I graduated two years ago, and have been working at a International Corporate Architectural practice since. My desire to go into real estate has been growing ever since university, and Im quite sure this is the path I want to move in after I get my architectural license. My question is the following If i want to get into a prominent MBA program such as Columbia, do they appreciate architectural experience at big international corporate firms or would they rather you be in a small firm doing more hands on experience. The practice im working in at the moment in NY seems to be the perfect choice, as they do projects all over the world with several offices in europe, middle east and asia. But again im working mainly on competitions and 3d modelling, not much management, which I beleive a smaller firm would allow for. What are your thoughts on the best way to choose a firm that an admissions comitee from a Top MBA program would appreciate? Also any tips in how i can better prepare myself in the next few years to get into a top mba program?
i am only an architecture student but I also have similar interests in getting a MBA or MSRED one day.
Strong leadership is probably the key thing most business schools look for so even if what you do is not directly related to what you will learn in b school, a lot of these qualities that you could be initiating in the firm can transfer over.
Having said that though, aptitude in analytical skills and exposure to finance and management would be helpful so you could try and expose yourself more into the business development or the management side of practice. And at a corporate firm with global exposure, I am sure you could learn a lot from understanding how massive global projects are handled- everything from contracts to client correspondence to negotiating with the countless numbers of contractors and client groups.
Corresponding with clients would certainly help since it shows that you have good public skills.
in sum, i think the firm you're at is pretty ideal as long as you find the appropriate responsibilities. maybe working for a development firm which finances and builds these projects would be even better since most architecture firms only do the design work. you could also look into innovative practices which transcend traditional boundaries of practice like ShoP, Flank, or design-build companies.
Find a development firm, if you can. Most are dead in the water now, though. Besides that, find an arch firm that deals with developers daily. Ask questions, understand what motivates them and what drives the process.
I can speak only about my own experience, but I believe most top MBA programs make a genuine effort to promote a broad diversity in each entering class. This diversity is tied to both expertise and geography.
My own MBA is from one of the top Ivys. We learned exclusively through the case study method. Much as in Architecture, we learned mostly from each other - the faculty were there to guide the process while the class dissected and discussed each case. Most of what I took away came from listening to the different takes on a business problem provided by individuals with backgrounds in finance, manufacturing, retail, the military, library science, the law, accounting, etc.
My entering class of 800 contained four graduate architects. We all had 2-4 years of work experience and, I believe, we all had demonstrated strong ability to be successful in an academic environment (i. e. good undergrad grades and good ATGSB scores.) Beyond that, none of us were particularly remarkable.
Looking back, I believe the admissions office looked mostly at my ability to communicate and think outside the box. Being a licensed architect at that time didn't hurt - but it probably wasn't a major benefit either. The firm where I had been working (a relatively unknown firm at that time) probably had zero influence on my application's strength. A history of success and a demonstrable ability to contribute were, I believe, the major factors in my acceptance.
To be fair, Jimmy Carter was President while I was in grad school so the admissions process could be quite different today. I suggest you establish a dialogue with the admissions offices at the schools in which you have an interest. They're generally quite willing to provide guidance on matters like this.
MBA - Is corporate the way?
I graduated two years ago, and have been working at a International Corporate Architectural practice since. My desire to go into real estate has been growing ever since university, and Im quite sure this is the path I want to move in after I get my architectural license. My question is the following If i want to get into a prominent MBA program such as Columbia, do they appreciate architectural experience at big international corporate firms or would they rather you be in a small firm doing more hands on experience. The practice im working in at the moment in NY seems to be the perfect choice, as they do projects all over the world with several offices in europe, middle east and asia. But again im working mainly on competitions and 3d modelling, not much management, which I beleive a smaller firm would allow for. What are your thoughts on the best way to choose a firm that an admissions comitee from a Top MBA program would appreciate? Also any tips in how i can better prepare myself in the next few years to get into a top mba program?
i am only an architecture student but I also have similar interests in getting a MBA or MSRED one day.
Strong leadership is probably the key thing most business schools look for so even if what you do is not directly related to what you will learn in b school, a lot of these qualities that you could be initiating in the firm can transfer over.
Having said that though, aptitude in analytical skills and exposure to finance and management would be helpful so you could try and expose yourself more into the business development or the management side of practice. And at a corporate firm with global exposure, I am sure you could learn a lot from understanding how massive global projects are handled- everything from contracts to client correspondence to negotiating with the countless numbers of contractors and client groups.
Corresponding with clients would certainly help since it shows that you have good public skills.
in sum, i think the firm you're at is pretty ideal as long as you find the appropriate responsibilities. maybe working for a development firm which finances and builds these projects would be even better since most architecture firms only do the design work. you could also look into innovative practices which transcend traditional boundaries of practice like ShoP, Flank, or design-build companies.
Find a development firm, if you can. Most are dead in the water now, though. Besides that, find an arch firm that deals with developers daily. Ask questions, understand what motivates them and what drives the process.
I can speak only about my own experience, but I believe most top MBA programs make a genuine effort to promote a broad diversity in each entering class. This diversity is tied to both expertise and geography.
My own MBA is from one of the top Ivys. We learned exclusively through the case study method. Much as in Architecture, we learned mostly from each other - the faculty were there to guide the process while the class dissected and discussed each case. Most of what I took away came from listening to the different takes on a business problem provided by individuals with backgrounds in finance, manufacturing, retail, the military, library science, the law, accounting, etc.
My entering class of 800 contained four graduate architects. We all had 2-4 years of work experience and, I believe, we all had demonstrated strong ability to be successful in an academic environment (i. e. good undergrad grades and good ATGSB scores.) Beyond that, none of us were particularly remarkable.
Looking back, I believe the admissions office looked mostly at my ability to communicate and think outside the box. Being a licensed architect at that time didn't hurt - but it probably wasn't a major benefit either. The firm where I had been working (a relatively unknown firm at that time) probably had zero influence on my application's strength. A history of success and a demonstrable ability to contribute were, I believe, the major factors in my acceptance.
To be fair, Jimmy Carter was President while I was in grad school so the admissions process could be quite different today. I suggest you establish a dialogue with the admissions offices at the schools in which you have an interest. They're generally quite willing to provide guidance on matters like this.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Guys could you give me your e mails in order to send you informations about the programs you may want?.
Best,
Take a look,
http://www.ie.edu/school-architecture-design/master-architectural-management-design/
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