shaanrizvi

Hello guys, I have a BSc in Business Technology from the Helsinki School of Economics in Finland and an MSc in Management from the Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden) + CEMS MSc in International Management in Europe; I was wondering what the job market is like for such a candidate in the US because my girlfriend wants to target that as a medical student. Do American employers value European pre-experience Master's degrees? I also have significant part-time but relevant work experience. What kind of industries within management/business can I target? What is the salary like? If I have those degrees and come to the US after a 2-3 years of full-time work experience, what would my position be like in the job market?

I think my post just got lost somewhere! :P

Of course.

I guess it is more about the lifestyle, as everyone says. I mean I am the kind of person who can work sleeplessly and obsessively if I am into something myself; in such cases, 80 hours is nothing. What is painful is being a slave for 80 hours! :P

I think my comment was slightly misunderstood. I am not considering PhD programs to "make more money". I am attracted by the lifestyle but it would be extremely stupid to jump into it without knowing exactly what kind of lifestyle (money-wise) I would have while studying and what prospects I would have afterward. 130k isn't bad at all! I would definitely chose 130k+intellectual stimulation+lifestyle+prestige+other benefits over 500k+80hrs a week+shallow money minting mindset+suits and hoes (joking, in case somebody gets offended :D)

That is almost the same as I earn right now working 50% as an intern! :P Are there any other sources of income that you can have (typically) while doing a PhD? I am just worried about living like a student for 4 more years with no money! I don't even know how much PhD's earn after getting the degree.

How much earning can you have WHILE doing a PhD (after tax)?

I read this whole thread and have some questions. I am 22, enrolled in the CEMS double Master's in Management program (ranked #2 in the world by Financial Times) at Stockholm School of Economics with semesters at ESADE Business School and Rotterdam School of Management: some of the very best schools in Europe. I would definitely prefer something intellectually stimulating (which is why I am considering a PhD) but I don't want to be a broke hippie either. What exactly would my career prospects be like? How much can you start to earn, on average, after a PhD? My plan is to focus on developing countries, investigate issues related to gender, culture, etc. and write about the implication of these issues for management; this would be both intellectually stimulating AND useful expertise for the future.

Oh yeah of course! Haha. Should have guessed that one! :P

I definitely plan on applying as early as possible; I will be ready to apply a day before they start accepting applications. LORs won't be a problem at all as I know at least a couple of professors who are quite interested in my topic and generally like me. Pardon my ignorance but what exactly do you mean by a SOP? I understand you are talking about the admissions essay but what exactly is a SOP? I have already started looking for professors at my school who can help me find a school in the US. Also, I looked at all the relevant articles that I will be reviewing for my dissertation and made a spreadsheet with the name, position, university/company and country of every author associated with those 35 articles. I will even try and contact some of those professors myself, expressing my interest.

Thanks a lot for the insight, rsaylors. I will use your tips to find appropriate universities. They make a lot of sense. I have attended some of the best business schools across Europe, showing competitiveness and a uniquely international background (something I feel they would like). When it comes to English, what things do you think I can do to make it clear that my English language skills are good enough? I scored 112 on the TOEFL iBt (Reading 29, Listening 30, Speaking 24, Writing 29); would the slightly low Speaking score be a problem? I have been maintaining a blog so I guess I could use that and the application itself to prove my language skills. It will also be easy for me to get recommendations from professors at my university. One more question: I want to apply for Fall 2012; when should I apply? Is there any such thing as Early Decision for PhD programs? I would like to maximize my chances of getting a spot.

On the 4.0 scale, my GPA would be around 3.5. My GMAT score breakdown is as follows: Verbal: 39 (87%) Quantitative: 49 (87%) Analytical: 6.0 (90%) Total: 720 (94%)

The topic of interest that I mentioned is actually the topic of my Master's dissertation. I could continue the general idea and perhaps focus my PhD on management at multinational organizations in developing countries, maybe with an emphasis on culture. What do you think? Thanks for the comments guys. I am fairly positive that I can get good letters of recommendation but I am still pretty clueless about how easy/difficult it is to get into a good PhD program and what things I should be working on right now. Feel free to comment more! I know it is hard to say and depends a lot on individual faculties and specific areas but what kind of schools are good for international business? What should I realistically be aiming for? I have little idea about how admissions work for PhD.

Hello, I have been thinking about applying for PhD programs in the US for 2012 and honestly feel a bit lost so I was wondering if someone here could give me a little bit of guidance. I am 22, was born in raised in Pakistan and by the time I apply for a PhD, I will have studied and worked in countries as diverse as Pakistan, Finland, UK, Sweden, Spain and Netherlands. Although I am still looking for interesting topics for possible research, I am currently interested in studying the Presence, Position, Power and Pay of women in the management of large multi-national organizations in Pakistan and comparing them to various similar organizations in Western countries. The idea is to understand the differences in these factors between the countries and more importantly, probe the different social and cultural reasons for such differences. I did my Bachelor's from the Helsinki School of Economics in Finland with an exchange semester in the UK. I am currently doing a Master's degree at the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden, with the CEMS Master's in International Management program (ranked #2 in the world by Financial Times) for which I will spend semesters at ESADE Business School Spain and Rotterdam School of Management Netherlands. I scored 720 on the GMAT. There are a few questions that I have been thinking about: How is my profile as a PhD applicant considering my background and my current topic of interest? What schools should I be considering? Or where would I have a good chance? How does funding for PhD programs work in the US? Does every PhD student get it or would I actually be expected to pay tuition fees and sustain myself? (Pardon my ignorance; In Sweden, higher education was free and doctoral programs are still free + every student is guaranteed a stipend) What aspects should I work on in order to get accepted into a good PhD program? What can I do?