tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77852891646048936642024-03-19T05:17:41.226-04:00Marshmallow's IMD MBA ExperienceMusings about my MBA journey in Switzerland and other interesting things.Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-50936690594412108592014-01-09T15:42:00.000-05:002014-01-09T15:42:06.881-05:00Transitioning to the official blog<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
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It's finally here! Today all 90 of us who make up the class of 2014 came together at the IMD campus for our orientation session. There was a great sense of excitement - you could tell every one of the MBAs had been eagerly waiting for this day to arrive. The day was mostly focused on introductions and some logistics, and we also had a great welcome message from the program director, Ralf Boscheck. Partners were invited too, so even Ashley and Little Marshmallow were able to stop by and join me for lunch!
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After a briefing from Suzy, the IMD blog organizer, I have now officially been placed on duty as an IMD blogger! I will try to keep this blog going during the program, although most of my entries now will just be direct links to the official IMD blog. I may add a few posts here and there with personal tidbits which may not quite be in scope at the official blog.
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With that said, <a href="http://blogs.imd.org/mba/archive/2014/01/09/and-were-off.aspx" target="_blank">here's a link to my first entry, where I am boldly trying to predict what my 3 favorite and 3 least favorite things about the IMD experience will be.</a> We'll see how it turns out!</p>
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-14609334834150510142014-01-06T10:38:00.001-05:002014-01-06T10:38:36.586-05:00The ultimate lesson in leadership<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
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This year I am sure IMD will have plenty of lessons in leadership. There will be a lot of reading, discussion, self-reflection and constructive criticism on how I can become the best leader I can be. I am excited and grateful for this opportunity.</p>
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However, I know the biggest lessons and challenges I will encounter elsewhere. They will come from this incredibly powerful little being, still incapable of walking or talking - but already full of wisdom and wonder.
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Welcome to the world, Little Marshmallow. I will be here to protect you, support you, and guide you. I know I will learn as much from you as you will from me. I promise you I will work my hardest to make the world you grow up in is a safe, happy and wondrous place.
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-48098528067102398862013-12-29T05:52:00.000-05:002013-12-29T05:52:48.449-05:00Mrs. Marshmallow now has a blog!<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
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Wanted to share the exciting news that Ashley, a.k.a. Mrs. Marshmallow, has decided to start up a blog of her own! She had been talking about starting a blog since well before I started mine - so it's nice to see her ideas coming to fruition!
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<a href="http://oneouiquest.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="40" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O7IifTX10-A/UrxXTpOiIoI/AAAAAAAAAT8/bMOtLMCFyPI/s320/OneOuiQuest.PNG" width="280" /></a>
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Among other things, she will be sharing her thoughts on life as an expat in Lausanne, an IMD partner and a new mom. She already has a great post about how complicated (and expensive!) dealing with trash can be in Lausanne. Here's the link to her blog, be sure to leave her lots of comments!
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<a href="http://oneouiquest.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><i><b>One oui quest (http://oneouiquest.blogspot.com)</i></b></a>
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</div> Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-61530584999070834562013-12-27T04:10:00.000-05:002013-12-27T04:10:22.264-05:00Pics from a sunny weekend in Lausanne<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
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This past weekend we were fortunate to have some beautiful weather in Lausanne (which has since been replaced with a lot of rain!). So on Sunday Ashley and I went out for a walk down by the IMD campus and the lakefront in Ouchy. Thought I would share some of our pictures:
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Soon I will be walking down Chemin de Bellerive every day
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The view on the way down to IMD
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The entrance to the IMD campus
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IMD's beautiful campus
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Another angle
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And one more angle
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Happy to be here!
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The marina at the Ouchy waterfront
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We had beautiful clear views, which isn't always the case
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The Ouchy "postcard"
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The ferry
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It was a beautiful day
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After our nice walk, we took a metro ride home
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Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-3349388564894539752013-12-22T11:46:00.000-05:002013-12-22T11:46:47.988-05:00Marshmallow featured on Accepted.com<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
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Something very cool happened recently - Accepted.com, a wonderful resource for MBA applicants, reached out to me and asked me a few questions about my decision to come to IMD and my experience during the MBA application process. I was more than happy to answer, and the article was posted this weekend. Check out the entry in their blog:
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<a href="http://blog.accepted.com/2013/12/20/aiming-for-imd-an-admitted-student-shares-his-story-and-advice/" target="_blank"><i><b>Aiming for IMD? An Admitted Student Shares His Story and Advice</i></b></a>
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I was thrilled when Accepted.com approached me, hopefully it will prove to be helpful for future applicants and others who are interested in applying to IMD or an European MBA!
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-21415208707888549732013-12-21T06:05:00.000-05:002013-12-21T06:05:02.613-05:00I've been invited to be an official IMD blogger!<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
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This week IMD announced their selection for the blogging team for the class of 2014... and I am excited to be one of them! Here is <a href="http://blogs.imd.org/mba/archive/2013/12/19/saying-goodbye.aspx" target = "_blank"> the announcement from Suzy, the blog coordinator at IMD.</a>
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I will join a team including a couple of very interesting and insightful folks: Ashley, who will also be IMD's video blogger and has already posted a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axYj1q7cJ1w&list=UUkBMxzz2KdnfitLC7Ki2Afw" target="_blank">fantastic introductory entry</a>, and Andras, who has been keeping an excellent wine-themed blog that I am a big fan of: <a href="http://winesandtreks.blog.com/" target="_blank">Wines and Treks</a>. I look forward to finally meeting and working together soon!
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When I was applying to IMD I remember reading the IMD blogs quite diligently, looking for a clearer picture of life as an IMD student. Then I started this blog, looking to share a bit about my experience and hoping to help others who are also interested in pursuing their MBA at IMD. It feels great that IMD is willing give me this opportunity and endorse my insights!
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The official IMD 2014 blog goes live when the program starts, on January 9th. <a href="http://blogs.imd.org/mba/default.aspx" target ="_blank">Here's the link</a>. Until then I plan to continue posting about my Swiss MBA adventure here.
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-1733795291451499882013-12-20T07:48:00.000-05:002013-12-20T07:48:34.211-05:00Tips and tidbits - what we've learned so far<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
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Ashley and I have been in Lausanne for less than one month - so we are by no means experts - but during this time we've had to figure out a lot of different things, and I thought it might be useful to share some of what we learned during our initial efforts to settle in. Hopefully it will help paint a picture of what's been keeping us busy, and maybe help others who may be coming to Lausanne!
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Get the <a href="http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/railpasses/half-fare-travelcard.html" target = "_blank">1/2 off rail card</a>
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This is a very nice deal that we didn't know existed before got here. For an up-front fee of CHF 175 you can purchase a pass which saves you 50% on every rail trip you take (it also gives you some savings on the buses/metro, but not always 1/2 off). The price seems a bit steep at first, but it pays for itself ridiculously quickly (for us, with our weekend trips, it's already made it worthwhile!).
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Get the <a href="https://www.migros.ch/cumulus/fr.html" target = "_blank">Migros cumulus card</a>
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I'm a sucker for discounts, coupons and finding the lowest price. Some may call it cheapness, I call it being resourceful! I found out that Migros, one of the main grocery store chains, has a membership discount card. It's free and it just takes filling out a form. The harder part for me was to ask about the existence of such form in French! The benefit is that you get CHF 5 for every 500 points accumulated (at the rate of CHF 1 per point I believe, with some items that may have special multipliers). And you also get some nice coupons on the mail. Even if the discounts are small, I figure it never hurts! I also understand the Coop, the other major grocery chain, has a similar card. I am looking into signing up for that one as well.</li>
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Sign up for <a href="https://www.mobility.ch/en/pub/index.cfm" target="_blank">Mobility</a>
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I really love Mobility - it's a car sharing service similar to ZipCar in the US, you can rent a car by the hour at very reasonable rates. How reasonable? We paid CHF 40 for a four-month membership (which was CHF 30 off of the orginal price, thanks to our Mirgos Cumulus card!), and we pay by the hour and kilometer each time we reserve a car. Unless you go very far, it shouldn't cost more than CHF 30 or so. There are pick-up stations all over the city, which is very convenient. The one downside is that most of the cars seem to have manual gearshift... For those from the US who have always driven automatic cars like me, it can be a challenge, and hey it's been a good opportunity to learn! Even better, your Migros Cumulus card can get knock down CHF 30 from the "trial" price of CHF 70 for 4 months.
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The ticket patrol unit does exist!
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It was surprising to us at first that we could get in and out of any metro train or bus in Lausanne and never once have to display a ticket. After taking several trips I was starting to think the local transportation operated purely on an honor system. But one day Ashley and I did see the ticket patrol folks in a bus, and then again a different day saw them at a metro stop, so they are indeed out there!
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The grocery store isn't always the cheapest
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Coming from the US, my mentality is kind of locked into that mode that the grocery store will always be the cheapest place to buy every day items like water, cleaning products etc. Here that doesn't seem to necessarily be the case. One day I noticed that in the cornershop across the street, bottled water was significantly cheaper than at the grocery store. I've started to pay more attention since!
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IKEA *is* the cheapest. And reachable by train!
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For household goods, especially the kind of stuff we needed when we first moved in, we did find that IKEA proved to be the cheapest place and best value. Bathmats, lamps, kitchenware, bedding, everything was cheaper than alternative. (The other option we had heard was Coop City - the department store in the city center which had also been recommended as a place to buy these things for fairly reasonable prices). The cool thing about IKEA is that it is reachable by a 15-minute train ride - It was a first for us, to do an IKEA trip without a car!
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Always remember to bring your bags with you
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Once again this could be one of those things that I don't think about because I am a bit spoiled after coming from the US. I never remember to bring bags with me when I go shopping. Here, you can usually buy bags at the checkout but they aren't super cheap, and it always feels frustrating to do that when you have perfectly good bags at home!
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The Coop has a hardware store, reachable by metro
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I was a bit worried that without a car, it would be impossible to find simple things for house work like tools, screws or other hardware that you will need when you first move in somewhere, but may not find in a regular grocery store. I recently learned that there is a "<a href="https://www.google.ch/?gws_rd=cr&ei=pzm0UsGoJcuZyQOlj4DwCg#q=Coop+brico%2Bloisirs+Lausanne" target="_blank">Coop Brico+Loisirs</a>" store, which sells all kinds of DIY goods and hardware. It's been a "handy" discovery (ha ha!). Anyway, the store is walking distance to the Riponne metro, and the prices weren't awful.
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<p>I'm sure I'll learn a lot more over the next few weeks, but I thought I'd share what I've figured out so far!
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-59037057035690439992013-12-10T16:50:00.001-05:002013-12-10T16:50:13.952-05:00Weekend getaways<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
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Knowing how busy things will be next year - with the combination of IMD kicking my butt, and Little Marshmallow keeping us up every night - Ashley and I decided to take advantage of our relatively slower schedule, and treat ourselves to a couple of weekend getaways.
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At this point, we've taken care of most of the basic arrival requirements: We've submitted all the paperwork to register with the Canton, we've opened our bank account, we've gotten our phone lines, and have figured out the doctor/hospital situation for whenever Little Marshmallow decides to join us. There are still a few things for us to do, but the biggest ones - namely the nursery - will require us to be in our permanent apartment, which we won't move into until later this week.
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So we said to ourselves - let's go travel!
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Traveling is something Ashley and I both love to do, and we've taken a lot of incredible trips together. We have no doubt we'll still take vacations and go places, baby and all, but we'll always look back fondly on all trips we've taken and the experiences we shared, just the two of us. We were happy to be able to get a couple last trips in before the baby comes!
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I had mentioned Lausanne's excellent location, just a few hours away from so many interesting destinations, in my <a href="http://imdexperience.blogspot.com/2013/07/10-things-im-looking-forward-to-about.html" target="_blank">list of things I was looking forward to about living in Switzerland</a>. Sure enough, we visited a couple fantastic spots, each less than a 4-hour train ride away. Last weekend we crossed into France and checked out Strasbourg, the "Capital of Christmas." This past weekend we spent a quick but fun 24 hours in Milan.
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Strasbourg was an extremely charming place. The entire town was decked out with lights, ornaments, trees, giant snowmen and gingerbread men. It really got us in the spirit of Christmas! We spent most of our time there walking through the many Christmas Markets, which seem to take over the town. You can really feel the sense of tradition, considering some of these markets have been in existence since the 1500s. The arts and crafts on display in the hundreds of stalls were impressive (and Little Marshmallow will be the beneficiary of some toys from there!), but equally impressive were the food and drinks. Crepes, cheesy baguettes, all kinds of cookies, chocolates and pastries... not to mention the Vin Chaud, a delicious warm drink made from a mix of wine, sugar and some other spices.
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Strasbourg's Christmas Tree</div></div>
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Milan also turned out to be a fun city to visit. We checked out the main landmarks including the Duomo (Milan's impressive Cathedral) and the Castello Sforzesco. We had some quality pizza, and Ashley - the only coffee drinker between the two of us - also enjoyed some true Italian cappuccinos. We did a good bit of window shopping, walking down the famous Monte Napoleone street with all its upscale designer stores. It made us wonder, who buys a $20,000 dress?!? Perhaps the coolest part of our trip came when at one point we came across this huge mob of people. There were some protesters, and some TV crews, so we were a bit worried we could be at the wrong place at the wrong time. At the same time, we could hear Opera singing in the background, which left us utterly confused. We eventually managed to get out of there, and later discovered all the commotion was for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Verdi's La Traviata, and much of Italian high society was coming into the Scala Theatre for a performance!
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The Duomo</div>
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With these fun trips behind us, we're now turning our focus to finally moving to our permanent apartment. I anticipate that we will be pretty busy getting the baby's room ready and fully unpacking everything.
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-62709418367428609952013-12-03T14:24:00.000-05:002013-12-04T10:22:39.141-05:00Lausanne: first impressions<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
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Ashley and I have been in Lausanne for about 10 days now, so I thought it would be interesting to write down some of our first impressions as we start to make it our new home. Of course, there are a few things that will take some figuring out and some getting used to. But overall we are very happy to be here, and have had a nice experience so far!
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Here are some things we've noticed:
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Everything is closed on Sundays (and apparently it will be worse come Christmas!)
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When we made our travel plans, we never considered how complicated it would be for us to arrive on a Sunday. As it turns out, *everything* is closed here on Sundays. Grocery store, pharmacy, everything. We had to buzz the security guard at a deserted IMD to pick up the key to our apartment. We didn't have any bed linens, and there was nowhere that we could go to buy any, not even in Geneva! Thankfully we happened to know someone in Lausanne who graciously agreed to lend us pillows and a comforter. Lifesaver!
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When in doubt, go to the Gare
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If you made the same mistake we did, and found yourself with no food on a Sunday, head over to the Gare (the main train station). There are a couple stores that are open, where you can find some food and basic necessities to get you to Monday morning.</p>
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Transportation is as good as advertised
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We've had a chance to take multiple means of transportation at this point, and have been impressed with every single one. When we first arrived, we picked up a rental car and drove from Geneva to Lausanne. What a fantastic drive! We've been riding the buses and the metro pretty regularly to run our errands, and have been very pleased with how clean, frequent and punctual they are. We even took a longer CFF train trip this past weekend, and that was a great experience as well. If only every country could have mass transit like this!</p>
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The lake and mountains are awe-insipiring
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Every time we catch a glimpse of the lake through the houses or the mountains in the distance, it makes us stop and appreciate how incredible they are. We're lucky we've had a string of good weather and clear days, including some spectacular sunsets. </p>
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We could get used to this view</div>
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There are a lot of logistics
<p>
It's a little overwhelming to try and figure out all our new responsibilities now that we are residents of Switzerland. As expected, there seem to be a lot of rules. The problem is we hear about them, and want to make sure we don't break them, but we can never find full information. A couple of the biggest things: if your building has communal laundry, you will be assigned a time slot when you can actually use the machines; for trash, you must use the ridiculously expensive, "official" green and white garbage bags. I'm sure we'll stumble upon many others over the next few weeks.</p>
</li>
<li>
Superb doctors and healthcare
<p>
Since we arrived we've been able to see a couple of doctors and visit a couple of hospitals in anticipation for the arrival of Little Marshmallow. We are very impressed by how attentive everyone has been. The doctors have been very thorough and have spent a lot of time with us understanding our situation, running all the checks and tests. They have gone the extra mile explaining to us what to expect over here and how things here may be different from the US. We were a little apprehensive about having the baby in a new country, but we feel much better now that we've had such a good experience.
</p>
</li>
<li>
Yes, things really are expensive
<p>
Nothing new here - we knew we'd get here and immediately feel the impact of how pricey everything would be. What's been surprising is that some things are exorbitant, and some others are actually fairly reasonable. Meat, for example, is absurdly expensive. That's rather upsetting for a big carnivore like myself. Cheese, however, is pretty reasonably priced considering the excellent quality. Other things I've found to be pretty reasonable: renting a car wasn't bad at all; our new printer wasn't too bad either. Maybe in the future I'll come up with a more thorough list.</p>
</li>
<li>
Speaking French would be helpful
<p>
Although I speak practically zero French, I've been able to get by somehow. I've been able to find a language in common with whoever I am trying to talk to, or worst case, the old hand gestures have done the trick. Most people speak multiple languages, and a lot of the time English is one of them. I have had to improvise in Italian and Spanish a bit too. No question though, knowing at least some basic French will prove to be helpful. Thankfully Ashley has been handling most of the communications, and has also been patiently trying to teach me.</p>
</li>
<li>
As it turns out, German would be helfpul too!
<p>
As we've been learning, if you ever try to surf the internet from within Switzerland, you will inevitably come across some sites that are automatically in German. The craziest thing - some don't even have a French, Italian or English page. It's been fun navigating through the Babies R Us website trying to figure out which link would take us to the strollers and the cribs.
</p>
</li>
<li>
Living here involves a lot of <i>climbing</i>
<p>
Going places here inevitably involves going up at least one huge hill or staircase. Poor Ashley, can't be easy to do when you're 8+ months pregnant! The one good thing is that it does prove helpful when we need to find our bearings. Up, toward the city, down, toward the lake. Sadly it always seems to be that everything we need is "up."</p>
</li>
<li>
Charming local stores
<p>
I love how, at least in our neighborhood, there are so many local "mom and pop" type stores. There is a butcher shop, a fromagerie (cheese shop), bakery, tea room... so much good stuff, just walking down the street makes me hungry every time. </p>
</li>
<li>
The weather makes a big difference
<p>
When we visited in April the weather was always overcast and never managed to get a peek at the mountains. We left with the impression that Lausanne was a little gray and gloomy. This week we arrived and have had some gorgeous sunny days, and we now the city feels a lot more vibrant and exciting. </p>
</li>
</ul>
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-7777170434318853742013-11-28T16:46:00.002-05:002013-11-28T16:46:43.647-05:00Hello, Lausanne!<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align: justify;">
After many weeks of hard work, preparation and anticipation... we have arrived in Lausanne!
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-COPyPSWQZYk/UpS8wbWYqMI/AAAAAAAAAQk/G-4CWAkf4dU/s400/Hello+Lauanne.png" width="300" /></div>
<br />
Ashley and I are both very excited to be here! We've been greeted by beautiful (but chilly!) weather and gorgeous mountain views. We have spent the first few days getting used to the new time zone, tying up some loose ends from the move, settling in and getting to know our new home!
<br />
<br />
</div>
Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-9676071169927396532013-11-23T11:07:00.000-05:002013-11-23T11:07:00.385-05:00Goodbye, DC!<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
The time has come to say goodbye to DC, the place I've called home for the last 8 years... I will always have great memories from this great city!
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="600" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xomVzwgt_u8/UoQADZum2II/AAAAAAAAAQM/eGZa0Gercrw/s640/DC+fireworks.jpg" width="450" /></div>
<br />
I will miss you, DC! I hope to come back soon!
</div>
Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-68373396161566346022013-11-06T16:47:00.000-05:002013-11-07T08:14:42.342-05:00Things have been pretty crazy<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align:justify;">
With the move to Lausanne now less than three weeks away, things have been hectic over here for Ashley and I. We've been running around like crazy people making sure we are taking care of everything we can for the move, and we've also been trying to enjoy spending time with our friends and family.
<br />
<br />
At home Ashley and I are in full-on packing mode. We've been bubble-wrapping, sorting and boxing everything up, so the house is a huge mess. In a matter of days we'll be loading a truck with all the belongings that we want to keep, but can't bring to Lausanne. Then we have a long drive South to take everything down to my mother-in-law's basement, since she graciously agreed to hold onto our stuff for us. It's a complicated operation, since we don't want to forget something up here that we'll then have to throw away, but we don't want to bring something with us that we will later need!
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>
At work it's now been widely announced that I will be leaving, so I've been in full-on transition mode. I've been writing up documentation about all my responsibilities, and having a ton of meetings to train my colleagues so they can take over my duties and keep things running once I leave. I figure one of two things will happen: either the bank will fall apart in my absence, sparking a new world economic crisis; or all my co-workers will finally realize what a slacker I am, asking themselves "is that it?" when learning about what I do.
<br />
<br />
On the bureaucracy front, it gives me great pleasure to say Ashley's visa has finally been issued - although not without some hiccups. After following up with the IMD support staff (who then followed up with the Canton), we discovered our application had landed in the wrong department somehow. So they got it to the right place and processed it for us, and sent the authorization to the Embassy in DC. Great! All set then right? Not so fast - they sent it with a later arrival date than we needed! So we had to circle back and request that they revisit the dates, but thankfully it all worked out and now Ashley has a swanky new page on her passport.
<br />
<br />
On top of everything, we've been pretty productive on the baby front too - we've gotten a good amount of shopping out of the way, and have carfully sorted the things we'll bring with us and the things we'd like our family to bring when they come visit. We have also completed a labor and delivery course at a hospital nearby, which was very informative and actually fun - well, except maybe when they talked about some of the more graphic and painful details! Hopefully we will be better prepared when Little Marshmallow is ready to join us. We've also had a couple of <i>baby showers</i> - following the American tradition where friends and family get together to celebrate the upcoming arrival of the new baby, and bring the new mom lots of gifts. It's generally a women-only event, but we had a co-ed one as well. It was a lot of fun to celebrate with all our wonderful friends and relatives who we will miss so much!
<br />
<br />
I imagine things will only keep getting crazier, but I am hopeful Ashley and I will be able to navigate through it all. It's surreal to think how soon we'll be in Lausanne, but we are very excited!
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-58887147829784770162013-10-29T16:36:00.000-04:002013-10-29T16:36:05.991-04:00IMD in the rankings - The Economist 2013<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align:justify;">
A couple weeks ago The Economist posted the results of their 2013 MBA rankings. IMD came in at a solid 13th place. Compared to last year's ranking, IMD's results didn't change a whole lot, but it did drop three places from last year's 10th spot.
<br />
<br />
A few months back <a href="http://imdexperience.blogspot.com/2013/05/imd-in-rankings-part-i-economist.html" target = "_blank">I took an in-depth look</a> at IMD's strenghts and weaknesses in the Economist's 2012 ranking. I thought it would be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison and see how IMD's rankings changed from 2012 to 2013.
<br />
<br />
Overall, IMD's value proposition continues to be strong, with high levels of student satisfaction and some of the best post-MBA placement/salaries out there. However, two things jumped at me from the results. First, IMD seems to still be feeling the effect of the less-than-ideal employment picture in Europe. The changes weren't too drastic, but there were decreases in the mean salary, the percentage salary increase, and the percentage of students with jobs three months after graduation. Also, IMD seems to have gotten more competitive. The average GMAT score has gone up by 10 points, the number of applicants per full-time place went up to 5 from 4 (a 25% increase!) and the student diversity scores have increased dramatically.
<br />
<br />
See below for the side-by-side results for each category:
<br />
<br />
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>
<a name='more'></a>
<br />
<table border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 645px;" align="center">
<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 17590; mso-width-source: userset; width: 341pt;" width="481"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 2742; mso-width-source: userset; width: 50pt;width="75"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 3254; mso-width-source: userset; width: 72pt;" width="89"></col>
<tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; width: 361pt;" width="481"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
<td class="xl68" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; width: 56pt; text-align:right;" width="75"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2013</span></strong></td>
<td class="xl68" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; width: 67pt; text-align:right;" width="89"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2012</span></strong></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Overall Rank</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">13</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">10</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Regional Rank</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Open new career opportunities (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">39</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">25</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Diversity of recruiters (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">82</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">>100</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">% working three months after
graduation (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">31</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">7</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">% who found jobs through the
careers service (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">34</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">28</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student assessment of career
service (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">16</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Personal development and
educational experience (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">26</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">30</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Faculty quality (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">41</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">32</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student quality (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">22</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">32</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student diversity (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">32</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">18</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Education experience (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">64</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">86</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Increase in salary (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Percentage increase on pre-MBA
salary (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">55</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">51</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Post-MBA salary (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">3</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Potential to network (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">22</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">24</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breadth of alumni network (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">77</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">78</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Internationalism of alumni (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">22</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">25</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student rating of alumni
effectiveness (rank)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">10</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">12</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student assessment of
facilities (out of 5)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.37</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.5</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Faculty</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ratio of faculty to students</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">0.39</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">0.4</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Percentage full-time faculty
with PhD</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">100</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">100</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student rating faculty (out of
5)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.5</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.4</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Program</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student rating of program (out
of 5)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.46</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.4</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ratio of overseas exchage
places to intake</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">0</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">0</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Number of languages on offer</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">3</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">0</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Students</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Annual intake</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">90</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">90</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Applicants per full-time place</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">5</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Gender diversity score (out of
100)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">48</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">28</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Geographical diversity score
(out of 100)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">63</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">57</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Average GMAT score</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">680</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">670</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Average number of years of
work experience</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">7</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">7</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Age range of students</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">28-34</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">28-34</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Average age</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">31</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">31</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student rating of culture and
classmates (out of 5)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.62</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.7</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student Origin (%)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Europe</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">45</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">49</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">North America</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">12</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">8</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Other Americas</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">9</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">9</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Asia/Australasia</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">25</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">25</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Africa/Middle East</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">9</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">10</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="8" style="height: 6pt; mso-height-source: userset;"></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Recruiters/Careers Service</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Industry sectors that
recruited graduates (out of 11)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">10</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">7</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">% graduates in jobs three
months after graduation</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">90</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">95</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">% graduates finding jobs
through careers service</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">65</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">74</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Student rating of careers
service (out of 5)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.06</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.2</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Post-MBA salary ($)</span></td>
<td class="xl71" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">131,566</span></td>
<td class="xl71" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">145,264</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl70" height="20" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Increase on pre-MBA salary (%)</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">67</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: white; border: 0px black; text-align:right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">77</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></colgroup></table>
<br />
A few more observations:
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>IMD's strengths remain very much in place: IMD students are very happy with the career services, the faculty and the program as a whole; the caliber, diversity and internationalism of the student body is still outstanding.<br /><br /></li>
<li>Although the mean salary has decreased, IMD's post-graduation salaries are still among the highest out there. In fact, IMD's salary figures are third best overall in the Economist's ranking, higher than any of the top 10 schools. <br /><br /></li>
<li>One area that was already strong, and actually saw improvement in this version of the ranking is the rating of the IMD alumni network. People are often concerned that IMD's small class size leads to a limited alumni network. However, the student assessment of alumni effectiveness gets very high marks, indicating that the IMD network is more about quality rather than quantity. <br /><br /></li>
</ul>
The Economist's full ranking <a href="" target="_blank">can be found here</a>
<br />
<br />
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-39610693686513732172013-10-17T08:17:00.000-04:002013-10-17T08:17:07.343-04:00Let the coursework begin<div style = "background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align:justify;">
<table>
<tr>
<td width = "70%" style="padding:0px 10px 0px 0px;">
The MBA program doesn't officially start for another three months for the class of 2014, but our first assignments have already started pouring in! As of right now, I already have six or seven different things to work on, including tests, deadlines and everything! And at the rate of a new assignment popping up every few days, it won't surprise me if I get some more even before the end of the week!
<br />
<br />
The first assignment came from Prof. Benoit Leleux to try and get us in the right frame of mind for his Entrepreneurship class. It's pretty straightforward - he asked us to read <i>The Monk and the Riddle</i>, by Randy Komisar, and write out some bullets and "learning points" as we read it. By all accounts it's a captivating and inspirational book about the life lessons of a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. I've purchased the book, but have to admit I haven't started reading it yet. I guess the old <a href="http://imdexperience.blogspot.com/2013/08/marshmallows-pre-2014-reading-list.html" target="_blank">reading list</a> will just have to be put in the back burner for now.
</td>
<td width = "30%">
<div align = "center" style="font-size:9px;padding:0px 15px 0px 0px;">
<img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ouBw4fh7vrI/UlgNDm6kitI/AAAAAAAAAO4/nvoETsfG6Z4/s320/Textbooks.jpg" width="180" />
<br />
The pile is only going to keep growing!
</div>
</td>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>
Prof. Leleux also gave the incoming class an opportunity to send him a business plan of their personal projects, as he could potentially include them in the list of ventures for the MBA Start-up Projects next year. What an awesome opportunity! Unfortunately I don't really have a venture to submit, so this won't turn out to be an extra assignment for me. But I am excited to see what projects we'll have the opportunity to work on next year.
<br />
<br />
I've gotten a couple of pretty sizable assignments for Accounting and Finance as well. Basically the professors have given us different textbooks to start reading and working through. We're expected to have a solid understanding of Finance and Accounting concepts coming in, considering how much we'll use them throughout the year. So these assignments will be quite important. By the end of November/beginning of December I will need to submit completed problem sets for each, so I want to make sure I stay on top of these! I have to say, I am actually glad to have a chance to start looking at these subjects early. Even though I work in the Financial Services industry, I don't really use too many Accounting or raw Finance concepts in my day-to-day job. So I know I will be rusty from those undergraduate days, and will probably need to do a lot of brushing-up.
<br />
<br />
The fourth assignment is kind of a fun one - it's an online Excel tutorial. I'm a big Excel nerd, so I don't think I'll need to spend too much time looking at the nitty-gritty details of every lesson in there. But just by spending a couple hours working through the initial assessment "pre-test," I've already noticed this could turn out to be pretty useful. Never hurts to learn some new functions or find new ways to do things more efficiently.
<br />
<br />
For Economics, I've been asked to fill a questionnaire about my current company's position in the market, some threats and opportunities or each part of the business etc. This exercise will really make me think about my company from a holistic perspective. Once again, there's a deadline: November 15th! I also have a ton of background reading to do, including refreshers on Macro and Microeconomics which will really bring back some memories from the old undergrad days.
<br />
<br />
The Leadership stream has begun as well, I've been asked to start working on a couple of documents. One is the Ineffective Leadership Episode, where I will describe a recent failure in leadership on my part. It will really make me think about my weaknesses, how I could have done better or how I can improve in the future. The other is the big one - the PPIN (Personal and Professional Identity Narrative), where I am really expected to spill my soul about who I am as a person, what kinds of things motivate me, what kinds of things intimidate me, what have been positive and negative influences and experiences in my life. I will have to have a 15-page draft ready by the time the program begins!
<br />
<br />
And finally, the career journey has begun as well! I've been tasked with updating my resume/CV. IMD assigned us a CV Reviewer, who will personally give us feedback and help get our resumes in top shape. They also posted some resources like videos and reading materials on how to maximize the effectiveness and impact of your CV.
<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I better get to work! Everything has already been pretty crazy over here, preparing for the baby and for the move, and trying to wrap things up at work. And this is no small amount of work that is coming my way! So I am going to have to time-manage extremely well over the next month or so to make sure I give these assignments the time and attention they require. Wish me luck!
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-47814507406443862492013-10-13T17:21:00.001-04:002013-10-17T11:01:18.229-04:00The partner perspective<div style = "background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align:justify;">
IMD is one the schools with the highest percentage of students who bring their partners. It's clear from reading blogs from previous years that the partners are an integral part of the IMD community. Not only do they play a crucial role in supporting their significant others throughout the MBA program, they also gain a lot of friends and positive life experiences during their time in Lausanne.
<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I am very happy that Ashley will be coming with me! More than ever, she will be my constant. She'll be taking care of the baby, working remotely, and pretty much keeping the boat afloat while I'm trapped in the dungeons at IMD. Considering how big a part she'll playing in getting me through the year, I thought it would be cool to ask her directly for some insights from her experience getting ready for our year at IMD so far.
<br />
<br />
So thank you Ashley for sharing your perspective, for everything you've done to help me so far, and for everything you will do next year to support me! You're the best! :)
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>What are you looking forward to the most about your experience as an IMD partner next year? What are you looking forward to the least?</b></li>
<br />
Ashley: <i>There are so many things I am looking forward to next year as an IMD partner! Getting to know the other IMD partners and their families is definitely at the top of the list. It will be a truly unique experience to be able to befriend so many people of such diverse backgrounds all at once. I am also excited to try life as an expat, especially in a French-speaking country. I’m hoping I can manage to pick up French again.
<br />
<br />
Hands down, I am least looking forward to missing my Marshmallow! I’m told that I shouldn’t expect to see him too much, which will be hard, especially once Little Marshmallow arrives.
</i>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>
<li><b>You have been extremely supportive, and all around <i>awesome</i> in helping Marshmallow get accepted and ready for IMD (and he loves you very much for it!). What was the application process like from your perspective? What kinds of things did you do that you think made the most difference?</b></li>
<br />
Ashley: <i>Why, thank you. :) The application process was unlike any other. When I went to grad school I just had to write essays with your usual word limits. IMD took it to another level with character limits, and the on-campus interview process. Though there wasn’t much I could really do, I tried to be helpful by reading as much as possible about IMD and sharing the information I found. In some ways, I felt I could contribute the most to the interview prep. Coming up with discussion topics and timing Marshmallow's presentations was actually fun sometimes. I was also happy that I got to go with him to Lausanne for the interview. I tried to alleviate some of the stress by taking care of little things, like removing lint from his suit. I think because I was able to go and see firsthand what a great fit he was at IMD, and vice versa, I was able to be more supportive as we waited for “the call.”</i>
<br />
<br />
<li><b>Not many partners have the ability to stay with their employers and work remotely from Lausanne. How did you orchestrate that, and how do you feel about the new setup? Do you feel these changes will have an impact on your career?</b></li>
<br />
Ashley: <i>Mostly I got lucky! Part of my job is related to happenings in Geneva, so it is fortunate that IMD is based in nearby Lausanne. As soon as we knew that attending IMD was a possibility, I put in as much extra effort at work as I could. My hope was that my employer would recognize my commitment to the organization, and would feel confident in my ability to work remotely if I needed to. Thankfully everything worked out!
<br />
<br />
I am excited for the new setup, and think it will be a great opportunity to learn to work in a new way. I think the changes will have a positive impact on my career, because I will have more opportunities to network with colleagues in Europe, since I’ll be much closer now. I will also have to become even more disciplined with time management, since in some ways I will be managing myself now.
</i>
<br />
<br />
<li><b>You are very brave to have your first baby in a whole new country. How do you feel about it? How have you been preparing for the baby's arrival, given your unique situation?</b></li>
<br />
Ashley: <i>I think that having a first baby is going to be a big adventure, regardless of the place. Being in a different country may make it slightly more challenging, but I am excited for the experience.
<br />
<br />
To prepare, I’ve started brushing up on my French so that I can feel a bit more comfortable going into the actual delivery process. IMD has been great about providing resources for expecting moms in Lausanne, so I’ve been reading up on what having baby in Switzerland is like. I’ve also connected with groups for moms and moms-to-be in the Lausanne area. These have already been helpful as we’ve started trying to find doctors, plan the nursery, etc.
</i>
<br />
<br />
<li><b>How have you and Marshmallow been enjoying your last few months of “freedom” before the baby and the MBA? How will you manage to stay sane with crazy schedule next year?</b></li>
<br />
Ashley: <i>Our last few months of “freedom” have really been focused on the move and prepping for baby. We do try to make a point to have a nice dinner, or a movie night snuggled up on the couch every now and then. Once we are settled in Lausanne, we are planning to take a few quick weekend trips to really take advantage of the last days before school and baby.
<br />
<br />
I have no idea how we are going to stay sane next year, and I’m not sure we will. At least the pace of life in Lausanne itself seems slower, so maybe somehow that will help balance out our hectic lives? Having family over will also be a huge help!
</i>
<br />
<br />
<li><b>Based on your experience so far, what would say to partners of future applicants, as they consider the big life decision of pursuing the IMD MBA?</b></li>
<br />
Ashley: <i>From my experience, I would say that I found it helpful to be as involved in the process as possible. I wasn’t sure whether or not I should travel to Lausanne with Marshmallow for the interview, but I am very glad that I did. Visiting IMD and getting to meet some of the other candidates reassured me that this was a great opportunity for Marshmallow, and that I needed to do everything I could to support his getting there. Once we got “the call”, I felt confident that the decision to go was the right move not just for him but for both of us.</i>
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</ul>
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-66017156025054770352013-10-08T14:57:00.002-04:002013-10-08T14:57:30.322-04:00A tip of the cap to IMD's support services<div style = "background-color:rgb(255,255,255); text-align:justify;">
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Much obliged!
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I wanted to acknowledge the phenomenal job that IMD's support service team has been doing to help out with our preparation for the move to Lausanne. The weeks are going by faster and faster, and Ashley and I have been working our tails off to make sure we check all the necessary boxes before our departure date gets here. Throughout the process, IMD's support team has been so helpful, resourceful and responsive, and it's made our life tremendously easier.
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I've always liked how the IMD "family" is so tight-knitted, and how the whole experience is so personalized. I am happy that Ashley and I are already experiencing this, even before we arrive!
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Here are some of the ways IMD's support team has helped us the most:
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<li> Visa support
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Our visa experience has been a bit annoying so far, as <a href="http://imdexperience.blogspot.com/2013/07/applying-for-swiss-visa-part-ii-trip-to.html" target="_blank">previously documented</a>. IMD has really helped us keep the process moving though. Initially, IMD made sure we stayed on top of it by explaining the process, and communicating the timeline from the get go. On top of that, Barbara and Regula made themselves available to talk via Skype and answer any questions regarding the process, which I found very useful.
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This week we got what may be the best bit of help from IMD with respect to the visa so far. I reached out to MBA support to let them know Ashley's visa had been pending for almost 12 weeks. Regula took the initiative to reach out to the authorities in the Canton of Vaud to follow up on our application. They got back to her explaining it had been delivered to the wrong department, and mentioned they will work on it this week so it should be completed soon. Very nice that Regula's initiative and IMD's relationship with the Canton has helped things keep going!
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</li>
<li> Housing
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<br />
Back in May I wrote about <a href="http://imdexperience.blogspot.com/2013/06/we-have-place-in-lausanne.html" target="_blank">how easy it was for us to find a place to live next year</a>. The process IMD has in place is simple and straight-forward. Knowing where we will be living has saved us the stress of having to figure out where to live when we got to Lausanne. The costs have been very well communicated as well, so IMD's approach has also been very helpful for budgeting reasons.
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<br />
On top of the regular process, IMD's housing support has gone above and beyond to help accommodate our situation. In order to make sure it will be safe for Ashley to fly with Little Marshmallow, we will be moving to Lausanne three weeks before our permanent apartment is available. Back when we first booked the apartment, we mentioned to the IMD housing support team that we would need temporary accommodation, and asked if they could help. There was nothing available then, and we didn't expect they would be able to do much for us. I was already dreading having to spend three weeks in a hotel, thinking of all the money we'd spend eating out every day. Then just a couple weeks ago, IMD housing support got back to us offering an apartment they came across, which had just opened up. I was very impressed that they kept us in mind the whole time! The apartment will be perfect for our needs, and thanks to their attentiveness, our move and our transition will be much smoother and much more economical.
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<br />
</li>
<li> Insurance
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<br />
I can't say enough about how helpful the IMD insurance contacts have been. Our situation is so unique, considering the baby, Ashley's work situation, etc. Needless to say I was extremely confused going in. I threw a million questions their way, but they always answered promptly and thoroughly. With their help, I was able to understand all the requirements very well, and Ashley and I have been able to weigh our options and know what to expect. I feel very confident we'll have the insurance we'll need, in the most cost-effective way.
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<br />
I was most impressed by the fact that the IMD insurance contacts truly wanted to understand our situation, and figure out what our best options were. They weren't trying to steer us to a particular plan or sell us on anything. They were always thorough, responsive and attentive regardless of whether or not we would be purchasing a plan through them or just staying on our current plan.
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<br />
</li>
<li> Partner support
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<br />
Ashley has been in touch with the Partner support team, and she has been getting so much great information from them. Life in Lausanne, life as an IMD partner, advice on doctors/pediatricians, delivering a baby in Lausanne... The IMD team has also done a good job of connecting all the partners electronically so they can be a little more familiar with each other when everyone arrives. Like everyone I have come across at IMD, the Partner support team has been extremely responsive and eager to help.
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It makes me glad that IMD understands how important partners are for the MBAs. I am happy that Ashley will be very involved in the IMD community, and that IMD is working hard to make sure she will also have a great experience in Lausanne next year!
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<br />
</li>
</ul>
So, a big thank you to the IMD support team - keep up the good work!
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-83573479399833001912013-10-01T12:05:00.001-04:002013-10-01T12:07:17.443-04:00The IMD Scholarships<div style = "background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-align:justify;">
Yesterday was the deadline for the submission of essays for the <a href="http://www.imd.org/programs/mba/fees/scholarships/index.cfm">IMD MBA scholarships</a>. Needless to say, I've been busy the last several days polishing up my essays and getting them ready to send in. The whole process was reminiscent of the days back in January, when I was cranking away on my IMD application form. Good times!
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<br />
IMD's scholarships are awesome. Excluding the merit scholarships, which are awarded at the time of admission, there are 11 others on offer. In a class of 90 students, this means that over 12% of the class will get a scholarship. And the award amounts aren't too shabby either: the lowest one is for CHF 20,000, and the highest is for USD 50,000!
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So there was plenty of motivation to get those essays in tip top shape!
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Each scholarship has different eligibility criteria - some are available only to women. Some are restricted to students from certain geographies. The one thing they all have in common though is a thought-provoking, leadership-oriented essay topic. Some examples:
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<i>"The role of entrepreneurship in moving my country forward and my contribution to that goal."</i>
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<i>"Does diversity in management impact the bottom line? If so, how?"</i>
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<i>"Which issue do you believe is the highest priority to address in your region/country? Why would you choose this issue? How would you, as a business leader, personally address it?"</i>
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<br />
<i>"Leadership in an era of Globalization - Include in your essay the criteria that you would use to select a future global leader, and why"</i>
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In my case, I was only elibigle for two scholarships. My two topics were the bottom two - "The higest priority to address in your region," and "Leadership in an era of Globalization." Even though I didn't actually start writing the essays until two or three weeks ago, I had been thinking about these topics for a while.
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<br />
It turned to be kind of a fun process to write these essays. I had some nice brainstorming sessions with friends and family, and I also did a lot of thinking on my own. It was especially fun (and sometimes frustrating!) to bounce my ideas off of Ashley, because she is an excellent writer and an excellent debater, so she would often poke holes in these ideas that I thought were so great, and I'd have to go back to the drawing board. It was also cool when once in a while an article would pop up in the news that would give me a different angle to think about, or a new idea to incorporate.
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I think the toughest part for me was to really break down the broad and abstract concepts, especially in the global leadership essay. The ideas in my mind felt like they made sense and were pretty concrete. But then I found it really difficult to put them on paper eloquently. Somehow they didn't seem to have quite the same impact. I feel like this turned out to be a very good exercise though - I am sure I will be trying to break down abstract concepts, and communicate my thoughts eloquently next year!
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Now all I can do is hope that the IMD scholarship committee reading my essays will like them! Although I have to say - my classmates are all very sharp, so I know there will be many deserving essays in the pile. I would actually be curious to find out what everyone wrote about, I bet these topics generate some really cool ideas and perspectives!
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-54649969388127769252013-09-25T14:51:00.001-04:002013-12-04T10:20:06.118-05:00MBA fair - the other side of the booth<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">
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Last week I attended the QS MBA Fair here in DC. I had been to a couple of these events before, back when I was still doing my research on different MBA programs out there. This time, however, was a little different. IMD invited me to help man their booth and answer questions from prospective applicants, since I have just gone through the admissions process myself. Exciting!
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<a href="http://www.topmba.com/events"><img border="0" height="77" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nA7Srv2L4V0/UkHC9OIE0TI/AAAAAAAAAOM/WuudSQSNLtc/s320/QS+MBA+tour.png" width="185" /></a></div>
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In my opinion, the MBA tour is a <i>must</i> for anyone interested in business school.
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It was a lot of fun to be on the other side of the booth. Once again, I was amazed by the diversity of candidates that IMD attracts. Even in a location-specific event like this one, people who stopped by were from several different countries, had worked or lived all over the world, and had an impressive variety of backgrounds and work experience. I got to chat with a lot of interesting people, who I truly hope will consider IMD for their MBAs.
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Not long after the fair began, I was surprised by an invitation from a Wharton alum to join a Q&A session as a panelist. A panelist! I haven't even started by MBA yet!
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Of course, I was delighted to participate. I joined the Wharton alum as well as a Stanford GSB alum, we were seated in front of maybe 100 people and shared our perspective on several different aspects of the MBA experience: deciding on the right school, the application process, financing the MBA, our goals and motivations etc. I thought it was fantastic that they sought out a participant from IMD for this event, to sit side by side with alums from other elite schools such as Wharton and Stanford. I also felt a lot of pride in representing IMD, and I hope I didn't disappoint! It was great to have many of the panel attendees come down to the IMD booth to learn more about the school afterwards.
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<br />
All in all it was a fun event and an awesome chance to see the MBA admissions process from a different angle. I thought I would share some of my observations and advice about how to make the most of the MBA fair:
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<ul>
<li><i>Keep in mind who you are speaking to</i>
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Often times there will be admissions officers as well as alumni at a school's booth (or even freshly admitted students!). The admissions officers will obviously be the most knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the program. They are your best resource to ask about financial aid, GMAT requirements, questions about the consulting projects/internships, career services etc. Making a good impression is always recommended, but I personally don't think you need to be too nervous or treat the conversation with the admissions officers like an interview.
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Alumni and students are the ones who can tell you about the experience itself. They will tell you about the workload, the school culture, their likes and dislikes. You may want to ask them things like what they enjoyed or didn't enjoy about the experience, what they wish they knew when they were applying, what made them decide to go to that school, what their goals were and how the school helped them achieve them. Odds are that most students will be like me, and will love talking about their experience, so they will be happy to keep in touch and help you out how they can.
</li>
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<li><i>Ask a lot of questions</i>
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Sounds like common sense, but remember, the MBA fair is one of very few face-to-face encounters you will have with representatives of the schools you're interested in.
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If you are just starting out your search, the fair is a good place to start narrowing down which schools could be a good fit. It makes sense to share what your general goals are, and ask for feedback about how to boost your chances. This is a good opportunity to ask about GMAT advice, and any other tips that will help you fill any gaps in your profile by the time you are ready to apply. Since it's early in your search, you have time to address or mitigate those weaknesses.
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<br />
If you are farther along in the process, the MBA fair is a great place for you to get a deeper understanding of your preferred schools. You're not expected to know everything about every school - it is an informational event after all - but knowing a little bit about your top choices will help you really start discovering what makes that school unique. It's useful to know basic things like the class size, program length, and some specifics about the program structure. This way you can ask more targeted questions about the school's culture and the real day-to-day life of a student in that school.
</li>
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<li><i>Follow up</i>
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<br />
Make sure you collect business cards of the reps from the schools you are really interested in, and follow up the next day. A short "thank-you" e-mail saying you enjoyed learning more about the school does the trick. It communicates that you are a serious candidate and makes a good impression.
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Also, don't be afraid to reach out to alumni, and ask for advice during the application/interview process. They will be your best source of information about a school and like I said earlier, if they are like me they will most likely be very eager to help. Consider also that the alumni will also be your network should you choose to go to that school - would you rather be in a school with enthusiastic, helpful alums, or one with unresponsive, apathetic ones?
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<li><i>Get there early, and attend the panels</i>
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When I went to the MBA fairs as a potential applicant in the past, I usually showed up about a little after the start time, and never really bothered with the panel discussions.
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After this experience, I can tell you showing up early (even before the fair begins), can be very helpful. The booths of the popular schools tend to get swarmed by candidates, and it can be hard to engage in a one-on-one conversation. Being one of the first to arrive gives you a much better chance of speaking with the representatives directly, without feeling like you have to compete with twenty other people to get your questions in.
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Also, after participating in one, I really wish I had taken advantage of the panels in the past. There was a lot of great insight and advice from the panelists and alums. They brought some good perspective on what kinds of questions you should be asking yourself, as you consider making the investment of going to business school.
</li>
</ul>
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-69642132968158377202013-09-17T17:17:00.000-04:002013-09-20T10:23:33.239-04:00Insights from an IMD Alum<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">
I recently reached out to Howie Chan - a fellow blogger, and class of 2009 IMD graduate. I asked him if he would mind being featured here on my blog, and he agreed to answer a few of my questions about his time at IMD. I am very happy to pass along some of his wisdom below!
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<br />
A big thank you to Howie for taking the time to help those of us whose MBA journeys are still just beginning. You can (and should!) read more about Howie's IMD experience in his blog, aptly named <a href="http://imdhowie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Howie after IMD</a>.
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Here's what he had to say:
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<ul>
<li><b>What did you enjoy the MOST about the IMD experience? What did you enjoy the LEAST?</b></li>
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Howie: <i>The most enjoyable thing about the IMD experience is working with a group of really smart people and building a camaraderie that will last throughout your lifetime. This enjoyment will continue to grow in the program and also after leaving IMD. The least enjoyable bit is the shear amount of time put into the program. You will live, sleep and breathe IMD. There will be conflicts and there will be very heated and uncomfortable moments. It's something that I did not enjoy during the experience, but learned to relish it as no valuable bonds and learning are developed during the good times. It's the hard times that counts.</i>
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<li><b>What was the hardest part of the program, and how did you get through it?</b></li>
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Howie: <i>The hardest part of the program was trying to have a personal life. I was with my spouse and it was really hard to be almost totally disconnected from her, especially during the first few months. We managed by purposefully planning at least 1 meal together a week and really cherishing any time we spent together. We also rewarded ourselves with a 3 week vacation in Italy during the summer, which was much needed.</i>
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<li><b>What about the IMD experience turned out to be different from what you expected going in?</b></li>
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Howie: <i>I expected a tremendous amount of work and leaving with some great relationships. But until you live it, you can never really understand what it feels like to be part of such an experience.</i>
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<li><b>How much free time did you REALLY have? What kinds of things did you and your wife do to manage the crazy schedule?</b></li>
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Howie: <i>Hah! I kind of answered this in the previous question. Especially in the first half of the year, we really did not have that much time at all. Even when I was home, I was working. So get creative and plan for at least some time once a week!</i>
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<li><b>How involved are you with IMD today? Are you still in touch with your classmates?</b></li>
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Howie: <i>I am not too involved with IMD itself, but our class is still extremely close. Ever since graduation, I have attended many weddings and we make an effort to meet up whenever we can. The relationships you develop during the program will last for the rest of your life and the world will no doubt feel smaller as a result. Whenever we do meet up, it's always like catching up with friends you have known since elementary school, but you realized you only spent a year together. I guess that's what an intense program does. ;)</i>
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Great stuff, thank you once again, Howie!
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-66788892099002938442013-09-13T14:26:00.001-04:002013-09-13T14:26:52.491-04:00Notes from the Q&A on Financing the IMD MBA<div style = "background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">
This morning I listened in on the IMD live chat about how to finance the MBA. It was a useful session - there were some good insights on strategies that students can use to make sure they will be able to pay for the program costs and live comfortably in Lausanne.
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In addition to Janet Shaner, IMD's MBA Program Delivery Director, the session included the participation of two students as well: Stefan and Shweta. They shared a little bit about how they went about financing their MBA, and and answered questions from the audience.
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Below are some of the themes and key advice I took away from the session:
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<li>IMD offers 11 scholarships. The <i>merit</i> scholarship is awarded by the admissions committee, based on the strength of the applicant's profile, interview and application. It is communicated to the winners at the same time as the offer of admission. The remaining scholarships are open for applications and the deadline is September 30th, i.e. around three months the program begins. A few of the scholarships have restrictions or give strong preference to students of a certain background or from a certain geography, but many are open for all students to apply.</li>
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<li> IMD offers loans up to CHF 65,000. According to the students in the session, these loans offer pretty favorable terms and are a good, straight-forward way to cover any remaining gaps for financing the MBA. They are awarded on according need-based approach. It is in IMD's best interest to make sure the students have the means to be fully committed to the program. Because of this, Janet reiterated that it is strongly advisable for students to be as detailed and transparent about their needs as possible in their application, so IMD can have a clear understanding of their needs and assist them accordingly.</li>
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<li> Interestingly, Janet specifically mentioned that IMD likes the students to have "skin in the game," i.e. they want to see the students explore all their alternatives and come up with as much of the financing on their own as they can. According to Janet, it is a good motivator for students, as well as a good indication of how seriously the students take the investment they are making on themselves.</li>
<br />
<li>Stefan and Shweta explained their approach to financing their MBAs. The theme for both of them is that the best approach seems to be combining a variety of methods. Some of the ones they mentioned: Personal savings, help from friends and family, sale of properties, re-financing or renegotiating existing debts, regional (non-IMD) scholarships, IMD loans, outside personal/student loans, working spouse.</li>
<br />
<li>Stefan and Shweta also explained it is important to get a good sense of the expenses that will come up at certain times during the year, and plan accordingly. It is especially important to plan for the early months, considering the initial cost of getting set up in Switzerland can be high. Some of the up-front expenses are: security deposit for apartments (typically three months' worth of rent!), a variety of Swiss taxes including the dreaded Billag, and insurance (health as well as property).
</li>
<br />
<li> Making sure there is enough funding to get through the first few months is paramount for those relying on IMD loans, since the proceeds are not disbursed until a couple months into the program (i.e. around March).</li>
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<li>Both Shweta and Stefan mentioned they did not encounter too many "surprise" costs for the program, which helped with their budgets. They suggested many of the costs throughout the year are not necessarily fixed, i.e. the student has the power to control and reduce some of the costs. They gave a couple of examples: flat-sharing, group cell phone plans.
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</ul>
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-33489373655376110162013-09-10T08:03:00.002-04:002013-09-20T10:24:05.666-04:00Event heads up - IMD online chat with Janet Shaner on how to finance your MBA<div style = "background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">
Just received an invitation to another "virtual visit" from IMD, which will take place on Friday, September 13th 2013 at 3:00pm Lausanne time. This one will feature Janet Shaner, MBA Program Delivery Director, and she will give some insight and answer questions about what students can do to finance their year at IMD.
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<a href="http://www.imd.org/programs/mba/Come-and-See-Us/lc-13092013.cfm" target="_blank">Link to the event registration here.</a>
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The start of the program is only four months away, so I would imagine most of the students coming into the class of 2014 have a pretty good sense of what their options are and how they will finance their MBA. But it's always useful to listen in and hear about <i>all</i> the available options. Perhaps there will also be some useful information about things students can do during their year in Lausanne to maximize their budget.
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-83867554663074416682013-09-04T15:38:00.003-04:002013-09-04T15:38:25.014-04:00What will we do with all our stuff?<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">
Planning a move to another country is a lot of work. So much so, it's almost easy to forget the actual "moving" part of it. One way or another, we need to empty out the house and figure out what to do with all our belongings. What's coming to Lausanne with us? What's being stored elsewhere? And what's going to the trash?
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Some people actually enjoy the process. Ashley, for example, loves moving. She likes going through stuff, packing it up, renting a moving truck, the whole thing. Not me. This stuff gives me nightmares.
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My biggest concern is that we won't be able to bring everything we need to Lausanne. This is an even bigger deal now that we need to account for Little Marshmallow too! Sadly, we just have to accept (and budget for) the fact that there are things we'll only be able to buy once we arrive in Switzerland.
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To be fair, we have been doing a good job of prioritizing, planning out how our move is going to work, and actually putting the plan into action. The first step has been to try and eliminate some of the excess. We've already started selling some books and other things we know we won't need. We've gone through closets a couple times and picked out some clothes to donate. We've also been asking family members if we could borrow some closet space or a corner of their basements to leave some of our things, which I am sure they are thrilled about!
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Going forward, here's what our plan looks like:
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<ul>
<li><b>Ongoing:</b> Inventory/categorize our belongings according to one of four options:<br />
- 1 - Will bring to Lausanne with us.<br />
- 2 - Will give to family members so they can bring to us when they come visit. <br />
- 3 - Will give to family members to store in their basement/closet until further notice. <br />
- 4 - Will keep until just before we leave, then throw away.
</li>
<br />
<li><b>Ongoing:</b> Give small amounts of things from categories 2) and 3) above to family members whenever we see them.
</li>
<br />
<li><b>September/October:</b> Take the sad but necessary step to put our house on the market and get it sold. Make arrangements with the buyers to continue living there until our departure date.
</li>
<br />
<li><b>To be done before mid-november:</b> Figure out what baby stuff we will buy here in the US before we leave, and what we will have to buy in Switzerland. (Ideally we'd buy <i>everything</i> here since it will be so much cheaper, but sadly it could be tricky to bring things like a stroller with us). Go ahead and buy stuff. Tell family members we hope they won't mind bringing a ginormous box of diapers whenever they come see us next year.
</li>
<br />
<li><b>Ongoing:</b> Continue selling and/or donating furniture and other stuff we don't want to keep.
</li>
<br />
<li><b>Mid-November:</b> Get a moving truck (already booked!), and load it with big items like our furniture, grill, television etc which we will keep in our family's basement while we're away. Make sure we also take things like diapers for them to bring when they come see us in Lausanne. Drive said truck to family's house. Once we arrive, make sure everything is properly organized and labeled: "Bring to Lausanne when you visit" or "Keep in Basement until further notice."
</li>
<br />
<li><b>A few days before the move:</b> Take the sad but necessary step to sell our cars. Rent one car to get us through the last few days.
</li>
<br />
<li><b>The day of the move:</b> Throw away remaining house stuff that we won't bring with us. Say goodbye to our beautiful first house, and probably cry a little :( Bring as many bags full of stuff with us as the airline will allow us (and/or as Marshmallow can carry).</li>
<br />
<li><b>Throughout december:</b> Buy necessary baby stuff like a crib, stroller etc in Swiss Francs. Ouch. Buy things like a blender and other household items we won't have room to bring, in Swiss Francs. Ouch.
</li>
<br />
<li><b>2014:</b> Look forward to visits from family members, who will bring all the pre-selected items we had left with them. Hooray!</li>
<br />
</ul>
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-11006525763748887272013-08-22T16:00:00.001-04:002013-08-22T16:00:43.411-04:00Blog stats: a testament to IMD's internationalism!<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">
Since its humble beginnings in April of this year, this blog has received over 4,000 page views. It's been a lot of fun to connect with others who are interested in IMD, and to share a little bit about my experience so far.
<br />
<br />
What's been really fascinating, though, is the geographical distribution of the visits the blog has received to this point. There have been visitors from 35 countries across all five continents! To me, this speaks volumes about IMD's international character and global reach. Here's the list:
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<table border = 0>
<tr>
<td width = "15%" style="font-size:12px;">
<ul>
<li>Australia</li>
<li>Belgium</li>
<li>Brazil</li>
<li>Canada</li>
<li>Chile</li>
<li>China</li>
<li>Denmark</li>
<li>Egypt</li>
<li>France</li>
<li>Germany</li>
<li>Greece</li>
<li>India</li>
<li>Indonesia</li>
<li>Ireland</li>
<li>Italy</li>
<li>Japan</li>
<li>Mexico</li>
<li>Nicaragua</li>
</ul>
</td>
<td width = "25%" style="font-size:12px;">
<ul>
<li>Norway</li>
<li>Philippines</li>
<li>Portugal</li>
<li>Qatar</li>
<li>Russia</li>
<li>Singapore</li>
<li>South Africa</li>
<li>South Korea</li>
<li>Spain</li>
<li>Switzerland</li>
<li>Taiwan</li>
<li>Turkey</li>
<li>Uganda</li>
<li>United Kingdom</li>
<li>United Arab Emirates</li>
<li>United States</li>
<li>Vietnam</li>
</ul>
</td>
<td width = "60%">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="220" qsa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T0HdUDHNAW8/UhZoLSlL_eI/AAAAAAAAAN4/g9EadZ1JqJc/s320/WorldMap.png" width="420" />
<div align = "center" style="font-size:9px;">
Not too bad!
</div>
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</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-81146916165080345712013-08-20T17:40:00.002-04:002013-09-20T10:24:40.942-04:00Insurance, ay ay ay<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">
Now that our visa and residence permit applications have been sent in, Ashley and I have set our sights on the next big bureaucratic hurdle: our insurance. For us this is an especially important step, since we'll be moving to Lausanne before the baby comes. We know we'll be visiting doctors as soon as set foot in Switzerland, so it is absolutely critical that we have it all figured out by the time we leave!
<br />
<br />
Our situation is kind of unique, because Ashley is planning to continue working remotely from Lausanne next year. And right now I am enrolled as a spouse in her insurance plan through her employer. So there's a chance we can both just stay on this same plan, and then add the baby to the policy when the time comes. Simple enough, right?
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I wish!
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Once again, there has been a lot of conflicting information and fruitless googling going on here. Thankfully, I've been in touch with IMD's insurance support team, and they have been *extremely* helpful. They've done a tremendous job at explaining to us what we need to do, and answering all our questions so far. Big tip of the hat to them. I'll try to share what I learned from going through this process so far.
<br />
<br />
Switzerland requires a minimum level of coverage for all residents (I believe the specifics vary from canton to canton). We do have the choice to stick with our US insurance plan next year, but to do that we need to prove that it meets the canton's minimum requirements. So - of course - we need to submit some paperwork to request an exemption. Specifically, we must get our insurance company to sign off on <a href="http://www.vd.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/organisation/dsas/sash/OCC_GLAS_GB_09_12_2007.pdf" target="_blank">this from the canton of Vaud</a>, saying that our current plan meets the compulsory coverage listed.
<br />
<br />
It does sounds like keeping our current plan is the best case scenario. But even if we do get the sign-off from our insurance company on the exemption form, we need to do our homework and really understand what our policy covers and what it doesn't. Obviously, every doctor we visit in Switzerland will be "out-of-network", so our out-of-pocket costs will be significantly higher than they are now. We also really need to know our policy very well, and not leave anything to chance. The last thing we need is to deal with insurance claim nightmares during one of the busiest years of our lives!
<br />
<br />
The alternative option is to sign up for a Swiss insurance plan. In that case, there are two possibilities: First, there is the IMD insurance plan, which sounds like the more convenient and economical option for most students. From what I gather, spouses can be included in the student plan as well, unless they will be working during their stay in Switzerland.
<br />
<br />
The other possibility is to take a regular Swiss domestic policy, which sounds like the most expensive option. But depending on any preexisting conditions, or job situation may turn out to be the only option, so it's not impossible for a student to be on the IMD plan but the spouse to need a separate Swiss domestic policy.
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<br />
This stuff is very confusing and overwhelming, but I think we've made great strides understanding our options so far. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will have the insurance finalized as well, so it will be one more item to check off the list!
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785289164604893664.post-80698036247291977732013-08-14T16:04:00.001-04:002013-10-09T08:38:20.250-04:00Marshmallow's pre-2014 reading list<div style = "background-color:rgb(255,255,255);">
As the time to jet off to Switzerland draws closer, I've found myself thinking more and more about what I can do to prepare for next year. I figure any knowledge I can gain to save myself time and/or stress when the baby arrives and the MBA program starts will be time well spent.
<br />
<br />
One obvious way to get ahead is to read books while I still have a bit of free time. This way I can get more familiar with some of the topics that I will be encountering next year, or at least start getting in the right frame of mind.
<br />
<br />
Here is my desired reading list for the next few months. Realistically speaking, I probably won't get to many of these, but I'll try! If anyone has any must-reads you would add to the list please let me know. Same if you've read any of these and know they will be a waste of time!
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<a name='more'></a>
<ul>
<li>
<b>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yes-Scientifically-Proven-Ways-Persuasive/dp/1416576142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376424133&sr=8-1">Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive</a>
</b>
<br />
Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, Robert B. Cialdini
<br />
<br />
I will be doing lots of debating (and hopefully lots of convincing) during the MBA program at IMD. I've read Cialdini's other book "Influence" and really enjoyed it so I am looking forward to this one.
<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whole-New-Mind-Right-Brainers-Future/dp/1594481717/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376424191&sr=8-1">A Whole New Mind - Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future</a>
</b>
<br />
Daniel H. Pink
<br />
<br />
As a "left-brainer," I'm very interested in the concepts behind this book. Just being good at programming or crunching numbers is not good enough today. Creativity, empathy and communication skills are more important than ever. One of my goals for next year is to learn new was to develop and engage my "right-brain" so I'll be reading this one closely!
<br />
<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576753514/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1QPBCYH2LBJX7">Managers Not MBAs: A Hard Look at the Soft Practice of Managing and Management Development</a></b>
<br />
Henry Mintzberg
<br />
<br />
This book goes into a critique of management education. It argues business schools churn out cookie-cutter, one-dimentional managers, when there should be more focus on one's personal experience. I think it's important to understand some of the criticisms of MBAs, and how I can mitigate/learn from them as I get through the program next year.
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<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Power-Presentations-Second-Edition/dp/1564144380/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376424282&sr=8-2">Secrets of Power Presentations</a></b>
<br />
Micki Holliday
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<br />
I don't get too many opportunities to give presentations at work today. So I imagine I will have a bit of a learning curve to overcome next year, when I will probably be putting together presentations all the time. I figured it will be good to pick up tips and best-practices on how to present convincingly.
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<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376424356&sr=8-1">Made to Stick - Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die</a></b>
<br />
Chip Heath, Dan Heath
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<br />
Students at IMD are expected to come up with creative ideas to tackle all kinds of different problems. This book gives some insights on what traits make certain ideas successful while others fail. Hopefully it will help me maximize the effectiveness of how I communicate my thoughts.
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<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Halo-Effect-Business-Delusions/dp/0743291263/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376424413&sr=8-1">The Halo Effect... and the Eight Other Business Delusions that Deceive Managers</a></b>
<br />
Phil Rosenzweig
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<br />
It's easy to think a business has the perfect strategy, the best employees and the brightest future when profits are up and everyone is happy. However all may not be well, and it's important for leaders to develop the awareness to know how to avoid these types of pitfalls.
<br />
<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376424573&sr=8-1">Thinking, Fast and Slow</a></b>
<br />
Daniel Kahneman
<br />
<br />
This book is about understanding how we think, and how we make decisions. It breaks down when it's best to be intuitive and think "fast" versus when to be analytical and think "slow." Sounds like a very interesting read, and it should complement "A Whole New Mind" and the concept of right-brain versus left-brain well.
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<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376425095&sr=8-1">Outliers: The Story of Success</a></b>
<br />
Malcolm Gladwell
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<br />
What makes successful people successful? What is different about high-achievers? This book looks at how intangibles related to a person's upbringing, their talents, social context and opportunities play a part in determining their chances of becoming truly great.
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<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Business-Cards-Relationships-Profitable-Networking/dp/111836418X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376500709&sr=1-1">From Business Cards to Business Relationships: Personal Branding and Profitable Networking Made Easy</a></b>
<br />
Allison Graham
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<br />
IMD will provide some incredible opportunities for networking, and I want to make sure I make the most of them. I like the concept of a personal brand as a way to present my best self, and make a lasting, positive impression on the people I meet.
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</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Too-Big-Fail-Washington-System/dp/0670021253/ref=cm_lmf_tit_2">Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System - and Themselves</a></b>
<br />
Andrew Ross Sorkin
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<br />
I'll be one of very few people in next year's class to come from banking/finance. I want to make sure I can speak about the financial crisis in a an informed and well-rounded manner, considering how close to the whole thing I have been in my work experience.
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</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393343448/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AKP9LYSJXB80T">Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World</a></b>
<br />
Michael Lewis
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<br />
Another book that looks at the consequences of the global financial crisis. Definitely seems like a good "big picture" book on understanding the effects of recklessness and irresponsibility by global leaders across the globe.
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<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Portable-MBA/dp/0470481293/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376502240&sr=1-1">The Portable MBA</a></b>
<br />
Kenneth M. Eades, Timothy M. Laseter, Ian Skurnik, Peter L. Rodriguez
<br />
<br />
I figured reading an MBA "refresher" type book would be good way to get a little preview of the kinds of things I will face in the coursework next year. Maybe it will also help me identify any areas that I need to work on or read more about.
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<br />
</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594484805/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER">Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us</a></b>
<br />
Daniel H. Pink
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<br />
This book dives into what truly motivates people. It challenges some of the conventional wisdom behind incentives, rewards and motivations used in business today. Seems like it would provide good food for thought as I carve my path toward being a leader and a motivator.
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</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594484805/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER">The Negotiation Book: Your Definitive Guide To Successful Negotiating </a></b>
<br />
Steve Gates
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<br />
Being a good negotiator will be critical next year, as I expect to encounter many situations where compromise will be necessary. It's a real skill to be able to reach agreement without having to back down and give up on what you really want.
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</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Your-New-Leadership-Role/dp/1607731010/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376503511&sr=1-1">42 Rules for Your New Leadership Role (2nd Edition): The Manual They Didn't Hand You When You Made VP, Director, or Manager</a></b>
<br />
Pam Fox Rollin
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<br />
I am hopeful the IMD MBA will help me make the jump to a role with expanded leadership. I am looking to pick up as much information as possible to help make that transition into leadership smoother.
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<br />
</li>
</ul>
I'll need to be up to speed on my parenting as well, so these will also be crucial reads. I'm sure this list will grow!
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365">Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad! How to Get (Both of You) Through the Next 9 Months </a></b>
<br />
John Pfeiffer
<br />
<br />
I will never be able to fully understand what Ashley is going through as our baby grows in her belly. But I definitely want to be as in tune as possible with what she is experiencing as we go through this incredible journey together.
<br />
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</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Father-Guide-First/dp/0789208156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376504978&sr=8-1">The New Father - A Dad's Guide to the First Year</a></b>
<br />
Armin A. Brott
<br />
<br />
I know much of the learning during fatherhood will be done "on the job." I'm very excited, but also a little bit terrified, frankly! I think it's a good idea to learn as much as I can about the process and what to expect. I want to be as involved a dad and as dutiful a husband as possible next year.
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</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happiest-Baby-Block-Harvey-Karp/dp/0553381466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376505026&sr=8-1">The Happiest Baby on the Block</a></b>
<br />
Harvey Karp
<br />
<br />
The people who reviewed this book seem to believe it worked almost miraculously. It taught them what to do to turn their finicky, difficult babies into calm, happy ones. Having a tough baby could make the year that much more stressful, so knowing what kinds of things I can do to help might make a big difference.
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</li>
</ul>
<b>Update:</b> Here's one more book that I want to add to this list:
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-World-Flat-3-0-Twenty-first/dp/B004VD3POU">The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century</a></b>
<br />
Thomas L. Friedman
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<br />
Looks like a fascinating read on how globalization has re-shaped the world over and over, and "flattened" it, that is, globalization has promoted individual empowerment by turning the world into a more level playing field.
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<br />
</li>
</ul>
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</div>Marshmallowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04366191468186624195noreply@blogger.com2