Going from the Military to the MBA - A Student's Perspective

"Once you combine the leadership and management experience of a military member with the formal business training you get out of an MBA program, that person is a powerful and valuable resource for the corporation. So it's a really great value proposition for the student, as well as for the company, and therefore for the school."
That statement comes from an Air Force veteran who served six years as an intelligence officer. Tremain "Trey" Wheatley is now in his second year at Darden School of Business. Trey is one of more than a dozen interviews I did for the two shows Military MBA: From the Military to Corporate America: Getting In and Fitting In.
Trey told me he was initially drawn to getting his MBA to enhance his skill set to expand his foundation. He had a lot to say to other military about how to make the transition. He says he first reached out to two members of the Darden Military Association -- a strong group on campus. He says since they understand the same language, they know that the new guys and women are going to need to know where to buy suits, how to interview, and how to craft their essays for their application. Trey says the second year MBA students -- who were former military -- are the best resources.
As for choice of MBA school, Trey suggests military look for schools with a military association, and see if those schools waive application fees for military.
He also says Darden appealed to him because it seemed well-suited for the military mind, given its general management focus. Trey likes how everyone in the program is trained to think like a CEO.
We'll let you know when the two Military MBA shows post on MBA Podcaster.

Military --- Good Fit for Corporate Life

The next generation of CEO's could very well spring from the military. And Melissa Knueven -- the Associate Director at the Global Citizen Initiatives at the Graduate Management Admission Council -- says military are strong young leaders, who have been tested under stressful situations most of us could never even imagine. They are able, she says, to solve problems with imperfect information. Knueven says, add the MBA, and you have a strong leader who now has an operations, accounting, and finance background -- a holistic view of business.

I interviewed Melissa for an upcoming show we call Military MBA: From the Military to Corporate America. There are two shows, actually, one subtitled Getting In, and the other is Fitting In. I'll let you know when they're posted on MBAPodcaster.com. And, while we're explaining things -- Melissa is with the council that owns the GMAT and the Association of Graduate Schools of Business around the world.

If you are military, and, at this point, searching for the right fit to pursue your MBA, Melissa says the best schools will be in close proximity to military installations, offer part-time or flex-time programs, and they'll have strong military networks and alumni base.

She says look for military-friendly schools. GMAC considers schools military-friendly if they do things like waive the application fee, they have financial aid available, and they offer a one-year deferment policy, keeping the spot for MBA students who may be deployed.

We have interviewed more than a dozen people for this show, so keep watching this space. One more comment from Melissa Knueven with GMAC:

"Whether you're transitioning out of the military into corporate life, or staying in, career-military, the MBA combined with that experience just makes these people forces to be reckoned with."