“It was very interesting to come in and see the transformation as students moved from the first year to the second,” said Jain. “I loved seeing how Kenan-Flagler helped students through this growth period, and I just knew that this was a place I wanted to go as well.”

With a background in information technology and computer science, Jain worked as a senior consultant at Deloitte before attending Kenan-Flagler. While she concentrated on technology solutions, her work at Deloitte also introduced her to the functional side of consulting, which focuses more on business analysis. This exposure peaked her interest, but Jain quickly realized that she would benefit from additional training to succeed in a more business-centric role.

“The more I got into the functional side of consulting, the more I enjoyed it, but at the end of the day I was sitting and Googling lots of terms,” said Jain. “Tech was still in my back pocket, but I wanted to explore the functional side more, so I had two options: keep learning through Google or give myself a break and go back to school.”

When she made the decision to pursue her MBA and began to explore different programs, she was drawn to the sense of camaraderie among students at Kenan-Flagler that she had witnessed first-hand in a recruiting capacity.

“When I used to come down here for Deloitte, we would meet with prospective students in small groups. As we all know, when students talk to recruiters they’re competing for time and attention,” she said. “What really stood out at Kenan-Flagler was that students would be encouraging of each other. It was this feeling of ‘we’re all in this together.’”

Once she arrived on campus as student, Jain was happy to share tricks of the trade from her recruiting days to help classmates impress potential employers. She helps them brainstorm ideas for job and internship applications, hosts mock interviews and answers questions about the recruiting process from an insider’s perspective.

To build on her natural tendency to guide and assist her peers, Jain enrolled in the Leadership Immersion, a capstone course designed to help MBA students master core leadership principles. Through “Apprentice”-style challenges, hands-on simulations and individualized coaching from executives, Jain says the immersion has helped her identify and perfect her own unique leadership style. While her experience in consulting had already taught her how to gently and tactfully critique clients’ business processes, the course’s exercises have turned up her antenna even more, allowing her to quickly identify and accommodate others’ sensitivities to keep a team moving forward.

“When I came in I just wanted to expand my business understanding. I didn’t anticipate how much I would be able to strengthen soft skills like leadership,” she said.

In addition to learning the business skills necessary to successfully transition to more function-focused consulting, Jain has used her MBA experience as an opportunity to see the world. During the Global Immersion Elective, a short-term study abroad experience that focuses on international business, she traveled to China and Japan. Jain was also able to visit Thailand, where she got an in-depth look at the local economy as part of a Doing Business In course. In addition, she took advantage of Kenan-Flagler’s exchange program to study at Switzerland’s University of St. Gallen and travel around Europe, exploring everything from cuisine to companies.

After graduation Jain is looking forward to returning to Deloitte and putting all of these new experiences and skills to use. She’s particularly excited to step back into her recruiting role.

 “Now that I’ve gone through this experience myself I think I will be even better able to connect with students,” she said.

Internship recruiting: Most MBA students would probably agree that this is the most stressful and critical aspect of their first year at the MBA program. I was lucky to receive my first internship offer as early as January. I had applied through the school’s internal recruiting process. The present economic conditions have drastically disturbed the demand-supply equilibrium for popular internship opportunities. As a result, a lot of the responsibility has fallen on the students themselves to look for recruiting opportunities outside the school (which don’t come easy). If you’re in that situation, my only advice is to keep up the confidence and good faith. Ultimately, everyone gets a great work experience over the summer. Sorry for starting the blog on a tough note. I promise the stuff below is a lot more exciting.

Classes: I simply loved attending my classes. I enjoy being an integral part of my classes. Classes at Kenan-Flagler have a perfect mix of case studies, class lectures and discussions. For all those students suffering with attention deficit disorder like me – just when you start losing focus on a boring theoretical concept, the professor relates it to a relevant real life example and boom… either you or one of your colleagues has a great anecdote to share related to the subject.  And so the fun never stops…

Extracurricular: There are more things to do outside classwork than there is time… seriously! If you have a special interest, there is a strong change that either there is a club or a leadership position catering to your needs and interest. I spent last couple of months working on a consulting project for the State of North Carolina to analyze the potential of converting NC’s hog waste to electricity. I am also planning a Singapore Career Trek later this year. I am travelling to Singapore next week where I will be meeting company representatives to build employer relationships.

International travels: How can I skip international travels from the MBA highlights? For those of you who can’t wait to travel the world during your MBA experience, there will be ample opportunities to explore in both the academic years. A lot of my friends went to India, Dubai, Russia, UK on GIEs… and I believe some more on a plane right now to South America or South Africa. I plan to do a GIE and a DBI next year. A lot of my classmates will be spending a semester at top business schools around the world, which is another great way to explore new places.

Hope you enjoyed this blog reflecting some of my experiences at Kenan-Flagler Business School. A one pager cannot justify the rich experience you get at business school. It is something that only you can live and feel.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Leadership Immersion Students, Spring 2013

This post was written by current second-year student, Todd Cobb.  Todd is participating in the UNC Kenan-Flagler Leadership Immersion for the final seven weeks of his MBA career and wrote this upon returning from Outward Bound; a staple in the Leadership Immersion every year.

Outward Bound was an amazing and challenging way to start my last Mod of business school at UNC Kenan-Flagler. After spending two years with PowerPoints, spreadsheets, networking events, and case studies, the sense of mental clarity and personal awareness I found spending a week with my peers without those daily distractions in nature was powerful. I got to test my own limits mentally, physically, and emotionally, but best of all, I developed a deep bond of trust with my teammates.

Our week consisted of five days of camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. We spent the first two days hiking, the third day rock climbing, the fourth doing a high ropes course, and the fifth doing a big team event with everybody in the UNC Kenan-Flagler Leadership Immersion. In the first two days, we could really see the difference in our behavior towards one another. As MBA’s, we constantly have to multitask between many different obligations. The simplicity of camping in nature really gave us the chance to learn about each other in a way that isn’t possible in the classroom. I really began to understand how my peers, whether they were from Russia, Japan, New England, or right here in North Carolina, view themselves as people and leaders.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Leadership Immersion students work together to move everyone over the wall

We also got to step out of our comfort zone many times. Our trip this year was unusually cold, so in addition to the normal challenges of Outward Bound, we had to contend with the weather as well. Learning how to motivate ourselves and our teammates became integral to successfully completing the different challenges of the Leadership Immersion at Outward Bound. In many ways, this felt like a potent metaphor for the challenges we’ll face as business leaders. Success isn’t just measured by accomplishments, but by the morale and gratitude of the people that succeeded with you.

On the lighter side, we had a tremendous amount of fun creating games and nicknames for ourselves. Several of us had taken an improv class and quickly figured out some memorable games involving Samurais, team cheers, and a lot of imagination. We also discovered some us had real culinary talent with just a gas stove and dried grains. Others of us realized we didn’t – mixing M&M’s and hot oatmeal is not as tasty as one might think.

The trip was an excellent way to start the Leadership Immersion and really transition from being a student into an emerging leader. While I still feel part of the UNC Kenan-Flagler community and my fellow MBA’s, I have a much stronger sense of vision for where I aim to be after business school. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Leadership Immersion has to offer!

Analytical Skills Workshop is the program that UNC Kenan-Flagler offers first year full-time MBA students to experience firsthand what some of the core classes will be like on Day 1. The original goal of the program was to assist new students in their preparation to get ready for the rigorous quantitative curriculum at UNC Kenan-Flagler, but I can tell you that the benefits are much more expansive than that.

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Analytic Skills Workshop (ASW) takes place in the summer before Mod 1 begins

First, the classes are in a much more relaxed atmosphere and the professors will be the same professors you will have during your first semester at school. This was great for me because I hadn’t been in a classroom since undergrad, and it helped ease the transition.

Feel like you’re all set on the scholastic side of life? Well, ASW is not solely about getting up to speed academically. There are multiple workshops with our Career Management Center on a variety of topics that enable students to prepare their resume, cover letter templates, elevator pitching, interview skills, LinkedIn profile, etc… This access is amazing and it is such an advantage to have this taken care of in June and July rather than in August when classes start. Recruiters started coming on campus on September 10^th this year and I felt extremely prepared for that because of the work I completed during ASW.

Finally, as you probably know, a large part of the full-time MBA program at UNC Kenan-Flagler is the community and social aspect. We had a group of about 12-15 of us who would play golf frequently during ASW. It wouldn’t be uncommon for us to be done with school after lunch and head over to the university course (half off by the way, because we’re students) to play or hit the range. I made some of my best friends here because of the casual atmosphere that ASW provides.

Overall, I highly recommend any and all students to attend ASW.  It makes life during the swamped first year of your MBA much more manageable.

Want to learn more about ASW?  Check out these video testimonials from more students who did and did not attend the Analytic Skills Workshop:

What makes this run special?

• Coach Fedora will be giving a pre-race speech and hi-fiving you as you finish in the Kenan Memorial Stadium!
• You will be running through the popular Chapel Hill landmarks such the Old Well, Bell Tower and Coker Arboretum!
• Rameses will be there to greet the participants at the start!
• You will get a great looking T-shirt and delicious refreshments!
• Chapel Hill community will be coming together for a great cause!​

Pre-Registration fees are $20. Online registration is available through April 5^th 6 PM at https://secure.www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/UBS/event/showEventForm.jsp?form_id=143462

Race-day registration begins at 7 AM with fees of $25

Head over to our website for further information about the 5K

Join our Facebook Event to let your friends know about the run. We hope to see you on April 6^th!

On March 23th at 7pm, in Koury Auditorium at the business school, the Alliance for Minority Business Students (AMBS) of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School will be presenting  HARAMBEE, our annual fashion show fundraiser, which raises money for Global Scholars Academy in Durham, North Carolina.

Global Scholars Academy (GSA), formally Union Independent School, strives to create greater developmental equity for Durham youth who represent the greatest risks of academic failure due to significant social, economic, and educational challenges – individually and in their family, neighborhood, and community environments. Learn more about KFBS Professor Dr. Johnson’s role and Global Scholars Academy http://one.unc.edu/inspirational-advocate/

Dr. Johnson founded Union Independent School, which is now Global Scholars Academy on August 19^th 2009.

Each year we have over 50 volunteers from the MBA community plan and execute this event to give the Kenan-Flagler community a flavor of fashion while contributing to a good cause.

Last year, Harambee was attended by nearly 300 members of the Kenan-Flagler MBA community in support of the Global Scholars Academy in Durham. Like our Facebook page and find out about real time updates at the Harambee Facebook page.

If you are in the local area and would like to attend, tickets are on sale now HERE!

Pearman is a partner and the energy practice leader at ScottMadden, a management consulting firm that specializes in energy, clean technology & sustainability and corporate and shared services. As an adjunct professor at UNC Kenan-Flagler, he also teaches the fundamentals of his profession, from consulting basics to the leadership skills that make consultants truly successful.

“The consultant’s job is helping people think and act differently so that they are more successful,” said Pearman. “When you do that well, you can have a tremendous positive impact on clients and their organizations. The magic is when people say, ‘I have seen the way we did it before and I see the way we do it now.  The difference is night and day.  And we couldn’t have done it without you.’”

While the work is challenging, Pearman says consulting is also extremely meaningful and fulfilling. With a huge variety of complex projects, the profession offers consultants the opportunity to continually learn and grow.

“The complexity of the business, the uncertainty in the business environment and the pace of change are unparalleled,” said Pearman. “This is a good situation for consultants and an exciting time to practice the profession.”

Pearman credits UNC Kenan-Flagler for teaching him the leadership, teamwork and negotiation skills that are necessary to succeed in consulting. The most valuable lessons were in the “soft side” of business, which deals with interpersonal skills. UNC Kenan-Flagler’s focus on hands-on learning ensured that he not only learned these necessary tools but also had the opportunity to practice them and receive feedback on his performance.

That experience came in handy when Pearman’s work was pitted against that of a more experienced, big-name consultant during his very first consulting internship. He and a UNC Kenan-Flagler classmate were working together to diagnose and fix a sales compensation problem for the US business unit of a national telecommunications company. When the other consultant learned that two interns were working on the same project, he requested that they be fired. Since the pair had almost completed their work and had promised their interviewees they would try to help, Pearman  asked that they be allowed to present to their findings anyway. The firm allowed them to do so and ended up adopting most of their recommendations.

As an adjunct professor at UNC Kenan-Flagler, Pearman is working to ensure that today’s students are equipped with the soft skills that he has found to be invaluable during his career. He contributes to the school’s leadership initiative, led by Mindy Storrie, by teaching two sections of an undergraduate leadership course, one for elected leaders and one for fraternity and sorority presidents.

“I can see them growing and learning as leaders during the year. These are applied leadership classes,” said Pearman.  “We give them tools and techniques and ask them to apply them on the job. Adults learn by doing. The courses are geared to facilitate that.”

Pearman’s leadership courses also focus on versatility, a trait that he has learned is essential for success. During his consulting career, Pearman has worked on about 150 projects for 50 different clients – each with their own unique characteristics and problems, and he has had to learn to adjust his behavior to give clients what they need to be successful. At UNC Kenan-Flagler, he helps prepare students to handle a wide variety of scenarios they might encounter on the job.

“As a leader, your followers are different. The situations are different,” said Pearman. “The more versatile you are, the more situations and people you can be successful with.”

For Pearman, leadership and consulting go hand-in-hand. Effectively leading and coaching clients to make changes in their organizations leads to positive results that change their businesses and lives for the better.

“We define leadership as engaging and developing committed followers for the greater good,” said Pearman. “I believe you have to want to do that to be a great leader.”

UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA students master both the technical and emotional aspects of business.

Let’s start with the basics.  Naturally, we expect our students to have a strong intellectual capacity and quantitative ability.  These are typical qualities of a successful MBA student.  In addition, we also look for our students to maintain a high level of emotional capacity as well; students who are collaborative, passionate and empathetic.  It is the combination of these two, seemingly distinct character traits, however, that truly makes the Kenan-Flagler student unique.  Our students are extraordinary leaders as well as cooperative group members.  They know both how to accurately analyze multitudes of data in excel and how to present an engaging case.  If you were to look at a Venn diagram of “quantitative abilities” and “qualitative abilities,” our students would fall within the intersection of the two circles.  That is what makes them so spectacular; they can master both the Science & Heart of business.  And that is where the not-so-mysterious ampersand (&) comes into play.

If you have met with us at an MBA fair, reception, or here on campus, you’ve likely seen the large, white brochure we hand out, outlining the details of all our MBA programs.  On the cover is, standing alone, a big, bold ‘&.’ This simple, one-character symbol represents the beautiful blend of contradiction our students bring to the table.  They understand a business’ need for financial success & social responsibility.  They have the knowledge to be accomplished in their field & the courage to do what is right.  They not only learn in the classroom, but also take what they have learned & apply it to real life scenarios.  Simply put, they are highly skilled in both book smarts & street smarts.  Altogether, these are the qualities of a successful MBA student at UNC Kenan-Flagler.

If you’re reading this and thinking that you don’t quite fall into both of these categories, that’s ok.  These qualities are what we strive to evoke and instill in our students by the time they graduate.  So if you walk in the front doors of McColl the first day of classes without formal leadership experience or you’re still nervous when presenting to company VP’s, don’t worry.  You will acquire the necessary qualities to be a successful business-leader by the time you walk out.

He participated in the MBA course “Digital Marketing Strategy:  Search, Social, Mobile, and Beyond” designed and taught by UNC Kenan-Flagler marketing professor Valarie Zeithaml. In a later conversation with the school staff, he shared simple, easy-to-implement tips that businesses of all sizes can use to navigate the constantly changing world of social media.

Ask the right questions. Consider how new technologies will contribute to the business objectives, he said. A redesigned website or Twitter account might not be the best use of resources. “Chasing every new technology that comes along is dangerous because you get spread thin really quickly,” said Hanlon.  Focus on what works for the business model rather than the hottest trends. And before adopting the latest social media craze, answer two questions: Does it reach the key audience I’m targeting? If so, how are they using it? Surveys, usability tests and consultants can help find the answers. Learn what key audiences’ expectations and behaviors are, and then decide which technologies will optimize the firm’s online presence and get the highest ROI.

Content makes your social media presence sustainable. “One of the biggest challenges in social media is generating the amount of content you need to keep those channels interesting,” said Hanlon. “But often our clients have more content than they expect.” If a company sends an email blast or a monthly newsletter, it can repurpose content through complementary digital channels. Using it in tweets and Facebook posts throughout the month can help the content receive more attention, he said. “You’re not necessarily spoiling it if you send some of it out early on social media. Then the email itself becomes more of a summary of what you’re sharing during the week or month.” Many firms might not have enough to create unique updates for all of the social media platforms that are relevant to their target audiences. One solution, said Hanlon, is to use one of the apps that link social media networks and manage updates simultaneously, such as Buffer and HootSuite.

Divide and conquer. A simple distribution of labor is an easy way to deal with the constant pressure to feed the social media beasts. For example, have a different employee each week take on the responsibility of finding one or two interesting, industry-related articles per day to share online, Hanlon said.

Don’t forget to talk back. While creating content is crucial, don’t forget about the importance of interacting. Organizations need to be present and responsive, answering questions and replying to comments within 24 hours. “Ultimately it’s when people respond to you that the magic happens,” said Hanlon. “Conversations help spread your Twitter handle and message beyond your own core group of followers.” And establish a company voice or personality for the networks, said Hanlon. This can be accomplished by putting one employee who understands the social media rules of engagement – who to respond to and how to create authentic conversations – in charge of responding.

Measurement is more than counting likes and followers. Hanlon acknowledged that measurement is a challenge and that the tools frequently change. Various social measurement companies can help clients understand what people are saying about their brands on social media, blogs and community sites. While tracking the basics, such as Twitter mentions or site traffic, is critical, recognize that there are multiple levels of metrics and performance benefits, he said. At the highest level, companies need to evaluate how social media platforms help them reach the main goals of the organization, such as raising brand awareness and increasing prestige.

There truly is no other place like it in the world.  The grand oak trees lining the streets.  The bars.  The restaurants.  Nearly 300 friends that all live within a few miles of you.  Chapel Hill, North Carolina is a town I have loved to call ‘home’ for the past two years.  The thought of graduating already makes me want to reminisce, so the thought of leaving halfway through my second year to study abroad was quite a tough decision. 

Before I started business school, I made myself a promise.  I promised myself I would stretch in new ways – I vowed to take elective courses in advanced finance, to run the annual Tar Heel Ten Miler road race, to work in teams with many diverse backgrounds.  I promised myself I would take as many unique opportunities that I could get ahold of.  So when the applications for studying abroad came out before my first year ended (something I did not get a chance to do in undergrad), the voice in the back of my head kept reminding me of that promise.

Fast forward one year – I am now a second year and am writing this from Bangkok, Thailand!  Kenan-Flagler has an exchange student partnership with the first accredited graduate business school in Thailand – Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration.  Although I am only 5 weeks into the study abroad program, I have already learned so much about international business, Thai culture, an

d even Thai food.  It has been interesting from a business perspective to work with the Thai students, hear their perspectives on the many family-run businesses in the country, and also talk with them about the projected impacts of AEC, the plan to integrate 10 countries in Southeast Asia by 2015 into an economic union similar to the EU. 

I truly believe in the old saying, “you don’t really understand someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.” Globalization has been a buzzword for quite some time now.  However, having worked for a global firm prior to school and being part of a business school community where over 30% of the students are international, studying abroad has given me a greater appreciation for the importance of understanding global business.  Although many of my classes at Kenan-Flagler have focused on international cases and perspectives, I wanted to experience business practices in Asia first-hand.  Studying abroad has given me the chance hold to my promise of trying new things and the chance to “walk in someone else’s shoes.”   

Although learning about how business is changing globally is an amazing piece of studying abroad – the ability to travel on the weekends, learn to ride elephants, take Thai cooking classes, soak up the sun and witness the natural beauty of hidden beaches in Asia have all been nice ‘perks’ to say the least.  In Thailand, we only have class two days a week (although those two days are pretty rigorous with a 4 hour Human Resources class and another 4 hour Financial Investments course); so the free weekends have given me a lot of time to explore the culture and even surrounding countries. 

Life, and every experience, is what you make of it.   My study abroad experience in Thailand would not be the same without the 4 other Kenan-Flagler students here as well.  We have eaten some of the spiciest food of our lives together, went into a cage together to pet tigers, climbed to the top of one of the tallest temples in Bangkok, eaten fried ant “fritters,” and become friends that will stay in touch long after we graduate.