The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide [Paperback]

Bill Shapiro (Author), The editors of MBA Jungle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 7, 2001

The official handbook for B-school culture and customs, The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide is filled with insights on the MBA experience. It also offers practical advice with a flair and sophistication that will appeal to current and would-be MBA students. Far from your same-old sawdust-dry business-school guide, The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide is smart and witty, yet still manages to take business seriously. It covers a full array of topics-from determining if an MBA track is appropriate for you, to decoding curriculum needs, to parlaying classroom relationships and knowledge into job offers. It also outlines the intangibles-such as status and confidence-one can assemble by knowing B-school protocol. Drawing from interviews and focus groups with professors, recruiters, and CEOs, this is a one-stop guide for getting the most out of your MBA and getting ahead in the business world.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Housman is the cofounder of Jungle Interactive Media, which publishes the magazine MBA Jungle and its corresponding web site (www.mbajungle.com). He and the editors of MBA Jungle have put together this excellent guide to help prospective business students get the most from their MBAs. Chapters that cover making the decision to attend business school and choosing a business school will be of particular interest to prospective business students, while sections on networking while in school, interviewing for a job, and comporting oneself in the business environment could be of use to anyone hoping to succeed in the workplace. The guide goes into specifics in a number of key areas: it takes the reader through a typical week in the life of an MBA student, gives detailed strategies on making the recruiting dinner successful, and details an interview with four recruiters, analyzing the answers to eight typical interview questions. There is also a section on how to find an international job. An appendix includes a discussion of the importance of business school rankings. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries. Stacey Marien, American Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

"After reading this you will...Get in/OUTWIT, Succeed/OUTPLAY, and Survive/OUTLAST in B-school and beyond!" -- Rebecca L. Butler, MBA Recruiter, Investment Banking Campus Recruiting, UBS Warburg

"This is an indispensable guide to the world of business and business schools. I only wish they'd written it forty five years ago." -- Senator Herb Kohl, MBA, Harvard, l958, Owner, Milwaukee Bucks; Former owner, Kohl's Food Stores, Kohl's Department Stores

"Helpful career and academic advice? It's all in here, and these guys also tell you how to have a great time in business school." -- John Katzman, Founder & CEO, The Princeton Review

"The B-School Survival Guide should be the first thing you grab before blazing your career path. It arms you with valuable insights into the B-school world and paints an authentic picture of the recruiting process." -- Seth L. Feit, Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition, America Online, Inc.

"Prospective students needs all the information they can get. The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide provides a wealth of valuable information that is both readable and amusing, a combination not often found in writings on the MBA experience." --- Paul Danos, Dean, Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business

Far from the same-old sawdust-dry manual, The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide is smart and witty, yet takes business and business school very seriously. It covers a full array of topics --from determining if the MBA track is right for you and making your application stand out from the pack, to transforming your classroom knowledge and relationships into job offers at elite firms.

Read The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide to:

* Learn what the world's best business professors think you should know
* Ace the application process and get into your dream school
* Develop a killer network and make it work for you
* Discover top recruiters' winning career advancement techniques

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; Edition Unstated edition (August 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738205117
• ISBN-13: 978-0738205113
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,244,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Business School Guides

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing New, February 24, 2003

By 

"oezekoye" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide (Paperback)

I got turned on to Jungle Media Group through my sister's subscription to JD Jungle magazine. I looked through the MBA Jungle website, and was really excited when I got this book. This book contains little to no new content not offered in the magazine or on the website. Some of the sections are taken directly from the website (probably vice versa actually). It's not to say that the information itself is not useful (although it is presented a little simplistically), but it feels very stale. So if you are a regular reader of MBA jungle or MBAJungle.com save your money.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book if your school fits the mold, June 15, 2002

By 

NauticallyObsessed (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide (Paperback)

I found this book interesting, but it seemed to me that it would be most useful to a Harvard/Stanford/etc MBA. I go to a business school that is not a top school, and I found that much of what was said just didn't apply to me. In fact, after reading this book you might be scared away from b-school, even though many schools do not employ the pressure cooker tactics of some of the more prestigious ones. I would recommend reading the book, but remember that little advice can hold true for every program.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Describes the climate today to a point, December 20, 2009

By 

This Guy 2100 "Lank" (Seneca Falls, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide (Paperback)

I picked this book up at a discount book store for cheap and read it. Here are my thoughts:

1.) There's a section about getting in. Mostly irrelevant, but maybe helpful for the motivated undergrad. I already got accepted to Buffalo upon buying this book. They very clearly weigh out what scores/experience is important when applying.
2.) The breakdown of what goes on in B-school and why you should apply and generally what to expect is accurate.
3.) The description of classes, Thursday night lectures, groupwork and scheduling is described perfectly. Maybe in 2001 they were ahead of the game because now, in 2009, they're RIGHT ON. Groupwork horror stories from the book have predicted events that friends of mine are experiencing right now constantly.
4.) The interviewing/networking tips are somewhat common sense, but there are some good stories and a few unique tips. Remember that MBA students are skeptics (much like JD students) and will not trust a tip/hint/suggestion unless there's a good story or example to back it up. This book provides these examples.

It's funny, this book is the perfect handbook for the newly accepted B-school student...and it was written about 9 years ago. There really is no need for a new edition!


****UPDATE****
I just graduated, and while I still stand behind much of my review, it could benefit from a good update. Unfortunately I looked at the MBA jungle website and it looks like they're not doing many updates. Shame. I still recommend this for an incoming or applying student, but once you land your first internship, this book loses its usefulness.