Interview Whirlwind: IESE Sample Case Study, Day 7

The fun continues...oh no, it never ends.

Today was an awesome, albeit tiring day. I started the day with brunch with Anya Grossman. We wandered around the frozen streets of the Gramercy district until we found some pseudo buffet bakery chocolate place. I had a "gourmet grilled cheese" which, no joke, cost me like $9 along with my non fat latte. Who needs money? Ha. We caught up on life and then I was off.

I realized last night that I hadn't actually read the case that we would be analyzing in the sample case study, so, coming home from my night at the Russian Vodka Room at 2am, I read it. I'm not sure how much of it stayed with me, but regardless, I hadn't printed it up before leaving for my trip. I got to the hotel a little early and started looking for a printer. In the hotel's "Business Center", I ran into a man and asked him if he knew if the printer was free, because I hadn't printed the case. Turns out, the guy I was asking was the professor TEACHING the class. He told me that Nani, one of the admissions directors, might have copies. Well, she didn't, and she even sorta scolded me, saying "You guys were supposed to receive and prepare the case in advance". Kate, minus two. Everyone else, plus a thousand.

We sat randomly around a room and made small talk with the people at our table. They then did an introductory presentation about IESE, and then launched into the case. The professor was GREAT, funny Jew from London who kept the conversation dynamic. I even found ways to participate even though the whole concept was very new and foreign to me. I think I picked up quickly and really did enjoy that type of learning.

After the sample class was the Alumni Panel. They brought in 6 students from the classes of 2004-2009, and had them talk to us. They are obviously the successful ones that loved their time at IESE, since they're the ones that took the time out of their Saturday to come talk. And I tried to keep that in mind when they told us their wildly colorful stories of success and happiness but I have to admit, I was sold. This one girl especially, Noelle, was from San Diego, and had an amazing story to tell, including picking up a French husband. Like ...heyyy I've been there! Just didn't get all the way to the altar...

All the alumni and even most of the candidates were just so cool, really smart, charismatic, successful people and more than a few of them were really easy to talk to. There were of course, the stiff, typical MBA types, and I'm hoping that IESE filters those "generic cookie cutters" out, judging from the alumni, but you never know.

All in all, today was really cool. IESE's done a fantastic job of selling itself to me, I just wish they'd do this for admitted applicants, not those of us still jumping through these anxiety-ridden hoops.

I then went out to dinner with Boria and Polina and their significant others at a really yummy Italian restaurant.

 All in a all, an awesome day! Now just have to survive tomorrow....

Interview Whirlwind: IESE Interview, Day 7

So, the current high in NYC is 25 degrees, which means that most of the day its between 15 and 18. In other words, COLD. So I have absolutely no desire to do anything but sit indoor, which worked out nicely today since I was just prepping for my interview, resting, getting pretty, etc.

My interview was originally scheduled for 4:30PM with the Director of Admissions, Javier Munoz. But two days ago I get an e-mail rescheduling my interview for 6:00PM and that I'm now interviewing with an associate director named Isabel Estallela. I was a little annoyed because I purposely didn't reschedule my interview to when I was in Barcelona because I was interviewing with the director of admissions , I was figuring what could be better than that? But oh well, gotta roll with it.

The Jumeirah Essex House, the hotel where all the events of the weekend were being held, was luckily right off the F train so getting there was easy for me. The hotel didn't have a coatcheck, somehow, so I checked my stuff in at the restaurant. Since I'd done my fair share of stalking the IESE website to see what Isabella looked like I spotted her right away in the lobby, still interviewing someone else. She looked bored to death, and like she was falling asleep. The girl she was interviewing didn't look too thrilled, either...I took this as a good sign, that by comparison with who she was interviewing right now, I'd be a burst of sunshine!

Unfortunately, the interview only last 30 minutes, which really concerned me. She asked me the predicted questions - what are your strengths and weaknesses, what are you going to contribute to the classroom etc. But she also asked me some unexpected questions:
1. When have you had to defend your current company, and how did you do it?
2. Describe your school days. What are the most memorable and fond memories you have of your childhood?
3. Name 3 employers you'd ideally want to work for.

I was totally unprepared for these, but I tried to wing it as best I could. The whole time, she looked like she was falling asleep and barely keeping her eyes open. Towards the end, when I started asking her questions, she brightened up a little and I found out that she had just flown in from Barcelona THAT DAY, a few hours earlier! And by that point, it was midnight Barcelona time. So, her lack of enthusiasm is understandable. I'm still concerned though, that the interview was so short. Maybe she got all she needed, or maybe she was bored. I asked her about the Assessment Day on Sunday, and she said weird things about my being admitted and about how I would have fun...

I can't say I feel fantastic about the interview , but I guess its an appropriate contrast. Cristina was SUPER excited about meeting me, therefore hard to read because she was so positive, peppy, enthusiastic. I guess this Isabel woman is the opposite of that, and equally hard to read. Whatever, its over. I then went to celebrate the fact that I survived with my friend Yana and Gene at the Russian Vodka Room in NYC:

Two more days to go!

Interview Whirwind: Traveling to NYC, Day 4

Worst flight EVER! First, they don’t tell us that they’re cancelling our flight until like 15 minutes before take off. They tell us they’re putting us on Delta, and that we’ll find out more later. We end up leaving an hour and a half later than scheduled, and I’m one of the last 5 people to get a boarding pass. While luckily the flight is still basically empty, I’m in the 2nd to last row which means that I didn’t get my choice of food. I don’t really care, but its annoying. And the turbulence is AWFUL. Not only am I horribly nauseous, I had a cup of water out on the table that I forgot about and now it looks like I’ve pissed myself. I’m hoping it dries before we get to NYC, but for now I’m cold and wet. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER. UGH.

Interview Whirwind: Campus Visit & Interview, Day 3

Its over, and I'm alive! I didn't faint, I didn't collapse, I didn't freeze up and forget my own name. In fact, I think I rocked it, if I do say so myself! It was a very long day though...

Obviously, being all nerves, jetlag, and anxiety, I didn't actually fall asleep until 7 in the morning. I'm glad I know myself well enough to have had the foresight to schedule my interview for the afternoon. I still had to wake up at 10:30 though, as I had made plans with Desiree to have lunch at IESE and do a campus tour.

Just my luck, it was pouring rain today so when I got out of the subway at Maria Cristina, the subway stop closest to the school, it was too wet and cold for me to figure out what bus to take, so I hopped in a cab and, just like Desiree had said, it only cost 5 Euro and got me where I needed to go in no time.

My visit at IESE was awesome. Desiree's friends were great, and she introduced me to the President and VP of the "Energy Club". All the kids there are super friendly, super close, and SUPER polished. They're definitely future CEOs in the grooming. Obviously, I'm not, but I'd love to be around them, because I could learn so much and be so challenged from being surrounded by such composed, talented, eloquent, driven people. The abundance of attractive men doesn't hurt, either. IESE's campus is really nice also, with a church and a cute courtyard, trees and greenery, and something resembling a coffee shop inside.

I have to say I wasn't a huge fan of the ESADE campus. Its very "futuristic", and feels very "institutional". The school having their "Career Week", so all around the institution, students were in business suits and there were obviously a whole lot of recruiters there. I sat and killed time in a waiting area and finally, 3:30pm, it was time!

First, I was thrilled that she actually remembered that we had met in LA. That made me feel a lot better, even if she didn't actually remember me but appropriately filtered her e-mails. Anyway, she gave me the mini case study, which was about Microsoft having to buy Yahoo, to compete with Google. I had to analyze the pros and cons, present what issues MS would face, how Yahoo should deal with it, and how Google should seize the opportunity. Honestly it was so much easier than I had expected, and I think at this point I'm pretty good at delivering presentations. I think I rocked that part, for sure.

Then was the interview. For the most part, it was what I expected. There were a few that I didn't know how to answer:
1. What is some constructive criticism that you've received in your work?
2. How is your professional self different from your personal self?
3. What do you expect the biggest challenge to obtaining your MBA in Barcelona to be?
4. If you're accepted everywhere, what is going to make or break your decision?

The interview ran 30 minutes long because we had so much to talk about! Then she took me around and introduced me to 4 different students who she had interviewed the year before: Said, Maurizio, Paolo, and a German guy who's name I don't remember. She was all smiles, very enthusiastic, and telling everyone to tell me good things about the school. Maurizio and Paolo spent a long time talking to me about the program, though they didn't talk about their program the way that Desiree's friends talked about IESE.

Paolo then matched me up with a girl, Alexandra, who was heading home in my direction and with her help and Fabrizzio (lots of Italian men ;) ) I got home safe, dry, and pretty damn happy!!!

Interview Whirlwind: Chillin in Barca, Day 2

Today was my "adjustment" day. I passed out at midnight thanks to my nyquil and woke up at noon today - glorious! I barely made it out of the hotel by 1:30 - it takes a while to actually WAKE UP from nyquil. I'm so glad I gave myself today to recover from the jetlag! I spent most of today wandering around the city, and planning to have dinner with Desiree tonight. I had coffee at a little cafe where I sat at the bar,with this as my view : 

I then kept wandering towards the more touristy areas. I wish I had some photography skills, but alas:

I call this picture "Chivalry is, indeed, dead" :

I decided to make my way to one of the oldest churches, and sight see along the way. Barcelona's such a beautiful city, even on a cloudy day!

I made it to the church, which, as many other things in Barcelona, was under construction:

There was a huge dog wandering around the cobblestoned streets of the Barri Gotic, and I felt the need to capture it doing its business:

I had an entirely unsatisfying lunch at a bar called Bar Pis in the Plaza of the same name. I got the Tortilla Espanola and tried to get a salad as well since I was seriously craving vegetables but everything was oniony, mayonnaisy, and cheesy. The coffee though, my 3rd cup that day, was consistently delicious. I continued wandering down to the port...

I came back to my hotel in the evening to get ready for dinner with Desiree. By the time I made it out, it was raining and me being the genius that I am, did not have bring my umbrella and didn't feel like returning for it. I met Desiree at her apartment. She lives in a really nice place with two other kids from IESE. There were a bunch of other students in their apartment. I talked to her Turkish roommate, who said IESE was a lot harder than she had ever imagined and that she was seriously struggling. Desiree invited her not-yet-boyfriend Ricard to dinner with us, and we took a cab, in the rain, to a tapas bar. There were some delicious and interesting dishes - Pan con Tomate, a cheese and salami dish, a dish of lentils prepared in a yummy balsamic reduction, and some really unique mushrooms. I forgot my camera, being the idiot that I am. Ricard and Desiree were super encouraging! They gave me great interview pointers, shared their experience, and told me I shouldn't be hiding the Jewish thing - just spin it from a community service, and not a religion perspective. I'm encouraged, and excited. I'm gonna rock it tomorrow :)