So, with all that said about the MBA experience, what can I do? (for you, if you are a hiring manager, post-MBA)
- be perceptive and tuned into the energies, feelings, needs, motivations, and rhythms of my colleagues, clients, coworkers, etc.
- delegate and project manage
- dig in and do what needs to be done, no matter the task
- brainstorm, identify potentialities, risks, scenarios
- step back to see the big picture
- treat my colleagues as I want to be treated, i.e. with respect and equality
- identify patterns in data and synthesize them for meaning
- remain calm and appropriately disengaged with conflict, tension, and escalation; self-soothe
- counsel colleagues through conflicts; reach resolution
- see things from the other side’s point of view
- ask for help or advice in unfamiliar situations (find the right skills if I don’t have them)
- negotiate calmly and effectively, using concepts like BATNA, mutual value creation, framing, etc.
- show flair for storytelling, communications in written and oral form
- fluently speak English, with some background in French (during university) and Italian (learning now)
- research and compile references, data, information
- navigate physical spaces with intuition and tools (spatially-minded)
- listen actively and observe more than speak
- be easygoing
- promote and encourage colleagues’ achievement
- promote and encourage my own achievement
- nurture genuine relationships and foster an organic network
- precisely explain a process, step-by-step
- keep to a schedule and plan ahead
- and lots of other things!
My CV is here. My Gallup Strengths Report is here. For anyone curious to reconfirm their core personality strengths, the Gallup test is $15 and IMHO, totally worth the money.
My favorite classes during the MBA were: Competitive Strategy, Brand Management, Pricing, Customer Data Management, Ethics, Non-Market Strategies, Retail Channel Marketing, Performance Management & Control, Product Design, Digital Strategy, and Innovating in a Global Landscape.
I am looking for opportunities in the areas I find most fascinating: luxury, fashion, and retail, but with focus on communications, PR, marketing, product management, buying, or HR.
Here are some of the opportunities I have already applied to: social media manager, brand relationship manager, corporate communications manager, fashion PR senior specialist, product marketing supervisor, affiliates manager, copywriter, global PR manager, international sales support specialist, etc., at firms like Tiffany & Co., Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bvlgari, Cartier, Stella McCartney, Gucci, Kering Eyewear, Matchesfashion.com, Coach, Estee Lauder, Saks Fifth Avenue (Hudson’s Bay), Eileen Fisher, and others.
The food market at Excelsior Milano
