BW Online | May 3, 2004 | The Lure Of Luxury For MBAs

BW Online | May 3, 2004 | The Lure Of Luxury For MBAs

Let's say you're an MBA who would like to go into luxury goods marketing. Let's say you're also a management consultant who worked previously at one of the large consulting, MBA-feeder companies. What should you do with the information contained in this article?

First of all, you probably already know some of the information contained in this short article, but certainly there would be a couple of nuggests, or perhaps names, that you didn't know. The article lists three schools that are setting up luxury goods marketing clubs and mentions professors who lecture on the subject or use luxury marketing cases in their classes.

You should follow up on this information. Read up on these professors' research and publications. Try to contact the students involved in founding the clubs. Talk to them about luxury goods marketing at these specific schools, their satisfaction with the program, job prospects, best professors, etc.

Then when you are asked to discuss your goals and "Why You want to attend School X" in your essays or your interview, you can use this information in your response.

This approach accomplishes two admissions goals:

1) It gives you a specific and somewhat distinctive goal. You don't want to "go into marketing." You are more focused already -- it's luxury goods marketing. Furthermore, luxury goods are a growing market for MBAs, although not the best paying one.
2) You are showing a lot of initiative and dedication in reseaching the school, and your choice of school obviously supports your career goal. You are demonstrating "fit," a key element in admissions.

What if you aren't interested in luxury goods marketing, but in high tech marketing, the financial aspects of health care, or product development in biotech? You may not have a BW article handy, but the process is the same: Contact current students in the field and at the schools you are interested in. Do some research on the profs in your area of interest. Then incorporate your research into your goals essay next fall. Again, you want to show fit, initiative, and how the MBA at School X is the best bridge to take you from where you are today to where you want to be tomorrow.