A boost of self confidence

This is not the last shot invented by Jamba Juice to add to your drink. It is about my self confidence and hopes. I wrote last Sunday that the week in front of me was important from a job perspective. Well, now I can tell that it has been much more important than I expected. I had no idea that it was gonna be like that. That good, I mean.

First, after a four back-to-back interviews with the sports league I am in the final round. The interviews went fine and just the day after I got a call, although I had been told that it would take a week or so. I have to come back on Monday afternoon to meet one of the heads of the league who oversees all marketing tasks. The offer may be just around the corner… or may not. But things look promising.

Secondly, last Monday I got a call out of the blue from one of the most respected publishing companies in America. I had applied for a position in the strategic planning group but I did so long after the job posting was published, so I was not very hopeful. Thus, I visited the company on Tuesday and conducted three interviews with the people who work for a group that reports directly to the CEO. Awesome position leading with the company’s strategy (super challenging in these times that are so hard for publishing companies), acquisitions and venture investments in the digital space. I also felt like the interviews went fine and I should know something by the end of next week.

But hold your breath, this is not over. This week I have also been able to line up an interview for a cable network whose shows I have often cited in this blog. And then, I also got an email from the internet company that everybody knows around the world…yes, it is that big one based in the Bay Area.

I still have to pinch myself to believe that things seem to be moving forward. I have no offers yet but it seems like I am on the right track. Who knows, maybe in a couple of weeks I will be celebrating…or maybe working already. It is unbelievable how things can change overnight!

Let’s get ready to party a little bit, it is Saturday night!

Important week ahead

The Lakers have won their first game against the Nuggets and Gasol has played an awesome game. Friday’s game between the Suns and the Spurs was just awesome. I feel like this year’s NBA playoffs are gonna be amazing.

But that is not the reason why next week is gonna be important. It is not even because I have finally been able to unlock my Blackberry from my country – after 4 months – so I will be able to enjoy internet service and email in the US. The thing is that next week I will be having final round interviews at one of the major sport leagues. I feel comfortable and I think I may have a chance but, needless to say, I do not want to be over-optimistic. We’ll, probably by this time next week I will know whether I got the offer or not.

To start the week, I am having tomorrow an interview at a company where superheroes that we all know usually live. I am curious, it could also be a great opportunity. We’ll see.

In the meantime, the clock keeps ticking. Roughly three weeks to go.

Of gutfeelings and MBA students

There is nothing like spending an hour of one’s Saturday evening ironing a few shirts at home. Yeah, I had a backlog in my closet and I have finally caught up. It is the most boring thing to do. At least in the meantime I have pumped Los Planetas on my laptop (iTunes has been the only application running because otherwise it won’t work or it will overheat and shutdown – my nerves are cracking) again. Some days I just feel like listening to them and today, after quite a long time, it was one of those days. Do not ask me why. Anyway, there are two things that I know that I will be doing for sure as soon as I get a job and leave my student budget behind: buy a new laptop and hire a maid to clean up my apartment and iron shirts.

These week has been an interesting one. I have taken part in a focus group for the first time ever, I have been to the dentist, I have had a haircut, I have made it through to a second (and final) round of interviews, I have started working out again, have I got a disappointing and unexpected B in a course, I have tried some Colombian aguardiente for the first time, I have applied to a bunch of jobs both in the east and the west coast,…not too bad.

This week I have also spent a very long time thinking deeply about how difficult it is sometimes to stick with your gut and your heart and follow your passions. In terms of making decision I feel like I am following kind of an inverted evolution. One is supposed to do more reckless and bold moves when he is a teenager. But I feel like I have been doing pretty much that for the last two years. I do not feel like I did much of that in my late teens early twenties and I am definitely doing that in my late twenties and early thirties. Wise or immature?

I quit my job and left the easy and safe path that was in front of me a couple of years ago. I kicked banks and consulting firms in their butts to pursue a difficult non-traditional career in media or sports... Everything looked a little crazy at the time of making such decisions; now it looks like the most obvious and reasonable thing. And now I may face the decision of taking an (unreasonable?) 40% discount from the average salary of a top MBA program to do what I think I want. This is the very big decision. If I have the guts to eventually take it I think I will definitely close the circle of bold moves. Or maybe not, because looking at my recent trajectory anything may happen. These thoughts occupy my mind all the time. I have not come to a decision yet. But I feel like much thinking is not necessarily gonna help me decide. I guess that I will wake up one day and will say: “what the fuck, let’s do it!”….or maybe “no way, forget about it”.

But to close such a varied week, I am gonna finish right now to attend my first party ever at an art gallery… perfect closing for the week!
Later

Easy Friday

It is 520 pm on this Friday. It is a rather uncommon time for me to write. I have just come back from a corporate visit to HBO. It has been very entertaining. It seems like a great company to work for. Smart people, great vibe. I could tell that people really love what they do there. It is not frequent to see people in the same company for 20+ years. At HBO, it is a common thing.

This weekend I am gonna focus on job search almost exclusively. I have been able to pretty much clean up my schedule in terms of school work - why the heck am I working this much on my last semester? I feel a little dumb – and it is time for me to catch up with my #1 priority. Due to spring break, friends’ visits and heavy workload I have fallen a little behind. It should not be a big issue, though, since the media recruiting has just kicked off. Hopefully by Sunday night I will have been able to send my resume to some interesting openings. We’ll see.

This week I have discussed with some friends some of the intricacies and mysteries of the OPT for international students. What a pain in the ass. I wish somebody at Stern (or at any other US business school I did apply to) had told me how difficult it is for a foreigner to get a job in the US after graduation. It is great for all schools to have a never ending list of companies that recruit…but at asterisk next to the ones that do not recruit internationals in the US would be advisable.
Anyway, I am off to “Follies”, the yearly talent show where Sternies show their acting abilities. Should be fun.

Have a good one