MBA Business Schools
Stacy Blackman Markets the MBA Experience
by Amelia Gray
While MBA graduates can be found in all aspects of business, few would consider returning to the MBA application process. From an experience most MBA graduates would rather forget, Stacy Blackman found her market.
When Stacy Blackman graduated with her MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, she did what thousands of new MBA graduates do every year: She got a great job. While Stacy had finance experience before her MBA training, she found her passion in business marketing and landed a job as an online marketing manager with Charles Schwab.
The company was going through a transitional period, and needed savvy marketing MBA students to help bring the business into the Information Age. As she used her MBA education to market the changing business, Stacy saw the parallels with the MBA admissions experience.
The Business of MBA Applications
MBA applicants know the stress of applying for school. From application fees, to research, essays, and the GMAT, the application process is time-consuming and expensive. Stacy realized that the whole thing is primarily an exercise in marketing, pointing out strengths, demonstrating personal passions and emphasizing professional achievements.
The irony of it all? MBA applications seem to require the kind of training that an MBA school itself provides. Advanced marketing classes teach promotion, public relations, and product sales skill that any MBA applicant could appreciate. Stacy realized that putting her own MBA expertise to work for other MBA hopefuls could be a lucrative enterprise.
The “MBA Mom” Finds Her Niche
Stacy runs her consulting firm from home while caring for her 2-year-old son, and takes special pride in helping other mothers realize their MBA potential. “For moms who are reentering the workforce after several years at home, an MBA can be a perfect launching pad,” she told AOL’s Research and Learn. “The credential can add credibility, and the curriculum, network, and career services office are invaluable tools.”
While Stacy’s consulting services don’t come cheap””her four-school comprehensive service costs $5,750””prospective MBA students see her as a coach, consultant, and counselor. Stacy claims that 97 percent of her clients are accepted in one of their top four school choices. They move on to successful business careers, and her firm expects to break the million-dollar profit mark this year. “I am really excited about the growth,” she told LA Business Journal. Like the MBA applicants she coaches, Stacy is optimistic about the future.
Sources:
“MBA Moms Make a Difference” by Vicki Salemi for AOL Research and Learn
“Ticket In” by Rachel Brown for LA Business Journal