Career Diversity

Mission Statement

MANA, empowers Latinas through leadership development, community service and advocacy.

MANA is a national community of Latinas actively working to create a better quality of life for Hispanics.

I have always committed my time and energy to helping others. I thought that having a law degree would give me the best skills to help others and a path I would take to making a social impact. With a law degree, I could dedicate myself to public service. Through law, I could fight for justice and speak for those who feel they have no voice in our society. I could protect the civil rights and liberties of all Americans despite their social status. However, after much reflection, I came to the following conclusions: law involves a lot of paper work and I prefer to actually interact with the group I am serving, lawyers working in the public sector burn out quickly and become jaded, injustice is very hard to fight with the laws currently in place, etc. I felt that if I went into law I would have to fight an uphill battle.

I had never considered business school so I continued with my daily life. Eventually, I ran into an old college friend and we discussed my future career goals. He told me that if I wanted to have a social impact and be able to control exactly how the organization would run that I should look into social entrepreneurship. What was that? How does it work? What kind of skills do I need to start an organization dedicated to helping others? I researched social entrepreneurship programs online which resulted in MBA program listings that specialized in this field.

I never considered how business could lead to social impact. My impression was that businesses were just profit-seeking organizations until I learned about things like corporate social responsibility and the double-bottom line. I began to see business as a tool for social change. I am currently on the path towards attaining an MBA. I have applied to MLT's MBA Prep program and have enrolled in a Kaplan course. I have researched potential schools online and have visited both Yale School of Management and Columbia Graduate School of Business.

Once you make that decision, first 3 things to do before you begin applying:

1) Start studying for the GMAT.

2) Research schools you are interested in. Look at the curriculum, professors, teaching style, facilities, etc.

3) Visit schools. You don’t want to waste time applying to a school that you can’t picture yourself attending.

Gain some insight on writing business school essays.

Scholarship for Excellence

The Goldman Sachs Scholarship for Excellence Program, established in 1994, is an integral part of our diversity recruiting effort, helping to attract Black, Hispanic and Native American undergraduate students to careers at Goldman Sachs.

Recipients of the scholarship in their sophomore year receive a $5,000 award toward tuition and academic expenses for one year. Students invited to return for a second summer internship are eligible to receive an additional award of $10,000. Recipients in their junior year receive a scholarship award of $10,000. Scholarship recipients also receive an offer for a paid Goldman Sachs summer internship.

Click here for the Application Checklist

internshipIN is bridging the gap between two groups of people hungry to get to know each other with no true other way to connect.

They know students have a hard time finding internship opportunities at companies doing something important to them. They also know startups, especially early and mid-stage startups, have a difficult time recruiting at different universities.

They fill this connection gap with company profiles, university partnerships and more! In short, internshipIN plays matchmaker for students and startups!

Ready to find a company you love?

Check them out here...

So you want to go to business school to make some money but you are currently in broke mode. What do you do? You have to hustle; you have to make something out of nothing. Most of us don’t have the power and resources to get our way so we have to make things happen.

1) Find out how much money you owe and what your credit looks like. Get your FICO score and your credit report. You don’t want to get denied loans because you have bad credit.

2) Stop living a balla lifestyle. When you go to business school, you will have to get used to living like a student again. Remember, you will forego an income for 2 years. Start a savings fund so you have something to fall back on and stop buying all the new Jordans. You are too grown for that anyway.

3) Research scholarships. There are so many untapped resources out there that you can access if you commit time and energy. Find out what the criteria is to get a merit-based scholarship so you can focus on making yourself a good candidate for those.

4) Know the financial aid system. Different schools have different ways of assisting students finance their MBA. Make sure you know what the deadlines are for each school and what paperwork is required. Stay organized so you can keep track of everything that is required.

5) Find out if your company is willing to pay a percentage of your tuition or completely sponsor you. Make sure you know the conditions of that sponsorship. You don’t want to consider this option if you hate where you are currently working. You may have to sign your life away to them for an additional X number of years.

6) Budget wisely. A lot of people don’t know how to do this effectively. Make sure you include both the application process and expenses being incurred in business school as a part of that budget.

7) Save money. Not only are you cutting back on spending but you will need some money to fall back on. Even if you receive financial assistance, you will need money for living expenses. Some cities are more expensive to live in than others so make sure you know typical rent and groceries cost. Also, you will no longer have health benefits through your job so you may want to research health insurance options.

7) Be persistent. Know the ins and outs of every resource you can use to finance your education. If you give up too soon, you may lose out on a good opportunity.

8) Take chances. Ask for discounts. Do schools offer fee waivers? Can you get a lower price on your GMAT class?

9) Network. Talk to friends and others who have gone through the business school application process. What was their hustle like? You can learn a lot from listening to others.

Credit Suisse will offer $5,000 scholarships to a number of college sophomores of African, Latino, and Native American descent. Recipients of the scholarships will be selected based on their academic excellence, leadership abilities, and interest in the financial services industry.

In addition to monetary resources, students who receive the Douglas L. Paul Scholarship will have the opportunity to participate in our 10 week rotational program in New York. This unique 10-week placement provides students with an opportunity to rotate through the various areas of the bank. Students will have exposure to the Alternative Investments, Equities, Fixed Income, and Investment Banking departments. Scholars will not only be exposed to the world of financial services, but they will participate in a developed mentor program, participate in social activities where they will get to know Credit Suisse professionals as well as New York City, and attend weekly seminars with senior management.

Scholars will receive a stipend for the duration of the 10-week program.

Please Click Here for the application

Bell Curves invites you to one of its upcoming free info sessions.

Click here to RSVP

At their GMAT Information Sessions prospective business school applicants will be introduced to the GMAT and how to effectively prepare for the test. One of their dynamic instructors will give you an overview of the GMAT, explain its relevance to the admissions process, demonstrate key strategies, and advise you how to prepare most effectively. They will answer all your questions about the test anything from "when should you take the exam?" to "what are the key skills and content that you should focus on during your preparation? "

Dates:

Monday Nov 17, 2008 6:30pm-8:30pm

Saturday Dec 13, 2008 11:00am-1:00pm

Wednesday Jan 21, 2009 6:30pm-8:30pm

Saturday Jan 31, 2009 1:30pm-3:30pm

Wednesday Feb 18, 2009 6:30pm-8:30pm

Address:

Bell Curves, the educational services company

147 West 35th Street, Suite 1702, New York, NY 10001

Toll free: 877.223.3828 | fax: 646.414.1675

Dan@bellcurves.com | http://www.bellcurves.com

To listen to MLT's MBA Value Proposition presentation and MBA Prep Q&A, click on the image below:

Career advice, news, job search, etc.

Resources, news articles, book recommendations, company profiles are all available on this site.

By Mesia Quartano & Barb Freda for LatPro.com.

We may be living in a global economy, but the fact remains: There are some subtle — and some not-so-subtle — differences between the way employment interviews are conducted in the United States and in Latin America.

To help you better prepare for U.S. interviews, LatPro took time recently to speak with two experts in the field of employment training: experts who have made it their business to coach Hispanic job candidates and employers in cross-cultural interviewing techniques.

Graciela Kenig is founder and president of LatinoWorkforce.com, an organization dedicated to finding and placing multicultural recruits into the workforce. Nelson A. De Leon is a bilingual recruiting consultant, and the owner and founder of America At Work.

We asked our experts: What makes an employment interview in the United States different from one that might be conducted in Latin America? What expectations do U.S. interviewers have, and what does a Latino candidate need to know to succeed in this new environment?

Here are their top tips to help you avoid possible misconceptions and cultural pitfalls so you can get the job you want!

Top Ten Tips for Acing your U.S. Job Interview

1. Take Credit for your Professional Accomplishments
An employer expects you to “toot your own horn,” says Graciela Kenig. This can be awkward for Latinos who are more community and group-oriented, but it’s a crucial part of the U.S. interview.

Employers want to hear not just how you worked as a part of a team, but very specifically what you did on that team and what your contributions were, notes Kenig. Discussing your individual accomplishments won’t be viewed as arrogant or egotistical. In fact, if you don’t point out your solo successes, employers will assume you don’t have significant contributions to talk about.

2. Make Eye Contact
Interviewers will be picturing you as a potential coworker during the interview. They expect you to look them in the eye and act like a colleague. For some Hispanics, such direct eye contact may feel uncomfortable, as it can have different connotations in Latin America, including attraction between a man and woman, a lack of respect or a challenge to authority. All of these potential cultural implications must be set aside for the interview. In the U.S., making good eye contact shows confidence; failing to look your interviewer in the eye will not only make them uncomfortable, it could be interpreted as a sign that you are being evasive or untruthful.

3. Be Direct
“We Latinos tend to communicate indirectly,” says Kenig “We need to give context to stories, and the story gets really long.” In the U.S. interview, however, you should get to the point quickly and focus only on the relevant facts. Kenig’s story strategy is SAR: Pick the Situation; relate the Action; highlight the Results.

Plunging right in and talking about the matter at hand may seem rude or abrupt to a Latino, but it won’t to the person doing the interview. They are busy, time is short, and you need to shine during the brief time you have in front of them.

4. Focus on Professional, not Personal, Issues
Interviewers may ask a question just to break the ice, says De Leon, asking a recruit to “tell me something about yourself.” They are not asking about your childhood, your dogs or your family.

The interviewer really wants to hear about you in relation to the jobs you’ve had in the past and the job you want. “That can be tough for Hispanics, who want to ease into conversations about themselves,” adds De Leon. Practice answering these types of questions without including your entire life’s story.

5. Get Rid of the “Yes Syndrome”
The Yes Syndrome is something De Leon identifies as an idiosyncrasy of Hispanic culture. As an interviewer is talking, the recruit may be nodding his head, saying yes over and over, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve understood everything. It does mean they’ve heard; they are listening, and they won’t interrupt for fear of seeming rude.

“It’s okay to ask questions,” says De Leon. “Ask, ‘Can you explain that?’ or just repeat back to the interviewer what you’ve heard: ‘You need A, B, C and D for this job.’” It doesn’t make you look stupid, as some fear. It makes you look and sound engaged in the interview.

6. Don’t Be Passive
This goes hand in hand with getting rid of the Yes Syndrome. If you are too humble or too reserved, says De Leon, you may appear uninterested in the job. Once you start asking questions, it shows you have a good grasp of the job at hand. The smartest people don’t give the best answers, they ask the best questions, showing potential employers they can identify problems.

7. Beware Tú vs. Usted
Latinos are aware of the formality of the “usted.” But because English only uses “you,” be conscious that you don’t get too familiar with your interviewer. De Leon sees this especially with people who have grown up in the Latino culture within the United States. While a recruit should not be subservient, there should still be respect. And if you happen to be interviewing in a situation where you will use Spanish, stick with “usted” during the interview. Don’t lapse into using “tú” for the entire corporate culture.

8. Dress Conservatively
“It’s always better to be overdressed rather than underdressed,” says De Leon, but what is dressy for going out on the town is not appropriate attire for the interview. Kenig reminds recruits, “Whatever you wear makes an impression and says something about who you are.”

Even if the day-to-day dress of regular employees is casual, you should choose conservative business attire for your interview. A professional appearance shows that you respect the interviewer and are serious about the available position. Avoid anything that will detract from the interview, including too much jewelry, perfume or aftershave. You want the focus to be on your abilities, not on an overpowering fragrance or distracting accessories.

9. Don’t be Discouraged if the Interviewer Seems Impersonal
Employers who don’t ask about your background, your family, your kids and your church aren’t being rude, and it doesn’t mean they don’t like you as a potential employee. In the U.S., these types of personal interview questions are prohibited. “There are a lot of legal issues they cannot discuss or bring up first in an interview,” says Kenig. If the recruit mentions a spouse or children, the interviewer can follow up on it, but they are bound by law not to ask first.

Why should you join Career Prep?

Everyone needs a job after college. Career Prep puts you in a better position to be competitive in a tough job market. Here are some of the most valuable elements of Career Prep:

1. Exposure to Job Opportunities: MLT introduces you to a wide range of business career options through guided workshops led by companies across a wide range of industries including Goldman Sachs, Monitor Group, General Mills, Major League Baseball, Citigroup and McKinsey & Company. Click here for a complete list of our partner organizations.

2. 1-on-1 Career Coaching: Each fellow gets a professional career coach with industry and company expertise who provides candid advice and feedback to the fellow throughout the career planning process. The coach facilitates an introspective process that helps the fellow identify their vision, industries and companies that match that vision, and the skills they need to succeed on that career path.

3. 4 Leadership Development Trips: We don't just help you find a job. We help you prepare to do well in your job by developing your business and analytical skills, with a curriculum co-developed with leading corporations, who extend their intellectual capital and training resources to you. MLT's leadership development weekends compliment the 1-on-1 coaching with experiential learning exercises and deep discussions.

4. National Networking: MLT seeks to expand fellows' social capital by creating opportunities to network up and across. Fellows will have opportunities to meet our alumni and other supporters who are in positions that they want to be in and to network with a high-performing peer group.

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