MIP Politecnico di Milano partners with renowned academic institution, Esade

MIP Politecnico di Milano in Italy has signed an agreement with Esade in Spain to focus on expanding networking opportunities and developing students’ financial knowledge.

Esade is a global academic institution known for the quality of its education, its international outlook, and its focus on holistic personal development. Just like MIP, Esade has strong ties to the business world, making the collaboration even more beneficial for its students.

“We are pleased to expand our international network with Esade, a top-ranked and like-minded higher education institution. Networking opportunities, like the one this agreement provides to our students, are vital to the learning experience,” says Tommaso Agasisti, Associate Dean for Internationalization & Quality at MIP.

As well as expanding MIP’s students’ international networks, this agreement also benefits those from Esade, as they will be awarded with the Politecnico di Milano 1st level Specialising Master degree in “International Master in Finance, with specialisation in Fintech”.

Starting from October 2021, candidates enrolled in the International Master in Fintech at MIP will have the chance to welcome into their classes recent graduates of the Master of Science in Finance at Esade. As such, graduates from Esade will have the opportunity for a deep dive into Fintech, a topic on MIP can boast a distinctive level of know-how.

Taking care of online visibility: enforcing the network through personal branding

The key to success for every business is the ability to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. In a nutshell, a company’s customers should perceive a higher value delivered than if they were to look for the same ̶ be it a product or service ̶ in a competitors’ offering.

Now, picture applying the same concept to us professionals, therefore seeing ourselves as businesses. In this case, the products and services we have to offer are our hard and soft skills, experiences, values and opinions. The target market – our preferred customers – are personal or professional contacts, as well as the networks and organizations with which we want to be involved.

But how do we reach out to them in the most effective way? How do we communicate and show what we have got? How do we stand out against our competitors? 

Well, given today’s trends ̶ which have been strengthened by the challenges brought on by the recent pandemic ̶ most professional, educational and networking activities and exchanges are taking place on the internet via online platforms and services providers. These have become the go-to medium for anything we need: from a conference call at work to a last-minute delivery of our dinner.

This is why having a strong and tailored online visibility is paramount to being found, but also to finding.

As a student at MIP I receive constant support from the Career Development Office staff, who help me in bettering my online presence by delivering interesting seminars, training and one-to-one meetings with recruiters and HR professionals on the topic. Among MIP’s wide-ranging offering, I recall finding extremely helpful the webinar held on personal branding strategies. The latter helped me reconsider my online presence and start taking good care of it.

The development of a personal brand is crucial for standing out in a crowd of experienced professionals. Moreover, while our colleagues and friends can experience our potential “live”, the vast majority of the customers we want to engage with lies outside our first-hand network.

In order to communicate effectively the value we can deliver to our potential “customers”, we must have a strategy in place. Thanks to all the training on the matter I have changed my perspective: it is not about what you want to say, instead focus on what you’d like to hear if you were your customer.

At the beginning, set who are the contacts of the network you would like to build. Then, figure out what those people would like to find in their network. Next, understand how to manage your value to achieve your target. Eventually, go online and start to put your plan into action.

First step: our online visibility’s journey begins on a search engine. If someone wants to know more about us, they will look us up on the internet. If our name+surname returns “no results”, our potential contact is immediately lost. So make sure you have an online presence linked to your main interests.

Please note: the internet keeps track of everything, including what we wouldn’t like our potential boss to know. Therefore, a periodic check of our activities online helps greatly in avoiding uncomfortable situations as well as conforming the first glance of the final picture we want to convey.

Second step: a wise and strategic use of social media is paramount. Our profile page on social media is the front door for accessing our online persona: are we taking care of it? Choosing a proper profile picture and the right keywords to describe ourselves and our competencies draws the line between being ignored and emerging.
Please note: via social media you foster meaningful interactions: be careful with comments on posts, remember to stay coherent with the set strategy and what the targeted audience expects. This allows us to show strengths and experience. Stay professional.

Third step: publishing content moves us on the frontline. By posting on our personal blogs/websites or social media pages, we aim to attract prospects and leads, build credibility and enforce trust. If we don’t aspire to be perceived as experts, sharing content with a personal comment is often enough.

Please note: posting content is the icing on the cake. Make sure this is done carefully and is linked to communicating the particular and unique value that we can deliver. We must be aware of the purpose we want to convey. We must provide a consistent picture with everything we say, do and write.

Last tip: be patient. We should nurture an effective online visibility as farmers nurture their crops. We plow with credibility, we seed connections, we nurture and grow relationships, we aim to harvest opportunities of cooperation, be it professional collaborations, job offers or entrepreneurial initiatives.

 

 

About the author
Fabrizio Liponi

My name is Fabrizio and I work as a tunnel engineer in the construction of Underground Line 4 of Milan. Born, raised, studied, living and working in Milan: I love my city and I’m proud to take part in building its future. Travel addicted, I love to meet people and different cultures.

i-Flex networking experience

Digital and “spread” classrooms, distance learning and international spirit: which are the benefits, the challenges and the incentives of building an i-Flex network?

The choice of a learning path is never a simple step. It will require you to dedicate your time, energy and also money. Especially for a master, it will affect your life for several months. There is no second opportunity, so it would be worth weighing up your decision. With the increase in online courses, the first question that comes to mind is whether these have the same value, in terms of knowledge, experience and overall job market recognition, as a traditional one.

One of the biggest differences between an online and a traditional course is the common concept that a traditional class reinforces the relationship among students. The social contribution of a course is vital, as well as the knowledge learnt during the course itself. Discussions with colleagues, the sharing and comparing of new ideas, working groups or pure networking all enable skills that enrich the training offer. There is no doubt that a face-to-face class has all those characteristics. But are we sure that they cannot be replicated in a remote class? Nowadays, we are living in a social world and everyone is in the habit of interacting with others on social media using the most varied tools. Chatting, speaking and video calling far-off people is a practice which takes place several times a day. It can start friendships and enable you to get in touch with people without any need to organize demanding trips. Furthermore, in this way, you can also get in touch with friends who are located very far away, even on the other side of the world. So why not benefit from such tools and adopt them in order to complete the learning path? This should not be a substitute for frontal lessons but can be considered as something that provides added value to the lessons. Being in an international class brings a variety of cultures and points of view that can be very different from the usual ones. By giving people, who could not otherwise attend, consent to access distance learning courses, the composition of the class is more diversified. Moreover, most jobs are already designed in this mode, being agile and involving collaboration with people who are not in the same workplace. A situation analogous to remote working groups can be created within distance learning. Groups are part of the learning process. And what remains when the course has ended? A solid network already trained for the whole ongoing program, in the sense of continuity and staying connected.

As I was saying, having online lessons should be complementary to an initial, face-to-face approach. As for any type of relationship, it’s necessary to trust other students when sharing questions of clarification or when targeting collaborative assignments. Trust takes longer to build at a distance and real contact can speed it up. The i-Flex program thinks exactly in this way. An initial week is mandatory in order to aid the establishing of trust among students in a teamwork perspective. This week is also useful to get to know the faculty processes and professors with a few face-to-face lessons. Anyone who has experimented with agile work knows that teamworking at a distance is totally different from working at the same table. There is the coordination of meeting times to be considered, collaboration without physical interaction, the need for training with regard to work alignment, as well as for the many assignments in working groups. Most of us are practitioners and professionals. Combining work and study may become a tough challenge which requires finding and keeping focus and enthusiasm on your own. The true difference from a traditional course is exactly that. On one hand, it allows so much more flexibility, choosing the most suitable time in accordance with other engagements, but on the other hand it requires strong determination and self-motivation to keep assignments with other students and to maintain your overall study plan. And if that is not enough, there are many additional complementary activities like business games, new idea challenges and webinars that help us get to know each other better, share interests and also provide support for extracurricular issues, and to build stronger relationships among us: a cohesive network.

I have definitively found many new friends. Of course, if we could have been in the same city we might have met up more frequently for dinner together but we are still in touch very often, even sometimes every day, and honestly this would not have been possible alongside all the other commitments of daily life. It’s a tough task, choosing which type of master to follow, with pros and cons for each program. Personally, the international context and networking were essential to me. With the quality level of classes being comparable, moving over to a digital platform just better matched my needs for flexibility and for maintaining long distance relations with my new friends.

 

About the author
Vito Conversano

Chief Information Officer @ San Marzano Vini SpA with extensive international experience in IT & strategic consultancy for fortune 500 companies. Creative, Curious, Travel lover. Passionate about discovering new concepts, learning continuously and developing new ideas.

 

The power of diversity: the MBA & multinational networking

“Networking is not just about connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas and people with opportunities.” (Michele Jennae)

When I enrolled for an MBA at MIP, I already knew that this kind of experience would be much more than classes, exams and company visits. One of the main achievements of an MBA is the network you can create during this period.

I get it, often networking isn’t at the top of everyone’s to-do list. It can be time-consuming, awkward on occasion, and, depending on your personality, incredibly draining.

It can appear that hard skills and knowledge are far more important than having a few words with colleagues or joining events. But that’s quite wrong. Sometimes you learn more by taking a coffee or sharing a slice of pizza with a person with a different background, than actually studying a book on finance accounting (which is still a super-important subject. Nothing against it, I swear!)

And that’s what’s happening during my first months of the MBA; I’m getting to know many interesting people, with different stories, backgrounds, ambitions and nationalities.

Yes, nationalities. I decided to join the International Part-Time MBA in order to benefit from an international environment.

Sundar Pichai, former CEO of Google, once said:

A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”

And I totally agree with this sentence. A multicultural environment (and networking in general) can bring many benefits:

1.     Strengthen business connections:

Networking is about sharing, not only taking. It is about forming trust and helping one another toward goals. Regularly engaging with your contacts and finding opportunities to assist them helps to strengthen the relationships. By doing this, you sow the seeds for reciprocal assistance when you need help to achieve your own goals.

Tell me, would you rather help: A) a colleague with whom you have shared a drink, or B), a colleague who don’t even say “hi” when you run into him? The logical answer would be A (otherwise maybe you should be reading articles on how to deal with problems in socialising?)

2.     Get fresh ideas:

Your network can be an excellent source of new ideas to help you in your role (both present and future). And what about a multicultural network? It can be an even better source of inspiration. Different cultures have different ways of approaching problems. Everyone is looking at situations through a different lens, a unique perspective. This can lead to a wide range of ideas that would benefit any team.

Is it easy? Absolutely not. At least, not at the beginning. During my first group assignment on the Erasmus programme, I was in a group with a Chinese, a Japanese, a German and an American (it sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it actually happened). It was a real mess… One person focused more on the content, someone else more on the form, others on the speech, etc. But mixing up all these different approaches brought us to a final result which was much better than the one we had in mind at the beginning.

3.        Develop long-lasting personal relationships:

Last but not least! The point of networking is not only to develop professional relationships, but also (and above all) to create strong and long-lasting friendships. I’ve always thought that the more you grow up, the more you’re able to find people you share your vision of life with. Your MBA networking contacts will usually be like-minded people with similar goals to your own, so it’s not unlikely that they’ll become great friends of yours.

These are only a few of the benefits you can get from an international environment. But they should be enough to push you try out an experience like an International MBA. You’ll need to discover all the other benefits for yourselves! ?

About the author
Marco Di Salvio

Student of the International Part Time MBA at MIP Politecnico di Milano.
Industrial Engineer currently working @ Gucci as WW Supply & Demand Planner, based in Florence.
Tech passionate, Cinema-lover, Sports addicted.
Solving the world’s problems one spreadsheet at a time.

 

 

«Should you Apply for an Online or Campus MBA When Lockdown Ends?»

The coronavirus crisis is forcing business schools to bolster their online learning environments, but remote study may involve a trade-off between flexibility and networking

The coronavirus crisis has split opinion on remote teaching. Business schools have raced to close campuses and migrate classes online, but some MBA students are demanding tuition fee refunds and deferrals, arguing that online learning is a subpar experience.

Proponents, however, argue that this could be the tipping point for online education, an unexpected opportunity to prove the detractors wrong, catalyze innovation in teaching methods and put forward a test case for digital delivery of degree programs. While many students will be eager to return to campus when the lockdown finally ends, there is a section of the population for whom a bolstered online learning environment will appeal to.

Doing an MBA online or on campus: trade-offs 

The decision between doing an MBA online or on campus may come down to the trade-off between flexibility and networking, as well as a student’s lifestyle and work ethic.

Online courses attract people who want their studies to be compatible with work and family commitments. They can pursue the degree at their own pace, rather than quitting their job and incurring a substantial opportunity cost of not earning a salary for up to two years.

The advantage is that online study is flexible and personalized,” says Federico Frattini, dean of MIP Politecnico di Milano Business School in Milan, which puts on the iFlex online program. “Participants can choose when, where and how to attend the lessons. Students have total freedom and can incorporate their studies with their family and work.”

But online learning requires much more commitment to keep up with classes and coursework, especially if you are working full-time or raising a family. “Online courses suit those who are self-motivated and have good time management,” says Frattini.

Students often dramatically underestimate how long they will spend looking for the next professional opportunity after graduation, says George Andrews, associate dean of degree programs at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business in Texas. Balancing a career search with a job, study and family obligations is a “Sisyphean task”, he adds.

On-campus courses come with stricter deadlines and suit people who work better in structured environments, rather than mavericks. Individual learning styles can influence the choice of study modes too. “Some people prefer face-to-face exchanges, while others thrive in online formats,” says Paulo Prochno, assistant dean for online programs at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Financial concerns

Finance is an important consideration for prospective students. “The cost of attendance for an online student can be less since there are no lost wages, no relocation expenses and no regular commuting costs,” says Andrews from Rice Jones. Tuition fees for Online MBAs can be a fraction of the price, which reflects reduced overheads, with teaching facilities and faculty being expensive.

In theory, remote study improves access to students who can study from anywhere in the world without giving up their job and salary. In reality, most students live locally to campus in many online programs. “A high percentage of our students live in Texas, but many live in states across the country. A few are internationals,” says Andrews, of his school’s MBA@Rice online program.

The diverse perspectives of overseas students would enrich learning through group work. However, they want to be fully immersed in an environment that is different to their home, says Andrews. “They want the complete experience, not just the education.”

MBA online vs. in-class: other concerns

Another challenge for overseas students is tuning into live classes from disparate time zones. Remote study may not be suitable for a relocation to the US either, since it does not qualify international students for a 12-month work visa through Optional Practical Training, a popular scheme.

Stacy Blackman, an admissions consultant in Los Angeles, says candidates should also consider their chances of being admitted to an MBA. “Online programs are more open to those candidates who aren’t perfect with respect to work experience and test scores,” she says, citing entrance requirements. “Acceptance rates are much higher with online programs than traditional MBAs.”

For instance, at many schools, online students can skip the GMAT or GRE admissions tests if another element of their candidacy, such as leadership experience or educational attainment, is exceptional.

But schools insist that admissions standards for online and on-campus programs are equally rigorous.

For many students, the big downside to a digital degree is the limited opportunity to build a network. Full-time students spend far more time together building bonds.

Many students presume they would miss out on networking opportunities, due to the belief that face-to-face communication creates stronger, more human connections,” says Frattini at MIP. However, he adds that online students are keen to share their experience and knowledge with peers. They join the same alumni network as their counterparts on campus.

Andrews says that building meaningful relationships with peers is central to any MBA, regardless of mode of study. Online MBA students cultivate contacts via weekly live lectures at Maryland Smith. “If there’s a drawback to online study, it’s the challenge of providing a community experience,” says Prochno.

These sessions engage the entire class,” he adds. “They all see one another and the faculty in real time — an opportunity to create a real sense of community.”

Online programs invariably offer opportunities for face-to-face networking, such as through on-campus residencies and global study trips. MBA@Rice students have visited Mexico City and attend optional weekend meet-ups in Houston where “lasting relationships with classmates and faculty are solidified”, says Andrews.

The boundary between online and campus learning is being blurred as students demand more flexibility in how, when and where they study. The coronavirus has accelerated this trend. For instance, at the UK’s Warwick Business School, MBA students starting this fall will be able to switch between online and in-class learning, at will.

Likewise, students at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business can transfer from the online to the full-time MBA program and vice-versa.

Cindy McCauley, Online MBA director, says this option appeals to students who are considering a campus program but are concerned about leaving their job in the current economic crisis. “They can start in our Online MBA and then transfer when the timing is better,” she says. “This is a particularly strong selling point given the uncertainty of today.”

 

This article was originally published here: https://find-mba.com/articles/should-you-apply-for-an-online-or-campus-mba-when-lockdown-ends

 

 

The in-company visit, a great opportunity for comparison

Among the many different activities that MIP is building up in order to let its students acknowledge more and more the complexity of a business reality, some of the most interesting experiences so far have been for sure the in-company visits.

These visits consist in a full day of lessons related to the MBA topic of that moment, physically in the offices of a big multinational company partnering with MIP.

Up until today, I have had the opportunity to join two of these “alternative” sessions in the offices of Sandoz and Microsoft and during both of them I enjoyed lots of different aspects.

First of all, these are opportunities to meet top managers directly in the field, sharing their carrier path and personal experience. These moments are really valuable for sharing ideas and comparing yourself with different people and environments, opening up your mind in terms of your job routine.

Also, these meeting sessions are chances to become aware of what companies are doing, where they are focusing their growth and which resources they are willing to obtain in the short/medium term to reach their goals. I really appreciate the transparency used in sharing these details and the effort made in helping us to understand company strategies.

Furthermore, during these lessons you can concretely perceive how strategic a company’s culture and philosophy can be, and how the management is working every day with this focus in mind.

Visiting Microsoft was the perfect example of this; starting from a classic Silicon Valley company idea, they entirely rebuilt the company, and not only in a figurative way – they really built headquarters which are people oriented and open to everyone!

Personally I really appreciated this possibility, because for me it was the occasion to compare my daily activities and environment with another reality. It has made me more aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the place I’m working in right now.

In order to unleash the best from this experience, I want to give a little advice to those of you who decide to spend two minutes of your life in reading my articles…be brave and do not be shy! These visits are mainly intended also to be opportunities to increase your network and share your CV, but no one will do it for you! MIP is giving us the privilege of meeting key managers and HR teams working in great companies but at the end of the day, it is up to you to use it as best you can.

Lastly a personal update: the second ½ of my kids has just arrived and of course, it’s another boy! Will keep you posted on:

  • Parents’ lost sleeping hours
  •  My first kid’s war of jealousy against his new worst enemy, his brother!

 

About the author
Pietro Cavallo

My name is Pietro and I grew up in Milan, where I am currently living. I work in Switzerland, in the Supply Chain division of a clothing multinational. I am the husband of an incredible wife and father of 2 crazy kids.