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Is there an MBA in your future? Check out Tuck!

Planning to pursue an MBA after finishing your Bachelor's degree at Dartmouth? Curious about what an MBA program is? The Tuck Admissions Office invites you to explore another part of campus and the possibility of a future in business.  Throughout the spring, they are offering opportunities to visit Tuck, interact with current students and talk to staff:

8:30 AM or 10:20 AM - Class Visit 12 PM - Lunch with Students 12:45 PM - Tour of Tuck 1:30 PM - Q&A with an Admissions Officer

The program is available every Monday and Tuesday through May, with a couple of exceptions.  Here are program dates:

March 26, 27 April 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 23, 30 May 6, 7, 14, 20, 21

***To reserve a spot, or if you have any questions, please contact Gelsey Tolosa  (gelsey.a.tolosa<at>tuck<dot>dartmouth<dot>edu).

If you're unable to attend but have questions about Tuck's MBA program, don't hesitate to contact the Admissions office.

They are looking forward to meeting you!

Alumni Conversations: Charles Li, Manager of Mobile Strategy at EF Education First (Part 2)

This is part two of our interview with Charles Li ’12. In our first installment, he spoke about EF (Education First), a leading private education company. Picture of Charles Li '12 for Interview on EF Fellow Program

In today’s installment Charles, who is part of the EF360 Global Management Trainee program, explains how Dartmouth prepared him for his work at EF and why he likes his job.

1. How did your Dartmouth Education prepare you for the work at EF?

I learned everything from economics to drawing to skeet shooting at Dartmouth. Overall, I learned three things both inside and outside the classroom that I put to work every single day:

  1. How to work in a team,
  2. How to creatively solve problems, and
  3. How to become a leader.

My group projects were invaluable. My out-of-class experience in a fraternity was also helpful. Even in college before I worked in mobile, I was always buying the latest phone.  I think I went through seven different phones in one year.  My economic studies got me interested in the business of this particular industry.

2. What’s the most challenging aspect of your current position?

There is not a huge amount of structure inside EF, which is sometimes challenging. It’s up to everyone on the team (34,000 people around the world) to take a great deal of initiative to find solutions to the business challenges they face. You have a mentor you can ask for advice when you need it, but it’s up to you to make things happen.

3. What are the tangible results or rewards of the work that you do?

In addition to seeing progress on the products we’re creating, it is exceptionally rewarding to see the team come together since we’re building it from the ground up. I also really appreciate the opportunity to support a company with a mission to break down barriers of education, language and culture. EF’s mission is particularly meaningful to me as my parents worked in education.

4. What are you working on right now?

I am currently recruiting a mobile development team that will bring programmers and designers together to work on new initiatives. As a global society, we are increasingly using mobile technologies over traditional desktop PCs and mobile usage is expected to overtake desktop usage by 2015.  Our mission is to break down barriers of culture, geography and language. 

5. What’s been the most interesting project you’ve worked on at EF?

My current project with mobile applications is the most interesting one I have worked on in my five months at EF. I get to brainstorm ideas for apps and then hire the people to make it happen. I’m learning a lot about management, hiring, and product development; essentially I’m learning how to transform ideas into tangible user experiences, and then bringing those ideas to life.

6. Where have you traveled?

In the past five months, I have been to London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Shanghai. I am exceptionally grateful for these opportunities. You definitely want to have a passport before you apply to EF. At EF, experiential learning and travel is an essential component of education.

7. In your opinion, what’s the most important thing that students can do as undergraduates if they are interested in working in the consulting field?

Use your time at Dartmouth to find opportunities to solve problems creatively. My position is all about coming up with creative solutions – and implementing them! Sometimes this skill is easier gained in the real world, through internships or by launching some sort of initiative that is meaningful to you, rather than in the classroom. My advice would be to get out there and see the world, learn about education, and always attempt to find ways to hone your creative problem solving skills.

8. What’s the one question that most people don’t ask you that they really should?

What are your hobbies? I am an audiophile. I am obsessed with music. I am now obsessed with technology. I keep on buying and selling phones because they fascinate me. I use them, I explore them, and I sell them when I have learned how they do and don’t work. Now I get to do this as part of my work, too.

9. Any parting advice in two sentences or less?

When you look at jobs, make sure the mission speaks to you – and where you can see your role as helping to drive that mission forward.

Alumni Conversations: Charles Li, Manager of Mobile Strategy at EF Education First (Part 1)

EF Education First, commonly referred to as EF, is a leading private education company, offering “every imaginable way to learn a language, travel abroad, experience another culture, or earn an academic degree.” EF recruits at Dartmouth for the EF360 Global Management Trainee program, a hands-on program that provides one-on-one mentoring with senior leaders, the opportunity to learn the company’s unique entrepreneurial style, and the chance to oversee a major project central to EF’s business.

We sat down with economics major Charles Li ’12, an EF360 Global Management Trainee, to learn about his work and get advice on best practices to prepare for this type of unconventional management track program.

1. Tell me about the EF360 program.

For the 360 global management training program, you work with a senior executive who serves as your mentor and guide, and you begin by rotating through departments such as sales, marketing, finance and operations.   Trainees then work with their mentors to identify a challenging project or projects to lead which will have a tangible impact on EF’s business, and you spend the remainder of your first year as a 360 implementing those projects.

2. Describe your job.

Everyone’s career path is unique. I’m fascinated by mobile technology and did a great team project on mobile application development while at Dartmouth. I now work as a Manager of Mobile Strategy, and my 360 project within EF is focused on recruiting mobile developers and other “digital natives” to help drive our mobile business objectives.

Many management training programs at other corporations hire a large number of people to work in specific positions and weed out based on performance. The EF360 program works in reverse.  They hire a small number of people, identify their strengths, and groom them to fit a position that capitalizes on their interests and the company’s needs. Because we travel to each of EF’s global headquarters for training, we have an opportunity to work closely with a small group of management trainees who share a passion for education and the company cause. Yet at the same time, each EF360 is working on his or her own unique project.

3. What’s most surprised you about the position?

The level of responsibility. After four months, I am already hiring a team. I’m grateful for the responsibility.  It demonstrates a level of trust that EF has in its recruits, and that trust naturally supports creativity and collaboration both within teams and across product lines. 

4. Is it necessary to have advanced coursework in Economics, Education, or any particular subject area to join the EF360 program?

Absolutely not. We don’t hire skills, we hire people. We recruit at Dartmouth because graduates have the leadership skills, problem solving ability, and a can-do attitude.  The recruiters here would rather find someone with a passion for education, travel, and learning languages, and the ability to problem solve, than someone who is an expert at one skill and only one skill.

5. EF is known for having a really unique interviewing process? Can you describe this, and share a few tips on how to best prepare?

EF is looking for creative thinkers. I was asked “what is the best business to create using the items in this hypothetical box?”  I created a business plan.

Once you make the interview round, you begin a series of meetings with key leaders across EF business units.  You do not receive a schedule of meetings before you arrive at EF.  The first few interviews focus on identifying your strengths and specific areas of interest.  Then you meet with executives within several specific products with whom they think you will have the greatest synergy.

The best advice I have is to simply be yourself.  Hopefully you’ll bring a love of learning and a passion for education and travel to the interview too.

Today: Learn How to Ace the Case Interview!

Wondering how to prepare for case interviews? There's still time to sign up for the "Cracking the Case" workshop today -- led by experienced consultants: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012; 4:30 at Silsby Room 028 To sign up, click here.

(If you haven't heard of case interviews before, case interviewing is a technique used frequently used by employers to gauge your approach to problem solving. Employers interviewing students on-campus generally let you know in advance if they will be using a case during your interviews so you can prepare in advance.)

FALL Internship with JPMorgan Chase’s Consumer and Business Banking and Credit Card Strategy group

FALL internship with JPMorgan Chase’s Consumer and Business Banking and Credit Card Strategy group

**Apply by July 15 @ 11:59PM**

This internship blends exposure to one of the world’s largest financial institutions with a strategy consulting experience. The group works on cutting-edge, special projects for the bank’s most senior management in small, highly cooperative teams. Typical projects include developing growth strategies, designing customer experience, product/technology innovation, assessing and planning market entry, improving operational efficiency, and designing cross-line of business initiatives. www.jpmchase.com

Apply via DartBoard by July 15 @ 11:59PM. Search Job ID# 13408.

Strategy Analyst - CarMax Strategy Group (Richmond, VA)

CarMax Strategy GroupStrategy Analyst www.carmax.com

CarMax is looking for talented individuals who want to make their mark on a fast-growing FORTUNE® 500 company.  As internal consultants at CarMax’s corporate Home Office in Richmond, Virginia, Strategy Analysts will have the freedom to challenge existing practices and the ability to achieve lasting change. For more information and instructions on how to apply, search for DartBoard job #12229.