How to Get Accepted to an Online MBA Program

How to Get Accepted to an Online MBA Program

You may not have a background in business and have been in the workforce for a number of years, but you are aware of how an MBA can revolutionize your career choices and help you get the position you deserve. There is no doubt that there are many practical advantages to a Masters of Business Administration, but you may be unsure about where to begin. The first step is to make a list of MBA programs that are attractive to you and apply to the ones that feel meet your needs. Before you can start the program, you need to be accepted.

Look for a School

Research your options online or ask friends about which on-site and online MBA programs they have found useful. Browse through the catalog online and see what the course offerings are and the possibilities for areas of concentration. Some schools are known for having certain departments that stand out from others, either because of a superb faculty or unique course offerings. Choose the school you think will be the right fit for you. Another advantage of applying online is that you distance won’t prevent you from pursuing an MBA at the institution of your choice.

The Advantages of an Online Program

It has never been easier to earn an advanced degree while pursuing a career. A generation ago, you might have had to commute to night school after a full day’s work, but nowadays, you can earn an MBA without having to leave your home. The current online programs are equivalent to their on-campus counterparts and are offered by top-notch institutions, such as the University of Maryland and UAB. Your ability to earn a degree while working at your career is liable to impress future employers, which is another reason why an online MBA has distinctive advantages.

Apply for the Degree

Make sure you have all of the pre-requisites needed to apply for an MBA program. The requirements for an online degree are usually the same as for an on-campus degree. You may need a GRE, a GMAT and a bachelor’s degree. If your bachelor’s degree was in a subject that is not business-related, you may have to take some courses as pre-requisites or CLEP tests to demonstrate you have knowledge in the area of business and economics. Fill out the online application, which will ask you pertinent information, and send along your transcripts and recommendations.

Interviews and Essays

At some point, admissions may want to hear from you about why you are applying for an online MBA at their institution. When approaching these questions, keep in mind why you are pursuing an MBA and what you want to achieve as the result of it. This will help you answer questions that ask about the more personal side of pursuing a degree.

Invest in Your Future

An MBA is an ideal way to invest in your future, and earning a degree online while you are working has the advantage of enabling you to advance in your career while being able to aim higher. Browse through offerings from several institutions of higher learning and see which courses are best-suited for you.

Image Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Is Shadow IT Lurking in Your Small Business?

Is Shadow IT Lurking in Your Small Business?

Do you identify as being someone who doesn’t put their full trust in the company IT department? Maybe you don’t appreciate their snark when you’ve asked them for help with troubleshooting. Maybe they procrastinate on media projects and your company’s brand is suffering as a result. Whatever the reason, you’ve entertained the idea of downloading Shadow IT and uploading it on your company’s network. You’ve read that Shadow IT or Stealth IT gives users the control they’re looking for without ever having to rely on the IT department again, but is it good for business?

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5 Executive Hacks to Help Your Business

5 Executive Hacks to Help Your Business

Business is booming. That’s good. It’s also bad. It’s hard enough to keep up with the customers, but trying to manage employees on top of client services is just downright overwhelming. Aside from directing personnel, there’s also clerical work, recruiting, and technology hurdles to clear.

Many dreamers create or jump into a small company because of the intimacy provided and the fulfillment of building something from the ground up. As with any successful firm though, growth will eventually require a transition to a more corporate mentality. Keeping pace with clientele is only possible if staff increases. And when manpower balloons, the resources to support the team must also develop. Luckily there is help.

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How IT Teams Can Learn from Other Businesses on Conducting Meetings

How IT Teams Can Learn from Other Businesses on Conducting Meetings

Bad meetings can turn your IT team against these conversations forever. If your employees are disinterested, scrolling through their mobile phones, or show any other signs of weak engagement, then you might need to take steps to change that. Here are seven tips from other businesses on how you could turn those meetings from bad to good.

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Three Business-Building Techniques That Will Keep Your Company Moving Forward

Three Business-Building Techniques That Will Keep Your Company Moving Forward

In this contemporary era, many business owners are realizing that they face more competition than ever. Factors such as online shopping and globalization mean that consumers now have a wide range of businesses to choose from when it’s time for them to invest in the products and services they want. Luckily, there are several business-building techniques that corporate leaders can implement to keep their companies moving forward despite increasing competition. Here are three of them:

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4 Essential Steps to Launching a Successful Business

4 Essential Steps to Launching a Successful Business

Hundreds of new businesses are launched across the nation each day as entrepreneurs strive to achieve their dreams of owning and successfully operating their own company. While some triumph, others are not so lucky. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that even though the creation of new businesses has been on the rise since 2010, the success rate is falling just as sharply. If you are in the early stages of creating a business, there are several steps that you should take that can increase your chances of succeeding, both initially and in the long run.

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Integrated Development Environments: What They Are, Why You Need One, and How to Choose

Integrated Development Environments: What They Are, Why You Need One, and How to Choose

When you first begin programming — or start programming in a new development language — the learning curve can be steep. It can take months to learn just the basics and get comfortable, and even years to learn all of the ins and outs of a particular language.

That’s where integrated development environments come in. Unless you are comfortable working within a text editor and know how to use a command prompt window, an integrated development environment, or IDE, can be a lifesaver. An IDE puts all of the tools you need for developing and debugging software into a single application that streamlines the process.

This is different than using a text editor because it puts everything you need to create the software into a single application and workspace instead of requiring the programmer to complete each individual step required to develop the program. In short, an IDE creates a seamless and streamlined environment for a software developer, saving time and frustration.

Comparing the Processes

The main reasons that a developer might opt to work in an IDE is, again, to save time and frustration. In the typical programming environment, a developer must use an editor, compiler, and linker to create code files, compile, and link them. Even when the developer is familiar with the programming language, working in a text editor leaves no room for error. When entering the code, the editor does not take corrective actions related to spacing, etc., meaning that errors aren’t caught until the program doesn’t work.

Some errors in the source code can be spotted when the files are compiled. However, every source file must be compiled separately, and if there are any mistakes, the compiler will not complete and will deliver error messages. At that point, the developer must go back through the source code files and attempt to locate and correct the errors, which can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially when you aren’t an expert in the programming language. And still, some errors may still appear during the linking phase, leading to yet another round of corrections.

An IDE on the other hand, eliminates some of these steps. Because the IDE offers templates for common commands and formatting, some of the more common errors, such as spacing, aren’t as much of a concern. In addition, an IDE will provide a pop-up window indicating where errors are located, making it easier for you to make corrections during each phase of the project.

Another feature of IDE’s that’s appealing to many developers is the fact that there are environments designed for different purposes. Some are standard text editor-based, while others offer multiple programming languages for maximum flexibility. Web-based or cloud environments like MPLAB Xpress increase the flexibility of your projects and allow you to collaborate with others and share ideas during the development phase. In fact, cloud-based programs, with their ability to share code and templates, are fast becoming one of the most popular types of IDEs among developers.

Integrated Development Environments

Choosing an IDE

There are literally dozens of IDE options to choose from, and each has its own features and benefits. And if you asked a dozen different developers which IDE they prefer, you are likely to get a dozen different answers.

While trying out a free version is a good place to start getting a feel for the IDE that will work for you, there are a few things to consider:

  • Is the IDE compatible with your operating system and programming language?
  • Does the IDE work with your target environment? For example, some IDE’s cannot develop software for Mac or Android operating systems.
  • Are there templates for specific applications, such as microcontrollers?
  • What are the capabilities of the environment in terms of debugging, error detection, coding, etc.?
  • Do you need product compilation?
  • Do you need the capability to build plug-ins and extensions? Not all IDE’s offer this capability.
  • What are the licensing and royalty fees?

Again, there are a number of different options for IDEs, so it’s a good idea to try several to see where you are most comfortable working. However, whichever option you choose, an IDE will undoubtedly make your software development easier and more streamlined, saving your business time and money.

Top Ways to Make a Business Partnership Last for the Long Term

Top Ways to Make a Business Partnership Last for the Long Term

When you take a look at some of the most successful businesses over the last few decades, you’ll often see that they were created by partnerships. Just consider Google, Microsoft, and Apple, to name a few.

While it doesn’t always take a partnership to build a global venture that lasts, having a solid relationship with a cofounder can really make all the difference when it comes to long-term success. Having a partner means more support, more ideas, and more skills and experience are brought to the table — but only if it works out.

If you’re keen to create a lasting partnership for your next or current business, it’s important to go about it the right way. Read on for some top tips you can follow today to help you make sure your professional relationships are as successful as possible.

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Using Wrike Software for Better Project Management of Marketing and Creative Teams

Using Wrike Software for Better Project Management of Marketing and Creative Teams

The #AgencyLife isn’t easy! Among the many tweets shared by marketing professionals using that hashtag, you’ll often find remarks, complaints, or jokes about virtually every process within project management. In a world where everything is due by end of day, one of the biggest challenges for marketing and creative teams is to get real-time visibility into everything your team is working on.

From 15+ year old applications like Microsoft SharePoint to newer cloud-based solutions like Slack, I have used a wide range of marketing project management solutions to balance projects, assignments to team members, and customer expectations before and after launch. One platform that stands out from the crowd is Wrike, a project management solution that streamlines coordination across teams, development of campaign assets, and management of events, campaigns, and launches. Here are three reasons why.

1. Visibility of Bandwidth of Creative or Production Team Members

Depending on your organization’s hierarchy, the roles of project manager and account manager may or not be separate. Generally, the larger the organization, the greater the chance for disconnect between an account manager and project manager. When a client lands a lucky windfall and finds herself with extra budget available at the end of the quarter, she often contacts the account manager to push forward a project that got shut down a couple weeks or months ago. The catch is that the project must be complete this week.

Armed with an approved estimate of hours and team members, the account manager starts coordinating activities directly with team members. This completely disrupts the existing workflow that the project manager has in place. To address this issue, Wrike’s project management software does a great job of providing filters that allow you to take a look at existing tasks that are assigned to individuals in the creative, UX, and code departments. For example, the account manager could take a look at existing assignments that are due this week for the tentative team members and make a more informed decision about whether or not to accept the client’s project or outsource it due to lack of bandwidth.

The video below shows a step-by-step tutorial on how to setup this using Wrike’s project management tools:

2. Ability to Interact With Tasks via Mobile Device or Email

A big challenge with some project management software is that they seem to be stuck in the Mad Men era, when marketing professionals needed to physically go to the office to get work done. Nowadays you can complete most assignments with a smartphone and internet connection.

By enabling you to interact with tasks through free mobile apps (Android and iOS), as well as plain ol’ email, Wrike’s online tools for project management don’t chain you to a desktop. As an account manager, there’s nothing worse than holding off a task when all you need to do is to forward a file from the client to a member of the creative team. With Wrike, I really enjoy the fact that I can leverage my smartphone to complete tasks on the go and attach documents stored on my phone, or on my Dropbox or Google Drive accounts. Additionally, I can set up email notifications for specific tasks and chime in via email to approve a specific task.

In the video below, Redfoo, recording artist, CEO of Party Rock Records and LaFreak Clothing, and former member of LMFAO, explains in his own words how Wrike improved his businesses processes.

Before Wrike, his team at LaFreak and Party Rock would only complete 5% of meeting action items. Now, he and his team are able to track tasks and see each one’s status on the go via email and smartphone.

3. Built for Marketers

You wouldn’t use a hammer to screw a nail. However, many folks in our field test the limits of Microsoft Office productivity tools to manage projects. There are two reasons why this is a bad idea.

First, you may be able to get away with managing projects from a spreadsheet when you’re a two-person operation. However, as your company grows, you’ll quickly realize how a spreadsheet isn’t efficient, because it doesn’t reflect updates in real time and can’t be updated by several team members at the same time. Second, word documents and spreadsheets don’t “talk” with other critical software, including cloud-based storage solutions and creative apps.

Wrike addresses these two shortcomings with a robust platform that is tailor-made for marketing and creative teams with complete work management capabilities. Depending on the version that you choose, Wrike for Marketers is scalable from 5 up to 200 or an unlimited number of users. You can set up user groups and permissions to determine the right level of access for every single user according to his or her function.

Also, Wrike for Marketers has an extension for the Adobe® Creative Cloud® that enables creatives to place Wrike’s most important features into the Adobe tools they use everyday. Here’s an example:

Wrike Screenshot

The Bottom Line

In marketing, project management is more art than science. One way to make your life easier—and that of your team—is to use a project management system built specifically for marketing and creative teams. Learn more about Wrike’s solution for Marketing and Creative Teams, or check it out for yourself by starting a free two week trial.

What Do You Do With an MBA? Here Are 9 Amazing Careers for the MBA Grad

What Do You Do With an MBA?

To many college grads, going to business school and earning a master of business administration is just a way to delay the inevitable entry into real adult life. Conversely, to those already in the workforce, MBAs seem to be a step toward a better future. Still, for both types of MBA-seeker, life after their advanced degree can be difficult to imagine. In particular: What kind of career will they have?

The answer is both frustrating and exhilarating: almost anything. Most MBA programs provide the perfect training in practical business skills, which means companies big and small clamor over new MBAs for hire. Yet, such freedom of opportunity can be stifling, so to help those interested in pursuing an MBA, here are nine real careers they can absolutely look forward to.

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