Lessons from America: Never Rely on US Immigration

I was supposed to start work this past Monday, but I have been delayed because my OPT work application has not been approved by U.S. Immigration despite being filed over 90 days ago.

The student (F-1) Visa allows students to engage in work related to their training for up to 1 year full-time. This period may be done in part-chunks (in theory you can work full-time in the summer, part-time during 2nd year, and full-time after school ends). In order to be approved, a student must file an application with U.S. Immigration. For what is essentially a data recording exercise (simply logging when you want to work and making sure you do not go over your limit), the application process is supposed to take a ridiculously long 90 days.

Now, an international MBA has another work approval option for their summer internship, CPT. This is a quicker approval process because it is controlled by the school. CPT requires the student to sign up for a summer course (and pay the tuition) and it essentially makes the summer internship into a class, eliminating the need for Immigration approval. As a class, the student will have to attend some classes during their weekends and complete a project for the class. CPT is a great option for students who want to save their OPT time for after they complete their MBA.

I did not choose this route because the OPT time after my degree is not as important when you are Canadian. We have the option of getting a TN Visa under the NAFTA agreement if we do not immediately secure a H1-B visa. The TN has a same day approval process for Canadians (I am not sure if it is the same for Mexicans). I figured I can use some of my OPT during the summer, some during the school year and avoid extra tuition and the hassle of attending classes during the summer.

The second reason I chose the OPT route was that even if the approval process took more than 90 days, Immigration would issue an Interim Card that would allow you to work while they continued processing. Therefore, in my mind, as long as I filed my application 90 days before I hoped to work, I would have my approval. In retrospect, I definitely overestimated the simplicity of the OPT approval process.

Immigration has a great website that allows you to check what application receipt dates they are processing (They are generally 90 days behind). It also allows you to check the status of your application. Unfortunately, this great feature really loses any form of benefit by only having one status for the entire process ("Processing"). Yes, you read correctly, the immigration website allows an applicant to learn if they are processing the application. Thanks, Immigration.

As I approached my 90 day deadline without hearing a peep from Immigration, I took advantage of another feature of their website that allows you to schedule an appointment with an immigration officer. It is a slick feature. It asks for your ZIP code, then asks what would you like the appointment for? I choose "I have not received my EAD approval within 90 days and I would like to get an Interim EAD card". Then, the online program gives you a wide selection of times to schedule the appointment at an office closest to my ZIP code that can help me. So far, so good, I show up for my appointment and tell the immigration officer that I would like to get an Interim EAD card. To which she replied, "We don't issue Interim EAD cards anymore."

I was rather confused as the website says that they issue Interim EAD cards and the appointment program specifically gave me the option to meet regarding this issue. The officer explained to me that they no longer issue interim cards and that it would do no good to discuss what the websites say because she has no control over it. Bottom line is that I would have to wait for my application to be approved and I receive the card in the mail; my reliance on the interim EAD as the hard stop in the timeline was wrong.

Even more mind-boggling is that UCI's International Center is aware of this change in policy (as I learned when I approached them after my meeting with the officer) and their website still claims that we can get Interim EAD. Their job is to keep the international students up to date about key issues (one of them being work visa issues). They are not doing it. I was pretty blind-sided by this change in policy and it is now affecting my internship.

I could spend a lot more time bringing out every stupid detail of my experience, but this post is already long enough. And I am pretty drained going through the experience. I am used to cutting through tape and getting things done, but no one can be prepared for the experience of trying to get things done in a federal government agency.

As a P.S. to this post, if you apply for your OPT and you do not receive a notice to get your fingerprints taken within 60 days, contact the application service line. Although nowhere in the Immigration website or UCI International Center website indicates that fingerprinting is part of the process, I discovered that they are and your application will not be approved without them. Too bad that online status checking feature does not ever change to "awaiting fingerprints".

Essential MBA Reading III: Built to Last

Another title that should be on the reading list of anyone who want to lead a company is Built to Last by Jim Collins. BTL looks at 18 'visionary' companies defined by Collins as those in existence for over 50 years with a long track record of success. By comparing the inner workings and histories of these companies against a selected comparable company, Collins divines certain themes that consistently helped the visionary companies outperform their comparable.
The main drawback of the book is constant repetition of messages. The main messages of the book could have summarized on two pages. If we wanted a good discussion of each point, the book could have taken 50 pages. Instead we get about 250 pages including the epilogue, but excluding the appendices. The extra 200 pages is filled with example after example that reiterates the same messages. That isn't to say that the messages are not important. Always remember:

• Clock building, not time telling;
• No "Tyranny of the OR"
• Preserve the core/Stimulate Progress
• Seek constant alignment
  

Top Ten Tips for Potential MBA'ers

After my first year I have given some thought for things that people considering to do or are about to do an MBA should keep in mind. So enjoy and keep in mind that they are just my opinions - do what you will with them.

1. Experience - Experienced or not, you will be overwhelmed with the tools that an MBA gives you. Your work experiences will serve as the context that you can make these theoretical lessons practical. This will enhance your learning experience.
2. Network! - An MBA program is much more than the classes. The people that you meet during this time will be resources that you can draw from as you pursue your career. Also, love it or hate it, you will need to network to get ahead - so why not practice in this low risk setting?
3. Represent - How you represent yourself in this program will last well after school is over. When you reach out to your fellow classmates, they will remember how you represented yourself and make a decision if they want to put their reputation on the line to help. So don't constantly show up late for class, make an ass of yourself at school events, not deliver work that you promised, or miss team meetings. If you are not ready to commit to being professional, you probably not ready to pursue your MBA. Sure, you will likely get your degree, but you will also carry a big black "X" beside your name in the minds of your classmates.
4. Breathe - There will be times that the school work appears to be piling on. Relax, take a breath, break it up into to little pieces and just attack each piece until they are all done.
   
5. Call - As a corollary to 4. Don't be afraid to ask for help. An MBA is about teamwork and getting the work done. I once had a client who told me that it is a good thing to ask for favors and be in someones debt. It gives you an excuse to contact them and try to repay the favor.
6. Communicate - One of the great skills that business schools teach you is communication skills (I wish law school had put more of an emphasis on these). So, don't be afraid to communicate your personal goals with your teams. Once aware, they will try to help you achieve those goals.
7. Step-Up - Just because there are people in your groups with more leadership experience than you does not mean that they should lead. This is the time to gain leadership skills in a low consequence environment. You may be surprised to learn some of those leaders want to improve their following skills and would welcome your leadership and invest in your development.
8. Prioritize - Don't be the person who can't say no and finds themselves over-committed to too many tasks. While people appreciate those who are helpful, one bad experience where you cannot deliver what you promise can tarnish all your other good work. As a piece of advice, try not to commit to more than an average of 4 hours of extra-curricular per week. If you are over that limit, just say no.
9. Globalize - I know that it isn't a word, but it fits for this lesson. There is some much going on in your program that you can forget that there is a business community outside of the school. Use your education as an excuse to interact with these people. Do class projects for companies that you would like to know better; interview leading executives for class work; attend networking events; perform community service. People are generally more willing to help people pursuing educational goals than when that person needs a job or a sales contact. By establishing relationships in this more open phase, you can improve the odds that they will help you in the future.
10. Understand - People assume that they will get their MBA and businesses will line up to offer them big money and respect. They fail to understand that the MBA is a tool kit. And just like we don't hire the plumber with the best set of tools, businesses (in the long run) will not hire you because of your MBA. Your pursuit of an MBA should be a commitment to conduct your business affairs with the highest levels of professionalism; employing every day the team building and communication skills that you learned in this program. It is then that you will see the compensation and respect.

I completely realize that some of my views are idealistic, but I always shoot for the ideal because if we don't how will we know it is impossible?

End of Year Evaluation

I decided that I would end my posts about my first year of MBA school with two posts. This one about a personal evaluation of how I did and a following post about things for people to keep in mind when applying and participating in a MBA program.

Overall, I am happy with the progress that I have made. The wealth of tools that one learns in first year is overwhelming. I can honestly say that I have a solid foundation for financial modeling, analyzing financial statements, evaluating operations, defining business strategy, and market research. I have participated or am participating in two great Merage experiences that complement my learning (the Venture Capital Investment Competition and the Polaris Competition). I am also on the board of Merage's Entrepreneur's Association. My only regret is that I did not take a major leadership position within the school. This regret was more a product of circumstance as early in the school year I was asked to lead a major new initiative for Merage's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which motivated me to not to commit to other opportunities, only to later discover that the center did not have a unified vision of the initiative causing it to be put on hold (I am definitely not meant to work within a bureaucracy).

There are still things that I want to work on. When I came to school one of my resolutions was to become more high energy. Unfortunately, I still find myself in a meeting listening and analyzing every word that a speaker says; quietly sitting there thinking about the spoken ideas, often for 10-20 seconds after the speaker finishes speaking. It is funny how hard it is to break old habits. All I would need to do is remember to immediately say something positive when the speaker stops speaking, then I could continue with my comfortable analysis. Those few words recognizing the speaker can completely improve the dynamics of the meeting.

The second area to work on is more complimenting. As a ruthless analyzer, I have overcome my unmalicious instinct to immediately criticize by offering one or two compliments before engaging in the discussions. I still think I need to be more positive recognizing general good work. It is tough because I was raised to think a high quality of work was expected; you just did it. Thus, I don't even think to recognize good work because it was expected. I completely recognize that this line of thinking is definitely not they way to improve morale on a team, so I have been constantly reminding myself to offer positive comments. It's improving, but it can definitely improve some more. At least, people never have to doubt that my compliments are not genuine.
At the end of year one, I developed a broad range of skills that would benefit many of the companies with whom I have worked. I have identified areas to work on during my internship and next year. It is tough putting your career on hold for two years to go back to school, but I believe the development I have made over the past year is worth it.

My Thoughts on the Soprano Finale

Figured that I would weigh in on what has been the talk of the town for the past week: the blackout ending of the Sopranos. When I watched it my first reaction was "What the Hell??" I sat and watched all the credits waiting for some final shot. Thankfully, I was recording it, so I could watch the finale scene a few times.

There are two camps of opinion about the final scene: He Got Whacked and Life Goes On. I fall into the He Got Whacked camp for a couple of reasons. First, the scene in the season opener between Tony and Bobby when they talk about getting whacked and how you don't hear or see it coming - It all goes black. Second, the pattern used the final scene where we hear the bell on the door ring, we see a shot of Tony look to see who entered, and finally we see a shot from Tony's point of view looking at who entered - the final shots are bell ring, Tony looks up and blank. If following the pattern, the blank should be Tony seeing who entered - but nothing because everything went blank.

I have also found interesting thoughts by a blogger who was also a screenwriter who goes into detail how the whole episode is a form of funeral imagery for Tony (find the write up here). While I think some of his observations are a stretch, he has many interesting comments. The main one is that we hear six bells in the final scene starting with Tony entering the restaurant. Six bells are part of Catholic mass (I am not sure but bells are a part of it). Interestingly in some shots we see the door open and do not hear a bell - this leads me to believe that six bells is significant. The last bell is Meadow entering and the blank screen. There is also an observation about how Tony, Carmella and Anthony eat the onion rings like they are taking the sacrament. He is right - they each place the full onion ring on their tongue and take it into their mouths - definitely not like how normal people eat onion rings. Finally, a great observation is that the first scene is looking at Tony from above like he is in a coffin for final viewing and the music alarm that awakes him is a sombre tune that you expect at a wake.

People also do not mention that the episode can be construed as Tony making final amends. He connects with Janice (even though she is self absorb like her mother and Tony does not get upset); he goes to see Sil; he goes to see Junior; and in the final scene he pats Anthony's hand like a sign of approval after all the times he indicated that he has been a disappointment. And let's not even go on about that bloody cat.

Make what you will of these observations. Whether the final scene is meant to imply Tony's death or that life goes on, the creator David Chase created a fantastic final scene provided this is the last we hear of Tony Soprano. If they come back for a movie or some other comeback that turns the final scene into a cop out, then Chase has ruined a moment of brilliance.

The Merage School's Polaris Competition

Another amazing extra-curricular activity available at The Merage School is the Polaris Competition. The Polaris Competition is an investment competition where 5 or 6 teams of 4-6 students invest in companies who they believe are undervalued or will significantly grow in value over the course of a year. The catch is that there is real money on the table ($50,000 per team member). The money comes from the generous pockets of local success story, Chuck Martin; a individual who has been successful in running companies and investment funds. Chuck founded this competition as a means to teach students on how to value companies and identify solid companies. His reasoning, and correctly so, is that this skill is applicable in many areas beyond just investing. With teams investing between $200,000 - $300,000 each, Chuck is definitely putting his money on the line.
The nice aspect of this competition is that successful teams get to benefit from gains of their hard work! Provided a team beats the market average, they can get 50% of their gains up to a cap determined by how they place in the competition. The competition starts in June and runs for a year, so any winnings is a nice bonus for the end of your program that can be applied to all that student debt. Now it is not all upside for the student teams. Each member must put up a $200 bond that will be forfeit if the team loses money.
The competition is pretty exclusive. Only 5 or 6 teams are allowed to participate out of all the full-time, fully-employed, health-care and Executive MBAs. I was lucky enough to latch on to a very talented team who got selected to participate. Going through the selection process, it was clear that we were not the most experienced in investing, but I think we demonstrated our teams diversity and that we were enjoying the learning experience. That was enough to get us in. I can't talk about our stocks because its triple secret, but I can say that after one week we are up about 4.5% (wouldn't it be nice to keep that up every week).
This has been tough, but excellent experience. An immense amount of work goes into identifying and evaluating potential companies. Since I have little desire to be a day-trader, I am in the competition to understand how to identify good companies and companies that have issues despite the appearance of being solid. The learning curve has been steep, but after a three months of working on this the knowledge gain has been impressive. Just another great feature of The Merage School and how it is trying to significantly improve the quality of the program and its students.

Vegas Getaway

Last Friday I finished my last week of classes. In the next week I was facing due dates for 2 exams, 3 assignments, and one presentation. So what does my lovely wife suggest? Let's go to Vegas! Lindsey had planned a surprise overnight visit to Vegas last Friday to celebrate my birthday.
One of the great things about living in this area is that there are numerous places to visit within 5 hours of here (Vegas being one of them). We headed out around 10am surviving the Friday traffic on the way out of the city. We stopped in Baker at the famous Mad Greek's restaurant for a Gyro. They claim it is the best in North America, but its got nothing on Sammy Souvlakis. In Vegas, Lindsey reserved a room at Treasure Island right on The Strip. It was a small, but a really nice room with a pillow top bed. We had a nice view of the pool where they do the Pirate Show each night.
Next in her bag of tricks, Lindsey made a dinner reservation at a very high end sushi restaurant in Treasure Island. Then came the surprise, I made the reservation, but you will have to pay for dinner because I spent all my money on the hotel and our later plans (actually it was really money stolen from our house budget). The dinner was excellent. We decided to go with the house special where the chef chooses a series of plates based on our tastes. We ate on a patio overlooking that pirate show pool. The table had a very zen-like style completing the mood. Overall, a great experience!
After dinner, Lindsey treated me to a Vegas show. Obviously thinking about me, she got us tickets to Monty Python's Spam-a-lot. While the show quasi-follows the plot of The Holy Grail, it does change it up to make some fun of Broadway and Vegas. The best new addition was making Lancelot a closet homosexual and having him come out in a big disco number. Arthur was well played by Sienfield's J.Peterman. The show is a quick and entertaining 1:40 minutes.
After the show, we headed out to do a little gambling at my favourite hole on the strip, Casino Royale. Casino Royale features the awesome 100x odds on their craps tables. People who pay attention to odds when gambling will know this is about as fair as casinos get. I still lost $75 in 2 hours with a pretty unlucky table. Oh well, you know what they say "unlucky at gambling, lucky at love".
By this point, I was exhausted and Lindsey's feet were killing her (note to future Vegas visitors - were comfortable footwear). We went back to our room and listened to the explosions of the pirate show. The next day we headed back - tired - so I could finish up my projects and start studying.
Thanks to Lindsey for the special trip and her parents for the present of a little gambling money.

UPDATE: June 18, 2007 - I figured I would give a bit more analysis of Spam-a-lot from the perspective of a Monty Python nerd. Now, as a preface, I am not the type of person who can quote endless quotes from the Python movies, but I have watched Life of Brian and The Holy Grail multiple times. After seeing the show, a couple thoughts come to mind.

First, they seem to forget what puts particular sketches to over the top hilarity. For example, they use the "Knights of the Round Table" sketch which is awesome and the dance number is great, but they forget the line that makes the scene "fall off your chair funny" - "let's not go to camelot, it is a silly place". Bloody hillarious. A second example, is that they bring into the Grail "Always look on the bright side of life" - the legendary ending of Life of Brian. While it is funny to see it when Arthur has lost his knights in a forest, but it really forgets that its comedic sharpness was achieved by singing "Always look on the bright side of life" when Brian is being crucified.

Lastly, while they include a number of the best sketches, the play does not include some of my favorite sketches such as the "burining witches" and the "Virgin Castle" sketches. It also includes only a half-assed version of "The Knights who say 'Ni'".

First Year Over!

My last exam of my first year was completed a few hours ago and I am now officially done with my first year of my MBA. As you may have noticed, the frequency of my posts have diminished over the past month as the workload peaked. For those of you keeping score my first year at Merage consisted of:

Pre-Quarter Residential
-Intro to Strategy
-Team Dynamics
Quarter 1:
-Corporate Accounting
-IT Strategy
-Statistics
-Project Management
Quarter 2:
-Corporate Finance
-Managerial Accounting
-Marketing
-Organizational Behavior
Quarter 3:
-Management Science
-Strategy
-Operational Management
-Investments
-New Product Development

In my opinion, the course load is incredibly diverse. I feel like I have just a pile of information crammed into my head and it is ready to explode. It is hard to take stock and realize how much I have learned because it is going to take a long time for all this information to settle in my head.
For those curious, there are dramatic differences between law and business school. Law school teaches you more of a methodology of analyzing problems, critical analysis skills, than topical information. There is very little practical learning at law school. Classes generally consisted of a mid-term and final or the lovely 100% final; absolutely no real world application of the lessons. I have no clue why law school takes 3 years. You really learn all you need to know in your first year and the actual understanding about specific laws is gained from practical experience (I was shocked after three years of law school that I really did not know the steps involved in incorporating a company - but I learned pretty quickly in the real world).
Business school gives you a diverse set of tools to tackle a wide variety of business problems from the very specific (techniques to optimize a call center) to the very general (developing corporate strategy and leading teams). Business school forces you to learn about working in teams and applying your knowledge in numerous projects for actual businesses and case studies. Exams generally represent less than 50% of your final mark. The fact that business school can cram this breadth of learning into 2 years in impressive; probably their focus on efficiency - not a law strong point.
I think my preference of learning environments is showing. Anyways, over the next couple days I hope to catch up on my posts.

Oh How We Are Torn...

It has been a difficult period for us transplanted Canadians. Imagine being unable to see any games of the pursuit for Lord Stanley's Cup, then being thrust into NBC's coverage of the finals and seeing the horrible conflict between our two homes. Ontario vs. California, The Senators vs. The Ducks - oh can we really root for the Canadian team when the team from our backyard is their opponent? Yeah, its not hard. And it does make the series much more interesting. Too bad Ottawa has been mailing it in.