Top Five GMAT Study Mistakes

Top Five GMAT Study MistakesTop Five GMAT Study MistakesMistake 1 Believing that more is more A common misperception is that the only way to truly master the GMAT is to see every dicke bretter bohren mssen in existence. And given the number of GMAT guides available at your local bookstore, there is plenty of material out there. Of course, you do want to see a variety of problems, so that you know which concepts are tested, and how. However, simply exposing yourself to all sorts of problems is not enough you have to actually study the problems, and this may mean doing fewer problems. You are not done with a problem when you get it right. You should spend twice as long reviewing a problem as you spend doing it, whether or not you got it correct. (Im serious on that one.) As a part of your review, ask yourself whether you identified the topics being tested. Did you do answer the question in the most efficient way? Was there another approach you could have taken? Does the problem or any of the concepts remind you of other problems youve seen? The goal is to find a lesson in each question and be able to apply those lessons to the next group of problems you do. Mistake 2 Believing that more is more, part deux I once knew a GMAT student who believed that if he took a practice test a day for six weeks, he would be prepared when the actual test date rolled around. Prepared to jump off a bridge, I thought, but not prepared to take the test. Just like doing too many practice problems, taking unnecessary tests will not help you learn the material necessary to do well on the GMAT. Use practice tests sparingly. Use them to build stamina, get accustomed to the zeiteinteilung constraints, and gauge your progress. Practice tests should not be your primary study tool. If you are fortunate enough to be using a test that gives you diagnostic information, use that information to guide your future studying. Focus primarily on your weakest areas, but dont let any particular topic or question type go cold. Whatever you do, DO NOT get hung up on your score. These are practice exams for good or ill, the real exam will be a completely different experience. Mistake 3 Believing that more is more, part tre Its a rare bird who did not, at some point during college, pull an all-nighter cramming for a nasty final exam. Remember when it was 3 am and the room was littered with half-drunk cups of coffee, empty pizza boxes, discarded Twizzlers wrappers, and numerous rumpled cheat sheets? That was fine when you were 19 and trying to remember a semesters worth of menschengerecht behavior biology it wont cut it now. Studying for long periods of time is not effective preparation for the GMAT. Rather, pace yourself. Give yourself a good three months to prepare for the test, working about two hours a day. Mix up your study sessions so that you work a bit on verbal and a bit on quantitative topics. Do a group of problems (say, twenty minutes worth) and spend the next forty minutes reviewing your work. Take a stretch break, come back, and do another group of problems. Review those intensely, and then call it a day. Longer work sessions lead to diminishing returns, a concept that all business schools care about. Mistake 4 Forgetting about time Time is your most valuable resource when you take the GMAT. Since you have only 75 minutes to answer either 41 verbal questions or 37 quantitative questions, how you allocate those precious minutes is crucial to your overall strategy and success. Too often, GMAT takers put too much emphasis on getting the problem right and not enough emphasis on getting the problem right in the right amount of time. Always, always, always do your practice timed. Give yourself a certain number of minutes to complete a set of problems. This way, you can see how well you balance those problems that take a little too long with those that you can do faster than the average bear. Always strive to find the most efficient way through the question . Mistake 5 Doing only the stuff youre good at It feels great to do a set of problems in the right amount of time and get them all (or nearly all) correct. When that happens, give yourself a sincere pat on the back. But then go in search of material you are less comfortable with. Working only on topics or problem types you already feel great about wont help your overall score nearly as much as making improvements in areas where you arent quite up to snuff. Because of the GMATs adaptive nature, your weaknesses create a ceiling for your strengths. You wont see a 700-level Sentence Correction question if your Reading Comprehension is down in the 500s. In order to take the most advantage of your killer grammar skills, you have to increase your RC level. So, bite the bullet and do the hard work. It may not feel quite as fun the first time out, but youll love the improvements youll make over time. Conquering the GMAT can seem like a daunting task. But if you avoid these five mistakes, you ll be well on your way to victory. And if you get stressed, grab one of those old 2 pencils and departure gnawing away on the end of it. I mean, its not like theyll let you use it for the test, so you might as well get some use out of it. About ManhattanGMAT ManhattanGMAT is the nations largest GMAT-exclusive preparation provider. ManhattanGMATs mission is to provide students with a blend of the academic and test-taking skills essential for success, given todays higher standard for what defines a competitive GMAT score. Preparation options include 9-session courses, private tutoring, one-day workshops, and corporate classes on-site at many Fortune 500 companies. The ManhattanGMAT Strategy Guides, the heart of our curriculum, can be purchased through our online store or major book retailers like Barnes Noble. Check out our website to learn more about our upcoming programs, curriculum, and instructors. *GMAT and GMAT CAT are registered trademarks of the Graduate Management Admissions Council, which neither sponsors nor endorses this preparation service.For more b-school and GMAT insight from the experts at ManhattanGMAT, check out our MBA Resources. To find a free ManhattanGMAT vorstellung in your area, visit our website.

Why You Really Dont Have to Have a 5-Year Plan

Why You Really Dont Have to Have a 5-Year PlanWhy You Really Dont Have to Have a 5-Year PlanIm organized. Logical, too. I have a five-year plan, a 10-year plan, and even a rough idea of where Id like to be in 25 years. I dont do it out of obligation. Ive always been this way. Before I ever set foot on Tufts green campus as an undergrad, Id already had all my classes mapped out and knew which classes to take to cover multiple requirements. I also made a backup plan that would allow me to graduate in three years- you know, just in case. At a glance, it looks like I really have it together. And dont get me wrong, I definitely do (I think), but its elend because of all the plans Ive made. In fact, to be honest, I havent kept any of those original plans. Not a one.It welches a realization I made while studying career counseling theories- John D. Krumboltzs Happenstance Learning Theory, to be specific. He posits that unplanned events are to be expected because theyre inevitable and, in fac t, necessary to every career. How many successful people actually followed a plan to get to where they were? Maybe a handful. Most were (and continue to be) superbly hardworking and just really good at recognizing and acting on opportunities that come their way. On the role of the career counselor, Krumboltz writes, The goal of career counseling is to help clients learn to take actions to achieve more satisfying career and personal lives- not to make a single career decision. Pretty straightforward on all counts, but to me it was also pretty revolutionary. Theres no mention of five-year plans, no clear-cut steps toward a singular career goal, or even a sense of urgency. Ultimately, the goal of career planning is not to have a step-by-step plan, but to maximize the opportunities for you to learn and to be in the right mindset to take advantage of opportunities as they come. In other words, its all about putting yourself out there, trying new things, and creating your own luck.This al l makes sense because, well, we dont know what the future holds. We dont even know what jobs will be created or eliminated 10 years from now. So, even though Im all for plans because its comforting to me to have one, its not the plans that are important. Whats important is keeping busy- meeting people, volunteering, experimenting with new hobbies, trying out side gigs- whatever you can do to maximize the opportunities youre exposed to and then having the boldness to go for one when it feels right.As the talented Shonda Rhimes said at her excellent commencement address to Dartmouths class of 2014I think a lot of people dream. And while they are busy dreaming, the really happy people, the really successful people, the really interesting, engaged, powerful people, are busy doing Ditch the dream and be a doer, not a dreamer. Maybe you know exactly what it is you dream of being, or maybe youre paralyzed because you have no idea what your passion is. The truth is, it doesnt matter. You do nt have to know. You just have to keep moving forward. You just have to keep doing something, seizing the next opportunity, staying open to trying something new. It doesnt have to fit your vision of the perfect job or the perfect life. Perfect is boring and dreams are not real. Just do.Photo of woman thinking courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Contact Headhunters

How to Contact Headhunters How to Contact Headhunters In the first post of this series, I talked about how headhunters work. In the second post, we looked at how to find them. Finally, I want to walk you through how to get in touch, because the way you approach headhunters is key to your success or failure. Heres how I recommend going about it.1) Contact them by schmelzglasI recommend contacting headhunters by emaillele. Its easy for the headhunter to answer in herbei own time, it allows her to add your resume to the database even if she never responds to you, and it isnt as intrusive as a phone call. 2) Offer helpMake sure you mention that you would be happy to help them with any searches they are currently conducting. This is an open invite to contact you, since most headhunters are always looking for candidates. Instead of thinking of headhunters as a source of jobs, think of them as more people to add to your network. By reaching out and helping them, you make it much more likely they will contact you in the future. Not only have you created good feeling, but you have also shown that you are a respected resource within your field. 3) Be clear about what you want Headhunters receive hundreds of resumes a day, many of them totally unsuitable. Make it as easy as possible for them to know that you are perfect for their firm. Do this in your cover letter and/or email, as well as by writing a concise and informative subject heading for your email.4) Create an effective email subject line Dont contact headhunters with an email subject line that reads hi or resume. There is nothing compelling about that to a person with a thousand emails to read in a day.Do use a headline that explains exactly who you are Marketing Executive resume attached, or even better, Marketing Executive - Fortune 500 Experience - PG Training or Internet Marketer - named Innovator of the Year 2009. 5) Address the question of salary I dont usually recommend revealing salary requirements when w riting to potential employers (unless they insist) but when writing to headhunters its important to let them know what salary you are expecting. This helps them decide whether to contact you, and may encourage them to get in touch for positions they may otherwise have assumed were not at your pay level. Heres how to make salary expectations clear without limiting yourself too much. 6) Attach only a resume in the right format Dont attach lots of extra documents when you email a headhunter - they dont need to see your references or copies of performance reviews or work samples. Just send your resume in either Word or text-only. Do not send your resume in PDF format when mailing headhunters it wont be stored because most applicant tracking computer systems cant scan PDFs for keywords. 7) Write a strong introductory email Your introductory email is one of the most important things to get right in buchen to maximize the responses to your resume. Remember that headhunters are busy peop le who earn money only when they make a good placement. They have seen every self-promotional trick in the book and read every stale resume phrase you can imagine. This means your email to them must be direct, to the point, and informative about what they need to know. No BS, no fluff, no unnecessary self-promotion. And focused 100% on them and their needs.Here are a few examples of headhunter contact emails I might have sent back when I worked in Human Resources. The first is an email that I would have written if I were currently employed.Dear Paula,David Bloom mentioned that you frequently recruit HR executives within the fashion industry and suggested that you and I should meet. Even if you are not currently looking for a candidate like me, I have a great network and would be very happy to act as a resource for any other searches.I am currently employed as Senior Director for HR with XYZ Inc., where I lead a team of 10 HR professionals located across the country and serve an empl oyee bevlkerung of 1,800. My annual budget is $3M and I report to the COO. I am in no hurry to leave my current job, but I am beginning to explore options to take the next step in my career. My next move will probably be into a VP role and, while salary is not my first consideration, I should tell you that I have earned between $$$ and $$$ in recent years.I would prefer to stay within the fashion industry and would be open to relocation.If you have any time, Id love to meet up and see whether I might be a fit for any current or future searches, as well as to offer my assistance with any other fashion industry assignments. You can reach me at 914-555-5555 or by email at louisenet.com.Sincerely,Louise FletcherPS If you need to know more about my background before we meet, feel free to call me at any time. Youll also find lots of information on Google.Notice how this email is entirely focused on the headhunters needs. I start by telling her that I want to help even if she isnt currentl y looking for someone like me. This is very important because a good headhunter is always looking to expand his or her network and many will accept this offer. Following on from this, I quickly give her the facts she needs to determine whether I would be a good fit for any positions she has open - and I give her only the facts without any self-promotion. I close with an offer to meet, and again reiterate my desire to help her out with other searches. The whole email is short and to the point, and, most importantly, it doesnt convey a tone of desperation but rather an offer of mutual support.But what if you are currently unemployed and desperate for a job? Can you still convey that confidence?Lets revamp the contact email just a littleDear Paula,David Bloom mentioned that you frequently recruit HR executives within the fashion industry and suggested that you and I should meet. Even if you are not currently looking for a candidate like me, I have a great network and would be very happ y to act as a resource for any other searches.As Senior Director for HR with XYZ Inc., I led a team of 10 HR professionals located across the country and served an employee population of 1,800. My annual budget was $3M and I reported to the COO. As you may know, XYZ has gone through some major changes recently, and the HR department was relocated to the West Coast. Therefore, I am now exploring options for the next step in my career. I am open to positions at the Sr. Manager, Director or VP level and, while salary is not my first consideration, I should tell you that I have earned between $$$ and $$$ in recent years.I would prefer to stay within the fashion industry and would be open to relocation.If you have any time, Id love to meet up for coffee or a brief phone conversation to see whether I might be a fit for any current or future searches, as well as to offer my assistance with any other fashion industry assignments. You can reach me at 914-555-5555 or by email at louisenet.com .Sincerely,Louise FletcherPS If you need to know more about my background before we meet, feel free to call me at any time. Youll also find lots of information on Google.Only the middle two paragraphs have changed, but musiknote that they still convey confidence, while showing a little more flexibility in terms of the types of positions I will consider. The PS is very effective in this situation as it serves to emphasize confidence, a very important trait to convey when you are unemployed.In summary Professional headhunters can be a great resource, both short- and long-term, once you understand how they work, how to find them, and how to contact them effectively.Good luck