| Topic Name: |
Career Advice |
| Message Name: |
career planning |
| Date Posted: |
03/27/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
I am about to enter college here in Sept, during the fall semester. I have decided to major in something business related, but I am trying to find a certain area to focus in right now, so I can start making connections and getting related experience. My plan is to maintain a high GPA, get some decent work exp, study for GMAT early, and try and make it into a decent top tier B-school.
I am trying to get a feel for all the different areas. I did a little bit of reading and research, and find Management/Strategy Consulting quite attractive. I've read through a number of posts on the Consulting boards, quite a few seems to indicate the consulting industry isn't doing to hot, and the trent will continue. I know that I wont be getting out of school for quite a while, so I am trying to imagine how things will be 5, 6 years from now. I enjoy critical thinking and problems solving, and am very interested in economics and economic theory. How analytical is consulting, banking, and the different areas? What areas emphasis thinking/critical thinking as opposed to number crunching and hardcore math?
I am just trying to get a general idea of what all is out there and what would be right for me. I-Banking, VC, Consulting, what are some general overviews on the different areas and industries? Im just starting out here, and don't know where to find this information.
Any help, comments, advice would be greatly appreciated. |
| Message: |
I think it's great that you're already thinking about your career especially at such a young age. This is quite rare, but I also believe that college is a time of exploration and it is NOT a time to be planning 5 or 6 years in advance. You have plenty of time to do that. If you are at the right school, in your first and even second year, you should take courses in a wide range of disciplines... and NO more than one business course per semester. I tell you this because I know many people who regretted going to undergraduate business school or got accepted into med-school early, only to drop out of medicine after finishing residency. There are consequences for setting goals too early.
My suggestion is simple. Enroll in many types of classes. See what you love. See what you're great at. And then ask people (don't assume) who work in careers in the areas that match your passions and skills. And don't focus on getting a strategy consulting position because if you assess the chances of getting a shot at one of the top firms, it's quite low (no matter how hard you prepare). If you are not attending an Ivy-League or equivalent school (e.g., Berkeley, Stanford), then you're better off not focusing so much because in the end, if you were unable to beat the odds of getting into a top school, then your chances beating the odds of getting a strat position is even HARDER. Take it easy on yourself and enjoy college! It only comes around once in a lifetime.
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