Our guest today is Jamie Wright. She grew up in California, started her career in PR in Chicago, and then crossed the pond in 2009 to become the Client Services Manager at London Business School’s then brand-new Masters in Management (MIM) program. Jamie rose to become the admissions director for all early career programs at LBS by 2017.  In 2018, she joined Accepted and has become an admissions consultant on our staff. Let’s learn from her if there is a magic sauce to acceptance.

Before we get to the early career stuff, how does a California girl end up as Client Services Manager and then the first Admissions Director of London Business School’s Early Career Programs? [2:11]

By chance, actually. When I initially moved to London I wasn’t able to work due to visa restrictions so I had time to explore other career options. I had been working in PR before moving to London, and considered staying in that field, but I used that opportunity of time to explore other roles in publishing, sports business, and came across an ad for a client services role for the MIM at LBS. The program had just launched and was recruiting for its first class. I figured this was a great opportunity to be part of something from the beginning. It was quite entrepreneurial, almost like a start-up even though the program was part of a large school like LBS. It was the first pre-experience program and it was exciting to be a part of. I stayed there for the next nine years.

What are early career programs in management in general? [3:20]

They are general management programs for the most part, though there are some programs that offer specializations. These programs are designed for those just entering their career, with less than 1-2 years of experience looking to go into entry-level positions. In addition to traditional consulting and finance roles, more students are going into entrepreneurship, which is a specialization some programs offer.

How do the masters in management programs differ from the MBA in terms of structure, content, length, goals and placement? [4:30]

In terms of similarities they are both general management programs. An MBA is really for those looking to accelerate or develop their careers, whereas a Masters in Management is for those looking to gain the knowledge and skills to break into a business career. MBA students have on average 5-8 years of work experience and learn a lot from peer practical experience, whereas MIM students might have some internship experience but are really learning more from the classroom environment. MIMs are applying for entry level positions, and MBAs are looking for more senior positions.

From a content perspective, from the outside an MBA looks more practical than a MIM – there are more theory-based MIMs, though there is definitely no shortage of early-career programs offering practical and applied learning as well, with internships and study abroad opportunities. MIMs can be one or two years long, depending on the program.

Do you have any idea how many MiM graduates go back and ultimately get an MBA or for most is it a terminal degree? [6:44]

I’d say a MIM is definitely not a terminal degree,