Olivier

My name is Olivier and I was a Senior Consultant at Sia Partners where I worked for over five years. I have a Master of Science degree from the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. I completed an Advanced Master in Strategy and Management in International Business from ESSEC Business School where I also worked as a Visiting Lecturer for a year. I got accepted at the INSEAD MBA Program for the Class of 2013.

My story is pretty similar to the story of hundreds of engineers before me. Even though I enjoyed my job and position, I wanted to get into a more strategic and managerial role. As a consultant, I worked on many energy transition projects. But I soon realized that with my degree and experience, I would have to wait for a long time to reach the position on my own as my contribution was primarily technical. I came to the realization that to be someone with influence and decision making powers in the business, I would need to get an MBA and work as a consultant in a management firm.

The main difficulty I faced was the process of creating a worthy application for myself. I understood that my story was nothing new and that there were hundreds of other engineers like me aiming to get an MBA from a top business school. The school I graduated from was also not very well known. I got the 700 required for my GMAT, but the real challenge was convincing the INSEAD admissions committee to choose me and not someone else by telling them my story, my passions and ambitions, frustrations and achievements, and that I was worthy to be a part of their program.

INSEAD is one of the best-ranked business schools for a reason. The quality of teaching, the diverse and international student body, the world-class facilities all combine to make it the best school. Moreover, there are a lot of activities and societies you could join in your time at INSEAD. There is a strong culture of “work hard, play hard” and the students here adhere to it. There is also a chance of choosing your own campus or studying at the sister campuses through the campus exchange program. This is highly recommended as it helps you increase your network. Overall, no day on the campus is the same, each being filled up with a lot of work as well as social activities and engagements.

The first advice I would give anyone who wants to do an MBA is to make detailed research and gain a thorough understanding of what you really want to do. Spend enough time to understand what you want and what the school wants. Align your interests so that you can get the right fit for the school. Think of what you can do with the degree and how you can contribute to it. Secondly, get help from people who know the field and understand it. I was lucky to be introduced to Dr. Hubert Silly and MBA Center by my brother-in-law, who was a former student there and got accepted to Wharton. MBA Center has been essential for both our successes and I recommend that you use MBA Center services if you are thinking of applying for an MBA.