How important is getting a professional degree (e.g. MBA, M.D or J.D) for your career? I would say it is very important nowadays. This is one way to differentiate yourself in the crowded job marketplace. Today in order to live a decent lifestyle, at least a college degree is a must; sometimes it’s not even enough if you’re living in a high living cost areas, such as: New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and London. Therefore, getting a professional education may make more sense now than ever before. Earning a professional degree requires a lot of commitments, such as: time and money; however, it is worth the investment if you’re considering the long term impact this degree will have in your career.

Cosider the following tables that shows the median annual salary of common occupations by people with professional degrees, such as: MBA, M.D and J.D

Of course the occupations above are not entry-level jobs, but rather a long-term career that requires not only a certain professional degree, but also work experiences as well. When consider getting a professional degree, you need to evaluate your interest. If you’re interested in going into the corporate world, then an MBA might be the best choice for you. If you’re interested in the medical field and you have a strong background in science, then an M.D might be a better option. However, if you’re interested in the field of intellectual property and business law, then you may want to consider a hybrid joint MBA/J.D degree, in which some universities may offer.

Although money is the main motivator for many people; however,interest is what determines a success in your long-term career. Therefore, taking some time off from school and get some work experience after getting your undergraduate degree might be a good choice for some of you; this way, you can evaluate which professional degree is more suitable for you.

A good friend of mine recently pursues two simultaneous Master degrees: Master in Business Administration (M.B.A) and M.S in Applied Physics. When I asked why he decides to pursue this. He simply reply, “I would like to have a career as a manager in a high-technology company later on after I graduate. Therefore I need both a broad knowledge in business and also an in-depth knowledge in high technology area (e.g. superconductor & electronic material processing).”  My friend clearly works hard in pursuing his career goal. No matter how difficult the challenges may be, differentiating yourself is the key for success.

Written by ClickNSmart.Inc Team

When choosing a major, we often think about which major will earn the most money. According to the university survey 2009, “Financial Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and MBA”  are among student’s top excellent choices for earning lots of money after graduation. But which one provides the highest Return on Education Investment (ROEI) among the three majors above. They  are all business-related; however they are very different in terms of the scope of education. The details are as follows:

1) Financial Engineering

This field of study involves Finance, method of engineering and applied mathematics, and  also computer programming practice. This major provides training for students who want to get a job in banking, financial management,consulting,corporate treasury,  corporate finance, and/or investment banking.

2) Industrial Engineering

Industrial engineers design and improve a method that provides goods and services for the society. One needs to be aware of information issues in the system improvement include people, material, information, and energy. After graduation, student may get a job as production engineer, supply chain manager, operational analyst, information system. Industrial engineering  broad curriculum may provide ample opportunity for a diverse  job opening in any for-profit company,goverment, service enterprise that want to  improve operation system and decrease cost. Basically, Industrial Engineering deals with System and Information.

3) MBA

MBA study focus on leadearship  and management within ever growing and changing world of business. Students in an MBA program will get the leadership  and management skills in business and beyond. Many MBA program geared students toward critical thinking instead of technical stuff.  Depending on the business school, an MBA student may choose to specialize in the following areas: general management, information system, finance, accounting, international business, human resources, and healtcare management.

www.indeed.com

Average Salary 2009

Now, It’s your choice to decide your own major. Please write a comment what do you think?

Bunga Setiawan
Founder of ClickNSmart Inc

Many of my classmates and undergraduate friends ask me: “Bunga, How did you find a research adviser? I am interested to do research, but I don’t know where and what to start with.”

If that sounds like you, then I would like to share few tips based on my previous experience doing 1 year of undergraduate research at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA):

1) Start by searching in the department website for any faculty members;

2) Find out about their research interests and see if you are interested in any of them;

3) Once you find the research area that you want, e-mail the professor to set up an appointment to meet and discuss about your interest in doing research with the professor;

4) Before meeting face-to-face with the professor, read again the professor’s research interest so that you can impress him/ her to clearly show your interest;

5) Send him/her a thank you note by e-mail after the meeting and don’t forget to leave your contact information.

6) Follow up with the professor again if after 1 week, you have not heard back from him/ her.

These are very practical tips for those of you looking to find an undergraduate research opportunities. Also notice that I make no mention of any specific major, because the tips above are applicable regardless the academic majors.

Bunga Setiawan
Founder of ClickNSmart Inc

I have interviewed 50 college students that are recently transferring into top universities, like: UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Harvard Universities. The purpose is to find the “smart” way of transfer from community colleges/ junior 2-year colleges to 4-year institutions. Below are some of the tips I would like to share with you guys based on my inteview result and also from my personal experience as well:

“Smart” way to transfer to Top University:

1) Finish all your general education (GE) requirements before transferring to 4-year university

If you don’t finish this general education (GE) requirements while you are in junior college, you may need to take more GE courses once you are attending the 4-year university.

2) Strive to get a high G.P.A

The truth is that “G.P.A Matters” when you want to transfer to top universities. The higher your G.P.A is during junior college, the higher the chance of getting admitted into top university of your choice. For some impacted majors (business, psychology, economic, and other popular majors), many of these universities may set a minimum G.P.A for admission to their program.

3) Prepare your personal statement in advance

The university admission officer reads more than 10,000 personal statements each year, so they could easily tell various personal statement (made only 1-day before submission v.s made 3-4 months before submission). The admission officer look at well-crafted yet brief personal statements that show the quality of you as a person (besides academic quality, since they can easily find out from your academic transcript) and how you would benefit from the program you apply.

4) Get recommendation letters from Professors that know you personally

Some universities often ask for few recommendation letters. If so, ask only professors that know you personally; this way, they can provide you with good and meaningful recommendation letters rather than the generic recommendation letter based on template.

5) Contact the School and Have a Campus Tour

Almost all of the students that I interviewed, including myself, went to campus tour before sending out application; moreover, during the campus tour, try to also contact the school admission to find out criteria and any tips for admission to the university. It is very helpful for you to find out whether you like the campus or not and also to get admission tips before you applying to these universities.

I highly recommend that you follow these tips. If there is any further suggestions, comments and tips on how to transfer to top universities, please feel free to leave comments on this article so that the reader may benefit from our discussion.

Bunga Setiawan
Founder of ClickNSmart Inc

Business major is a top choice almost for everyone. In this bad economy, the demand for business major graduates is always higher than any other major. Business is not as straightforward as many people believe; the business curriculum in general focuses more on the analytical and the critical thinking part, which are both important skill in addition to the soft communication skill . Business knowledge is a key element for your future success. There are more opportunities by majoring in business. Business majors can choose various concentrations, such as: Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Human Resources, and  General Management.

Here’s are the average salaries for these majors, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistic (www.bls.gov)

~ Median Annual Earning ~

• Management Analyst : $68,050
• Accountant : $54,630
• Economist :$77,010
• Financial Analyst : $66,590
• Human Resources : $42,420
• Marketing research Analyst : $58,829

Management Analyst : Salaries for management analysts vary based on experiences, location, and expertise.

Economist : has the highest median annual salary, but the starting salary for bachelor’s degree was $35,752 in 2007. For master’s degree has an annual salary of $43,731. And for Ph.D, the salary starts at $52,912

Human Resources : has the lowest annual salary compared with other business fields. For human resources position with a high school degree, the average annual salary begins $26,685

Nowadays, many people are getting an additional business degree on the top of their technical degrees (science or engineering degree) in order to be competitive in the job market. Therefore, I would strongly recommend adding some business knowledge, either through traditional brick and mortar schools or through distance learning (online) business degree program that many universities offer.

~ Bunga Setiawan

Founder of ClickNSmart Inc

Having my Master (M.S) at UCLA, working as a grader and research assistance at UCLA, and now working hard to publish a semiconductor research paper, I decide to write my personal experiences and advice about getting into TOP graduate school.

Graduate school doesn’t mean something that you have to go no matter what. However, it’s more like your own decision. Many people out there become successful in their careers without having a master degree. ” However !! “If you think that your knowledge that you gain during an undergraduate school is not enough and you still want to pursue your dream, then you should go to graduate school. For master, it only takes 1 or 2 years to graduate, but you get more experiences and learn about learning environment as a graduate student. You will get lots of knowledge and experience in research field especially. It is the time to pursue whatever your dream to be.

Below are the strategies to get into TOP university of your dream without having a perfect GPA score:

1) You should talk with the graduate advisor. Keep in touch with him/her by email,phone,or in person. Ask for advising on the graduate curriculum and requirement that you need to fulfill.
2) Have 3 good recommendation letters from the Professors that close with you and know you a lot. Please do not ask for the recommendation letter to the Professor who does not have a good relationship with you. It will screw you up and less chance for getting into the graduate school.
3) Write Personal statement form your heart.
When you write a statement of purpose, you should truly mean it. Explain: who you are, and what do you want go to grad school with this major, and why you choose this school to pursue your graduate degree, and your experiences that relate with your major. Please ask your friend or professor to read your essay and revise it many times.
4) Prepare all transcripts from your undergraduate institutions. Make sure you meet the GPA requirement for each school; it doesn’t have to have a perfect GPA,though.
5) Take GRE for reference. For science and engineering, Quantitative (math) part is more important than verbal or overall GPA. Don’t worry about the English part,just do the best you can.

As a graduate student , even though your grade courses are important, try publish the paper is the most important if you are considering to go to graduate school.
Publish,Publish,Publish to make yourself competitive in academia

Here’s the link about the school tips related

Motivation and tips to get a better grades
Advices for student looking for employments and other similar issues

Gutluck for your study

~ Bunga Setiawan~

Founder of ClickNSmart Inc

Technorati Profile

Earning a degree in engineering is one of students’ proud. Nowadays, engineering major become one of the most favorite majors in various universities in USA, Europe and Asia . Many students study hard so they can get in to the University with Engineering degree. Based on recent survey conducted by students in the Department of Statistics at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), many people think that an engineering student is relatively smarter compared to students with other majors. Of course, they have to study hard ( no doubt ); feel free to argue about this.

In addition, companies generally pays high salary for engineering majors. Here’s the salary survey report for engineering jobs (updated 9 November 2008):

Q : Which engineering major pays the best and  the least with a bachelor degree?

A: I would agree that Chemical Engineering has highest paid. Civil Engineering has the lowest salary.

Q: Which engineering major has the most job opportunity?

A: I would say Electrical Engineering offers more universal opportunities. Most of companies look for EE degree, because almost every technology company, and even in biotechnology companies need engineers with electrical engineering background. Even though the entry level pay is not as high as chemical engineers, but electrical engineers with 10 or more years of experiencs can surpass the equivalent earnings of engineers in the other field

Q: Which one is the hardest and easiest degree?

A: Although all engineering majors is hard, but Electrical Engineering is the hardest major i would say. And the easiest major is Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering (based on the student survey)

Overall :

Chemical Engineering has the highest paid with a bachelor degree. However, when you choose a major, do not only based your decision solely on the highest salary; however,  you should also consider other factors such as : job opportunities in the market, work load, and your passion.

If you want to complain about your major, this is your chance. Feel Free to argue and leave comments.

~ Bunga Setiawan~, Founder of ClickNSmart Inc

Many students start to think after they finish undergraduate program “Master Vs PhD ? What’s the difference?”

1) In terms of knowledge and time

Master Degree : they teach you a specific knowledge in a specialized field. A master’s program usually takes you about 1 or 2 years, sometimes 3 years to complete depending on your field and your adviser. Pursue their life to get more knowledge or a better job.

PhD Degree: they teach you an extensive knowledge in a specialized
field. For PhD, it usually takes you about 4-6 years depends on your field of research and how tough your adviser is. Pursue their life as a professor or researcher.

2) In terms of the Program (taking courses are required for both)

You have an option between Thesis or Comprehensive Test

Master Degree:If you choose thesis, usually it takes longer to finish the program (about 2-3 years). Again this depends on your adviser. Some advisers only require their students to publish 1 research paper, others require their students to publish 2-3 research papers. However, if you choose to take comprehensive test, it only takes you about a year to graduate. But Remember, the test is extremely hard. You have to really know the material well. The professor will test you whether you really understand the Concept or not; Some people fail the test.

PhD Degree:First you choose your advisor and write a dissertation proposal. Then you need to take preliminary test to demonstrate you qualification to continue with Doctoral Degree. After completed test, you more focus on writing your dissertation. The dissertation has to be well published. Usually PhD requires you to publish 4 or more research paper. After you finally done, you require to defend your work in front of your committee (professor) called a dissertation defense. most of them pass their dissertation defense.

3) In terms of Financial Aid

Master Degree: usually you need to pay your own tuition. The program does not offer as much aid to master’s students. However, you can be a teacher assistance and get paid.

PhD Degree: financial Aid is available for students. The schools pay  for your tuition. Also they get more money to be a teacher assistance. The most important for PhD is be of publishable quality.

4) In terms of Career Options

Master Degree: People usually choose to go for a Master degree with a goal that they would like to go out in the industry and gain more advanced knowledge in a particular field; for example, people seeking an MBA degree to gain business knowledge needed to become a manager in a company or start their own businesses.

PhD Degree: I would say that do not apply for PhD unless you are absolutely clear on “Why you need a PhD?” As I mentioned above, a PhD education requires relatively long time and lots of dedication. Therefore, unless you really need a PhD education to advance in your choice of career, then you should not go for PhD. Do not apply for PhD program just because you like to go to school; this is wrong reason. What is next after PhD? Ask yourself this question and try to find a definite answer that suits your career goal, before deciding to apply for PhD.

Hope this article helps.

~ Bunga Setiawan, Founder of ClickNSmart Inc

As the businesses are more and more global and more companies expand their business operations abroad by Foreign Direct Investment, Joint Venture, and Licensing and so on. The good examples of these companies are McDonalds, Dell Co., Nike, and so on.

How does the top business schools in the country, like Harvard, Wharton School, Standford, MIT Sloan School of business respond to these globalization trends? All of these schools and other top business school in the world - that are accredited by AACSB (Association of Advanced Collegiate School of Business) - are targeting qualified international students across the globe.

Why? the answer is simply that international students can contribute their international cultural and business experience into the classroom. Not only will these benefit the domestic business students, but also the school is benefiting from the increase of graduates recruitment from companies that are constantly seeking qualified business majors with international experience.

Also these top schools usually offer some sort of international business courses (International Business Policy & Strategy, International Finance, International Marketing,etc) in their curriculum. International students would be able to share their own country’s culture and the accepted ways of doing business in their countries; not only this will make the classroom discussion more engaging, but also every students, both domestic and international, will gain these valuable information that they would not otherwise know. Some of these international experiences can not be gained just by reading business books, magazines, magazines, Wall Street Journal and such, since we know that each country has different cultures and ways of conducting business.

For example, China has a term called “Guang Xi,” which means building relationship before conducting business. This explains why McDonald first entry to China failed. In America and most Western country, there is a saying that goes “Business is strictly Business,” which means that we should not mix relationship with business. However, this is not the case in countries like China, Japan, and some other Asian countries, even in some Middle East countries as well.

If you’re thinking of going to business school, look at the percentage of their international students, most top school in the country will have relatively high percentage of international students’ enrollment

~ Bunga Setiawan, Founder of ClickNSmart Inc

” Try to make the best decision for your own future”. This article will help you choose which school is the best for you. When looking at public or private universities,
there are many considerations that you should think of before you decide what is the best for you.

1) Academic Reputation

Based on US News, the private universities typically stays in the Top 10 US Rank. Private universities have higher academic reputation compared with public school.

2) Admission

“Public universities are obligated to educate all students” Therefore, public university basically wants to educate people without exception. therefore, the public university’s admission is easier compared with private universities. Private school is more competitive in terms of admission. They select the applicant who has a special talent or GPA.”Private universities does not obligate to educate all students”. So this make private university admission more competitive than public university admission.

3) Cost

Public school is much cheaper than private school one. In Private school both US Resident and International Student have to pay the same amount of tuition. However, in public school, US resident does not pay as much as International Student. International Students pay 4 times higher than US Resident.

Public universities are funded through the state and federal. Whereas Private universities are funded through fund raising, tuition, or donations from many corporations for research and development purpose. Therefore, for International student, private universities cost 6 times higher than public universities. For US Resident, private universities cost 25 times higher than public one.

4) Opportunity in research/study program

Public universities offer more programs such as foreign languages, music, sports, design, etc. However in terms of research, public universities fall behind compared with private universities. Private universities are rich and mostly funded through private grant. therefore, they have more advances in research in terms of their facility and resources. Do you ever think than most NOBEL Prize is achieved from private institution, such as Ricard Feynman from Caltech, John Nash from Princeton Universities, and many other. They are all graduated from private universities.

However, this does not mean that private universities are a lot smarter compared with public universities. This is only the matter of opportunities. Public schools does not enough money to have advance research facilities - The money, resources, and facility are limited to the State budget.

5) Conclusion

There are no right or wrong answer regarding whether private or public schools is the best. The most important thing that when making the decisions, you should consider all the factors above and which one weigh more than the other. Some people are polarized on cost. Others weigh more on the academic reputation. Really, it’s all depending on your choice. Next, How about you?

~ Bunga Setiawan, Founder of ClickNSmart Inc