Dinged by UCLA! Can you believe it! As it was my first application, I probably bungled this one more than any sane MBA applicant should. My essays weren't the best, I let a recommender be late which caused my app to get moved to R2 (I submitted back in early October), I didn't follow up with the school very much. UCLA always felt like the longest of long shots with just that hint of possibility that made me click submit. It seemed so far away, so different than anything I had experienced. The ding was not unexpected. Congrats to those who got good news!
In work news, a guy on my team quit today, which has forced my manager to question how much longer I'll stick around. I didn't want to tell him yet that I've been accepted and will be leaving in June, but them's the shakes. I didn't give him a hard date, but told him what my final month would be.
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Monday, June 16, 2008
2 Weeks to Go
June 28th is rapidly approaching. I took MGMAT #5 and got a 680...a bit down from MGMAT #4 (700). My verbal held steady at 41, while my quant dropped back to 41. It's very clear that quant is my weak area...I feel fine going through practice sets in OG11, and get the overwhelming majority of them correct. For some reason, doing the Q portion of the MGMAT tests kicks my butt! I don't get it. I'm going back through the MGMAT books, to sort of kick-start my brain and bring me back above the 70% mark, which I clearly need to get a 700 or higher. Pretty soon I'll start with the GMAT Prep tests that you get when you sign up for the test. I've heard they are the most accurate representation.
On a side note, yay me for getting mention in last week's Fridays From The Frontline on the Clear Admit Blog. People do read this! Yay!
I'm up for a new position at work, moving more into a marketing/analysis role than the data role I've been in for the past 2 years. I know this may look strange on my application, that I'm taking another job (albeit within the same company) so close to application time. I just don't feel that, because I plan to apply to an MBA program in the fall, to begin in fall of 2009, I should pass up any other growth opportunities until the app season sorts itself out. I think the only downside that can't necessarily be explained is why I'd put my firm in a position where they put me in this job, train me, and I leave in a year. Any thoughts?
On a side note, yay me for getting mention in last week's Fridays From The Frontline on the Clear Admit Blog. People do read this! Yay!
I'm up for a new position at work, moving more into a marketing/analysis role than the data role I've been in for the past 2 years. I know this may look strange on my application, that I'm taking another job (albeit within the same company) so close to application time. I just don't feel that, because I plan to apply to an MBA program in the fall, to begin in fall of 2009, I should pass up any other growth opportunities until the app season sorts itself out. I think the only downside that can't necessarily be explained is why I'd put my firm in a position where they put me in this job, train me, and I leave in a year. Any thoughts?
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Fear...
It happened. It was something I always feared would happen, something I've tried to prevent. It seemed to have been confirmed on Tuesday. The issue: being pigeonholed!
When I first starting working at the bank, I intended it to be a stepping stone to better things, more marketing related. I was promoted twice in the first 17 months, gathering more and more responsibility. The entire time this was happening, I was trying to get out. Not a serious job search, mind you; I'd just shoot of resume's every now and then, go on some interviews, but nothing ever materialized. I was worried people would start to see me as this data-centric, SAS/SQL programmer, and not the campaign manager that I am. I worried I'd be lumped in with IT people, or database administrators, or even worse, data entry.
I've started to be a bit more active in my job search. I know it sounds odd, I'm planning to apply this fall to many business schools, yet I'm also looking for a new job. I feel I've got good reasons for it: the new experience, how I shouldn't let me MBA aspirations put the rest of my career on hold, etc. But, after speaking to several hiring managers, it appears everything about my previous positions screams back-office data guy. I was specifically called that on Tuesday, as I sat in a conference room at a competing bank. Needless to say, I walked out feeling awful.
It's a pretty terrible feeling, like you're trapped under the weight of a decision you made over three years ago, that you'll always be the bank data guy. I try and push my other accomplishments, my leadership experience, project management skills, but it always seems to come back to data. I can do more! I think this fear of being trapped is what initially led me to want an MBA. I'm the perfect definition of a career switcher. Problem is, I just have faint ideas of what I want to do. MBA AdComs do not like faint ideas of future goals. Being rich doesn't count.
Now, I must combat this fear head on, and figure out a way so that admissions committee members do not see me as the Bank Data Guy, and as someone who brings so much more to the table. I'm not an engineer, I'm not a sales guy. I don't do financial services or consulting. I feel I'm a category loosely defined in the MBA world. I just pray it's enough to gain acceptance to a single school.
And me and the GF have gone our separate ways...
When I first starting working at the bank, I intended it to be a stepping stone to better things, more marketing related. I was promoted twice in the first 17 months, gathering more and more responsibility. The entire time this was happening, I was trying to get out. Not a serious job search, mind you; I'd just shoot of resume's every now and then, go on some interviews, but nothing ever materialized. I was worried people would start to see me as this data-centric, SAS/SQL programmer, and not the campaign manager that I am. I worried I'd be lumped in with IT people, or database administrators, or even worse, data entry.
I've started to be a bit more active in my job search. I know it sounds odd, I'm planning to apply this fall to many business schools, yet I'm also looking for a new job. I feel I've got good reasons for it: the new experience, how I shouldn't let me MBA aspirations put the rest of my career on hold, etc. But, after speaking to several hiring managers, it appears everything about my previous positions screams back-office data guy. I was specifically called that on Tuesday, as I sat in a conference room at a competing bank. Needless to say, I walked out feeling awful.
It's a pretty terrible feeling, like you're trapped under the weight of a decision you made over three years ago, that you'll always be the bank data guy. I try and push my other accomplishments, my leadership experience, project management skills, but it always seems to come back to data. I can do more! I think this fear of being trapped is what initially led me to want an MBA. I'm the perfect definition of a career switcher. Problem is, I just have faint ideas of what I want to do. MBA AdComs do not like faint ideas of future goals. Being rich doesn't count.
Now, I must combat this fear head on, and figure out a way so that admissions committee members do not see me as the Bank Data Guy, and as someone who brings so much more to the table. I'm not an engineer, I'm not a sales guy. I don't do financial services or consulting. I feel I'm a category loosely defined in the MBA world. I just pray it's enough to gain acceptance to a single school.
And me and the GF have gone our separate ways...
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