Archive for February, 2010

1 month to go

February 26, 2010

If today is the 26th of February, then today in one month is our graduation! WOW… the time has flown past and so many things have happened. This is really stunning. In addition today we submitted the third and last part of our Business Plan for Entrepreneurship class. That means that my last major essay for this MBA is done…  Time to celebrate with one eye and to cry with the other one.

You know what I also noticed, which I find quite strange? For two months in a row the 1st day of the month is on a Monday. Let’s take it is a good omen.

Google Results: Page 1

February 24, 2010

Can it be true? I just searched “ESADE MBA” on Google (language set to English) and guess what page just slipped on the bottom of the first page, result 10? My ESADE MBA… wow… cool :) at least it does so on my computer…

Apparently it takes 154 posts and 11,600 clicks to make it to the first page. Interesting!

Moving ESADE

February 16, 2010

ESADE has always been promoting feedback and now opened up a forum for better idea exchanging among students, alumni and staff called “Moving ESADE“. The discussions so far have been mainly focused on Scholarships (Youtube video) and Research (Youtube Video) however this is only the beginning. For those of you wanting to move ESADE to becoming one of the best schools in the world, join the discussions. Now it is your time to speak up and to be constructive!

I suggest that you join the Moving ESADE discussion on Nexus (besides Facebook and Linkedin) because it provides the best platform for a discussion. In fact I disapprove of this discussion being held on Facebook or LinkedIn because outsiders also could get potential access.

One last note: I really hope that this is not only a discussion because promoting a discussion and asking for feedback is easy. Implementing change is the difficult part! As we have learned: When you ask for feedback you raise expectations…

ESADE’s network and what to do with it?

February 15, 2010

There can only be one answer to that: grow it! ESADE’s corporate network is already extensive, especially in Spain, however I think that it could grow further. (Find a full list of Partners and recruiters here). In this regard I would like to emphasize the importance of this large network in relationship to career opportunities.

I thought about this over the last couple of days and I was wondering how large our corporate network must be by just considering the previous employers of every student? I would assume that every MBA student has worked on average for 2-3 companies x the 330 MBA students (rough estimate) currently at ESADE, which means that the network of the current students alone is enormous.

Being a fierce opponent of complacency and idleness I figured that it also might be up to the students to be more proactive and initiate a contact between ESADE and the previous employers. Take the network building in your own hands, produce leads, monitor the progress and communicate. Imagine the network we could have if every student shared his connections with his fellow student!!!!

My contacts are already contributed. Why don’t you share yours?

A must-see educational video: Earthlings

February 11, 2010

Last weekend I was recommended this film “Earthlings“, which is about humans and how they interact with the nature. I watched this movie and I think that everybody has to see this movie once, particularly considering that ESADE is famous for Corporate Social Responsibility.

I am still non-veg but you still become a lot more conscious about the world around you and what people are capable of! Inspiring the future definitely must look different from these current practices and I hope that CSR wins eventually!

The harsh reality of not being human (this is only part 1 but you see the entire video!):

Today 10.000th view! MyESADEMBA.com insights and statistics

February 9, 2010

10.000th view of my blog “My ESADE MBA“*! Who would have guessed that? I am celebrating a little :) Thank you very much for your support and readership!!!

I started to blog about my ESADE experience in Feburary 2009 in the wake of my application for a scholarship.  However once the scholarship application was rejected I decided to continue the blogging nevertheless because I enjoyed doing it.  (btw. some of those who received the scholarship are blogging on the ESADE blog)

Considering that today I have finally reached the 5-digit-views for MyESADEMBA blog I decided that I would give you some more insights about this blog and ESADE in general through my statistics. The statistics give you a very good overview of what people are interested in and what they like to read about ESADE.  Let’s see what we’ve got:

Top Posts

  1. Home page
  2. After Career Week = Before Career Week
  3. About My ESADE MBA
  4. Career Services’ reactions and promises.
  5. My ESADE MBA: Statistics and insights
  6. The Economist – FT MBA Ranking 2009
  7. Pre-MBA Readings
  8. About ESADE
  9. Barcelona – Insider Tips
  10. ESADE vs. IESE vs. others – my choice
  11. FT MBA rank 2010 – ESADE #19 (#18 in ’09)
  12. 2nd Place in the Elevator Pitch Contest
  13. FT European Business School Rank 2009
  14. ESADE MBA Directory (impressive considering its date)
  15. My ESADE MBA Admission Interview
  16. Good luck for the first exam!
  17. ESADE MBA Class of 2010 graduating 2012
  18. Rugby Iberia Cup: ESADE vs. IESE vs. LBS

Busiest day: 285 — Sunday, January 31, 2010
Busiest month: 2565 – January 2010

Top Search queries on my blog (last week)

Search Engine Terms used to find my blog:

  1. entrepreneur
  2. roland berger interview
  3. esade mba
  4. my esade mba
  5. myesademba
  6. esade
  7. esade mba blog
  8. esade blog
  9. roland berger interview questions
  10. mba rank
  11. tobias caldeweyher
  12. esade entrepreneurship club
  13. roland berger interviews
  14. cavaria barcelona
  15. esade 2012

Google Search Engine Ranking for following search terms (?)

  1. ft mba ranking 2010 (#8)
  2. mba.com  (#12)
  3. nexus esade (#7)
  4. esade (#14)
  5. ft mba ranking (#9)
  6. ft mba rank (#7)
  7. ft mba (#10)
  8. mba ranking 2010 (#22)
  9. cerebration 2010 (#6)
  10. ft 2010 mba rankings (#9)
  11. esade nexus (#6)
  12. ecch cases  (#4)
  13. ft ranking (#8)
  14. ft european business school rankings (#8)
  15. nexus.esade.edu (#8)
  16. nus cerebration 2010 (#9)
  17. esade 2010 mba gmat club (#2)
  18. bcg barcelona (#7)
  19. aibc lse (#8)
  20. nexus esade alumni (#4)

Most clicked links:

  1. blogs.esade.edu/blogs/mba/mbablog/def…
  2. thembaexperience.wordpress.com
  3. itemsweb.esade.edu/mba/items_gestion/…
  4. economist.com/business-education/whic…
  5. economist.com
  6. delicious.com/myesademba
  7. morgans-musings.blogspot.com
  8. twitter.com/ESADENews
  9. bornliving.com/services/graduate
  10. linkedin.com/in/tobiascaldeweyher

There are tons of more interesting stats such as these but that might be a little too much. What fascinates me most is the interest, almost obsession, in the rankings, comparisons against other schools and interview questions. What I don’t understand is that so many people are obsessed with the rankings and placements of ESADE students but why do I see so few candidates visiting the campus and enquiring about the life as ESADE students? Is that all there is to a school? Visit the campus, speak to the students, attend lectures… Ask me ;) I am looking forward to seeing you all on campus and happy readership :)

*my own visits are not counted obviously

Barcelona Europe’s next entrepreneurship capital?

February 7, 2010

Barcelona has a clear vision: Becoming the entrepreneurship capital of Europe. That is quite an interesting vision and marketing strategy for a city. Being able to say that you are the start-up capital is quite a titel however will not be easily achieved.

Considering that Barcelona is one of the most liveable and attractive cities and hosts two of the top-ten business schools in Europe, this could however be strategy that might actually work. ESADE’s strong focus on entrepreneurship and ESADE’s business incubator “Creapolis” definitely goes well along those lines.

In fact there is a number of developments, events and institutions, like Barcelona’s Activa, that push for this development, that I would like to highlight. The previously mentioned serial entrepreneur Christopher Pommerening for example has recently been asked by the “City of Barcelona and the “Plan Estratégico Metropolitano de Barcelona” to promote and create a special Advisory Committee for Entrepreneurship, in order to improve the services and infrastructures for Entrepreneurs”, as stated by the website “Barcelona Entrepreneurship City”.

The February 2010 edition of the  “Entrepreneurial Event Aggregator” (here) provides you again with a good overview of all the Entrepreneurial Events happening in Barcelona…

Host: ENB
Topic: TBC
Date: 4th of February, 19:15h
Location: Hotel Casanova, C/Gran Via de les Corts, 559
Confirmation: info@networkbarcelona.com or here

Host: ESADECREAPOLIS
Topic: XIII Foro de Inversión del CEI
Date: 9th of February, 17:00h – 19:00h
Location: ESADEFORUM. Av. Pedralbes 60-62. Barcelona
Confirmation: here

Host: ESADE
Topic: Business Angels Network
¿Qué es un Business Angel? Características y datos claves, con Luisa Alemany, Manuel Martos, Carlos Hernández
Date: 9th of February, 19:30h
Location: ESADEFORUM. Av. Pedralbes 60-62. Barcelona
Confirmation: ESADE Alumni

Host: Camera de Comercio de Barcelona
Topic: The day of Silicon Valley: Business opportunities and new trends
Date: 11th of February, 8:30h – 11:00h
Location: Viver de Glòries de Barcelona Activa, c/ Llacuna, 162
Confirmation: gperarnau@cambrabcn.org or here

Host: Gild International
Topic: Networking Lunch
Date: 11th of February, 13:30h – 16:00h
Location: Gild International, Passatge Permanyer 5, 08009 Barcelona
Confirmation: gildinternational@gildinternational.com or at here

Host: ACC1Ó
Topic: Emprenedors que inverteixen. Sector Internet
Date: 16th of February, 8:30h – 10:00h
Location: Hotel Gallery, C. Rosselló, 249
Confirmation: here

Host: Barcelona Activa
Topic: Growth Academy, Fourth Edition
Performing a process of strategic and growth planning using as a tool the application on-line PEC
Date: 17th of February, 9:00h – 19:00h
Location: Viver – Incubadora d’Empreses. Llacuna, 162 Barcelona Tel: 934019666
Confirmation: here

Host: Gild International
Topic: Webcast: Strategy with Jeff Jarvis
Date: 18th of February, 18:00h
Location: Gild International, Passatge Permanyer 5, 08009 Barcelona, España
Confirmation: gildinternational@gildinternational.com or here

If you want to find out more about Barcelona’s Entrepreneurship City click here. Good luck with starting your own business.

Career Services’ reactions and promises…

February 2, 2010

After two meetings with the Career Services yesterday it seems that your feedback on the article had an impact.  It is not quite official yet but the following changes are planned for the coming days and weeks:

  • An official statement of the Management
  • Restructuring of the Career Services (apparently there will be a re-allocation of responsibilites)
  • Implementation of clear processes and K.PERFORMANCE.Is beyond staff-student ratios based on the recommendations of a famous consultancy  (not sure why a Business School spends money on a consultancy but…)
  • Survey for Career Week
  • Migration of discussion to Nexus to open up further “internal” dialogue
  • Workshops with students on how to strengthen Career Services
  • Renaming of Career Week to “Career Forum
  • More in-depth company briefings prior to campus visits
  • Differentiating between company and recruitment presentation
  • A stronger focus on developing company relationships with student clubs and academia
  • Publication of a clear hierarchical structure incl. responsibility allocations (should be expanded across the school in my opinion)
  • More transparency and new faster feedback policies
  • Publication of recruitment/interview statistics
  • and a few more…

Obviously not all of these are a result of the blog article and coincide with some changes that have been planned anyhow but it is a good development in any case.

These are all high aspirations and it is important that they are being implemented however most probably this will take some time.  However I still hope and think that it is important that the outgoing students see the changes implemented before leaving in two months.

On the other side we still have to acknowledge that they always put in a lot of efforts into attracting companies to campus, organising the career week, etc. And  you can’t honestly expect them to offer you placements. We do all need to be proactive ourselves. The crisis is bad for placements but that’s was already clear when we started, no?

In any case the latest discussions and feedback from us students have been heard. Let’s see and good job hunting!!

Guest speaker: Ignasi Cusido “Operations in a Family Business”

February 1, 2010

Please join us on Tuesday, February the 2nd at 18.30 in Room A018.

The Operations and Entrepreneurship Clubs would like to invite you to attend “Operations in a Family Business” presented by Ignasi Cusido, CEO of LAMP Lighting and member of ESADE alumni society. LAMP Lighting, which is based out of Barcelona, has been one of the leading light innovators within the industry since its inception in 1972.

Ignasi’s presentation will focus on LAMP’s Operational Strategy as it expands its international presence. LAMP is a family business that offers a personalised service to clients and is totally involved in the projects it participates in by providing a comprehensive, innovative and aesthetic service.


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