Dear

Thank you for taking the Alba diagnostic test. Alba’s credo of Business Unusual summarises our dedication to unparalleled quality in management education in Greece. Our aim is to empower our students to act as agents of change in business and society-at-large.

This commitment begins well before a prospect becomes our student when considering her (his) future career and the person he/she wants to be. In short, we invest in our students well before they become our students!

Careers change. Markets change. Institutions change. With change being the only constant in our lives, the quest for the “right career” begins with a search of one’s self: who you really are, the contribution you want to make, which career path to choose.

This online questionnaire is neither a comprehensive nor a definitive answer, but a trigger of your self-search and thinking about the choices you face. Depending on your career orientation, you can focus your attention on those graduate programs that support such a career.

Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece has helped over 4000 alumni develop successful careers in Greece and the world over.

How do we do that? First, our world-class resident faculty (with prior career in reputable universities like Boston College, Babson, Warwick, Aston) and visiting faculty (e.g., Duke University, Harvard, Insead, LSE, Wharton, Bocconi) deliver a stimulating classroom experience beyond knowledge to broaden your horizons and your self-awareness. Our program also offers immersive field experiences—consulting projects, internships international exchange programs—to help you explore career opportunities. Furthermore, our Career & Alumni Office supports students to refine their career vision and realize their potential. If your dream, however, is to pursue a start-up, the Alba Hub for Enterprise and Development (AHEAD) will offer you advice and networking resources to become an entrepreneur or grow your family businesses.

We advise you to book now an appointment with our Program Managers and discuss with them the results of the test and explore which graduate program —MBA or MSc— fits your career focus and plan.

Alba was founded 26 years ago on a Business Unusual mission to create a learning environment so that young people develop a clear vision for their future and the impact they want to make.

All of my colleagues, Faculty and Staff, and I, remain at your disposal to help you forge your unique career path.

Cordially,

Dr. Stefanos Zarkos

Associate Dean of Academic Programs

Associate Professor in the Practice of Finance

A. SCOPE OF WORK

The first part of the online diagnostic test attempts to estimate your current preference with regard to the scope of your ideal job. This is measured on three dimensions as described below.

Your Career

Inclination

Excellence in Specialization

If your career priority is excellence in a technical or functional specialization, such as Human Resource Management, Finance, or Marketing, your energy and motivation is geared toward putting your particular skills into action, gaining recognition for being an expert, and attaining even higher levels of competence in this field. You envision yourself becoming an expert authority in this specialization. You seek to be challenged and to be distinguished for your deep expertise. You may wish to be a manager of professionals in your area, but only as a result of your deeper knowledge and not for management per se. You view opportunities to take on general managerial roles as diversions from your focus that better be avoided, at least for the time being.

General Management

If your career priority is to prepare for general management positions, your energy and motivation is geared toward mastering a broad range of competencies, gaining recognition for being a leader, and attaining higher levels in the organizational hierarchy. You envision yourself as an orchestrator of the efforts of various specialists and you identify your own success with the performance of the company where you work. You seek responsibility and accountability for others and for the collective outcomes, including financial performance, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, quality of products and services, etc. You may currently work as part of a specialist function but you consider this as a temporary, yet necessary, step toward your ultimate aim to be a generalist manager.

Entrepreneurial Drive

If you are moved by entrepreneurial drive, your priority is to start and cultivate a business of your own. You are motivated by the need to put your creativity into business practice. You envision yourself as a visionary risk taker with a track record of succeeding in adversity. You wish to be recognized for creating an enterprise and making an impact out of your own ideas and perseverance. You may work under managerial supervision in a company, but you don’t see this as a career in itself, only as preparation for the moment when you will launch your own start-up. You seek financial success as well as to make a difference to the industry or community.

Now look at the following chart to observe how you have scored on those three dimensions. It is possible that your score on one of the dimensions is far greater than the other two. It is also likely that the differences in the scores are small. As you study your scores, do not seek a definitive answer. Instead consider in which sort of job you would feel more comfortable and more satisfied. Your preferences will change over time, so think about the short term (next 1-2 years), the medium term (3-5 years from now) and the long term (7 or more years from now).

B. JOB FUNCTION

The second part of the online questionnaire attempts to estimate your preferences between three core business functions, namely the broader areas of Finance, Marketing and Human Resources. In general terms, once someone becomes accomplished in one of these fields, his or her professional identity may be described as follows.

Working in Finance or with finance problems

You combine sharp analytical skill with clear-headed judgment. You are familiar both with the micro-level of the firm and its accounts, as well as with the macro level of financial markets and institutions. You command a strong intuition of the economic and financial mechanisms at play inside and outside the company. You translate operational decisions into financial outcomes, and financial data into strategic insight. You are passionate about the accuracy and comprehensiveness of information and you implement processes for producing, aggregating and consuming relevant financial data. You are focused on results. You carefully choose how to evaluate different measures of performance. You care equally about cost, return and risk.

Working in Marketing or with marketing problems

You command sophisticated tools and techniques for collecting and processing large volumes of customer and market data. You have an acute sense for the complex behavioral dynamics that underlie customer perception, thinking, choice and action. You have a strong intuition around the birth, growth, survival and decline of brands. You understand the potential, inner workings and limitations of different communication channels, and how they evolve over time. You comfortably shift your thinking from the minutiae of the analysis to the big picture of strategy, and back. You are able to read into the different microcosm of each product niche and market segment. You recombine internal and external resources, knowledge and capabilities in order to promote continuous innovation.

Working in Human Resources Management or with people problems

You have a deeply held conviction that exceptional organizational performance is achieved by people who feel good about their work. You also know precisely how your people-related practices influence overall business results. You passionately care about the quality of emotions within the company. You align systems and processes around an integrated strategy aimed at maintaining high levels of motivation and engagement in the organization. You are well versed in the state-of-the-art methods for searching, identifying, selecting, recruiting, evaluating, developing and laying off the right talent for the right jobs. You are committed to the values of fairness, equity and excellence. You strive for renewal and continuous improvement in the workplace. You plan ahead to prevent problems from occurring but you also have the stomach and wisdom to resolve tough problems when they do occur.

Now look at the chart below. Again, your scores may indicate a very clear preference or a mixed result. In all cases, spend some to visualize how much “at home” you would feel in each of these areas, in the short term (next 1-2 years), in the medium term (3-5 years from now), and in the long term (7 or more years from now).

Selecting a Graduate Program in Business

To continue the discussion, consider attending one of our information sessions or making an appointment with a member of the Alba Academic Programs Office, the Career Office, the Alba Hub for Enterprise and Development, or the Faculty. In the meantime, consider how your scores correspond to the Alba Programs portfolio.

Overview of academic programs

Transform your career and your life in an exciting learning environment that blends top- notch faculty, award-winning curriculum, action-driven learning, and international perspective.

Our broad portfolio of MBA and MSc programs will offer you a solution either you seek to launch your career in business, change function or industry, or start your own business.

The only C-level Executive MBA in GreeceM

For accomplished senior level managers with a minimum of 10 years of work experience and 3 years of managerial work experience who wish to challenge their thinking and lead growth and renewal. Organized in five strategic themes with unique depth in leadership and innovation. Delivery by Alba senior faculty and top business thinkers from premium US and European universities. The duration of the program is 22 months (two weekends per month).

The World Changes, Stay Ahead with the Alba MBA

Ideal for highly motivated professionals with a minimum of 3 years of work experience, aiming to advance their career in management positions. Also ideal for professionals who wish to change their career path, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs, and members of family businesses. The duration of the program is 12 months full-time, and 24 months part-time.

Sea... Your Future

For highly motivated professionals with a clear aim to advance their career in management positions and the broader maritime industry. The program, designed in collaboration with the Greek shipping community (the Business Advisory Committee for the Shipping programs of Alba), provides significant networking opportunities along with a challenging and unique educational experience delivered by world-renowned academics and distinguished industry practitioners in the field. The duration of the program is 12 months full-time, and 24 months part-time. 10

Navigate Your Future

For recent graduates and young professionals looking for a career within the shipping industry. Also for shipping professionals who wish to enrich their know-how, officers of the Merchant Marine or members of family businesses preparing to take on increasing responsibility in their companies. The duration of the program is 12 months full-time, and 24 months part-time.

A truly unique program

Dual degree in collaboration with the ICMA Centre at Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK. Accredited by three professional bodies (ICS, CISI and ICMA). Delivered at the ICMA Centre (UK) and Alba (Greece). The program seeks to address the increasing demand for personnel with shipping – specific, practical financial management skills and knowledge. The duration of the program is from 9 up to 12 months.

Live it. Craft it. Master it. Create it.

For recent graduates of any background seriously considering an entrepreneurial career, experienced professionals who want to make the move from employment to entrepreneurship or students seeking to enhance their entrepreneurial skills in order to work for a start-up or a larger innovative company. The duration of the program is from 12 up to 14 months.

Launch Yourself in Business

For recent graduates from any discipline who wish to work in business and management or recent graduates in business, management or economics seeking in-depth insight into the mechanisms of the global economy as well as the strategy and operations of the international corporation. With mandatory summer internship and applied projects, the program aims to enhance their employability in the local and the international job market. The duration of the program is from 12 up to 14 months. 11

Upgrade to Business Class

In partnership with Costa Navarino. For recent graduates from any discipline pursuing a career in tourism. For tourism professionals seeking to advance their careers in management positions. For members of family businesses in tourism aiming to advance the company’s competitiveness. Classes: October-April, Internship: May-July or June-August, Dissertation: May-August

Invest in Yourself

For university graduates with a solid quantitative background wishing to launch a career in finance and for professionals who hold finance-related positions. The program provides robust academic knowledge which is also practically relevant to the needs of the industry and makes regular use of steering committees that consist of both academics and practitioners. It is the only CFA Affiliated Program in Greece. The duration of the program is 14 months.

Know Your Risks

For graduates with a quantitative background in pursuit of a career in risk divisions of financial institutions, large corporations or investment companies, managers who engage in risk taking activities, professionals responsible for monitoring risk and reporting to senior management, management consultants specialized in risk solutions or for regulation/compliance officers responsible for supervising business units, enterprises or financial system participants. The duration of the program is 14 months.

Brand Yourself

For recent university graduates and working professionals seeking an ambitious career in marketing and looking to acquire state-of-the-art skills in this changing field. It is a rigorous program aiming to provide current and prospective marketers with a blend of strategic thinking, analytical skills and contemporary marketing tools. The duration of the program is 14 months. 12

Unleash People Talent and Full Potential

For the new generation of HR professionals who will act as strategic partners and effectively align people strategies with business strategies or other professionals in managerial positions who will strategically lead their organization’s human capital and act as coaches to unleash their people’s talents and full potential. The duration of the program is 18 months.

You know Business Law. Now Learn the Laws of Business.

For legal professionals who manage and lead their own law firm, work as corporate counsels or consultants to business executives, or work in or with the financial services industry. The duration of the program is 16 months.

Business and Law: A Double Success

In collaboration with the University of Reading, School of Law, this unique double graduate program allows participants to complete the LLM of their choice and the MSc in Business for Lawyers in 16 months.

Launch yourself in Supply Chain & Logistics

Double Degree offered in exchange collaboration with KEDGE Business School. This specialized management program equips young graduates and early-career professionals, with the knowledge, skills, international outlook, and practical experience to launch themselves in Supply Chain & Logistics in Greece and abroad. Two degrees: Alba Graduate Business School: MSc in Supply Chain Management and KEDGE Business School: The European Business Program International – Diplôme de l’École Multinationale des Affaires (Master’s Degree). Duration of 20 months.

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Let our academic team guide you through the Alba program portfolio and help you choose the one that fits your needs. Special keynote speakers at each session. Reserve your place here.

BE AN ALBA STUDENT FOR A DAY

Experience what studying at Alba is like. Learn from our faculty; work in teams to solve complex problems; explore your career options. Register for the Student for a Day here.

BE OUR GUEST

What sets us apart, among many other things, is the classroom experience and our culture. Join one of our classes to form your own opinion: attend a lecture, meet the professor, discuss with current students. Be Our Guest.

MEET THE EXPERTS

Request an appointment with a member of our Academic Programs Team, an Academic Director, the Career Office, or the Alba Hub for Entrepreneurship and Development (AHEAD). Book online here or email us at acprog@alba.acg.edu or call +30 210 8964531.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Visit our BLOG to read schietif aricles wtitten by our Faculty, tips and advices from our experts and real stories and insights from our students and alumni. Information & test drive 14

FUNDING

Fee or Free We can pre-approve your scholarship or financial aid before you apply for enrollment to an Alba program. We are constantly looking to invest in promising individuals with a strong background and the drive to make a difference. This scholarship program is designed to identify, encourage and provide financial support to people who share our vision. Apply for an Alba scholarship or pursue one of the Named Scholarships depending on the academic program you are interested in, or both! STAY CONNECTED

Outstanding Career Services

We pride ourselves in coaching tomorrow’s leaders in business. We are committed to supporting our students and alumni in their local and international job search by providing a wide range of tailor-made career services: Career Coaching, Career Preparation Workshops, Career Development Events and the Career Forum, the focal point of our Career Office’s activities. Our exceptional placement records are incomparable in Greece.

#AlumniUnusual

Our alumni have remarkable stories to share about their time at Alba and their journeys after graduation. They are leaders and innovators across the global business community, active participants in the life of the School and strategic partners in our continued success. From around the world and throughout Greece, our alumni offer valuable services to students and fellow alumni as well as support to our faculty and the School at large. The Career & Alumni Office has established strong relations with the business community. Our extensive knowledge of the market’s recruitment needs puts us in a position to guide and support Alba students and alumni in their career path by providing them with exposure opportunities. Through a series of activities and events, graduates and companies are brought together with the aim of a mutually beneficial collaboration, ensuring that Alba talent is employed by the market’s leaders.

Entrepreneurship at Alba

The Alba Hub for Entrepreneurship and Development (AHEAD) brings together all Alba’s activities dedicated to entrepreneurship. Teaching, Research and Outreach are our main functions. We support students and alumni entrepreneurs through our exclusive services, and work closely with the Greek entrepreneurial ecosystem to celebrate all forms of enterprising.

Adding Value to Executives and Organizations

We are the leaders of state-of-the-art executive education in Southeast Europe, meeting the needs of dozens of large corporate clients. Our wide range of programs and seminars (such as Leadership Development Programs, Customized Management Programs and Corporate MBAs) serve organizations at different levels of growth in Greece and internationally.