I spent some time yesterday talking to our intern. It was a quiet afternoon and he had questions about life. Here are the three things I told him:
- Pay attention in finance, economics, and accounting if you want to get an MBA. I was an exceptionally good crammer before exams for these subjects. When I was going through the MBA program, I had a rough time because I hadn't really learned the concepts. I still don't think I could tell you how to do net present value calculations if my life depended on it!
- It really is who you know, not what you know. Being an eternal optimist/people really care about my skills, I disagreed with this for a long time. I've come to learn that while ability is key, knowing people makes a difference in many (or most) situations.
- Learn to say no. I could write a book on the things I've needed to say no to. I'm not very good at that easy two-letter word. I sometimes think I can do everything, but I know that I can't. You can't give everything your all. Pick the things that are most important to you and put your time and talents to good use there.
I hope you enjoyed today's life lesson!
Labels: advice