When I started business school, I expected to learn about how businesses work. What I did not expect was how much it would change the way I look at everything. The changes are both subtle and profound and probably somewhat inexplicable to anyone that hasnt spent two years going through the process themselves. Needless to say, my beliefs about what it takes to succeed in a business are radically different than they were when I started.
With that in mind, I enjoyed reading the experiences expressed in this MBA diary in the Financial Times last week.
The expectations. The realization that most of one's expecations and assumptions were wrong. The feeling of directionlessness as one re-evaluates their assumptions and explores new possibilities. Recognizing that work is a team sport not a marathon and the power of social networking. The eventual coalescence of a new, clear direction and a personal "story"
Good stuff. I wish our primary K-12 education system taught more lessons are capitalism and economics. I think citizens would make better decisions if it did.
London Business School diary
Published: February 11 2007 14:37
The Financial Times
What will give me the advantage is the ability to build and leverage relationships. This skill, which has come from informal interaction with classmates, alumni and teachers, is where the true value of my education lies.
This past September, I and the other confident, bright-eyed and ambitious members of the MBA class of 2008 knew what we wanted in our careers. We wanted jobs in investment banking or consulting. We wanted to work for the likes of McKinsey, Goldman Sachs and Proctor & Gamble.
But four months after our arrival, that assurance has gone. It has been replaced by confusion, indecisiveness and anxiety.
