Got into an MBA program of your choice? Congrats!! Now what?
You have just decided to commit two years of your life to pursue an MBA in the hopes of transforming your career and life. Two short years and thousands of dollars to figure out what you want to do when you finally grow up. To figure out your true passion in life - one true job or purpose that will enable you to get up every morning without pressing the snooze button.
Very small portion of MBA students will arrive on campus knowing what they really want to pursue post MBA but the vast majority of students - the traditional career switchers, people like you and I – will have no idea on what we want to do after our MBA and in what direction to steer our career towards.
So how do you figure out what you want to do with your life in 2 short years?
First, DON’T FOLLOW THE HERD, unless you are truly passionate about a particular industry or a job. TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED. Majority of the students, once they arrive on campus, get caught up in the hype and are too busy following the herd (your classmates career choices) that they forget to really utilize the two most valuable years to explore in-depth the various career options that are available to them.
Being a student is one of the best times to network and connect with whoever you want to and there is a very high probability that the people you reach out to are more than willing to help you.
During your MBA, connect with as many professionals as you can in order to better understand your career options. Gain helpful insights into what shaped their careers. Understand the pros and cons of various jobs and industries. Learn from the career twists and the turns of those who have gone before you so that you can avoid the same mistakes and are better prepared. And most importantly indulge yourself to take risks.
Second, every company and ever job will have its pros and cons so take what recruiters say about companies with a grain of saltEvery company and recruiter that visits campus will tell you that their company is the greatest company to work for. The challenge is how will you decipher through the noise and the hype. Are you smart enough to make your own choices, to really dig deep and think hard in order to evaluate what is important to you, irrelevant of what other people or society thinks is important? Are you smart enough to choose the career that will make you happy and content? Are you smart enough to choose a career that is impactful? And will you ask the right questions to help you evaluate whether a particular job or industry is the right fit for you?
At InterviewTank we have developed a 20 high ranking millennial attribute index which we hope is useful for every MBA student when evaluating career options. My classmates and colleagues from top MBA programs have found these attributes helpful during our time as MBA students. It has helped us to quantify the gray areas and objectively help evaluate and compare various companies and industries. We hope this template (see attachment) will be a starting point and guide you in your career search.
Enjoy your MBA journey and congrats again!!!! The journey has just begun and we wish you the best in your future endeavors.
InterviewTank Team
interviewtank dot com
InterviewTank is a team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about guiding current and prospective MBA students in identifying their career interests and help prep them for their important interviews. Students can prep with experts who have expertise in relevant industries and companies for the price of less than a night out. Don't wait try us out for free.