Dear All,

I have been accepted at Hult Business School and at EDHEC (for MBA programs). I have not been able to decide which one to opt for.

I have over 8 years management exp. in hospitality sector, and am a US citizen. I am primarily looking for a career shift.

Looking forward to your input.

Thank you.

Let me be the first one to say, if you're planning to go back to the USA, and/or have a career in the USA, you would be better off with Hult in this situation (instead of EDHEC).

I am a firm believer that you should study where you want to work.

P/s I am not a Hult Hater. :)

Let me be the first one to say, if you're planning to go back to the USA, and/or have a career in the USA, you would be better off with Hult in this situation (instead of EDHEC).

It was between a rock and a hard place.

If he really wants though, he should keep an open mind - depending on he wants to do post-MBA - to applying to a larger variety of schools. But assuming that Hult is the best he can do, he could give it a shot and network like hell to get a career change. Even then, it might be REALLY hard for that to happen, depending on the industry/role he wants to get into.

Of course, if he wants to get into consulting or investment banking, I would suggest that he looks at other alternatives.... ;) But if he's moving into sales, I'm pretty confident that Hult can get him into sales... I hope....

Dear Both,

Thank you for your candid feedback).

The key is your career goal. What do you ultimately want to do when you finish your MBA?

If you are intersted in international business (and I assume you are because of the schools you mention) then the next consideration is what functional area of expertise will you develop within international business. Future employers will want to know what you can do for them. If you answer, I have a degree in international business, they will ask again, "What can you do for me?" So be sure the program you consider has an intensive concentration: ie finance or marketing, etc. This complements the strategic understanding of international business with a functional expertise - an area you can go in to a company with and add immediate value.

Also, as a "career shifter", I strongly advise you to consider whether the MBA program you're thinking of has a good track record with internship placements. Here's the questions to ask:
* Is the internship a required part of the curriculum? This indicates the importance the school places on this most "career relevant" piece of the program.

* How long must the internship be? If it is only one month, even if full-time, that's not long enough for you to do a significant project in finance or in marketing etc that will really add value to the company....and value to your resume. A full-time three month internship, where you are not only immersing yourself in the corporate culture, but you are also responsibile for a significant project....this is a much better career relevant component.

* Is the internship given academic credit? When it is, there is a faculty member who acts as a mentor and advisor; there is accountability; and the school is tracking the internship experience to make sure you are not simply filing, answering phones, making cold calls etc.

* If you are interested in international business, then as someone already answered, you should be at a school where the internship experience will be outside your home country, insuring you have career relevant experience in international business.

So consider these things when deciding on what school to attend. I'm sure both are excellent schools.......it's the actual program and what it can do for your career that should be of interest....especially for a "career changer."

As Dean of MBA Programs at the Global MBA at Suffolk University in Boston, I've given you generic advice that is applicable, I think, to all career changers with an interest in international business.

However, I also invite you to www.globalmba.typepad.com to see the blogs of Suffolk Global MBAs doing internships in 10 countries this summer. Go to www.suffolk.edu/globalmba for more information on the program.