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NOVEMBER 2003 MBA JOURNAL: FIRST YEAR REVIEW John Liang: Reflecting on the First Year of B-School "Stay true to your heart, say no to the jobs you don't want or know you will not succeed in. Meanwhile, be mentally prepared to be rejected and stay the course."
"Excuse me, but are you the BusinessWeek Online writer from Wharton?" A young man, about my age, is across from me in a suit. "I'm Kevin Goldman, a prospective student from Chicago. I just did my campus visit at Wharton." The conversation quickly evolves into a Q&A session about B-school admissions and, inevitably, jobs in a tough economy. "How did your job search go at Wharton?" he asked. "Well, I got a pretty ideal summer job, at least one I think will help me in the long haul," I say, "and everyone I know has an internship. It's all a matter of expectations. I guess the best lesson I have learned is that you've got to be prepared to say 'no' and be said 'no' to." Kevin looks bewildered so I continue. "When the job market is gloomy, there is a tendency among MBA students, me included, to panic. That's why you see all these crowded employer presentation sessions and company representatives swamped by eager students. There is a widespread mentality that this is an environment where you really have to fight for a job." "So what advice do you wish you had gotten at the beginning of your first year?" he asks. "Stay true to your heart, say no to the jobs you don't want or know you will not succeed in," I say. "Meanwhile, be mentally prepared to be rejected and stay the course." "I see," says Kevin. "So how do you find that dream job? I heard people had to network like crazy just to get an interview." "If networking means getting to know the companies better and reaching out to alumni or companies that don't have a structured recruiting schedule, I'd say do it by all means," I add. "But unfortunately, for many folks networking means just getting face time at employer presentations, writing thank-you notes to recruiters or cold-calling alums for jobs. With the exception of a few investment banks and consulting firms, however, you don't need to 'network' all through most companies to get invited to an interview. I think most companies still believe in meritocracy." Kevin nods. Then the announcer says it's boarding time for the flight to Chicago. Kevin stands up, shakes my hand and thanks me for giving him candid advice. "Wait a minute," I say. "Aren't you interested in what we have learned in school? You know, classes, profs... Don't you want to know the fun we had outside of school?" But Kevin has taken off. "I'll e-mail you!" he yells back from the escalator, then disappears. For some strange reason the conversation makes me feel pretty good about myself. Boy have I learned and grown a lot over this past year! I may even have become a wiser man than I was last July! My flight to D.C. is delayed for another hour. I become a little bored, but I know this is probably the last chance to relax before I start work again. So, I head for a nearby bar. Immediately, I spot a familiar face. It's Gustavo Ott, who was one of my professors at University of Arkansas. I sit down next to him, but his face is buried in a thick book. "Professor Ott?" I say. "I'm John Liang. You probably don't remember me." I see confusion in his eyes. "I took your structural design class, though I didn't speak much English back then." A small flash of recognition: "Certainly. Yes, I do remember you. 'John,' is it?" A waiter arrives. I order a beer and ask Ott if he'll join me. He says no; he has to leave shortly. "So how have you been these days?" I ask. "Extremely busy," he says. "And you?" "Same. I'm on my way to my summer job in D.C. What about you?" "I was just connecting flights from New York back to Little Rock," says Ott. "Funny, but after all my plans to become a big-shot architect, I ended up in business school," I say. "I got into the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania." Ott doesn't seem impressed. As an engineer, he's not going to understand the world I've gotten into. "Didn't architecture treat you well?" he asks. "Sure," I say, "but I wanted something better, something more fulfilling, more rewarding." I can't hold back a smile. "Really. So life is better than before?" asks Ott. "Well, not necessarily now, but maybe after I get my MBA," I say. "Will you make a lot more money?" he asks. "Not necessarily. But I'm not really in this for money," I answer. "Maybe the MBA jobs are more fun than being an architect?" He sets the thick book aside. "I can't say that, either," I reply. "Then perhaps this is for a happier family?" he continues. "Well," I quip, "I barely see my wife any more. She's always mad at me because I spend too much time at parties, team meetings, and employer presentations." "Perhaps you will become a better person?" he stares straight into my eyes, "Or maybe you will make people around you happier or wealthier? What is it exactly that brought you to this place?" I feel my smile freeze. "I'm not sure if those are my goals," I say. "But I did land a summer internship that I believe will help my career in the long run." "I see. What're you going to do in this internship and what kind of career do you want with your MBA?" he finally seems intrigued, "Can it be so much more fulfilling and rewarding than building homes, skyscrapers, and cities for people?" "Well, I am going to work for an investment bank, and hopefully will get a full-time job doing real estate investment or development." Ott leans forward with a weird smile and says, "Let me ask you something – just between us: You wouldn't do that if no economic returns were involved, would you – especially considering the cost of getting an MBA?"
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