Funemployment

This blog is growing cobwebs and housing tumbleweeds.  I didn't get the chance (i.e. was too lazy) to write an entry after my birthday and before departing on a 12 day European vacation. I am currently in Vienna, Austria and having a ball.  Somewhere between Rome and the night train to Vienna I learned that I have an uncanny attraction to French men who smell of booze, coffee, and cigarettes. It's an intoxicating scent.

Where FOMO Leads

Today is my birthday.  Although I do have dinner plans with friends this evening to celebrate, thus far I've spent most of the day in Chicago's O'hare airport.  Why am I not on a beach on this gorgeous sunny day that commemorates my entrance to the world?  Because I am returning home after spending three days in Chicago at the MBA Jumpstart Diversity Forum for Financial Services and Consulting.  What is MBA Jumpstart?  JumpStart MBA Diversity Forum is an intensive two and a half day program that educates participants on both the financial services and consulting industries.  "But Cheet, why would you attend Jumpstart when you're not interested in either financial services or consulting?" you ask.  I asked myself the same question several times over the last couple of days, but I did have my reasons.

Ask and You May Receive

 Now that I'm on the other side of the application process my friends (and total strangers too) who are targeting Fall 2012 applications often ask me for advice on all things b-school.  I received a ton of support, encouragement, and words of wisdom when I was applying so I think it's only fair that I take everything that I learned and pay it forward to this year's applicants.  It's July now, so by this time last year I was past the GMAT (yet contemplating a retake), waiting for updated essay questions, and fretting about recommendations.  I knew that asking for recommendations sooner was better than asking later.  I had already asked my former indirect manager, but I held off broaching the subject to my direct manager.  It turns out all of that trepidation was for naught.  She was happy to do it and even encouraged me to go all out in my pursuit of a full-time program.