Out of Office!

I am getting a most deserved week off! I am going to Sardenya with Cristina and her surfing-cousins. We are going there in a Volkswagen Van packed with all kite-surfing stuff, barbacue, etc.. We will camp by the beach and stay at the south of the island for 7 long days and nights! I will update some pics in Facebook as soon as I get back. In the meantime.. I promise to myself a few things:

• No mobile phones (specially the damn bb)


• Will not say the word MBA... nor the word LBS :)


• Will read a lot


• Will learn to surf the italian waves

And over all, HAVE FUN!

The Interview!

I finally got the mail I was waiting for: The contact of the LBS alumnus that will interview me.

After exchanging a couple of emails we have arranged the location (his office) and the time (monday April 21st). It is both surpring and pleasant to receive a mail with the header "London Business Interview" and then find out that the text begins with an "Apreciat Albert" (i.e. the whole email is written in Catalan).

Short after receiving my interviewer details I have started to find out more about him. Linked In has proven very fruitful as I have a complete CV of my interviewer (surprisingly, he started his career at was my dream-company, the no-longer-existing DiamondCluster). I have also found out that he is involved in a few companies as a Board Member, and more suprinsingly one of these companies is aimed to Marketing over the Mobile!.. So, to sum up, I think it will be definitely an interesting interview.

In the meantime, I will rehearse and write down the main strenghs, weaknesses, MBA motivations, why London, etc etc...

One step closer..LBS2010

It has been a very stressful evening.. There was the rumour that tonight the LBS's interview decision would be submitted.. And indeed it has been. When I was about to get to bed I just checked the email for the hundredth time and there it was the email.. The subject read "London Business School Int...".. My heart missed a beat.. I have managed to click the link and have quickly checked through the lines until I have found:

"I am delighted to inform you that based on the
strength of your initial application you have been
selected for interview by the MBA Admissions
Committee."

That, translated into plain words, means that I have reached the final stage of the whole application process. Now I will undergo an interview with an LBS alumnus somewhere in the next 3-4 weeks..
I am delighted because it would have been frustrating after all the effort put into the application, yet I am still aware that the chances are pretty slim.

So after all, tonight I will sleep like a baby!

LBS2010... what will be next?

Next friday will mean a lot to me... London Business School is releasing the list of candidates in R3 who will be interviewed to get a position in their MBA programme.. As rumours say, it has been a very good year for the school as they have received a large amount of applications which will ultimately allow the school to raise its entry level requirements..

Friday might be the end (only if I get DINGED) of a long journey that started in early August'07 when I decided that I wanted to apply for the programme. The journey has taken me to places such as Madrid (GMAT exam), London(lobbying week) and Gijón (Albert's Headquarters for the last 8 months)..
I first prepared the GMAT test in my spare time in hotel rooms (specially while working on a project at Thyssenkrupp in Asturias) and then travelled to Madrid to take the exam (scoring a not-that-bad 690/800). Then I had taken the TOEFL (scoring a 114/120) after 2 months of preparation. Last I had visited the school to get a real flavour of what the MBA meant and to meet some full-time students, which was the most thrilling experience since I started preparing the application back in August.. Then came the day when I finally submitted the application (February 26th).
All in all, even if don't get the interview, the whole process of applying to London Business School has been very enriching letting me dig into the world of MBAs as well as helping me improve my communication skills, which are central to the eassys.

Yet, to be honest... I want to get into LBS! So keep fingers crossed!

All about Leadership..

When I think about leadership many abstract concepts come into my mind heard from business magazines, internet and even dodgy TV programs... Yet I struggle to understand what makes a real leader and whether they have a special DNA (figuratively) which distinguishes them from the rest of humans..

I think that the best bay to understand what a leader is, is to think of people we know: friends, colleagues and even bosses.. Some of them have that carisma and ability to get the most of people even making them feel happier.. I certainly do not recognize a leader in any of my current bosses.. which is not surprising at all.. luckly I can think of some good friends who without been in charge of anyone are real leaders and are able to inspire people around..

To MBA or not to MBA?

I am often amazed at why people are willing to pay more than 60.000€, give up jobs for 2 years, spend more than half a year doing exams (GMAT, TOEFL, essays..).. Doing a full-time MBA program requires a lot of sacrifice both from the personal and financial side.. Yet most of the brightest people from all around the world take on the challenge and go for an MBA.. There are many answers: a will to climb up the professional ladder, a will to change industry sector, a starving need to learn from the best faculties... I guess my reasons lie in a mix of desire to develop a strong business framework (as I am an Engineer..), develop a truly global network and at the end of the day being able fulfill my chances to succeed..

How to become Steve Jobs

For the last few days I have been finding out lots of things about Steve Jobs and his flagship company, Apple. What started as a research of Jobs' keynotes and his presentation techniques ended as an obsessive need to find out more about him, his person and how he has managed to design or be involved within the creation of so many innovative products.
Cliché it may sound, he has a mix of serial-entrepreneur-behaviour, mighty self-regard and provident vision.
While doing my research I have come through some interesting webs which I recommend:

All About Steve: Lots of details of Steve's life as well as his most prominent speeches.

The Original Macintosh: Lots of stories about Steve and the creation of the first Macintosh, back in the early 80's.

Steve introducing the new Macintosh (1983!): Last but not least, check out this video, which features a young Steve Jobs giving a speech to Apple's shareholders showing the brand new macintosh.. just amazing..check it out.