Could you briefly introduce your background?
I studied languages and literature at NCKU and have been working in the airline and leisure industry since graduation. I have more than six years of airline experience and one year of online travel agency experience. My main functions at work are sales and customer service.
Do you recall your original motivation to pursue an MBA degree?
The original motivation for me to pursue an MBA is to find more possibilities and move toward management. In my fourth year of work, I found that in my position at the airline it was going to be hard to move any higher but I was not sure which industry I wanted to change to, but I had a desire to work in HQ or regional offices that have more opportunities for strategic roles. Also, I want to learn more business concepts, which I did not have many chances to learn in university. Doing an MBA will help me both reach more possibilities at work and enhance my hard and soft skills in business.
What were the most challenging and interesting parts of the MBA application process?
The most challenging part of the MBA application process was to clarify my post-MBA career goal. In writing the essays, it all starts from what you want to pursue after MBA. When you know where you want to go after MBA, it becomes easier to write your essays. For example, the school might want you to tell them how their MBA program can help you achieve your post-MBA goal.
I found the MBA application process interesting because it is a good chance to research each program and get to experience their culture. For example, from the application process and the questions they want you to answer, you can tell that each school has a different focus. From the application and interview processes, you can also feel how you might best fit those MBA programs.
Do you have any tips for future MBA applicants?
Attend as many events and meet as many people as possible. As soon as you come up with the idea of pursuing an MBA, push yourself to participate in those events. Talking to the school admission office and alumni is helpful because you will get to know the school better.
You have a linguistics educational background. Do you have any tips for liberal arts majors that are pursuing MBA degrees?
Do an internship to gain experience related to your post-MBA goal. Also, it may require extra practice to get a high score on the quantitative section of the GMAT. The quantitative test is not hard, but it is important to solve those questions efficiently. Moreover, take some finance or economic courses before the MBA program starts.
You received four admissions + four scholarships from the MBA programs at IESE, HEC Paris, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Business School, respectively. Why do you think your applications were so successful?
Writing good essays is absolutely the first thing that helped me to succeed in getting those offers. My consultant John helped me a lot with writing logical and convincing essays. Also, I think having a clear post-MBA goal helped convince the admission office that I need this degree. Finding out how the school fit me was also crucial so that the admission team could make sure they offer me the experience I expect from their program. I also believe that showing how I can work well in a team environment was a strength in the interviews since MBA requires a lot of collaboration. Moreover, being polite in the interviews and telling personal stories sincerely will also make one stand out.
How did you make the final choice on which program to attend (IESE)?
I can really feel that IESE puts a lot of effort into helping students grow. From my personal experience, the number of events and panels held by IESE were way more than other MBA programs I applied to. Also, when I connected with alumni and other future students, they were all very willing to share. The diversity of the IESE community and the 19-month program length were also attractive to me.
What are you most excited about for your MBA life in Barcelona?
Since my educational background is in language and literature, I am looking forward to learning all the courses and strengthening my business concepts in IESE. Moreover, I am excited about taking tracks and student clubs to explore more opportunities and to meet more people. The vibrant city life in Barcelona is definitely something that I will not want to miss out on.
Is there anything you are doing now to prepare for your MBA studies?
I take SQL, Python and Power BI courses to prepare for my post-MBA career. I will take Spanish class to get myself ready for living in Barcelona and take some certified finance-related online courses. Also, I am connecting with other incoming students and joining as many IESE virtual panels as possible. At the same time, there is a lot of paperwork to be done before moving to Barcelona and I am working my way through that right now.
One final question (for fun). Have you read any books recently that you recommend?
I am reading a book called “Signals” by Jeffrey Desjardins but have not yet finished the whole book. However, I still want to recommend it because it provides a lot of information using charts and data visualizations to help readers understand future trends in the economy, society, and markets. I find it very interesting to learn about these trends in the global economy.