Previous Review: The Founder

 

McDonalds, McDonalds, McDonalds, what a success! Well, all credits go to a man named Ray Kroc.

 

In the mid 1950’s, after numerous attempts to sell milkshakes to restaurants, Ray Kroc suddenly got introduced to a well performing California Hamburger Stall that was getting a lot of attraction from customers. He later was able to convince its owners to franchise it and was able to turn it into the Godzilla of fast food brands. Throughout the movie, Ray Kroc stumbles upon many challenges and debates with the owners but always manages to overcome them given his supreme persistence behavior. As the franchise grows bigger, he gets greedier yet more persistent and clever. Eventually, he went on to becoming the founder of the biggest fast food restaurant in the world.

 

This movie/documentary offers amazing insights into the world of franchising and the challenges that come with it in terms of competition, sales and creativity. One of the concepts showcased in the movie and emphasized upon is the importance of evolving and changing in business. Ray Croc who started as a partner and franchisee of the Mcdonald’s brand was always an enthusiast of adding new ideas, products, innovations and services. Whereas, the McDonald’s brothers (The Founders) were satisfied with the status quo and against any idea proposed to enhance the business and innovate on the products and service. We all know that businesses that fail to change and innovate die one way or another for change is the only constant.

Another concept of importance was the value of customer service and satisfaction, Mcdonald’s was one of the innovators in terms of Total Quality Management. This was mainly through the way the kitchen was designed, the division of labor inside the kitchen and the speedy service to the customers who by the way got their food by waitresses to their cars.

This bright, absorbing biopic – in a very real sense, a monster movie – sets out how he did it. It’s eye-opening, well-acted, and darkly entertaining.

 

 

 

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.   “Napoleon Hill”

5 Things To Consider Before Doing Your Masters

 

Taking the decision of going abroad is never an easy one, it usually requires some planning and some decision making to make sure it’s the best fit. When choosing to do masters program abroad you should consider the following:

 

The Program:

Choosing a suitable masters program is one of the toughest decisions I had to make. It’s the kind of decision with the point of no return ( especially if you paid your tuition at the beginning).

When considering a business program apart from the general MBA which requires some years of experience, you have 3 options.

1. Choose a continuation program of your major. For example: If you have a bachelors in finance you can continue a masters degree in finance, get more knowledge in the field and do your research accordingly.
2. Choose a program under the umbrella of your bachelors program. For example: Mastering in corporate finance if you have a bachelors in finance or international marketing if you studied international business or marketing.
3. Doing something completely different! For example: If you have a a bachelors in management but with a twist for an entrepreneurial spirit, doing a masters in entrepreneurship is always a great option

 

The School:

When looking for a good business school, you will be drowning in options. The choices are many, but the ones who attain certain qualities of education are a different story.

It is recommended to take a good look at the accreditations a business school has. The definition of accreditiations is:

Accreditation is a process of validation in which colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning are evaluated. The standards for accreditation are set by a peer review board whose members include faculty from various accredited colleges and universities.

Make sure the school has at least 1 accreditation and a good reputation. This will definitely influence your job opportunities later on

 

The Courses:

Once you settle on a program, take a quick look at the courses offered for your program. The difference between what you have in mind and reality might come as a shock and influence your performance if you have no clue what to expect.

The Country:

 

Do your research on the country you plan on living in for it will be a year minimum. Check the visa requirements if you need one, the cost of living there (including food, rent and transportation). Take a quick look on the culture, things to do and student life. You are not going to be working 24/7!

Countries like France for example offer students help in rent expenses and is a great place to have fun and check the area and culture (Also, the wine is amazing)

 

The tuition:

When looking for a suitable business school, you will be surprised that many schools offer almost the same programs while having relatively the same reputations and accreditations. The only difference would be a sizable sum of tuition especially if you are interested in going to Europe. Choose wisely!

 

Stay tuned for more articles on how to choose the best business program for you!

 

 

 

 

4 things to Consider Before Choosing Your Business Major!

Choosing a major when considering to enter a  business school is one hell of a decision. Although most business schools give basic courses that are common to all business majors, what really counts are the 3-5 concentration courses that really make the difference on your career, perspective and mentality.

First, know what are you getting yourself into

Is it something I would handle studying for 3-4 years? It would be a terrible experience to go into accounting or finance major if you hate numbers, Or into economics if you hate charts and graphs!

 

Do your research about the market needs…

What are the future career opportunities? Sure, you can study finance and work in marketing later on, but is it worth all the effort?

Does it align with your passion?

Many people have a knack for investing even before going to business school while others might have an eye for campaigns and generally enjoy psychology related topics. Its obvious!

Finally,

What are the potential post graduate programs you would care to pursue?

While many business majors have multiple postgraduate masters programs, others have less options that would strictly bind you to one career. A Masters in digital marketing would be wonderful, but would not be helpful if you want to work as a banker!

Eventually, make sure you really think well about your options and decisions! you never know where life will take you!

 

The Art of Picking Professors

No matter what university you pick, everyone goes through the same hassle. The hassle of picking professors. As I was going through my university years I had my experiences with professors & picking them. So here is an unbiased perspective of some things I learned:

Don’t Listen to the voices around you

I was told by some friends that  finance professor X was the best & that I should avoid professor Y. To my surprise, professor X failed me & I repeated the course with professor Y getting a grade I didn’t expect. Moral of the story don’t listen to the voices around you & search harder than just student gossip.

Seek knowledge, not grades…

There are always professors that go by the book, who tell you what to study & facilitate the searching process therefore giving you grades. Avoid these professors as they will make you lazy in your search for knowledge & they won’t teach you the necessary out of the box skills that you will need in your jobs.

Instead,

Go out of your comfort zone !

Go for professors that won’t tell you what to study. Ones that will give you case studies every week while rotating you into different groups & have long open book exams. These professors will not give you the grades you want, but their lectures will be the ones that stick with you for life.

Go the extra mile

Visit professors in their visiting hours before you register for them, ask them about the curriculum, the assignments & what their program looks like. That should give you the proper insight on whether to pick them or not.

Experts Differ from Novices

Avoid business professors with no business experience in their bags & pure academia backgrounds. Business is a hands-on skill & can only be taught if you have your hands in it.

Expand your knowledge

Go for electives that you aren’t familiar with in both humanities & social sciences. Your business degree could be a tool to sustain the existence of a service or product that is out of your major. Always remember that the first creative idea in Apple computers was the calligraphy fonts in the typing program that was due to Steve Jobs dropping into calligraphy classes at his university.

Finally, remember that the money you put in your university is an investment in your future. It is your legitimate right to hand pick your professors & to make sure you’re attending classes aligned with your visualization of your future. Make sure you pick these professors for the right reasons. Grades will not give you the experiences and skill sets you will need in your business career. Don’t always get mad when you don’t get the classes you want, it could be a hidden blessing.