Passion and Effort

Mark Cuban wrote a blog post a couple months back about not following your passion, but instead, to follow your effort.  If you haven't come across that post, you can read it here.  I think Mark Cuban is awesome, but I can only agree with him to a degree.

His philosophy is that when you dedicate your efforts into an activity, you master it and become passionate about it. My standpoint is slightly the opposite of Mark's.  I believe that the passion needs to exist in order for you to invest effort into succeeding.

I have tons of friends who put a huge amount of effort into their jobs, are really good at those jobs and make a good living, but I have yet to see them develop a passion for their careers.  They are wildly successful, but absolutely hate their jobs.  I guess a question I would shoot back to Mark is, "What is the end goal of the advice you are giving in your post?  Is it making money or finding happiness in your career?"

If it is making money, by all means, invest your time and effort into whatever career you initially land in and hustle and grind until you reach the top.  If you're trying to find happiness in your career, I think you need to explore to find your fit. Everyone has multiple passions and things they want to pursue.  It's your job to pick which passion you're going to transform into a career and which one you're going to keep a hobby.  For example, I love dancing, but don't want to ever be a professional dancer.  

So some advice to young professionals, go out there and find your fit. Don't let someone manipulate you into a career you don't want to do (ahem...parents) and don't be afraid to try something new.  I realized I didn't like public accounting by doing it.  I realized I didn't like public relations by doing it. I realized I did like brand management and product development by doing it. I've always taken risks and tried new things, but I think that's the best way to learn.  We are young and can afford to make mistakes here and there so long as we learn something along the way.

Things work out when you take calculated risks.

Tying this back to the theme of business school, when you really understand WHY you want to pursue a certain career, you can project that passion more coherently in your essays. If you can project that passion clearly, the reader can feel your enthusiasm and that's the kicker to get them to give you an interview.  I believe what made the difference as I progressed through the application process was being able to channel my enthusiasm and determination to the admissions committee.  Bottom line, make sure you know what you want to do and why you want to do it. 

The Verdict

June 22nd started out like any other day.  I waltzed into work at Anderson and sat down at my desk poised to get started on my tasks.  I had a training scheduled around 1pm to learn about the admissions database so that I could help with some analytics.  

Around that time, my colleague shows up and I pop open the program to show him where I was having problems.  He tells me that he actually hasn't learned to do that himself yet so he couldn't help me out. However, he did have something else to show me and from around my cubicle, he whips out a bag and says, "Looks like you're going to be hanging around for at least another three years.  Congratulations and welcome to the FEMBA (Fully-Employed MBA) Program."  I literally froze and thought, "No way this is happening right now!"  Speechless, I took the bag from him and shook his hand.  My office mates congratulated me and I was completely dumbfounded.  The moment that I had been working towards for the past two years of my life was finally here!  In three years, I would have my MBA from one of the top schools in the nation. I had to take a break from work to express my happiness in the hallway:

Ok, but really, immediately after finding out, I called my family and friends to let them know the good news.  After that, I proceeded to do nothing but smile at the screen of my computer until it was time to get off.

To those of you that have been getting discouraged in this process, understand that hard work pays off.  I have applied to a total of 11 schools (all in the top 25 programs in the US) and have been grinding through this process for approximately two years.  On my 12th application I was accepted into UCLA Anderson.  Every single time I was rejected, I learned something new, repositioned myself and filled another gap in my profile.  For me, it will always a matter of "when" I was going to start school, not "if" I was going to get in.  I knew it was going to happen, but I'm really stoked that it happened this year.


To be honest, I didn't expect to realize this goal this year at all.  I was planning on keeping this blog for a bit longer to document my journey into applications again next year.  Now that I'm there, I'm going to continue to blog, but alternate topics.  I'll be talking about my business school experience as well as other points about the business school process.  Hope that you all will continue to follow me on this journey!  The road to matriculation ends Sept. 20 when I start school and the road to graduation will begin!


Thanks again to everyone for their support!!!

Throwing a hail mary

It's all about perspective.  In football, when a losing team decides to throw a hail mary to try and win a game, some people might see it as a sign of desperation, but I see it as a sign of determination.  They haven't lost hope and they aren't going out without a fight.

While walking down the halls at Anderson, I learned about the UCLA Anderson Commercial Challenge and after watching some of the entries, I thought to myself...can my team compete with these guys? Hell yes we can.  My application was already submitted and the outcome was out of my hands, but in a hail mary attempt to impress the admissions team, I decided I would make a video and try to get it in front of their eyes.  

Did it guarantee anything? NOPE! But was there a chance it could help me?  YUP! That 0.0000001% chance is all I needed to motivate me to crank out an unofficial submission.  If admissions didn't see my video, at least I had a new video added to my channel, but if they did see it, it could potentially tip the scale in my favor, given they share my humor and appreciate the effort it takes to make these videos.


So on the GMAT club forums, some people flamed my NYU video saying that it made me look desperate to get into the school. People have a fear of being judged all the time. Whether it be with women, peers at school, colleagues at work or friends...we are all scared of being judged and at times, this will stop us from taking risks and doing what we want. Well I'm here to share some advice with you. In the words of one of my favorite musicians, Childish Gambino, "I ain't gonna be around forever, so fuck it all."  Internet trolls will always hate and you can never please 100% of the people around you. Regret the things you did instead of the things you didn't do.  Where someone sees my video as a sign of desperation, others will see it as my determination to get into a school. I'm glad most people can appreciate my videos though and that the Debbie Downer's only make up a small percentage of the population.


Moral of the story, make your own decisions and take calculated risks.  Throw a hail mary if you feel the time is right. Don't let someone discourage you because sometimes, big risks pay off.  Did you guys see that Michigan kid that sang a song to try and get off the wait-list?  Bet you some of his classmates made fun of him, but shit, he got off the wait-list and into Michigan. If I was going to get rejected from UCLA again, I was going out on my terms and I was going to do everything humanly possible to get accepted. 


If you got a minute to spare, here is the project I put together with my awesome friends.  The challenge was to create a 60 second spot about UCLA Anderson.  I'm hoping this pass is completed for a touchdown!

Different paths up the same mountain

When my friend from USC Marshall saw that I had been rejected from school, she reached out to me to tell me about her experience.  She had gone through the same thing and had also been rejected from schools two years in a row.  After this, USC's one year global MBA program was brought to her attention.  She evaluated what she wanted from her MBA and decided it was a good fit. Ultimately, she wanted to live in Asia so she saw this as the perfect opportunity for her because more than half her classmates would be from Asia.  She would be building the network she needed and learning how to successfully conduct business internationally all in one swoop. 

She applied to Marshall's Global MBA program and was accepted even though she was already rejected from their full-time program earlier in the year. The program ended up being exactly what she needed and upon graduation, she landed a management consulting gig with IBM and had an amazing experience at Marshall.


With her encouragement, I did my due diligence on the Marshall program. I decided it wasn't a good fit for me, but it got me thinking about checking out the other programs at UCLA. I decided to do some research on UCLA's part-time program.  After concluding I couldn't get a brand management job without experience and an MBA, the part-time program seemed to be a perfect fit because I could build both simultaneously and be a stronger contender for these jobs in the future.  I also thought the promise of having an MBA in three years would entice employers to want to hire me now...kind of like investing in a stock.


I attended an open house and began reaching out to part-time students to learn about their experiences.  From the students I spoke with, it seemed like they were having just as good of a time as the full-time students.  All of them were in the same clubs, participated in the same events and had access to the same resources.  During my tour at NYU, it seemed as if  the part-time students and full-time students were highly segregated.  They didn't have access to the same resources and seemed to operate as two different entities.  However, at UCLA, they try to integrate and encourage interaction between the programs.  The whole reason I never considered part-time is because of the invisible line drawn between each of the programs, but I was excited to hear UCLA was different.

I also spoke with the Dean of Admissions to tell him about my situation and asked if I could apply this year even though I had been rejected by the full-time program already.  He was very understanding and told me that he understands people's situations change some time.  As long as I explained myself clearly in the optional essay, it wouldn't be a problem. Although I originally did not intend to do the part-time program, it seemed like the best route for me to go in terms of professional development.

There are always alternate routes to get you to your goal.  You just have to find your fit and what works for you.

With the advantage of another profile analysis under my belt from the multitude of people that helped me, I believed I had the ammo to crank out an awesome application.  I had nothing to lose and tons to gain so I decided I would apply to UCLA's part-time program.

Catch 22

After working in PR for 6 months as an intern, not only did I know for a fact I did not want to do PR now, but my savings was depleted due to my oh so sweet hourly rate of $12-$15.  Although making 70% less than I did as an auditor, I still had to take care of 100% of the same bills (school loans, rent, etc.) so I needed to find a higher paying job I liked while building experience in the proper direction.  If I wanted to stay at the PR firm until I found a new job, I would have to sign another 3 month contract. Since I didn't want to screw my supervisor and leave midway through my contract if I found a job, I decided to turn in my two weeks notice.  For the next couple of weeks leading up to my departure, I started applying to jobs and talking to TONS of people in the brand management industry and getting advice from friends that were recruiters.


Based on my talks with people from Nestle, Mattel, Disney, WD-40 and a ton of other places, here is what I learned about brand management:


1.  No one will look at your resume for marketing/brand management unless you have an MBA or you have extensive experience.  


2.  In the chance you do miraculously get an interview, you will not get hired unless you have prior experience. Quick anecdote within an anecdote, I met a great guy from WD-40 through my NYU video. After I told him I was rejected, he said that he was happy to recommend me to WD-40 for an assistant brand manager position.  He printed out all my materials I sent him, walked it over to HR and emailed them my NYU video with a personal recommendation.  Although NYU didn't appreciate the video, making it was all worth it because it helped connect me with awesome people like this. Long story short, I was extended an interview, but not extended an offer because I didn't have experience.


3.  It is extremely difficult to get into marketing/brand management as a former CPA. Because of my former life, I get judged all the time as an uncreative, number crunching square and it pisses me off. It's okay though, I've always felt like an underdog, so as much as it makes me mad, I love being put in these situations because so I can show people anything is possible.


Switching careers is a damn paradox and its difficult to find that first person that is willing to give you a chance. You keep hustling though and opportunities will eventually come your way. 


After my last day of PR, I hit the ground running and four days later, one of the most ridiculously perfect opportunities lands in my lap. My recruiter calls me and tells me there is a marketing position open at UCLA and they are looking for someone who has an interest in marketing, marketing analytics, supporting on campaigns and is an Excel pro.  I tell her I'll take the interview and when she emails me the location, guess what department of UCLA it is in? UCLA Anderson. Holy shit.  Did this really just happen? Even better, I walked into the interview room, nailed it and was hired on the spot.  Just 4 days after my last day of work, I found a new job and it was at one of top schools on my list. Hustling pays off my friends.  Miracles do occur and I'm living proof.  Now I'd be put in an atmosphere where I could really show UCLA Anderson what I had to offer and I could help them put a face to the name.

As I was driving home from the interview.

Friends, how many of us have them?

I have friends and they are some of the best damn people I know on this planet.

I wanted to dedicate this post to my family and friends for their undying belief and confidence in me.  Your belief in me has helped me to never lose confidence in myself and has helped me fight harder to get into a top ranked business school.  When I told my friends who helped me with my NYU video that I didn't get into a school, their second response, after the first response of shock, was, "So what are we going to do for next year's video?"  Although I was rejected for a second year in a row, hearing that from them lifted my spirits to unimaginable heights. I was not in this fight alone. My friends were all willing to help me see this through until I succeeded.  I couldn't have asked for a better support group through this process.

On top of that, what surprised me was the response I got from random business school prospects.  Another component of my video was to push it via social media and news outlets.  I actually had pitched it to several newspapers and online publications with b-school sections (Bloomberg Businessweek, Poets and Quants, NY Times, NYU Student newspaper, etc).  My pitch was that with the increase of applications to business schools, its hard for schools to distinguish candidates and for candidates themselves to stand out.  My video was an example of how some students were attempting to stand out in their applications and how people try to help admissions put a name to a face. I was working in PR at the time so that's where I got the idea of trying to get some media coverage.  I was rejected on all fronts, but it was worth the try.  One last component was to help me network in the New York area.  Being from the West Coast, I didn't know anyone from NYU.  I was hoping the video would generate buzz on campus and would get some people pulling for me in the admissions race. This goal worked out quite well.  With the help of Facebook, Twitter and my social network, it blew up in the New York area.  Friends were showing it to their NYU friends and I saw a huge spike in the NY area on my YouTube viewer statistics.  I started a Facebook fan page too so that people that liked the video could track my progress and see if I made it into NYU.  Through this medium, I made a lot of really cool friends and connections.  The amazing part in this story though was the lengths these new friends were willing to go to to help me out.  After they found out I'd been rejected, several people contacted me to help me review my profile.  Another person even used my video to help me land an interview at his company and he put in a personal recommendation for me.  The support I got from these new friends (now students at schools such as Yale, UCLA, NYU, UT Austin and ESSEC) had a tremendous positive impact on my morale.  They all believed in me too and went through the effort of extending their help to show they had my back!


I feel extremely blessed to have such an amazing network of friends and to have met so many great people through this process. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to each and every single one of you and I will probably being writing more personal emails to each of you later!

Moral of the post, make sure to surround yourself with great people because this process sucks and you're going to need a pick me up/kick in the ass every so often to keep on pushing onward. To everyone that has supported me:

I really do

Dig Deeper!!!

Unlike trying to woo a girl/guy that you think is the love of your life, persistence is key to making it in this game of getting into a business school.  After a girl tells you she's just not that into you, it's time to call it quits and move on, but when a business school tells you that, its your job to convince them they are really madly in love with you...that is after re-working your game for the next year.

After being rejected for a second year (especially when I thought I had everything figured out), I was shaken, but not broken.  I gave myself three days to experience frustration, depression and anger.  After that, I was ready to work.  No school was going to call me and magically admit me after I was rejected. I needed to look for holes in my application and fill them in if I was going to stand a chance in the coming year.

As I stated in my post about essay writing, I knew my story and thought I had all my ducks in a row so it was tough for me to see my flaws.  I immediately reached out to my network to see if they could review my profile and give me tips to improve. Thanks to those friends, these points were brought to my attention:

1. 690 GMAT- My friends said that overall, this was a good and respectable score.  However, when broken down to each of the separate components, what my buddy said might have hurt me for NYU was the 77% percentile score in math.  Because NYU is quant heavy, this could have raised a red flag in ad com's eyes.  

2.  Essays- Of my essays, I should be able to nail an interview and entice ad com to want to meet me after my first essay (for most schools, it is usually the essay about why mba, why "x" school, and why now). However, when my friend (this guy attends NYU btw and is ridiculously smart) read it, he said he had mixed feelings about it.  He didn't think I did a good enough job explaining why I wanted to do marketing and brand management.  The essay made it seem as if I just got bored with accounting and just decided to switch careers into something that seemed fun.  My passion for the field wasn't explained so ad com could have been confused about my motive to switch careers. This and the fact that in the prior year, I said I wanted to do social entrepreneurship, my story seemed fickle. Once you get into school, you hit the ground running with finding an internship and building the skills you need to thrive and flourish in your chosen career.  There is little time to lollygag if you don't know what you want to do so I could definitely see how this was a huge fault in my essay.

It sucks to know that one of my two points of improvement was immediately within my control. I felt like I was right on the cusp of being interviewed for the schools that didn't extend me an interview offer. I just needed to be positioned a bit better and I would have gotten that extra face time to shine. 

Either way, I understood my faults and would improve on these points for the coming year. Once again, it was time to get serious.