A tiring week

Dammit, it had been a long time since I was that tired by Thursday. I have not even been able to go out for a drink with the guys. So much different from last Thursday...!

It’s been a long and tough week. On top of the classes and a couple of assignments due, on Tuesday and Wednesday I volunteered volunteered (obviously doing very sexy stuff such as giving out registration badges and moving tables from one place to another… very MBA kind of work. It has reminded me of a FedEx ad that you can check out below)at a sports conference that took place in NY.
It seemed to be a good opportunity to try to meet some people within the industry and to see some panels for free (taking into account that the cost of attending for the public was around 1,400 bucks). But in the end it was not that useful. I had almost no chances to meet people and I only sat on a panel. In exchange, I got an attendee list (may be useful at some point) and a couple of names but that’s just it. Taking into account that I had to wake up around 5 am both days I do not know if it was worth it…

In addition, this week I have started my evening courses. Now I have class both on Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 9 pm. Tuesday course is Competitive strategy in the marketplace, taught by professor Czepiel. It’s regarded as a course where you learn a lot but that implies a shitload of work. Two case presentations per group (one presenting and one acting as a board judging the presentation) and three additional papers. I did not enjoy very much the first two sessions but I am gonna give it a go.

Today Corporate strategy and finance in EMT has started. The professor is Ted Smith. It’s been my very first class ever taught with a socratic method (in words of the professor). It means that we spend the whole three hours speaking but there is no case at all. The prof just leads the discussion and cold calls everybody. Actually, participation accounts for 50% of the grade. I have enjoyed the class a lot although you feel the pressure throughout it and I have been on the spot once. This course has received great reviews in the past and it is very promising.

Tomorrow it will be time for some traveling. We are leaving, as we did last year, for Yale, to play their annual soccer tournament. Let’s see if we can do better than last year and reach at least the semis.

Let’s get some sleep now.
Ciao

Facebook

And I finally signed up for Facebook.

I had obviously heard about this social application in the past. In the last weeks, in particular since I started reading some VC and technology blogs that my friend Chris recommended to me (I have also discovered how useful Google Reader and RSS feeds are, btw), I have heard about it even more. Some experts even claim that it may become a success as huge as Google was some years ago.

But I had kind of told to myself that I had enough with emails, Linkedin and stuff. The thing is that, after reading so much about it and after receiving an invite to join from a friend a couple of days ago, I have finally registered. Another login and password!!!

But so far so good. I cannot still handle the interface very well but I will get to it. And it is amazing how one's Facebook network expands and how many things one can do. So take a peek and sign up!

And continuing with technology, today Google has given a corporate presentation at Stern. Friendly and laid back people. It seems like it would be a nice place to work but I am not sure if I will be able to make it. It looks to me like the computer science/maths background weighs a lot. I will probably give it a go, though.

Ciao

And then I saw the (dim) light…

Crazy and tiring w/e. Maybe it’s just been a way to celebrate that I seem to have things a little clearer…

Weird Thursday night that ended early in the morning in Fort Green, Brooklyn, with a toast to Thailand…Intense Friday with a party at an awesome rooftop in the West Village and some extra drinks at the LES’ Rivington Hotel (where I saw one of the most beautiful waitresses I have ever seen...). Quiet Saturday in and a not-so-tasty brunch on Sunday in the East Village.

But the most important thing this week is that dim light that has started to roughly shine at the end of the tunnel. I have finally made up my mind about my short-run career track. Goodbye to the big dollars and the certainty. Goodbye to banks and consulting firms. Let’s make it even more difficult! Let’s take some extra risks! To be honest, I can hardly believe that I am having the guts to do so…

It was a big step to turn my life upside down and come to NY. I did it for a reason: to change. And that is exactly what I am gonna do… well, what I am gonna try to do. I feel relieved now that I have come to a decision. Yes, relief is what I definitely feel the most right now. There is no need to think about alternative paths anymore.

The decision has been taken and now it is time to start walking that path…I need to be calmed, to be aware that it won’t be easy and that there will likely be some times when things will look disappointing and gloomy. Success is not guaranteed but I will be definitely working to the bone to bring that success a little closer.

Bilbao

It's a little long video but definitely worth seeing. In fact, it's about one of the best cities in the world, if not the best...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmYtLm6qZ8Y

Busy days

Before going to bed, and while the album "Our love to Admire" by Interpol plays on my Itunes, I have decided to put in writing some of the frenzy that is going on these days.

First, I have just submitted my first assignment for "Foundations of Entrepreneurship". The assignment is due tomorrow at 9 am and consists of evaluating a business plan from the perspective of a venture capital firm that may be interested in investing. This assignment is worth 40% of the final grade, which is surprising taking into account that we have only had four classes so far. It's been quite a lot of work to read the case and the supporting info and to put all the thoughts in writing. ..but I am done know! The course looks promising and Professor Okun seems to be a good one. So far I am enjoying it. I will have the grade by Tuesday (!) and a friend has told me that our professor is a tough grader. He gave my friend a C+ (rather low for biz school) although he told him that he had done a good job...let's see if I don't go even lower!

In addition to that, I am dealing this week with all the recruiting thing. A couple of days ago I talked to an advisor at Stern's career office. It was a useful talk. However, what is clear is that in the end the decision is mine and it will depend on how comfortable I feel with facing the odds...Now it's time to gather some extra information.

For instance, today I have been talking to an alum who works in corporate development at NBC Universal. I saw his name on the school's data base, shot him an email and today I have called him after he agreed to talk to me. He's been very friendly and has recommended me to take a fall and/or spring internship to increase my chances to take a full time job. Nothing new, though… In the end he has asked me for my resume and he will be distributing it within the division where he works... Hopefully I will be able to get something...

Tomorrow I will be meeting with a guy who just graduated last May and who took a job at the media group of a bulge bracket investment bank. He was very interested in media and he got a media job during his MBA summer. However, he ended up taking a job in banking because I guess he was not sure about putting all the eggs in a basket that won’t be uncovered until the beginning of next year.

As you can see, both sides of the same coin: risk-friendly vs. risk averse approach...

Finally, today we have had the first practice of the soccer team. It's been good fun and many first years have come over. It seems like soccer is becoming more and more popular each year. I have realized, though, that I need to be a little more fit, in particular taking into account that the Yale tournament is only two weeks away.

One final thought. If the scale that I bought a few weeks ago is fine I have been able to get rid of around 2 kg since I arrived in NY. Quicker than expected!! I am pretty much in my weight now.
Time to sleep. Interpol's new album sounds good and, thus, it is very likely that I will be seeing them tomorrow at the Madison. Just a sample for your ears below...

Ciao

Sicily, Japan, the Bay Area, Ireland

It’s 4 am and I am just back home. I did not expect to party too much tonight but things have changed over time. The night has started like shit when two friends and I have not been let in Le Souk, probably the hottest venue in NY on Mondays, which is just two blocks away from my place. Remember it’s fashion week and stuff, which just made it even more disappointing… I have been about to go home but one of my friends has persuaded me to keep going and, although I was rather reluctant, the night has paid off….

We have headed to the LES and have gone into this bar called Pianos, which has not traditionally been awesome… but today there was some karaoke upstairs! I have been about to sing La Bamba but I haven’t done so in the end. My friend was kind of crazy about the British bartender but he’s not been lucky enough… We have met some nice girls, though, but we were not very optimistic…

After that we have decided to go for a last drink to this place called “Darkroom” (don’t take the name too seriously….I was also scared about the shady name…but in the end it has proven good…and straight!).
We have seen a couple of girls that we had met at Pianos and I just can say that, from now on, I will love even more Disco 2000 by Pulp (I had never sung it that loud and enthusiastically) and the cities and countries in the headline, with which I have felt some kind of connection. Btw, for my records, I must remember that I do love going to the movies…God, damn good Monday night!

I’ll be waking up in 5 hours so I’d better get some sleep….

Doubts

Classes have started and my blog production has inversely increased. After a week or so writing every single day, it’s been ten days since I last wrote.

It feels good to be back in school. However, it’s costing me quite a lot to focus. I have the mentality to start over again with all the cases, assignments and stuff. But I feel like I am gonna need some more days to get back to routine.

Corporate presentations have also started. Well, they will be starting tomorrow. Who is coming first? The usual suspects, obviously: investment banks. And doubts come back to me once again. When I listen to my friends about their summers at Ibanks I get different perspectives. Some of them did not enjoy it. Some others did and have already accepted full time offers, which include $50k+ sign in bonuses and $90k+ plus bonus compensation packages…

Money is not the main issue for me. I don’t really care if I don’t make such amount of money as long as I am able to do what I want. However, it’s not gonna be easy. The media sector is tough and it is even tougher for foreigners who want to stay in the US given the immigration concerns. The other day I was visiting a guy that I know at a big Japanese media corporation and he was not very optimistic. Somehow he suggested me to look for alternative routes…

And that is exactly where my doubts come into play. Should I take the risk of waiting for some media job within the industry (it means waiting until Spring, most likely) or should I go into IB – a rather smooth transition for me given my background, I guess – gain some experience and then make the switch? Perks: (a) awesome salary that would allow me to almost pay off my MBA dues in a year or two; (b) great formation that would almost guarantee my future transition; (c) real possibility to stay in the US. Downsides: (a) awful lifestyle (that I already know pretty well and that I was determined to leave behind when I came to NY) that will drive me mad by the end of the first week (although I am ready to take it if necessary); (b) not doing what I really want – even if I land a media group and knowing on the first date – which I do not know if makes a lot of sense after coming for my MBA.

More news to come in the following weeks.