Oh Carolina!

My journey through Kenan-Flagler Business School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Never Say Never

We’ve been back in school for more than a week now and it’s back to business as usual. I spent the first week checking out all the classes I got into trying to decide what to add/drop. This Mod, I decided to go for all the soft core classes that are sort of the sine qua non for every MBA. I’m taking Sales, Organization Effectiveness (Think HR), Project Management and Negotiations. It occurred to me that of all the popular careers post Business School, no one puts emphasis on a sales career even though many of us will eventually end up with revenue generating responsibilities. Negotiations has turned out to be a very interesting class. There is a lot of role playing and I find myself getting quickly absorbed in the characters. The class is a mix of both first and second year students, which makes it even more interesting.

Some of the first year students have also started their internship interviews. I remember exactly where I was this time last year. It’s a nerve wrecking exercise. They all look very sharp & confident in their dark suits but I know how anxious they must be. I spent a considerable amount of time conducting mock interviews. The sweet part is when I get the call from them that they found my assistance very helpful and they got the offer. The very hard part is encouraging them to keep their heads up high when the news is not so good. Personally I think your ability to handle the disappointments and successes are part of what make you a well rounded MBA.

I had written earlier that I was not too keen on an exchange program. However, I just found one that is irresistible. I’ll keep you updated on thais later. Second year continues to be fun. Stay tuned…