Natasha's Weblog

The Beginning of the End

It has been an overwhelming week. I was elected as a co-chair for the African-American MBA Association (AAMBAA), and then I found out I’d been selected as a LEAD Facilitator. It took a couple of days for this to sink in. You spend so much time in “opportunity seek” mode, that it is surprising to look around and question just exactly what you’ve gotten yourself into. I’m looking forward to the experience though.
There was a huge snowstorm that started Friday and finally ended last night. So the streets and sidewalks are covered with about six inches of snow. This makes getting around inconvenient and a bit daunting. I’ve been trying to balance case interview preparation, group work, and reading cases for class. I also need to take my suits in to the dry cleaners to prepare for next week. But I really need to relax, which is difficult when everyone around you has put their entire self esteem and future happiness on a single interview. It’s like playing a really morbid game of blackjack.

I still like my classes, though we’re getting more heavily into groupwork which means it is time intensive. So along with the pressures of getting the right job, I want to get a job just so that I don’t have to think about it again until the fall. Not having to recruit would free up about 30-40% of my time on a weekly basis. It is amazing to think of how many hours I’ve spent on dinners, receptions, cover letters, phone interviews, and, of course, follow-up emails.
It is an interesting roller coaster. I change from day to day my confidence. Yesterday I was sure I would screw up all my interviews, while today I’m more confident that it will work out. I’ve done some preparation, and built my relationships, and now I’ve just got to do the best I can and be myself. I’ll get an offer where I’m supposed to be. Resisting the pressure of the people around you is a major component of business school.