Evaluating — and Improving — Your Work Experience Before Applying to Business School: PART 2

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Dan Bauer October 12, 2014

Four steps to strengthen your professional experience before you apply to business school, brought to you by the MBA Exchange's Dan Bauer.

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

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If you read Part One candidacy.

If that’s the case, what can you do about it before you send in your application? Here are four steps to consider.

Buy some time.

If delaying your applications for another year would not disrupt your life, consider doing so. However, it's simply not enough to add 12 more months of employment to your resume. Rather, you need to use that extra time to strengthen your candidacy beyond mere duration.

Assume expanded duties in the workplace.

This will convey to schools that your superiors trust, respect, and value you. Seeking opportunities to interact with senior executives will reveal your self-confidence and upward mobility; you might even develop a relationship with someone who can serve as an impressive recommender. Remember: the shorter the duration of your employment, the more you need to compensate by being an overachiever.

If you aren't already tracking your work results, start doing so today.

If your current role is one that focuses more on "process" than "outcomes," find out from fellow employees what those outcomes are, so you can rightly claim that you contributed to them. If your project is not going to be completed before the MBA application due date, you should present the projected results.

Take on more authority.

Say your company has relatively low visibility in the marketplace. Or perhaps you're working for a startup which isn't even in business yet. The best way to compete against MBA applicants from high-profile "feeder" firms and corporations is to convince the admissions committee that you have more responsibility, and therefore, make a greater impact than your peers at similar companies. If you can't make that happen on the job, use your affiliations with well-known non-profit organizations as a platform to demonstrate your leadership effectiveness.

Work experience can become a competitive advantage if you understand how you compare with other applicants, confront your vulnerabilities, and capitalize on your improvements. If you can, your first step might be to get an objective, expert evaluation of your candidacy from a b-school admissions expert, like those found at the MBA Exchange.