Tanaka MBA

Con Tricks?

We had another careers workshop on Wednesday from Penhela, this time on management consulting, not given this time, unfortunately, by the delectable Dana. Do I want to work in MC? Well, my feeling is that if you are going to work in MC, there is no point doing it unless you are doing it for The Firm. The idea of working for Accenture spending years project managing a SAP implemention for American Express definitely does not appeal to me. But why do people want to work in MC? You can't say the money. I want to get hold of Martin Ashford's Con Tricks: the Shadowy World of Management Consultancy and How to Make It Work for You, but sadly it is out of print and the library here does not have a copy. I found the library portfolio on the MBA student committee thrust upon yesterday. I intend to crusade to improve the business section of the IC library, but I don't think that will help me get hold of the book. As I was saying, the thing about consultancy (as opposed to management consultancy) is that it is such a broad area. The research consultancies such as Analysys and Gartner definitely do appeal to me. Even better would a consultancy that does actual real research rather than just speculating about industry developments. I would like to do some programming in my next job. I can dream, can't I?

AGM of the Tanaka Venture Capital Club tonight. An MBA is mostly about networking. Or so they say. Also it means that it will be later before we get down the pub. Which is probably a good thing. I can't afford to be as jaded tomorrow as I was last Saturday. I also need to get my aircut. Sadly, The Refinery is not positioned at a price point to suit self-funded MBA students. Anyway... back to VC. One of my ambitions is to work for a VC in an office in Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park as a nanotech/AGI analyst. However, I think working for a startup in London is more likely. I can dream, can't I?

I need to get a laptop. At some point, we are supposed to receive some super offer for cheap HP laptops. Problem is, when is that going to be? Can I afford to wait to this (possibly mythical) offer eventually appears. Thing is, I knowe that if I order on this weekend, we'll get some amazing offer next week. What to do? Wait, probably. But it would be good tob have connectivity during lectures. I could certainly blog more often. Live coverage of business economics lectures? I can dream, can't I?

Banker's Bonus

We had a career session on investment banking yesterday given by the formidable Dana Gluckstein of Penhela Associates. Ibanking is one of the three sectors that all MBAs students pretty much want to work (the others are management consultancy and venture capital/private equity). Of course, the vast majority of MBAs, even from Harvard, end up as product marketing manager for Procter & Gamble. But we can all dream. Ibanking as it all: glamour, status, money. Some of the work is probably even quite interesting. I'd quite like to be a rocket scientist or a technology analyst. But I'm 36 years of age. I'm too old. If I burningly wanted to work in ibanking, it might be worth applying. But the truth is I don't. I missed my window of opportunity ten or more years ago (the truth is I never really had one, but in alternate worlds, I might have had). I suspect I'd hate it after a while. I want to help create something.

I was awarded an MBA assistantship in physical science/technology transfer at Imperial Innovations, the company that attempts to commercial the research produced by the college. The assistantship is worth £5k off the MBA course fee (normally £22k). Today, I had a very positive meeting with one of their collaborators, discussing issues associated with how I might be able to help with the patenting and bringing to market of a new idea. More up my alley than ibanking, I think. I'm not a natural entrenpeneur. The size and hierarchical nature of ibanks appeals to me. But I working in a high tech start-up would be different, might be fun and is a better fit with experience and aptitudes, I suspect, than ibanking. So, I'm not going to bother applying to them. I've got better uses for my time, I think. There are plenty of other career possibilities available to me. I hope.

Veganism, Polyamory, Cryptography

Check out my entry on this topic over at the Razor. I bid for world domination continues. My linking to my post, I'm hoping it will raise my Google ranking for the search string "veganism polyamory cryptography".

Second Day

I'd say I'm running at about 60% functionality at the moment. I'm hoping to be up to 80% by tomorrow. Didn't go to the Mini-Social this evening. I just didn't feel up to it. I'm saving my strength for the End of Induction Week Party on Friday. The quality of the lectures was quite good and I managed to access my IC email account. The sandwiches at lunch (free - tutorial group/syndicate meeting) were good too. I know were my priorities lie. But I want to be well, so that I can really get cracking.

Sick Again

Well, I've started my MBA. I've also got a rotten cold. But at least our group won the Desert Survival Challenge. Go us! Quite an interssting business economics lecture. If only I had been well, I would have had a lot more to say.

An early night tonight. Hope I feel better tomorrow.

It's Starting...

Well, I left Siemens on Friday. And I start at Tanaka tomorrow. At 08:45. Geesh, that's early. I'm not a morning person. We'll see how it goes. We've got two hours of ice breaking from 11 until 1. Yeech.

In My End is My Beginning

These days all self-respecting MBA students or prospective MBA students have a blog dedicated to their MBA activities (check out the League of MBA Bloggers). And who am I to try and buck such a trend? I'm off to Tanaka in the autumn - provided I can sort out my AMBA loan, of course.

More, much more later.