The MBA Student Voice

Life after Business School - AKA "Back to Reality"

This will most likely be my final post on the UCLA Anderson blog.  What prompted (possessed?) me to write this blog post is that I happened to run across today for the second time the late David Foster Wallace's speech, "This is Water."  It was a commencement speech given to a graduating class of undergrads back in 2005.

 

I won't bore you with the details, but it really is a worthwhile video to watch when you have ten minutes to spare.  At first glance, the immediate thought that came to mind was, "Wow, that's a bit cheesy,"  which makes sense given that it's a commencement speech addressed to a room full of starry-eyed (or open-mouthed) 22-year olds.  But then, as the video kept playing, and as the late author's voice kept reverberating throughout in that quasi-didactic yet oddly-magnetic way, I began to get pulled into the deeper message lying behind the fancy graphics and pretty typefaces.  

It really is so easy to get lost in the shuffle of each of our so-called "busy lives."  It really is so easy to get pulled in so many directions that we just want to shut down and get ourselves off the grid.  It really is so easy to forget that basic human compassion and kindness go such a long way in making someone's day go from terrible to bad to good to great to awesome.  And this basic notion of being "aware" and "conscious" of others around us is so important.  We are each the center of our own universe--that goes without saying--but we must understand that we, as students and graduates who have had the privilage of attending great undergrad colleges as well as a great business school, really hit the jackpot and have it so much better than many will ever experience in their lifetimes.

I wasn't intending for this post to become as philosophic as it now has, but I'm in a weirdly nostalgic and pensive mood so you guys will have to bear with me.  Since graduating back in June of this year, I've become gainfully employed again (thank goodness!) and started working in a career path that I pursued in business school.  I've also recently moved to San Francisco, which I love, and have met many new, amazing people who continue to help me grow in all aspects of my life.  Is my life easy-ish, as it had been in bschool?  Heck no!  A meaningful career path will never be easy.  It's not merely a job; it's a career.  It'll take a whole bunch of adjusting before I feel comfortable enough to say that I'm comfortable in my job, and then it'll be up to me to keep myself engaged--to keep trekking and to keep learning.

So this is my advice to those still in school or thinking about going to school (wow, sorry it took so long to get to the punch line.  This is why I could never be a writer by vocation)--life after bschool will be a challenge.  A graduate degree will not be a silver bullet to end all tedium and boredom in life.  Ennui is going to set in and people will career-hop and city-hop looking for the next best thing.  But during this shuffle that we call life after business school, I hope that most of us will be able to take the time to appreciate all that we have, to appreciate those around us, and to keep forging ahead and keep growing--both in our selves as well as in our careers.

--Connie Kim, c/o 2013

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Hawaii (redux) and NAAMBA

Only about three months have come and gone since my last post about my summer in San Francisco.  I think we're reaching a new record here, folks.  So I've decided to make this a massive, bandwidth-bustingly pic-heavy post to make up for my disappearance over the last several months.

My summer internship experience was a great one and it ended in mid-August.  The second year of school starts on Thursday, 9/27.  So what have I been doing the entire time?

Besides much career-focused deliberating, general soul-searching, and Instagramming any and all food items that come my way, I decided to make a trip to the National Association of Asian MBAs (NAAMBA) conference and expo a few weeks ago.  I was already in the Bay area so I figured it couldn't hurt to peruse around.  There, I ran into one of our Parker Career Center directors, Phil Han:

I also ran into my name (almost-)twin, another MBA student who goes to USC Marshall:

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Summer Lull It is Not

I apologize to the three faithful readers out there for my long, l-o-n-g overdue post.  Life got in the way of blogging and frankly, there was no super-interesting topic about which to plot down my ideas on paper the web.

Actually, scratch that.  Much has happened since my last post about Cabo.  Most of us secured our summer internships, scrambled to sublease our current apartment units (for those moving to another location for the summer job), frantically studied for our last set of first year's finals, and had a bazillion goodbye gatherings where many a tear was shed for the folks going away for the summer.

Here I am crossing the Bay Bridge.  Touristy picture, but whatever.

And now here I am, up in San Francisco (SOMA area, in case my three faithful readers care to know).  I arrived here about 2.5 weeks ago now and it feels I've been in the city for thrice that amount.  I put off the apartment-hunt for longer than I should have, and found myself in panic-mode as I scrolled through pages and pages of ads on Craigslist.  I finally found a place in a very ideal location (and yes it's mucho $$$), about 0.2 mile away from my workplace.  There is, however, an ironic twist to this supposedly-happy story: I will be travelling to a client in Los Angeles for at least 1/2 to 2/3 of the week.

The overriding good news is that I'm learning a ton at a rapidfire clip.  I suppose the great thing about going into consulting at a fairly early stage in one's career is that it's beyond challenging but incredibly enriching at the same time.  It's not easy work by any means and the travel can and will wear you down, but I hope to learn as much as possible during my time at the firm and make some meaningful connections along the way.

And I figure, there are tons of Andersonites up in the Nor Cal area for the summer and great eats abound in the city, so I might as well fully enjoy the summer + internship experience while I can.  I'll only be up here for 2.5 months and the first 0.5 month passed by in a blink.  So without further ado, here are some pictures I've taken over the course of the last couple weeks.  And no, it's not because I have nothing else to write about, I'm saving more stories to share with the readers later.

Josh & Miho @ Hog Island Oyster Co.@ the Ferry Building Marketplace.  I was feeling a bit sick that day so I had to pass on the oysters. :(

One of the must-go attractions in SF is the Ferry Building Marketplace.  It's a food-lover's mecca.  There really is no other way to describe the place.  Just do yourself a favor and go if you've never been.  The same goes with Fisherman's Wharf, except the last time I went there, I was terrorized by a flock (fleet? Army?) of angry seagulls.  I've been a bit hesitant to go back since.  They do have an amazing assortment of fried seafood + clam chowder, though.

And then some of my friends introduced me to the world of the Mission Mexican food taquerias.  So far I've been to both El Farolitos along with Pancho Villa.  The immediate surrounding neighborhood can be a bit dicey, but the food makes it well-worth the (harrowing?) trek.

Pancho Villa shrimp + carne asada nachos.  The orange salsa on the top right corner is quite possibly the best condiment created, ever (well, right after sriracha).

Oh, and I can't forget to mention that I've been walking around a ton.  There are those who say that Los Angeles isn't really a "city," because everything is spread apart and no one takes public transportation.  I can attest that this is somewhat true: I drive my car to go a destination that is 0.2 mile away.  But this clearly is not practical in SF, where pedestrians + cyclists rule the streets.  So I've been walking everywhere (and got a busted toe in the process), and finding some cool vendors on the streets, such as:

Creme Brulee Cart.  Whoa.

The Creme Brulee (I'm too lazy to add in the accent marks, bear with me) Cart.  I seriously stumbled upon this gem while walking around and was absolutely floored when I saw the guy torching the stuff right then and there.  FLOORED, I tell you.

Today's lunch with Kathy & Josh.  They have a breakfast buffet featuring hot waffles + fried chicken + gravy/syrup.  Amazing.

And this was today's lunch with some Anderson friends at Farmer Brown's.  Note the Philz Coffee cup in the background.  Apparently Philz is a downright religion institution in SF. 

I hope to blog with some frequency in the near future.  For now my summer internship is keeping me plenty busy and I am learning a ton everyday.  Hopefully the next post I write will come sooner than later and I look forward to meeting the class of 2014 soon (a big, fat congrats to all those admitted!)!

Anderson Spring Breakers in Cabo!

Photo courtesy of the uber-talented Brian Sim.  

So spring break officially ended a little over 48 hours ago and spring quarter is in full swing as I type this.  It isn't without a tinge of regret that I find myself writing this wrap up post on my short-lived vacation, but I have to say, it's great to see my classmates again.  From the whirlwind first quarter to the recruiting blitzkrieg, it's as if being in the trenches together brings everyone closer.  But, all that is behind us for the most part and now we're settling in nicely to the (calmer) ebbs & flows of business school.  And speaking of ebbs & flows, a group of us Andersonites decided to bravely venture to the Baja coast this spring break and enjoy an extended weekend in Cabo San Lucas.  This was actually my second time in Mexico, the first time being a family vacation to Tijuana over ten years ago (yes, I know that a "family vacation" doesn't qualify as a real vacation these days).  All I knew was to expect the following three things: pools, beaches, and seafood.  And it turns out, we got all three in spades.

Rollicking: Josh, his gf Teresa, Liwen, and Sara

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Winter Break is Here!

The last time I had a winter break (or summer break, or spring break, or any kind of "break," for that matter) was a whole six years ago. Re-reading that last sentence, I'm very tempted to wallow a bit in self-pity, but fortunately--or unfortunately--for most first-year students winter break allows no time for mindless dawdling. Please allow me to elaborate:

After the crazy & hectic orientation season came the crazy & hectic recruiting season.

After the crazy & hectic recruiting season came the crazy & hectic finals season.

After the crazy & hectic finals season came the crazy & hectic resume-drop season (present time).

After the crazy & hectic resume-drop season will come the crazy & hectic interview season (January & February).

And then it's time to let out a huge sigh of relief and finally get that haircut you've been putting off for a year and see friends that you've somehow managed to raincheck into oblivion.

Now, keep in mind that folks who are looking to go into marketing, media/entertainment, real estate, or other non-traditional fields will not follow the above-schedule. But for most students who are looking to recruit for consulting or finance, this schedule will hold true. And that's exactly why first quarter of first year is likened to the saying, "drinking water from a firehose." Because it is information-overload at every turn and you have to be comfortable with the dynamic and ever-shifting gears of business school.

And that brings me to point out one of the greatest characteristics and skills to hone in business school: adaptability. We all come in possessing varying degrees of this characteristic but soon will find that we're pushed to our limits. Ultimately, the sheer willingness to change and adapt according to the situation at hand is a great advantage. And this is the overarching theme beneath all the noise.

OK, I'm off my soapbox now. So now that first quarter is over and winter break has officially commenced, what to do? For starters, many of our fellow first years and second years have gone off to ski, snowboard, and just plain lounge in Breckenridge, CO. They seem to be having a blast from all the Facebook picture postings and I feel tinges of jealousy here and there. Alas, I didn't sign up to go so now I'm missing out. But never fear, there are always more cases to practice and cover letters to polish, so the next few weeks will be busy without a doubt. I just hope and pray that by this time next year, I'll be able to bequeath more of my insider knowledge and experiences with the readers--with a job offer in my back pocket.

-- Connie Kim

[email protected]

@UCLAMBA

 

Women's Business Connection Brunch Series II: Consulting

Gopi Jayaswal & Alli Alter, both MBA class of 2013. Thank you for organizing the event!

It's that time again: another post of the Women's Business Connection brunch series! This time, we're honing in on women in consulting in the greater Los Angeles area. The event was held on Sunday, November 20th at Hotel Angeleno in West Los Angeles (yes, I am behind on my posting schedule!). Companies in attendance were Bain, Deloitte (S&O and human capital), ZS Associates, Monitor Group, and PWC. Each company brought out two of its female representatives and it was another fabulous event hosted by the WBC here at UCLA Anderson. The great thing about these events is that us full-time students can also mingle & meet the fully-employed MBA students, who usually are only on campus once or twice a week as they're working full time and going to school (the resolve and dedication of these folks are amazing!).

So we all know the drill: consulting = incessant travel and time away from home. Ever see the movie, Up in the Air? Many fear that management consulting is a job for the lonely and emotionally unavailable. And it is true that the travel naturally comes with the territory and thus can easily burn out the most enthusiastic--but uninitiated--associate. This, however, is remediated by the fact that most consulting companies go above and beyond their call of duty when it comes to career development coaching and internal HR consulting services.

What was so important about this specific consulting brunch series is that these female consultants all focused in on the obstacles they have faced--and are facing--and how each company strives to tailor to their needs and accomodate their possible family plans. These are issues that hit close to home for many of us females and it's important that we all know what we're diving into when we face a new career. And as was the case for the previous finance brunch, all the reps in attendance were frank and candid in their experiences and that made the brunch experience all the more genuine and heartfelt. I know this sounds like a thinly-disguised plug, but the Women's Business Connection at Anderson really have set up a great set of brunches and events to make the business school experience all-the-more enriching for female students. I'm definitely looking forward to attending all of the brunch series and will dutifully continue to blog about them!

-- Connie Kim

[email protected]

@UCLAMBA

Women's Business Connection Brunch Series I: Finance

Three representatives from Citigroup were kind enough to join us for the brunch: Gloria Lin from New York, Tasha Bartuzik from Los Angeles, and Tanya Silvio from Chicago.

I'm the first-year co-director of professional development for Women's Business Connection (WBC) at UCLA Anderson, and as such, was able to participate recently in a brunch hosted by WBC with several key finance firms in the LA area. The brunch was held on Sunday, October 23rd, and we were able to have firms such as Credit Suisse, Citibank, Houlihan Lokey, Goldman Sachs, Oaktree Capital, and Amgen in attendance. The best part of all this is that this isn't the average "mixer" type of event--it's geared specifically toward women who are seeking industry jobs and as such, these events tend to be more intimate and a bit more candid than your garden-variety networking event.

The brunch was graciously hosted by fellow first-year students Miho Goto and Laurel Martin, both of whom I'm sure will secure top-notch jobs in the finance field come summer.  Not having been to a brunch networking event before (but having attended plenty of lunch and light-dinner events), I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  The event was held on Sunday at 10:30 AM at Hotel Angeleno, basically right by the world-renowned Getty Center here in West Los Angeles.  From the moment I walked in, I knew it was going to be a great event as the food spread was quite impressive (always a good sign in my book).

The event was set up in a round-robin format, with each of us going from one table to the next after about 20 minutes of chatting.  This was very efficient as we were able to choose with which companies we'd like to network prior to the event.  Armed with my background in private wealth management and a high-level knowledge of finance, I was able to uphold my end of the conversation and soon everyone found the conversations free-flowing, as was the case with the coffee & orange juice.  

What I found especially noteworthy, as mentioned before, is that the WBC brunch series is specifically set up for women by women.  So there are discussions honed in around work-life balance, family life, glass ceiling issues, and other unique challenges that women may face in the industry.  The fact that we were able to have frank conversations with women who are successful in their fields was like a breath of fresh air.

The three sets of 20 minutes flew by in a blink and soon we found ourselves saying goodbye.  The finance brunch series set up by WBC was a great event and I very recently--just this past Sunday--attended the consulting brunch series.  Look for my blog post regarding this new brunch next week!

-- Connie Kim

[email protected]

@UCLAMBA

Odyssey Ropes Course at UCLA Anderson!

As Charlotte mentioned in the previous post, orientation has officially kicked off a couple weeks ago and then the bloggers disappeared off the face of the earth.  To be more specific, we clearly are enjoying our time too much socializing and studying (cough) to update our readers.  It sounds a bit blunt, but it's the honest truth.  On top of taking on a 2-unit course on the foundations of leadership--complete with a final exam--our schedules pretty much run from Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.  And sometimes, we have to stay on campus until 7 PM (the horror!).  The Anderson admin really has tried to break up the week as much as possible, so we'll have one day of being absorbed in academia and another immersed in various physical activities.  One such physical activity that we were subject to is the Odyssey ropes course.  

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The Social Network

Me, Liwen Tsai, and Judy Hsu, all incoming first years, class of 2013!  Location: the Grove in mid-Wilshire area.

As I mentioned in a previous post, orientation didn't even officially kick in yet.  But I find myself being swept up in a flurry of social events over the last several weeks.  There have been unofficial get-togethers probably almost every other day, and already the pressures of time management and keeping commitments are building (and could there be a more important skill to have as a b-school student than time management?).

I've been here in Los Angeles so I was able to attend a few casual happy hours as soon as I found out I was accepted to Anderson.  It was defintely easier to connect with new admits during those events because the groups were kept small & tidy.  As time went on and more and more admits started to migrate to the west coast, the events kept snowballing and growing in size--culminating in a 150 students strong outing last week in Santa Monica.  This inevitably leads to quick five-and ten-minute meet & greets with a random sampling of new admits and the one thing that I quickly realized was how diverse the student body is.  Sure, there is your bevy of corporate finance folks and accountants, but I've also had the pleasure of meeting TV writers, food truck owners, teachers, and political campaigners.  You know how we always read about business schools wanting to "round out" their student bodies and we scoff at such remarks?  Well, I found out first-hand that there is truth to those statements.

Just yesterday a second year, Claire Pomeroy, organized a beach day for incoming students at Santa Monica beach.  I was finshing my move so I couldn't stay long, but was able to snap some photos of the scenery.

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Parker Career Management Center at UCLA

Orientation officially kicks off in about two weeks, but the communication from faculty and staff keeps rolling out at full speed.  In a series of 12 total logistical emails to be sent out before orientation, we are now finally at number 12.  The clock's ticking fast and the anticipation is thick in the air.  So what better way to calm our nerves than to have us get a head start by visiting the Parker Career Management Center (Parker CMC)?  

From now up through the end of orientation, the Parker CMC career advisors will strive to meet with each of us on an one-on-one basis to better gauge where we are with our career selection process.  This is strictly a preliminary meet-and-greet, but it's heartening to know that Anderson is taking its new career-focused curriculum very seriously.

Inside one of Anderson's buildings.  

With the advent of the new curriculum, we will be meeting much more frequently with our advisors and with our ACT groups.  We will actually choose from several career-based "tracks" and this will give recruiters a clearer understanding of what our academic skillsets will be.  We will also be allowed to get specific "certifications" in many pertinent areas, such as consulting, banking, marketing, entrepreneurship, real estate, and media.  

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