Disregarding the fact that I have three midterms when I go back to school next week and it’s also tax time, I have been one busy MBA on this supposed-spring break!
Simply put? I’ve been focused on the search for the “perfect” internship that will give me the RIGHT experience for the career path I want to follow. When I first graduated from my undergrad, I see now that I really did not have a clue as to what I wanted to do and the goal back then (also during a recession) was simply to get a job that would pay off the pricey incurred school loans.
Part of going back for an MBA for me was to complement my background with the precise skills required to do exactly what I want to do (as I now know what it is, as well). That said, the “perfect” internship for me is not dependent on any sort of paycheck or resume-filling experience, but is completely dependent on gaining the experience that can propel my career forward on the right path.
So how am I spending my spring break?
- Networking - following up with past contacts to ensures quality relationships can continue; meeting new contacts that have diverse experiences, fresh insight, and quality connections; and building up my profile and network on sites like LinkedIn to best promote myself and “qualify” these connections.
- Reading & Researching- catching up on non-school related reading that promotes my understanding of my chosen field, the geographic business area in which I plan to work, and the information needed to connect and relate to prospective employers.
- Blogging - on this and other sites to put what I am learning and doing into writing to provide a relevant log of activites (in this case) and to show prospective employers my level of understanding in terms of my chosen field (in other cases).
These are just a few of my current activities…I’ll try to throw some beach-time and relaxation in there, but for now, catching up to get ahead is probably the most beneficial thing I can do!
So that last post somehow got stuck in the queue…I’ve been in class 2 weeks already, but hey–it’s still relevant.
That said, as you can see from my Twitter feed, here’s my “time management” from the last couple of weeks:
- Motivational speakers: 4 — 1 for every class session
- Educational conferences: 1 — for the Saturday class session
- Textbooks purchased: 2 for winter class, 5 for spring semester
- Money saved by textbooks purchased online: 50% for a total of about $500
- Group meetings: 1 and another Monday, to discuss 2 class projects
- Getting an MBA: priceless (meaning it’s too expensive to put a price on 
Phew it’s been a few days, but I think I’m still recovering from taking 2 tests last week! In the next 2 weeks, I have 3 more midterms, 2 projects, 4 workshops, 2 other events + ongoing course work…but I guess that’s the MBA program for you!
What with all the financial concerns of the economy, my subscription of BusinessWeek these last 2 weeks has had nothing but Wall Street & related concerns. In continuing to figure out how this might affect me personally (as in the fact that MBA’s graduating into a recession/depression make on average 20% less over their lifetimes *yikes*), some good news…
“Gutsy marketers spend into the teeth of a recession” according to the article Best Global Brands. With current economic difficulties, the marketing budget may be an easy target for cost-cutting, but many companies use the recession to “get a leg up” on the competition in the area of brand building. While everyone else may be cutting down on their marketing strategies, those who spend can theoretically lure in more customers via advertising, then when the recession smooths over, come out on top in terms of brand identity & loyalty.
Of course, as consumers in this same recession may also be cutting back their spending & quickly changing their tastes & habits to cheaper tastes & habits (hello McDonald’s [coffee], goodbye Starbucks), marketing research (*ahem, my chosen area of MBA focus*) will be crucial to make sure that if marketing dollars are spent, they are spent very, very wisely!
frappucino or crapuccino?
So I haven’t really talked about the current Wall Street mortgage crisis for a few reasons: 1) I unfortunately (or maybe fortunately right now) I don’t own a house (hello, I live in CALIFORNIA where they cost 5x more than they should); 2) I’ve been studying for a few tests this week so haven’t really kept up; and 3) simply, although I’m an MBA, I don’t really understand financial markets and don’t usually like to talk about things I don’t know much about because, let’s face it…I’m blonde!
That said though, as this is so far the biggest financial crisis of the century, it is going to affect all of us if it hasn’t already. We don’t know what the short-term or long-term effects of this or any number of financial crises will be for any of us.
What I’m concerned about as an MBA student? My federal school loans; an ongoing unemployment crisis that could affect the job market when I graduate; my taxes now or when I again contribute towards a dual-income household. Beyond that, every American is struggling with debt in this recession. I mean, I do my best to control my debt, but I’m a young urban professional student who has to take on debt to get through school. I got used to living on a disposable income right out of college, bought a new car, moved cross-country to a more expensive state, spent money on a wedding, started thinking about owning vs. renting, then quit my job to go back to school, so I’m not really in a position where I can grow my savings right now.
I hope that our leaders, now and in the future, make the right decisions to guide our country out of this mess. As for me, the investment I’m banking on is my education and the belief that my fellow MBA students and I can learn the skills needed to become succesful leaders in these crucial times…
This is it…my last 5 days in the workforce (for now)! I’ve ‘put in my time’ for 5 years now, and am getting ready to go back to school full-time for my MBA! There are going to be many changes & challenges ahead, for the better of course, and I’m eager to get started. My fortunes are aligned (as per Friday’s Pei-Wei Asian diner fortune cookies, which couldn’t have said anything better)…
For now, here’s my countdown to a short summer break to clear my head & get ready to dive in!
~ Danielle - a.k.a. Blonde MBA
