admissionado euro follow-up

8/11/2019 Admissionado Euro Follow-up

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1. My question is regarding work visas. I have heard many stories of how American students cannot secure

visas to work abroad. Also, I have heard European schools have weaker placement in America. True?

Kyn Chatervedi:It is likely very true that people coming out of European MBA programs will have a

tougher time finding a job in the US unless theyve gone to the INSEADs of the world. However

management consulting groups like McKinsey actually hire a larger proportion of their staff from

INSEAD than the Top 5 in the U.S. So it really depends on Industry and company. That said, if you want

to have a better shot of getting a job in the US post-MBA, youll want to get your MBA in the US.

Sally Radwan: The visa thing differs from country to country. In the UK for example, you can usually get

a post-study work visa for a year, which will enable you to look for a job. And if you have a job offer

your employer can sponsor your work visa, which is valid for several years. I know that to be the case

in Germany as well - sometimes they'll even give you permanent residency right away. That is usually

independent of the student's country of origin as most non-EU citizens are treated the same way in

Europe. But immigration rules keep changing all the time, so it's best to check at the time of

application what the work visa rules of that particular country are. B-schools will always have the most

up-to-date info.

As for the second part of the question, it depends on the school and the company. I know many of

my American classmates have returned to work in the US with no issues at all. If youre worried, do

some research on the types of companies you would like to work at after graduation and see if they

value international experience and/or have a preference for a US-based MBA. I know it's much harder

for non-US citizens who got their MBA abroad to go work in the US, but for US citizens it shouldnt be a

problem.

Ehsan Soroush:By and large, European schools don't have the name recognition of American schools

to American employers. Alumni populations are also lower in the US for European schools compared

to their American counterparts. However, the top European programs, such as London Business

School, London School of Economics, INSEAD, Oxford, Cambridge, etc., have name recognition,

particularly in large US cities such as New York, Washington and Chicago. Furthermore, employers

wanting exposure to Europe may prefer European school candidates.

2. Given the 1-year duration of the programs, can career changes benefit from them, especially those who plan to

change both industry and function?

Sally Radwan: Some European schools offer 2-year programs and some offer 1-year ones. In general, I

would say it's better to go for a 2-year course (e.g. LBS or IESE) if you're looking to change both industry

and function. The big plus is the opportunity for a summer internship, which gives credibility to your

career aspirations.


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Mark Lellouch: Definitely. But you'll need to show the adcom that you already

have many of the skillsneeded to be successful in that new industry and/or function. So put yourself in the shoes of someone

applying to your ideal post-MBA position: why should they hire you over the next guy who may

already have experience? That's what you need to articulate in your app. Same as for two year

programs, only even crisper.

Ehsan Soroush:There aren't discernable differences between a 1 or 2 year MBA, other than internship

implications (one-year programs may not have them). An MBA is an MBA and a highly ranked 1-year

program, such as INSEAD or Oxford can provide the same opportunity for career and industry

changes as do 2-year programs. Ultimately, it is up to you and what you want to gain from the

experience.

3. In terms of the education caliber would you say these top European schools rank the same as some of the top

American schools?

Sally Radwan: Well, if you look at the overall international rankings for MBA, you will see LBS

consistently ranked in the top five, even #1 worldwide according to some rankings. IESE, INSEAD and

IMD usually rank high as well. In general I would say the difference of education caliber is non-existent

among the top 10-15 schools, no matter where they are. They all recruit from the same pool of

professors and offer the same standards. But the type of education differs from those only using case

studies to those with a more classical lecture-based approach.

4. While salaries at top European colleges are at par with top-20 US colleges, employment at graduation or 3 months

after graduation is not as attractive in Europe apart from LBS, INSEAD and IMD. Is it worth pursuing programs that are not

those top 3?

Kyn Chatervedi:IE, Cambridge, and a few other programs still provide solid level salaries comparable

to the Top 20 school. So, yes, absolutely worth pursuing!

Sally Radwan: I would strongly advise against making decisions based on general statistics. It all

depends on where you are and where you want to be. If your post-MBA aspirations are to work in a

certain country, in a certain sector, in a certain function, then research a particular school's strength in

supplying graduates to that area. Different schools have different strengths and relationships, so again

it's hard to make a sweeping argument. But if your aim is to target the traditional post-MBA careers,

i.e., banking and consulting in the top firms then of course getting into the highest possible ranking

school gives you the best chances, especially considering that some of those firms won't even visit

schools outside the top 5.


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Ehsan Soroush:It can depend on industry and preferred location of work. Some schools specialize or

have higher representation in certain industries than others. For example, if you want a career inlogistics or even oil and gas, you wouldn't be poorly served doing an MBA in Rotterdam, due to the

Netherlands propensity as a shipping hub.

5. European programs prefer international experience - what constitutes international experience? Does working with

teams in other countries count (if you've never actually been)? What about visiting other countries?

Kyn Chatervedi:Any experience working with teams who are not from your home country would

count. Even if remotely. However, obviously, if you have moved abroad or spent time at an offshore

facility/client facility, that adds significant weight. Simply visiting a country as a tourist is more like a last

resort unless it's part of your lifestyle to roam the world. But even then, these programs are looking for

work experience typically.

Damon Chua:All that and more living abroad (even if temporarily), speaking other languages,

working in an international environment, etc. Many European schools are asking themselves: Is this

guy/gal a global citizen? If so, his or her chances would go up.

Sally Radwan: What they usually mean by that is demonstrated interest in international affairs. They just

don't want an American student who has no awareness of how the world works outside of the US.

Living and working in a different country is preferable of course, but in the absence of that, evidence

of repeated travel abroad for tourism or education (just to show that you're interested in learning

about other countries), and evidence of working with people from different cultures and across

borders, leading to insights about how these cultures think and work, might be enough. Most

European schools will look at the overall caliber of the candidate and if he/she is strong on other

aspects, then they might not be too fussed about the international experience.

Mark Lellouch: Visiting won't cut it, unless you have some really good stories to tell that relate to your

short- and long-term goals. But working on teams with folks in other countries will, even working with

foreigners in your own country, if you do it right. The key is to show that you've got first-hand

experience with the global dimension of your industry and the challenges of working on international

teams.

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