Can kindness be a liability?

Earlier today I was reading a blog post over at the Harvard Business Review that asked the question: do nice guys finish last?  This is a question that I've thought about on and off ever since my decision to pursue a career in the business world (fun fact- I used to do a bit of freelance design and very seriously considered pursuing my MFA in illustration/fine art), and I still feel conflicted about the answer.

The author's answer?  Yep.  Nice guys do in fact finish last, a trend displayed by a study showing that men perceived as having more (or larger) "nice" attributes have yearly salaries averaging $10,000 less than their not so agreeable counterparts.  Interestingly enoough, the same didn't hold true among women displaying more "nice" characteristics.

So why is it that nice guys finish last but nice girls compete well (compared to their respective counterparts)?

3 Tips (& 3 Crucial Questions to ask Yourself) for MBA Applications

It’s application/new student recruitment season, which means that I’ve had a wealth of opportunities to interact with prospective students- which I have to admit, has been pretty fantastic.  It’s a little crazy to see people where I was only a year ago, and very rewarding to be able to share as much knowledge as I possibly can with them to help them on their own journey- besides; NYU Stern is an amazing place, and whatever I can do to attract even more fantastic applicants/prospective classmates?  Well, I’m there!

Talking about my experiences during the application process forced me to reflect on my own application strategies and some helpful tips I learned along the way from trial & error, readings, and conversations with friends who have started/graduated from MBA programs.  The most important tips – and the 3 crucial questions to ask yourself when applying to an MBA program- are below:

Tip 1: Read Between the Essay Lines

Why Business School?

Why Our School?

Tell Us About a Time…

All of these questions are basically asking the same thing-

My Journey Back to School: 2 Weeks In

Things have been going a mile a minute and while I have a bit of free time (read: I'm forcing myself to take a break from the 100+ pages of marketing reading I have to do before I get started on accounting homework) I took some time to email a general update on school and my life to people who I've worked with, am close too, and generally think are great.

So- if you're interested in what the life of a first year MBA student looks like at the beginning - with all the insanity of class, recruitment worries, social interaction, school-involvement, and the inside scoop on NYU Stern then read on, my friends!

I'll admit that I was nervous about some of the potential students and faculty I would come across- many of you know that I'm more than a little passionate about social issues and will choose doing the "right" thing over what's best for my own pocket (be it through career choices, the way I vote, etc.).  That said, B-school isn't really known for its promotion of contributing to the greater good of our world over the greater good of shareholder's equity.  Most of this anxiety was thankfully allayed during NYU Stern Launch 2011 - Stern's completely revamped orientation program, premiered just for the class of 2013..