Effortless Networking (Another great installment from our guest blogger KSS) I have never felt that I am a well-connected person. Networking was never a comfortable notion as it seemed intimidating and felt insincere. After moving to Los Angeles nearly five years ago, all of this began to slowly change and unfold in its own authentic way. It seems that this huge city is more like a small town and I feel that I am separated from strangers by much less than six degrees. Now, as my social network expands, it also contracts and I find that new friends know old friends and it is indeed a small world after all. Making the transition from working professional to graduate program applicant is aided by this recently acquired social network, one I could never have expected. My interests lie in obtaining a doctorate so that I may teach, research, and work… Read More
Life
Where the Jobs Are For Wall Street Pros
An informative article from the Wall Street Journal Where the Jobs Are For Wall Street Pros By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN As the latest crisis on Wall Street unfolds, recruiters say their phones are ringing off the hook with anxious finance professionals on the line. The sale of Merrill Lynch & Co. and the bankruptcy-court filing of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. have prompted workers from those firms to launch immediate job searches. Recruiters say newly displaced finance professionals should consider other types of employers or fields, and consider opportunities at smaller banks — which are ramping up hiring right now. Case in point: On Monday, the number of ads at WallStJobs.com for positions at small and middle-market firms shot up by more than 25%, says Robert Graber, chief executive officer of the New York-based job site. Most of the ads were from small and midsize investment banks and hedge funds… Read More
Creating History
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” — Robert F. Kennedy: was the United States Attorney General… Read More
Dealing with Struggle: Grad School Application Difficulties
Here is the latest installment from our guest blogger, KSS. From what I’ve gathered thus far, the preparation for graduate school is likely to mimic the struggles and setbacks of the actual grad school experience. For one thing, gathering together necessary application information is no small feat. This challenge is magnified if you have any time lapse at all between your undergraduate education and pending graduate education. Having completed my bachelor’s degree six years ago, I frequently find that my alma mater needs “extra” time to look up seemingly simple inquiries that were no trouble during my enrollment period. Apparently, I’m now so dated that not only does my degree-granting department not remember me (they don’t remember the vice-president of their honor society?), but they are also challenged to find any record of me. The obstacle of time presents an additional element of frustration when you are dealing with rigid,… Read More
Here's an interesting perspective on The Beginning and Roadblock Life Stages…Ouch!
Article An investment banker friend was recently complaining about the havoc and uncertainty at her workplace in these crazy times. I tried to express sympathy. But I found that I just didn’t care. Actually, even worse: I felt like rolling my eyes. And this is a person I like. Recently, I’ve found myself not only NOT empathizing with my fellow twentysomethings in the beleaguered financial services industry, but experiencing undeniable pleasure at their increasingly tenuous circumstances. You see, for those of us recent grads working in New York, a pay-related pecking order was established immediately after graduation. Those who chose the I-banking route nailed down six-figure salaries—moaning about their hours—while others—teachers, journalists, and the like—were barely squeaking by, often keeping similarly punishing schedules. Worshipping Gordon Gekko Furthermore, the attitude of many of those bankers became increasingly tinged by an appreciation of a certain “models and bottles” lifestyle, which… Read More
Older entrepreneurs have experience, resources on their side
Success more often finds those with assets such as experience, cash and contacts. A new wave of baby boomer entrepreneurs likely to be unleashed by the current economic turmoil will be an important force in eventually pushing the economy onto safer ground, some experts say. A late-September poll by the Kauffman Foundation, which promotes entrepreneurship, showed that 70% of respondents agreed that the success and health of the economy depended on the success of entrepreneurs; 80% agreed the government should encourage more entrepreneurship. ——————————————————————————– FOR THE RECORD: Small business: An article in Business on Monday about a new wave of baby boomer entrepreneurs said the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship and Small Business is at Columbia University. The center is actually part of Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business in New York City. — ——————————————————————————– Though many people think of entrepreneurs as twentysomethings laboring in their garages on… Read More
What’s That?
I’m certain that there are a lot of people walking around — or holed up at home – in a bit of a state of shock these days. With the financial losses and lay offs affecting so many, there’s a lot of fear and confusion about what’s happening. We all, really, want to know ‘What’s going to happen to me?’ Years ago, during the dot com bust, I was interviewed on the Style Network talking about what to do when faced with a lay off. At that time, I was working with many dazed and confused people in their late twenties and early thirties – these were people in what I call the Roadblock LifeStage and most of them really needed to reassess what they wanted from work and how they could take what they’d learned and done to a new job. A few of these clients were already… Read More
Sharing the Journey
Another post from our guest blogger, KSS… One of the things that’s become an essential part of this sweeping life change I am about to make is reminding myself to share the journey. At times this is very easy. I’ve come to an exciting realization, found renewed confidence in my goals or connected with a loved one who serves as a big supporter. For me, it’s hardest to share this process when things are not going so well. Stress compounded by dismay mixed with inertia all create a situation where I only want to hole up inside of myself and refuse the support of my network of confidantes – the very people cheerleading me along. It’s not that I don’t want them to know, but rather that the thought of sharing all the mishaps seems like it could possibly worsen an already overwhelming situation. Making a life change is a… Read More
MBA students take stock amid troubling times
By Marco R. della Cava, USA TODAY PALO ALTO, Calif. — The unsparing tsunami of bad news created by the collapse of storied Wall Street banking firms has made its way 3,000 miles to the palm-studded campus of Stanford University. “Every day, it only seems to get worse,” says Ben Sloop, 29, of Atlanta, one of 740 students seeking an MBA at an institution known for incubating tomorrow’s business stars. (Think Google’s founders.) “You wonder, ‘Wow, if I get laid off at one firm, it’s not like I can now go to another.’ ” With his elite schooling, New York firms were an option. But now Sloop likes the feel of a job grounded in reality. So he’s thinking small. This past summer, he worked for an online company in nearby San Francisco that helps consumers manage their bills. The fit seems right. “This crisis has reinforced that I… Read More
Road Signs are for more than Driving
I’m happy to welcome another guest blogger. She’ll remain anonymous for now so we’ll give her a pen name. I will tell you that KSS is a 28 year old client of mine and is happy to share some of her thoughts and experiences – ‘paying it forward’ as it were so that more people are assured they aren’t the only ones going through these transitions. Really, this post could be written by one of my 40 or 50 something clients too. You’ll see more posts from KSS as the weeks go by. Stay tuned! Road Signs are for more than Driving, by Guest Blogger KSS Several years ago, in the throes of my first real job and its ensuing demise, I randomly turned on my television and was immediately greeted by Oprah Winfrey. Never an Oprah devotee, I quickly decided to change the channel, but something inside me… Read More
