Top 10 things I learned in business school #9
Be interested in something
#10 was a total softball, but an important lesson that many people miss. #9, on the other hand, is an affliction that you have to shake. Great opportunities are around every corner, but sometimes people don’t bother noticing. As an MBA you become the “jack of all trades.” You learn more than most people about marketing, finance, and strategy and these things are applicable to ALL businesses. The biggest mistake you can make is to avoid finding something to immerse yourself in.
At the Freeman school you have complete access to your professors. It’s important to let them know what you’re interested in so they know what alumni and professionals to connect you to.
Secondly, so much about business school is in application. The two classmates I admire most are those that came to the Freeman school with a passion and started student organizations of their own. Whenever an opportunity or a connection comes about in one of those two areas, guess who gets the phone call?
Besides being a total delight to talk to at a party, people who are interested in things open doors for themselves, look for opportunity, and execute well. These are all valuable qualities than an employer looks for.
Several people use business school to bridge into another career. I am one of them. I found my calling finally, but I tried 50 different things while in student disguise. Few people know that I even interned for a few weeks at an ad agency to help me realize that I hate working at ad agencies 😉
In the end, my “interest” got me a ton of options after business school and that’s a great transition into #8… for tomorrow!!
Will
will.donaldson@gmail.com