When I announced that I intended to get an MBA at UCLA Anderson, I was met with astonished stares not unlike those traditionally set aside for circus freaks. Admittedly, my path so far appears unfocused, if not completely mad. After all, I left Montreal, Canada for Irvine, California ten years ago to start a Ph.D. in computational chemistry. I then worked as a performance analyst for the state and later served as the assistant director of financial aid for the California State University headquarters. And I am now about to start an MBA at UCLA Anderson this September to execute my transition into finance. So exactly what am I doing?
Simply put, I am taking the long way to the world of finance, which is the price I pay for failing to know myself better earlier in life. I was 18 when I had to elect my major, and frankly I limited my choice to the discipline easiest to me. When I realized that my undergraduate studies led to little more than technician jobs, I took the next “logical” step and attended graduate school rather than research my alternatives. However, my specialization seeks to answer questions so fundamental that practical applications are rare outside of academia. Uninterested in the academic profession, I decided to reorient my career after graduating.
Therefore, I spent the last three years extensively evaluating potential career paths while holding positions that utilize my analytical, quantitative and communication skills, and finally selected finance. Of course, you may be tempted to sigh at the prospect of one more greedster making over-leveraged bets in the stock market or baking new flavors of exotic, layered-cake security; did Iceland and the rest of us not suffer enough already? Worry not, for I seek a position in corporate finance, ideally for a scientific/biotech/medical company in order to leverage my background. Corporate finance appeals to me because it plays a vital role in any organization and covers a wide array of activities.
Holding an MBA from UCLA Anderson will help tremendously in my endeavor because it offers a solid finance background in addition to the general management training. Considering the astronomical price tag of getting an MBA and the sheer number of new graduates manufactured every year, I felt that the degree would only be worth my investment if it came from a top 10 university. The year I applied to UCLA, U.S. News ranked the MBA program 11 overall and 7 in finance, outranking schools such as Harvard in this specialty. Thus, I feel that Anderson is definitely the right choice for a career in corporate finance, especially in Southern California.
–Simon
