給MBA學(xué)生的忠告

As MBA students start their programmes, we ask leading professors for tips on how to glean the most from business school.

在MBA學(xué)生開學(xué)之際，我們邀請了一些知名教授，讓他們就如何從商學(xué)院獲得最大收獲給新生指點(diǎn)迷津。

‘Focus: there is nothing else’

“專注：除此之外，沒有別的了”

Professor Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioural science and marketing, University of Chicago Booth School of Business

——芝加哥大學(xué)布斯商學(xué)院(University of Chicago Booth School of Business)行為科學(xué)與營銷學(xué)教授阿耶萊特•費(fèi)什巴赫(Ayelet Fishbach)

“Students must be prepared to challenge themselves, rather than prove themselves. And be open to challenge from others. MBAs must be willing to engage in everything on offer because the qualification goes way beyond just taking classes.

“學(xué)生必須準(zhǔn)備好挑戰(zhàn)自己，而不是證明自己。同時(shí)，也要對來自他人的挑戰(zhàn)持開放態(tài)度。MBA學(xué)生必須愿意參與所有的活動，因?yàn)橐氘厴I(yè)，光上課是遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不夠的。

“Some MBAs come to the course with a college mindset, thinking it is all about grades and stick to things they are good at. Give yourself space to develop.

“有些學(xué)生以上大學(xué)的心態(tài)來上MBA，認(rèn)為成績就是一切，并且還堅(jiān)守他們擅長的領(lǐng)域。要給自己一些發(fā)展的空間。

“And prepare mentally. For example, put away other things in life, be in the classroom — and for that time there is nothing else. Some find this very difficult, especially since we are all email addicted, but students really need to focus on what needs to be done.”

“還要在思想上做好準(zhǔn)備。例如，把生活中的其他事情先放到一邊，把心放到課堂上——在上課期間心無旁騖。有人覺得這很難做到，特別是因?yàn)槲覀兌紝﹄娮余]件上癮，但學(xué)生真的需要專注于該做的事。”

‘Managing your ego is a huge challenge’

“管理你的自負(fù)是一個(gè)巨大的挑戰(zhàn)”

John Colley, associate dean and professor of practice, Warwick Business School

——華威商學(xué)院(Warwick Business School)副院長、實(shí)務(wù)教授約翰•科利(John Colley)

“From day one, get involved in class discussions, rather than sit out the whole time — which some students do. Be willing to challenge.

“從第一天起，就要參與班級討論，而不要一直不發(fā)言——有些學(xué)生是這樣的。要愿意提出質(zhì)疑。

“Some MBAs arrive thinking they already know everything. They are just doing an MBA to get the qualification to further their career. But eventually they learn there is more to it.

“有些MBA學(xué)生認(rèn)為自己什么都知道了。他們來讀MBA，只是為了拿文憑，為未來的職業(yè)發(fā)展鋪路。但他們最后會明白，MBA帶給他們的遠(yuǎn)不止這些。

“Have an eye on where you are going career-wise. Many do not start thinking about this until two-thirds of the way through the course.

“要關(guān)注你未來的職業(yè)方向。許多學(xué)生課程已完成了三分之二才開始考慮這一點(diǎn)。

“In the classroom, there is always the issue of ambitious students jockeying for position. Learn to get on with others and manage your ego. For many, this is a huge change.”

“在教室里，總有一些雄心勃勃的學(xué)生在搶占有利地位。要學(xué)會與別人相處，約束你的自負(fù)。對許多人來說，這是一個(gè)巨大的挑戰(zhàn)。”

‘Try different things’

“嘗試不同的東西”

Kriti Jain, assistant professor in organisational behaviour and human resources, IE Business School

——西班牙IE商學(xué)院(IE Business School)組織行為學(xué)與人力資源學(xué)助理教授克里蒂•哈因(Kriti Jain)

“MBA students are high achievers and often come thinking they just need to demonstrate what they already know.

“MBA學(xué)生都已取得了不俗的成就，他們?nèi)雽W(xué)時(shí)往往帶著這樣的想法，即自己只需要展示已經(jīng)知道的東西就可以了。

“A constant problem is MBAs who turn up thinking, ‘I’m the smart one.’ They then quickly discover there are people who are as smart, if not smarter, than they are. Students will become more assertive or aggressive instead of listening to others, when in fact they could be learning from them.

“一個(gè)常見的問題是，MBA學(xué)生剛?cè)雽W(xué)時(shí)認(rèn)為，‘我是個(gè)聰明人’。然后，他們很快發(fā)現(xiàn)，有人和他們一樣聰明，如果不是更聰明的話。這些學(xué)生會變得更加自負(fù)，或更加咄咄逼人，不愿意聽取他人的想法，但事實(shí)上他們是可以向他人學(xué)習(xí)的。

“On an MBA programme we get lawyers, doctors and PhDs. If you are not open to a variety of views, you will lose out.

“參加MBA課程的學(xué)生中有律師、醫(yī)生和哲學(xué)博士。如果你不對各種觀點(diǎn)持開放態(tài)度的話，你將會失敗。

“Focus on building a balanced portfolio. Many MBAs focus on the things they are already good at — a banker will be good at finance, for example, so may choose finance options. But it is better try different things. Take on courses that might not bring immediate returns but will be useful later.

“專注于構(gòu)建一個(gè)平衡的知識組合。許多MBA學(xué)生專注于他們已經(jīng)擅長的領(lǐng)域——例如，銀行家的強(qiáng)項(xiàng)是金融，所以，可能會選金融方面的選修課。但最好是嘗試一下別的東西。選擇一些可能不會立即帶來回報(bào)、但未來會有用的課程。

“There is an over-emphasis on networking, and new MBAs seem to think this is the number-one skill. But recruiters are very sharp and will be quick to see a lack of substance in a candidate.”

“過度強(qiáng)調(diào)社交，MBA新生似乎認(rèn)為這是第一大技能。但招聘人員都有一雙犀利的眼睛，他們很快就會發(fā)現(xiàn)，求職者缺乏實(shí)質(zhì)性的東西”。

‘A successful job search begins straight away’

“成功的求職過程從一入學(xué)就開始了”

Aarti Ramaswami, academic director, global MBA, Essec

——ESSEC高等商學(xué)院全球MAB學(xué)術(shù)總監(jiān)阿爾蒂•拉馬斯瓦米(Aarti Ramaswami)

“Many students have partners and families, so the transition from employee to student can be stressful. Think about how to manage demands and expectations, from the programme and from family. Consider how you are going to prioritise.

“許多學(xué)生有伴侶和子女，所以，從員工到學(xué)生的角色轉(zhuǎn)換可能會讓他們倍感壓力。要考慮如何從課程和家庭的角度來管理需求和預(yù)期。要考慮如何來確定優(yōu)先順序。

“Learning is an entrepreneurial activity. The MBA is not a passive process. If a student is failing to leverage opportunities within the school and classroom; failing to practise leadership and communication style; failing to seek critical feedback from peers and others, they are not making the most of it.

“學(xué)習(xí)是一種開拓性活動。MBA不是一個(gè)被動的學(xué)習(xí)過程。如果學(xué)生沒有充分利用學(xué)校和教室里的機(jī)會、沒有實(shí)踐領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力和溝通方式、沒有尋求同學(xué)和其他人的批評性反饋，他們就沒有充分利用這個(gè)學(xué)習(xí)機(jī)會。

“A successful job search begins straight away. Reaching out to companies and industry experts takes time and it is never too early to start. Essec organises career fairs and company visits, and students can work with careers advisers.

“成功的求職過程從一入學(xué)就該開始了。與公司和行業(yè)專家接觸需要時(shí)間，開始行動的時(shí)間再早都不過分。ESSEC高等商學(xué)院會組織招聘會和到公司參觀，學(xué)生也可以咨詢職業(yè)顧問。

“Learning about the city or country you are living in, and how you can embed yourself in the community, can also help you adjust.”

“了解你生活的城市或國家，以及你如何能融入社區(qū)，這會有助于你做出調(diào)整。”

‘Don’t look for instant gratification’

“不要追求立竿見影的效果”

Tim Morris, professor of management studies, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

——牛津大學(xué)賽德商學(xué)院(Saïd Business School, University of Oxford)管理研究教授蒂姆•莫里斯(Tim Morris)

“MBAs focus too much on the practical application of what they are learning. Instead, read hard material that is abstract, think about what it is telling or not telling you, and be patient.

“MBA學(xué)生過分關(guān)注所學(xué)習(xí)知識的實(shí)際應(yīng)用。相反，應(yīng)該認(rèn)真閱讀抽象的課程材料，思考一下，這些材料告訴了你什么，或沒有告訴你什么，要保持耐心。

“Too often students are very bright but not getting the most out of their MBA because they want instant gratification. This is in contrast to senior executives on the EMBA who want to soak up hard, complex concepts. I want to see MBAs do this.

“經(jīng)常遇到的情況是，學(xué)生們非常聰明，但卻沒有從MBA課程中獲得最大的收獲，因?yàn)樗麄兿Ｍ@得立竿見影的效果。這與EMBA的高級管理人員形成鮮明對比，他們想大量吸收復(fù)雜的概念。我希望MBA學(xué)生也能這樣做。

“Do not walk into an MBA thinking just about business. Keep thinking more broadly about politics, international relations, demographics — ageing populations, for example — science, and what is happening culturally in the world.

“上MBA不要只考慮商業(yè)問題。把思路放寬些，思考一下政治、國際關(guān)系、人口統(tǒng)計(jì)(比如，人口老齡化)、科學(xué)、以及世界在文化方面的發(fā)展等問題。

“Students’ biggest pitfall is not reflecting enough. Too many become obsessed with the dream of becoming a tech entrepreneur. It is not for everyone, so students should try to get away from this.

“學(xué)生們最容易犯的錯(cuò)誤是思考不夠。太多學(xué)生癡迷于成為科技創(chuàng)業(yè)者的夢想。這個(gè)夢想并不適合每個(gè)人，所以，學(xué)生們應(yīng)該盡量避免犯這樣的錯(cuò)誤。

“And students ought to leave tech behind. Turn off your phone and immerse yourself in what you are learning.”

“學(xué)生應(yīng)該把科技拋到腦后，關(guān)掉你的手機(jī)，潛心于正在學(xué)習(xí)的東西中。”

‘Remain humble and keep working hard’

“保持謙虛、繼續(xù)努力學(xué)習(xí)”

Professor Juan Antonio Fernández, associate dean and MBA director, China Europe International Business School

——中歐國際工商學(xué)院副教務(wù)長和MBA課程主任范悅安(Juan Antonio Fernández)教授

“The MBA is an 18-month marathon, not a sprint, so you need to be mentally and physically ready. “MBA課程是一項(xiàng)為期18個(gè)月的馬拉松，不是短跑，因此，學(xué)生在心理上和身體上都要做好準(zhǔn)備。

“It is all about the balance: studying and finding time to immerse yourself in the never-ending flow of activities and events happening outside the classroom; between moments of feeling as if you have got it all together and frantic times when you realise there is no way to meet a deadline unless your entire team works through the night.

“歸根結(jié)底就是兩個(gè)字，平衡：在學(xué)習(xí)和尋找時(shí)間讓自己沉浸到課堂之外永無止境的活動中這兩者之間做好平衡;在一切好像處理得有條不紊，和突然意識除非整個(gè)團(tuán)隊(duì)通宵工作、否則就沒法按時(shí)完成作業(yè)的抓狂時(shí)刻之間掌握好平衡。

“On the first full day there is an exam for each new class. In between settling in, exploring the campus and getting to know your classmates, Ceibs students should set aside time to study.

“開學(xué)后的第一個(gè)整天，每一門新課都有一個(gè)測驗(yàn)。在適應(yīng)學(xué)校新環(huán)境之余，抽時(shí)間到校園的各處轉(zhuǎn)轉(zhuǎn)，認(rèn)識認(rèn)識同學(xué)。中歐國際工商學(xué)院的學(xué)生應(yīng)該留出學(xué)習(xí)的時(shí)間。

“Doing well in these exams will help boost confidence. But if a student aces it, they must be careful not to get overconfident — remain humble and keep working hard.” “在這些考試中表現(xiàn)優(yōu)異有助于增加自信。不過，如果考得好，一定注意不要過分自信——要保持謙虛，繼續(xù)努力學(xué)習(xí)。”

‘The biggest rewards come to those who try something different’

“愿意嘗試新東西的學(xué)生收獲最大”

Lead faculty, Columbia Business School

——哥倫比亞商學(xué)院教職員主管(Lead faculty)

“Remember to step back and get some perspective. What are your goals? What do you want out of the MBA experience? Where do you want to be in a year? Five years? Ten?

“記住，退后一步，從更廣闊的視角看問題。你的目標(biāo)是什么?你期望從MBA的經(jīng)歷中得到些什么?你未來一年、五年或十年的目標(biāo)是什么?

“Often MBA students do not take enough risks. It is easy to go down the predictable path of consulting, investment banking or brand management. But the biggest rewards come to those who try something different.

“通常情況下，MBA學(xué)生的冒險(xiǎn)意愿不夠。走上咨詢、投行或品牌管理這些可預(yù)見的職業(yè)道路很容易。不過，那些嘗試不同領(lǐng)域的同學(xué)的收獲最大。

“Once students get into the programme it is easy to be swayed by the crowd and lose sight of original goals for attending business school. Find activities, clubs, classes, and colleagues who can help you explore options, yet still keep an eye on long-term goals.”

“進(jìn)入MBA項(xiàng)目后，學(xué)生們很容易受到他人的影響，迷失了上商學(xué)院的最初目標(biāo)。在不偏離長期目標(biāo)的同時(shí)，參加一些活動、俱樂部和課程，認(rèn)識一些能幫助你探尋各種職業(yè)發(fā)展選項(xiàng)的同學(xué)。”

Contributions from professors Modupe Akinola, Adam Galinsky, Michael Morris and Katherine Phillips

莫杜佩•阿基諾拉(Modupe Akinola)、亞當(dāng)•加林斯基(Adam Galinsky)、邁克爾•莫里斯(Michael Morris)和凱瑟琳•菲利普斯(Katherine Phillips)教授對本文亦有貢獻(xiàn)。