Jajaja!
This weekend I attended the NSHMBA Conference in Minneapolis, MN. I went with a group of nine great Fisher students also in the Fisher Latino Graduate Association. We had an extremely productive, fun-filled weekend. I don't know how many total attendees there were, but I'd guesstimate around 1000-1500. The company list was impressive as well. Most of the top MBA employers were represented, along with most of the top 25 MBA programs. The highlights of the weekend were:
- Interviewing with three of the top companies on my short list.
- Making solid contacts at several other companies.
- Networking with MBA students from other top schools.
- Going to the corporate-sponsored parties. The Target party was amazing!
- Watching Ohio State receive the Brillante Award for Educational Excellence.
- Seeing some of my friends in the MBA program from last year on the other side of the table, recruiting for their companies.
- Spending some quality time with the incoming first-year MBA students.
- Hearing from several different recruiters how highly regarded the Fisher College brand is.
Growing up in Tucson, Arizona, I'll always have a special place in my heart for Hispanic culture and people. It was great to be back in that warm, loving environment after a year in Columbus (not that I don't love the Midwest, it's just a different kind of nice here). My cheeks hurt a little bit from laughing so much the entire weekend. As my buddy Jorge would say, there was much jajaja'ing the entire trip ( how some of my Hispanic friends say "hahaha" in a text message or Facebook post). I know one thing for sure, no matter where I'm at next year, I'm going to the 2010 NSHMBA Conference in Chicago.
On a similar note, I just decided that I'm spending my Spring Break in Brazil. Fisher College has a program called Emerging Market Field Studies where students take a class in the Winter to learn about and become experts in one particular emerging market. Upon finishing the course, they spend their Spring Break in that country. Upon return from the country, students are required to write field study case reports. I had friends go to Bolivia, Vietnam and Ethiopia last year and they all had a great time. I can't wait!
In not so good news, I'm getting to the point now where sleep is a thing of the past (currently it is 2:31am Sunday night/Monday morning). I usually work from 8am-10pm most days and catch up on emails and manage my career search from 10pm-2am. I feel bad for my friends with iPhones and Blackberrys, but it's the only time I have right now to go through my 100 emails a day. So sorry if your email notification goes off in the middle of the night.
Well, I'm off. I have a dozen or so emails to finish and a couple cases to read before I call it a night. Make it a great week!
Mike ^_^