Good on you William : of LBS credentials
Sometimes it is good to hear from 'the London competition'
Valuable lessons outside the classroom (ft.com)
William McKenzie has expressed sentiments that I not only strongly agree with, but which also reflect my experience, albeit from my 1-year MBA at Imperial College (Tanaka)...
Yes, the course did deplete my financial resources; it took over my waking & sleeping hours; and it tickled my brain cells into activity. Although, to be honest - the real physical and mental drain took place in the months leading up to starting the course, when I was working 18 hour days for BigBlue (sometimes more) to complete a project on time... and allow me to head off to business school with a feeling of satisfaction of a job completed as requested
I did not hold the MBA as a key to success. It was more about strengthening my existing thoughts and capabilities, and learning how to articulate ideas more succinctly. Most of all, to learn methods to understand and communicate risk. My career objectives are not financially motivated - I seek positions of responsibility which expose me to the front-end strategy, dialogue with the customers - for long term trust-forming, and (maybe) for hi-tech delivery. Upon completion of my MBA studies I was quite prepared to make a move into another industry, to continue to forge my competencies and to deploy & hone my business acumen. This is what I was expecting -
The delivered results did not match. At least not yet, as I continue to seek new deployment roles.
However, I did take away experiences in mentoring, leading and consulting around new business ventures - these are fantastic for me personally, but also valued by those I touched during the year. The most poignant moment of the year may well be when a MSci student approached me on graduation day - thanking me in front of all present, and asked if he could have his photo taken with me. It is amazing what a 'thank-you' can do to your spirit - I am still smiling as I write about this...
It would be great to think that these network forming activities might return to reward me at later times too. Indeed, it was only last month that I had the experience of someone offering to use their network of contacts to help me in my quest for a new job. Previously I had been the one to offer such help - so to receive this comment was a tonic to the soul -
William, I wish you well at your new post at Bechtel - enjoy the new environment, no doubt quite different to that which you experienced during your 2-year MBA studies!
