Giri Kesavan was part of the MBA2021 cohort. During his time at LBS, he was involved in every aspect of the student journey across Recruitment & Admissions, Degree Education, Experiential Learning & Student-Led activities. He was an Academic Rep for MBA2021, Co-President of The Tech & Media Club, an MBA Ambassador, a TEDx LBS speaker as well as an Alumni Representative for the MBA2021 class. Coming from an engineering & product background, he pioneered a new focus for the school on Technology, Media & Product careers, working closely with faculty, staff, alumni & industry. He continues to be heavily involved in Recruitment & Admissions for the MBA programme and all things tech at LBS.
MBA applications are tricky – they are a journey in themselves, comprising of months, if not years of research, planning, and preparation. As our applicants make their final preparations for MBA2024 Round 2 over Christmas, a common question that comes up is, ‘What’s so unique about LBS?’
A key element of the application is to engage and interact with our student and alumni community, to truly give you a sense of what life at LBS is like. I’ve already enjoyed speaking to nearly 100 applicants 1:1, with more to follow over the Christmas break!
It’s easy to dismiss all business schools and MBA programmes as the same – but I truly believe LBS is very distinct, and below are my 10 reasons why!
- We’re collaborative and not competitive. We believe in achieving impact together, and not at the expense of each other. Collaborating on interview preparation, editing each other’s cover letters, giving candid feedback on CVs…all when we’re applying for the same roles. I think this speaks volumes about the culture of LBS – we’re not only about delivery and impact, but how we got there, and how we bring others along in the journey to achieve great things together.
- There isn’t an ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ between students and the school. It’s a partnership. At the end of the programme, you don’t feel like you simply received a degree from an ‘institution.’ Rather, it feels like a collaborative partnership across students, staff, faculty, alumni & industry to create a unique 2-year experience. Everyone at the school is very approachable, engaging and wants to interact with you!
- Student-Led Impact is key. I talk about this a lot, as it’s fundamentally what I found so rewarding during my time at the school. I could have never imagined a few years ago that I would be able to create new programming for our students, pivot the school towards Tech, launch key new initiatives such as a new Tech MBA concentration and more! This isn’t achieved in isolation –it’s all about the partnership and platform that the school provides to enable student-led impact.
- It’s not prescribed. You make your own journey. No one tells you what to do. Nothing is prescribed and set in stone at LBS. It’s a constantly evolving personal and professional journey that’s unique to you. The school gives you the platform to craft your own path over the two years, enabling you to explore and engage with business on a global scale and context.
- We don’t just focus on London. Strange right? Given it’s called ‘London’ Business School. Rather, LBS is about using its amazing location as a platform for global thinking, global education, and global impact. Our students come out with a holistic view of business, and are equipped to create impact in any industry, any geography and at any stage of a company’s growth.
- Everything is flexible. You can literally take the same course in multiple formats – 10-week, 5-week, Block Week, Evenings, Modular. This innate flexibility is built into the MBA over the 2 years, meaning that you’re able to balance any personal and professional commitments around the programme, and take advantage of the whole host of opportunities on offer, managing your own schedule and calendar. During my time, I ended up doing 3 internships in between 12 courses, an international exchange, a GBE, getting involved in a whole host of leadership roles in the school and more.
- We teach you how to think, and not what to think. This is key – and for me is the centrepiece of an MBA education. There’s a key reason why our interview process is so heavily based on conversation and communication. I truly learned how to approach problems and structure problems in new ways, and with a holistic view of business, drawing from my own experience and that of my peers. LBS didn’t teach me what to think…but rather how to think.
- Treks. Treks. Treks. It’s all about international experiences and outlook. Oh my…we love to travel, and there is literally a trek to some destination each week (whether virtually or physically given COVID!). Our students are inquisitive, keen to explore, ready to engage and want to immerse themselves in different cultures and contexts. Snow Trek. Japan Trek. Dublin, New York, Silicon Valley, Berlin, Amsterdam Tech treks. Weekend breaks in Europe. Global Business Experiences across all four corners of the world. It’s all about creating a global mindset.
- It’s not theoretical, but experiential. A key element of the LBS experience is Experiential Learning. Bringing the classroom learning to industry, from London to the world. Ranging from treks to industry to visit alumni and global companies, guest speakers, project-based work through London CAP & Digital for Impact, part-time internships and side-projects, the LBS experience is all about immediately applying what you’re learning and bringing new perspectives into the classroom.
- Trust & Respect across Students & Staff. There is a reason why I’m so involved in Recruitment & Admissions. There is a reason why we do alumni-led interviews. There is a reason why we focus so much on student-driven impact. The highlight for me personally at LBS was the huge amount of trust that the school placed in me to drive global initiatives, change ways of thinking, create impact, interact with current and incoming classes and, fundamentally, partner with the school for life. We place huge trust and are proud of what our students and alumni can accomplish!
If you’re thinking about joining our MBA programme, please visit our website to learn more!