applicants to be very authentic and bring their whole selves so that we have context around them. We are a very diverse and inclusive community, and we want to know every aspect of who you are and what you’ll bring to that community.”
Applicants who do disclose LGBTQ status—or even those who don’t—also can indicate that they would be interested in hearing from students in the school’s Out for Business student club, which helps prospective students get tapped into the campus LGBTQ community well before they arrive on campus. “Our current LGBTQ students absolutely reach out, embrace, and actively engage with applicants who self-identify because they want to make sure that our community is very strong on every aspect of diversity—they are very proactive,” Kwon says.
NYU Stern School of Business Associate Dean of MBA Admissions Isser Gallogly stresses that whether or not to disclose sexual orientation is a personal choice that should be based on each individual’s comfort level. “But certainly at NYU Stern—in New York’s Greenwich Village—we are obviously incredibly diverse and supportive of diversity,” he says. The LGBTQ rights movement can trace its origins to the neighborhood surrounding Stern, and a community of acceptance has prevailed there for decades.
“It Might Present Certain Advantages”
But even beyond Greenwich Village and Stern, Gallogly tells LGBTQ applicants that they shouldn’t have concerns about being out in the MBA admissions process. “Business schools are looking for diversity—we as admissions officers are always looking for different vantage points and perspectives that applicants can bring to the class. I think anything that’s a little different or unique only helps your personal story,” he says. “I don’t think there’s any disadvantage to being out in the admissions process, and, in fact, it might present certain advantages.”
Self-Identifying Is First Step to Qualifying for LGBTQ MBA Fellowship
Indeed, students who self-identify as LGBTQ at certain schools will automatically be considered for scholarship aid through the Reaching Out LGBTQ MBA (ROMBA) Fellowship Program. ROMBA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to “educating, inspiring, and connecting the student and alumni LGBTQ MBA and graduate communities in an ongoing effort to create the next generation of out business leaders.” Recipients of the LGBTQ MBA Fellowship each receive a minimum of $10,000 in scholarship aid per academic year or $20,000 in total scholarship aid for two years. In addition, they get access to exclusive mentorship and leadership programming through ROMBA. Fifty-five members of the Class of 2019 will collectively receive more than $1,300,000 for each year in business school, ROMBA reports. “Since 2015, 35 schools have awarded $6.3 million to LGBTQ applicants who were out on their applications,” adds Matt Kidd, ROMBA Executive Director.
Beyond self-identifying through a school’s application form, applicants interested in being considered for the ROMBA fellowship are encouraged to demonstrate LGBTQ leadership roles on their resume, express interest in business schools’ on-campus LGBTQ clubs, and share relevant LGBTQ leadership experiences in their application essays.
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Prem Tumkosit, a 2011 MBA graduate from Yale School of Management (SOM), didn’t explicitly disclose his sexual orientation on his MBA applications. When he was applying, that option was provided by fewer schools. “But I did list my participation and leadership positions in LGBT organizations, which I felt was essentially disclosing,” he says.
Gallogly adds that current students are frequently shocked and surprised—once they begin the recruiting process—by how many corporations are likewise looking for diversity, including in sexual orientation. “The short story is if you feel comfortable, I would go for it [disclose sexual orientation], because you will see opportunities to receive support,” he said. “Short story: It’s a good thing.”
Opt in to Get Connected to On-Campus Groups
Bruce Delmonico, Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions at Yale SOM, says that his team considers it so much a positive that he sometimes has to stop and remind himself that some applicants might actually wonder if it could be viewed as a negative. “We consider it an aspect of diversity, so we certainly don’t see any negative in it,” he says. As at Ross—and many other schools—Yale SOM also allows applicants to opt-in to receive communication from LGBTQ students and groups, which helps facilitate valuable connections both during the application process and in the months leading up to school’s start.
“I really don’t see any negatives to it,” Delmonico continues. “People sometimes choose not to disclose, and obviously that is fine—it’s everyone’s individual choice,” he notes. “It can still be a difficult thing—and people are at different stages in terms of their own self-identification—so it is not as though not sharing is viewed negatively. But it is an aspect of diversity that we think about as we are trying to put together our class, so we view it as a positive.”
Delmonico does share that Yale has seen an increase in the number of people self-identifying as LGBTQ. “I think that’s a good thing,” he says, “but we do want to make sure people are being accurate in self-reporting,” he adds. Especially outside of the United States, he worries that not everyone knows what it means to identify as LGBTQ.
Don’t Self-Identify as LGBTQ If You’re Not LGBTQ
“We also sometimes have to wonder if some candidates might be looking to game it a little bit,” he says. “That’s something we are starting to be sensitive to. We look at it as a positive—but we don’t want people just checking the box because they think it might give them a little boost over other applicants.” To offset potential gaming of this system, his team has begun to dig a little deeper to see what being LGBTQ means to those who check the box. “It’s not something we would ask about in an interview,” he stresses, “but we will look to see what else they might have shared” that might support their LGBTQ status. “It can be helpful, if you are self-reporting, if you share some way you are expressing that already,” he says. For example, some people write about LGBTQ themes in their essays or talk about related groups they’ve been part of, he says.
Amanda Carlson, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Columbia Business School, shares that her team also saw an uptick in self-reporting among applicants for the Class of 2019, particularly from certain regions. “I am saying this somewhat tongue and cheek,” she notes, “but it’s like some admissions consultant told candidates in China that saying you are part of the LGBTQ population is a good thing, because I think every single Chinese candidate this year checked the box.” Of course, she met personally with Chinese candidates who were quite genuinely members of the LGBTQ community, she adds, but she also wonders if there was some confusion among some applicants about what LGBTQ means.
“At the same time, we recognize that there is an appeal to being in New York—where people rightly feel that being LGBTQ is a warm and accepted thing—where it may not always be in China,” she notes.
Is LGBTQ Inclusive Enough?
Maryellen Reilly, deputy vice dean of admissions, financial aid, and career management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, echoes what other admissions directors have said, adding that for some students it can also be liberating. “Some students may not have been out in high school or college and it can be liberating to share it as part of applying to business school—to get to say, ‘Here I am—this is who I am,’” she says. “It’s one less thing you have to worry about hiding at school.” As for a con to self-reporting, “I kind of don’t know that there is one—I can’t think of one,” she says.
Reilly remembers the process that her team went through when they first started thinking about adding the opportunity to self-identify as part of the application. “Did you know that Facebook has 50 different categories around sexual orientation?” she asks. She didn’t. “My mind was blown.” One of the students championing the cause argued that Wharton needed to include all 50. “It’s a spectrum—and we did a lot of learning from an admissions perspective,” she says. “Our LGBTQ community was really strong and vocal, and meeting them where they are required some give and take on both sides,” she says.
So far, her team hasn’t seen any candidates that it thinks might be trying to gain an unfair advantage by claiming to be LGBTQ when they aren’t. “We haven’t seen anything remotely like that—that’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get there, should we get there.”
Jennifer Redmond, a 2016 Wharton MBA graduate, did NOT disclose as part of her application that she is LGBTQ although the option was available when she applied. Prior to business school she worked in London in finance and hadn’t been open about the fact that she identified as a lesbian at work. “Being in Europe, I was reluctant to come out and potentially not have a great reception,” she says. That hesitation carried over to her MBA applications. “In retrospect, my advice to prospective applicants would be that you can tick that box,” she says. “It is completely confidential, and it’s a good way to get looped into all the activities that are available to members of the LGBTQ community.”
Redmond would later attend a welcome weekend at Wharton, where the Out4Biz student club hosted welcome drinks. “It was one of the biggest parties of the weekend, and it became clear to me that the LGBTQ community occupied a very central part of life at Wharton,” she says. “That ended up being a big part of my decision to attend.” When she did move over from Ireland to attend pre-term at Wharton, her roommate was gay and HAD ticked the box. “He was so much more looped into things than I was to start—it made me a little rueful I hadn’t ticked the box myself,” she says.
