A Note On Networking

I think with the time constraints many graduating MBAs encounter combined so many possibilities of different jobs, it's easy to forget that when it comes to networking, this rule really does prevail: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

A month or so ago I met someone affiliated with a company I wanted to work for. We became friends through common interests. One day I asked for contact information of someone in the company so that I could get a foot in the door. Days go by, nothing sent. A few weeks later, follow up email. Nothing.

So I decide to visit the company myself and try to get a position. I march right up to the department I would like to apply to and ask if they have any positions open. I speak to a polite Catalan woman who looks me up and down, exudes a somewhat threatened vibe since I have experience with a competitor of theirs, and asks if I have a work permit for Europe.

Ahhh... that's where I always get caught. If only I could get my Italian passport....

She begrudgingly asks to leave my resume so that she could forward it through the system but I know what's really going to happen. I would probably never hear from her again. You see people decide if you are right for the company in the first 20 seconds of meeting you. Then the rest of the time is spent mentally trying to confirm this decision. I thought my dreams of working for this company were slim. But then something happened.

Serendipitously, I run into someone friendly. We exchange business cards. I give him some information he needs altruistically, then decide to ask if he knew any contacts within who can help me. He immediately forwards my request to a very nice lady, of Anglo Saxon decent like me, whom I feel sincerely would "see" my application, not just pass through it for protocol.

So the lesson here is as follows: with the multitude of applications we have these days, added to the pessimism over what is available due to the economy, we might try to quickly pass over opportunities which seem dim, in haste to quickly catch something else. Sometimes if we relax, what we truly want, and what is right for us, might just fall into our laps.

Or who knows, maybe this contact would lead to nowhere... but at least for now I've got something to hope for.

Cactus Hands

Somehow I find this incredibly funny.

Resumen

Muchas cosas han pasado desde el dia que he escrito antes. Pero no son muy importantes, todo sano. La verdad es que la vida en IESE ha sido muy bien, muy agradable, sin dolencia.

Sigo las clases en Castellano, por ello mi fluidez en Castellano esta mejorando bastante. Ademas, he empezado las clases de Samba de Gafiera (con pareja) y Samba no Pe (sola) para aprender otro baile mas que salsa. La verdad es que me encanta bailar Samba, especialmente con mi pareja en clase.

Tambien he empezado las actividades de construir el Yearbook de IESE para los alumnos de Clase de 2009. Estoy muy orgullosa que soy Redactora (Editor) de todo cuando terminemos.

Ahora este fin de deberia ser muy halagüeño. Estoy pensando en ir a la Palau de la Musica para ver un concerto sinfónico. Esta claro que estoy emocionada a ver lo. Estos son unas de mis cosas favoritas. (Like raindrops on roses & whiskers on kittens.) Pues, no hay nada mas que decir. Esto es solo un resumen...

Concierto de Aranjuez, Barcelona

El Concierto de Aranjuez constituye una de las obras más cèlebres de Joaquín Rodrigo. En ella, el compositor valenciano consiguió plasmar toda la fuerza de su genio logrando que su obra se convirtiera en una de las piezas más difundidas, interpretadas y grabadas de la música clásica de todos los tiempos. El encargado de interpretar la obra será el guitarrista Rolando Saad, que consigue en cada actuación una virtuosa ejecución. El programa se cerrará con las suites I y II de la ópera de Bizet, Carmen.

Obama's Inauguration

Today was the inauguration party for President Obama hosted by the Barcelona Democrats Abroad. The event was held at Le Meridien Hotel, and I picked up my tickets early, because the venue was overbooked. A few IESE students and staff were there, and most people just arrived after work and were nicely dressed. IESE was having it's own party at Twins, but I wanted to be more involved in Democrats Abroad events.

Obama's speech was humble, simple, but wonderful. Very classic. And after, the Star Spangled Banner played, and I felt nostalgic, and a proud to call myself an American again. It has been a long 8 years. It's not that I hate Bush, I just wish he would have been more intelligent. But whatever our future, I'd be lying if we said that I wouldn't miss him, even just a little.

Letterman's Top 10 Bush Moments

My First Day of Class in Spanish

Most of my Spanish-speaking friends had their first class entirely in English somewhere around the age of 12 or 13. I had mine at 26. I just really wanted to learn Law. It so happened that the only classes with legal topics were in Spanish, so I passed the DIEN in order to take them.

There's a scene in Legally Blonde that depict's Elle Woods' first day of Law School. She comes in, sits in the front row, pulls out her heart-shaped notepad and feathery pencil while everyone else whips out laptops. Everyone has read the case before class except her, and the teacher stands formidably before her and asks about Gordon vs. Steele. What comes out of her mouth then is absolutely embarrassing, and she gets kicked out of the class for not being prepared.

That's how I felt my first day of Spanish Law class. I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb. The teacher kept coming around to me, standing right in front of me (I was in the front row) and talking directly at me until I froze. I must have looked terrified throughout class because one time, he stopped and asked me something. I had no idea what it was. I thought for sure he knew I was English and was trying to frighten me out the class.

So I started talking about Contract Law.

We weren't even talking about Contract Law. That's when I felt like Elle Woods, with her little heart-shaped notepad.

The whole class started laughing. It turns out he was just asking if I understood him and why I was looking at him with a strange face. At that moment I knew I had 2 choices: I could take the easy way out like I always do to avoid embarrassment and challenges -- drop the class and go for something I don't really like as much but in English. I don't have to take any class in Spanish, or in Law for that matter. Or I could force myself to learn more about Spanish and Law than I ever thought, and suffer. I know my level of Spanish, so I know I'll suffer a lot. If I choose the second, I'm going to have to drop my pride and ask for help from my Spanish friends. And I was probably going to get embarrassed again.

But I also know that if I drop the class, I'd be very disappointed in myself. I came to Spain in part to become fluent in Spanish (it has been a challenge so I have been avoiding it). And, I took the DIEN just so I can take these Law & taxation classes. If I gave up, there is a good chance I'll regret it forever, not knowing how far I could have gone...

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I have my first MBA class... in Spanish: Derecho Mercantil. Directly after that I have another class in Spanish: Introduccion a la Fiscalidad Personal del Directivo y del Empresario. I wonder what this will be like. Hope I can overcome the challenges...

Samba Show Dance

Excellent short clip of ballroom Samba (not the type local Brazilians dance).

Bryan Watson and partner Carmen dancing in a Latin showdance

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And I thought, when looking for my job this year, one important criteria in my selection will be to have time to dance and perform. I love salsa but I always wanted to learn samba. So why not start now? My goal for the next few days is to try to find samba classes in Barcelona. If anyone knows a good studio let me know.

MBA 4Q08 Progress Report and Next Quarter Guidance

So 3 quarters have gone by and I haven't updated this. Truth is, a lot has happened since then. Had my internship in Switzerland with an activist investor, worked on some PE deals, some investment management techniques. Good summer. Albeit boring. Barack Obama won the US elections and I finally found something to believe in. First term of second year in IESE was remarkably easy, and I found myself content with life for the first time in years. Happiness, I'm gaining on you. :)

And now, for the status report.

YE Guidance vs. Actual Results:
- Try to make the most out of the second years. Soon they will graduate, and I know I'll miss them, so I have to be conscious to hang out with them as much as possible before they leave.
Check. Even hung out with more second years than first years in Switzerland over the summer.
- Get a strong salsa program ready for the MBA Olympics & enjoy performing in front of a crowd. I love being in front of an audience, but I have to remember to just have fun.
Check. We won second place.
- Get a job.
Check. Was a great job, probably my favorite so far, learned so much about managing a fund and private equity relationships. But the most important thing I learned, was that it wasn't what I am meant to be doing. :)

>>>OUTPERFORM.

Wow, that was easy. I always believed that when things were right, they'd flow naturally and easily. Life wouldn't be a struggle. And it's not anymore. Wow. I think I am happy.

And in other news, I passed the DIEN!! Also I have signed up for 2 Spanish business classes next term. If I pass these classes, I will be able to graduate with a bilingual degree. And I always wanted to have command of another language. Speaking Spanish has built up significant self-confidence.

1Q09 Guidance
Goals for next quarter:
- Take self defense classes
- Start samba lessons
- Join Toastmasters Barcelona
- If the opportunity arises, must sing a karaoke song in Spanish
- Have a blast at Multi Culti! Appreciate and indulge in everything.
- Narrow down job opportunities and selection criteria.

If you're wondering why the my guidance has become much less substantial, it's because I have come a long way from the first one. Now that I have the operating system set, I can start adding applications ;)

Excellent article from the TraderFeed blog