Great P/U at Starbucks

[TooColdUlrick]

Originally posted by Genghis Juan
TooCold,

After you built your company, you said you went for the PhD, did you go part-time for the PhD? Or did you quit work to pursue it?

my company is still being built i am a work in progress

your question is complicated actually.

got my Masters Econ really quick--when i was 24, cuz the economy sucked then and u couldn't buy a job, so why not.

i was basically full time, but no, i didn't quit work in the least. i was fortunate to have my company stabilized, and since i'm the managing partner, i answer to no one but myself

it took me a good five years of struggling to get the company positioned to step up to the next level.

in the meantime (for the last 8 years) i landed an exec managment teaching gig (at night). these are 25-45 year old middle management types who are moving up. many have MBA's already. this 1) knocked out the "teaching" requirements of the Phd, eg slave labor, and 2) enabled me to further blast through the Phd for obvious reasons--i teach the shyt (finance).

Genghis...you wouldn't happen to attend Harvard would you? there is a certain bytch there getting an MBA, that tried to use me. she was pretty damn good i must say.

 

[Genghis Juan]

TCU,

I am currently going for an MBA part-time at Babson.

Have a BS in ChE from Northeastern, and am working as a chemist for Bristol-Myers right now.

I am actually trying to re-tool my career right now, to get into either the business side of things (i.e. sales/marketing/business development) or I am going into finance (i.e. hedge fund, trading or some other investments company).

I was curious about the PhD thing, because I know a few people actually doing it part-time. After I get my MBA, I want to finish up learning a foreign language. Then after that, depending on my career choice, I would be more than thrilled to go to grad. school again on a P/T basis, and even go as far as a PhD (if it makes sense for what I will be doing).

TCU, where did you go to school to get the PhD?

 

[DankNuggs]

Originally posted by LuckyStrike
Nice way of seizing the moment there...

you caught that too.....

 

[TooColdUlrick]

Originally posted by Genghis Juan
TCU,

I am currently going for an MBA part-time at Babson.

Have a BS in ChE from Northeastern, and am working as a chemist for Bristol-Myers right now.

I am actually trying to re-tool my career right now, to get into either the business side of things (i.e. sales/marketing/business development) or I am going into finance (i.e. hedge fund, trading or some other investments company).

I was curious about the PhD thing, because I know a few people actually doing it part-time. After I get my MBA, I want to finish up learning a foreign language. Then after that, depending on my career choice, I would be more than thrilled to go to grad. school again on a P/T basis, and even go as far as a PhD (if it makes sense for what I will be doing).

TCU, where did you go to school to get the PhD?

got the PhD somewhere in california. i'll just leave it at that it is a top 20 school.

if you are thinking about the PhD in the future, be prepared for some nasty mathematics. PhD finance is a bit lighter in this regard, but still very tough. PhD economics is thoroughly nausiating, or shall i say, "elegant" (e.g. John Nash--A Beautiful Mind).

if you know that a straight line is actually a "curve" and can prove it, you're on the right track (e.g. the quasi-convexity conditions)

getting into hedge funds, etc is brutal in most cases. i know of freshly minted Stanford/Harvard MBA's clamoring to get into them, knowing that they will be making coffee and working the copy room for quite a while.

also, the hours will kill you. 80 is the norm. 100 is not unusual. be prepared to give up all aspects of your life, including chicks. you are expected to have no outside activities of any sort.

again, i am fortunate in this regard because i consult for these types with special projects and strategy and such. but, this is only a small part of what we (i) do. now, i just make sure everything is running smoothly and i interface with the top clients. i work 40 hours per week. but i have a couple of unrelated side projects on top of that.

getting a PhD can lead to a very comfortable life if you play your cards right, in addition to a tremendous amount of respect and credibility in all aspects of your life. you will automatically have instant respect and it's yours to lose--men and women alike.

life is sweet. then again, i busted my azz and was dirt poor for five years whilst getting the biz off the ground.

PS: this is why i chuckle a bit when the younger folks in here say, "work on yourself...be busy...be busy...". they have no idea what this means.

 

[Genghis Juan]

TCU,

My goal over the next 2 or 3 months is to finally determine which direction I want my career to go. Then I will focus the electives in the MBA program to buttress that. Unfortunately, I busted my as* in undergrad to study ChE, but there are so few jobs in the field (why I am working as a chemist), that it would not be facilitating to be making a very good income.

My goal is to make $100k within the next few years, but I don't intend to sacrifice my entire lifestyle to get there.

We'll see...I may very well go into a sales/marketing function/business development function.

Nevertheless, much soul searching to do.

After I decide on the direction, I will finish the MBA, then learn another language. After that, I would only go back to grad. school if it made facilitates my career.

 

[TooColdUlrick]

Originally posted by Genghis Juan
TCU,

My goal over the next 2 or 3 months is to finally determine which direction I want my career to go. Then I will focus the electives in the MBA program to buttress that. Unfortunately, I busted my as* in undergrad to study ChE, but there are so few jobs in the field (why I am working as a chemist), that it would not be facilitating to be making a very good income.

My goal is to make $100k within the next few years, but I don't intend to sacrifice my entire lifestyle to get there.

We'll see...I may very well go into a sales/marketing function/business development function.

Nevertheless, much soul searching to do.

After I decide on the direction, I will finish the MBA, then learn another language. After that, I would only go back to grad. school if it made facilitates my career.

academics will always enhance your career. again, if you are relatively smart about playing your cards. i've always bounced back and forth, and always will.

never, ever, ever, "finally determine" which direction you want your career to go. for if you do, you will be blinded by the light, and have the strong tendency to miss excellent opportunities. i not only see people who have made this mistake, but i've done it myself. a general direction or path is what you should be thinking as opposed to the "final direction".

be much more specific on your earnings goals (and all other goals). like 100k within three years from now. "within the next few years" is too weak. be careful about setting your goals too low. consider bumping this up quite a bit, because 100k per year isn't that much for an MBA with experience. how about 250k within five years?

just like DJ'ing, you have to assess the competition (AFC's), then figure out how to separate yourself from them, then execute the strategy, then move forward, then repeat the process. all the while assessing your strengths and weaknesses. play your strenghts and improve your weaknesses.

(a Phd in anything will separate yourself heads and tails above the rest, Dr. Genghis Juan. moreso, in economics or finance. and as you've said, if you have the interpersonal skills along with it, the sky's the limit).

yes my friend, do some soul searching. but not too much for it will bogg you down. i mean dig deep, figure out where you want to be in a few years, then go for it with as much enthusiasm and diplomacy as you can muster. then do some more soul searching and repeat the process every few years.

it's the EXACT same process of becoming a true DJ, quite frankly. it is a state of mind, and only that. you are a work in progress.

some tongue in cheek inspirational sayings to students and others who are in exactly your situation...

--"Luck" Is A Function Of Hard Work

--The World Is Your Oyster

--Release The Inner Dolphin

--Awaken The Giant Within

and for those who are pretenders, and always will be...

--Eat A Can Of Beans, And Fart Yourself To The Moon

kick ass--

 

[TooColdUlrick]

UPDATE

boohoo...my little honey pot turned sour on me. oh well, still a good pick up

i will live.