From the very first second you dare utter the concept of going abroad for a masters degree in business, everyone around you gets that weird look on their faces and go: "OK… but why?"
And you'll immediately blurt out your well-rehearsed answer and probably end up convincing them, or at least some of them, that it's the logical next step for you. The answer might even correlate with your response to that same question as it appears in most of the school applications you're working on (I doubt it will). But when you search deep down within yourself, is that the answer you really, and I mean REALLY, believe in?
I've been through this analysis numerous times over the past months. I really did try to figure out whether I was doing it all to fulfill my career aspirations (confused and ill-defined as they might have been) or maybe just for the money. Perhaps I was doing that just so I could run away for a while, getting as close as I could to the romantic notion of "starting over". One of my best friends went so far as to interpret my actions as a symptom of someone who was just trying to postpone life and maneuver away from settling down like a "normal" person.
Why…
As with so many other things in life, the answer is not as deterministic or as concrete as I'd like it to be. Still, I feel good enough about it, really. REALLY.
First, it's my career, which can grow from a common, technologically-centered one, to a people-centered one. I truly feel that passion for something more interpersonal and dynamic, of a completely different nature than what I've been doing so far. Second, I view this kind of an experience as a chance to figure out where I'm going, even if just for a while. Unfortunately, I'm not a guy with a dream. I've never felt I had a calling. I'd simply want to enjoy waking up in the morning for another day, and I think this MBA thing can serve as an amazing candy-store of pathways onto such a professional future. Third, and most importantly, I want the experience. And I'm not just referring to living abroad for a while, or collaborating with amazing international class-mates, or learning from Nobel laureates or even working in Corporate America for zillions of dollars a year. It's everything put together. It's squeezing as much of the world as possible into a short little period of two years. It's the kind of person I can be once I cross the MBA finish-line.
And that's how I answer everyone's questions now, smiling at their doubting faces. Despite the risks, and in spite of all my fears, having come to this realization actually strengthened my confidence and better prepared me for this big step. I especially remember a phone-conversation that really helped me deal with my doubts and fears. My friends from Kisos (see first post), amongst so many other things, introduced me to this Harvard graduate who, with just a few words, put everything in the right perspective: "Well, David, it seems like you're totally aware of the downsides, and you've gathered all the information you need. Now comes the hard part - the reasons to pursue an MBA abroad won't necessarily be unique or uncommon, but they have to really feel right to you. And you might feel they're worth the risks or you might feel they're not worth the risks. But if, and when, you decide to go, just put those fears aside. They won't go away, but they won't stand in your way, either. And that's when you're really ready to go."
Jul 22, 2010
Jul 8, 2010
Introduction
That's all it was, actually, just the introduction. Who'd've thought?
GMAT, resume, essays, recommendations, interviews. You spend months running this marathon, going through each straight as if it was the only one, always aware of the yet-unseen finish line. When you finally get there, exhausted, gasping for air, it's all a blur. But soon enough you realize you actually made it, against all odds, you won, and you're thrilled beyond your wits, surprised despite the fact you lived through this moment in your mind's eye numerous times before. You got in.
For me, getting the call from Chicago Booth was just like winning a marathon (not that it's something I've ever experienced, but bear with me here). I was thrilled! After "running" for so long, I felt like I tore through this end-line a winner (I have to admit that after that, the second call, or actually email, from MIT Sloan, felt slightly less mind-blowing).
Once I've gotten past the calls to family, friends and my "coaches" from Kisos, the rush somewhat subsided. That's when I turned to look through the door that has just been opened. I started to realize that maybe it wasn’t a full marathon I had just completed. Maybe, unlike the way it felt, it was just the first part of a much longer marathon. Merely the introduction to the years to come.
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OK, but why a blog? Why now?
From the very beginning it was clear to me that I didn't have any experience in writing essays of the kind the applications required, or the understanding of what I should focus on and how. I therefore chose Kisos as my MBA consulting team. Looking back, I could never dream of a better group of people to complement my adamant approach and enthusiastic nature. Working with them was so much more than just being admitted – it was about exploring this rich, new world of studding MBA abroad. It was about providing me the access to people and resources that helped me gain the clearest possible view of the path I was aiming for. It was mostly about gaining the best tools to look ahead and figure out who I wanted to be at the end of this road. Along the way, I earned a group of friends who would stand by me through future challenges, always.
So when the guys from Kisos came up with the idea to write a blog about the way to and through business school, I was immediately interested. I thought it would be a great way to shed some light on the vaguer part of the MBA process, the one just past the introduction. Naturally, such a blog will be subjective and personal, but I still believe it can come in handy for "future generations". I also hope this blog will serve as a way for my family and friends to learn a little more about what I'm going through (assuming any of them will actually read this) and, of course, help me ventilate when the going gets tough (and it will).
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"So what's in store now? How will it look in just a few months?" I asked.
I was already admitted to Chicago Booth, but I felt even more in-need of answers than ever before. Surprising, ain't it? I continued to talk to anyone who would listen, trying to get a better grasp of what lay ahead. I spoke to an American second-year at Chicago Booth who was trying to give me an honest, clear glimpse of my future.
"It's gonna be intense, I'm not gonna lie to you," she said. "And you probably think applying to schools was like running a marathon. Listen, Chicago is very organized and they're going to guide you through everything and it's going to be tons of fun. But you're going to be overwhelmed with information. Your calendar will be constantly flooded. Classes, homework, tests, networking, interviews. We like to say it's like drinking from a fire hose".
This is my story.
GMAT, resume, essays, recommendations, interviews. You spend months running this marathon, going through each straight as if it was the only one, always aware of the yet-unseen finish line. When you finally get there, exhausted, gasping for air, it's all a blur. But soon enough you realize you actually made it, against all odds, you won, and you're thrilled beyond your wits, surprised despite the fact you lived through this moment in your mind's eye numerous times before. You got in.
For me, getting the call from Chicago Booth was just like winning a marathon (not that it's something I've ever experienced, but bear with me here). I was thrilled! After "running" for so long, I felt like I tore through this end-line a winner (I have to admit that after that, the second call, or actually email, from MIT Sloan, felt slightly less mind-blowing).
Once I've gotten past the calls to family, friends and my "coaches" from Kisos, the rush somewhat subsided. That's when I turned to look through the door that has just been opened. I started to realize that maybe it wasn’t a full marathon I had just completed. Maybe, unlike the way it felt, it was just the first part of a much longer marathon. Merely the introduction to the years to come.
--------------------------------------------------
OK, but why a blog? Why now?
From the very beginning it was clear to me that I didn't have any experience in writing essays of the kind the applications required, or the understanding of what I should focus on and how. I therefore chose Kisos as my MBA consulting team. Looking back, I could never dream of a better group of people to complement my adamant approach and enthusiastic nature. Working with them was so much more than just being admitted – it was about exploring this rich, new world of studding MBA abroad. It was about providing me the access to people and resources that helped me gain the clearest possible view of the path I was aiming for. It was mostly about gaining the best tools to look ahead and figure out who I wanted to be at the end of this road. Along the way, I earned a group of friends who would stand by me through future challenges, always.
So when the guys from Kisos came up with the idea to write a blog about the way to and through business school, I was immediately interested. I thought it would be a great way to shed some light on the vaguer part of the MBA process, the one just past the introduction. Naturally, such a blog will be subjective and personal, but I still believe it can come in handy for "future generations". I also hope this blog will serve as a way for my family and friends to learn a little more about what I'm going through (assuming any of them will actually read this) and, of course, help me ventilate when the going gets tough (and it will).
--------------------------------------------------
"So what's in store now? How will it look in just a few months?" I asked.
I was already admitted to Chicago Booth, but I felt even more in-need of answers than ever before. Surprising, ain't it? I continued to talk to anyone who would listen, trying to get a better grasp of what lay ahead. I spoke to an American second-year at Chicago Booth who was trying to give me an honest, clear glimpse of my future.
"It's gonna be intense, I'm not gonna lie to you," she said. "And you probably think applying to schools was like running a marathon. Listen, Chicago is very organized and they're going to guide you through everything and it's going to be tons of fun. But you're going to be overwhelmed with information. Your calendar will be constantly flooded. Classes, homework, tests, networking, interviews. We like to say it's like drinking from a fire hose".
This is my story.
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