It has been awhile since I posted here, and I'm very sorry for that. I know every time I take a couple of weeks from blogging, I chalk it up to how busy I am at work, blah blah blah. But this time, I've been dealing with kind of a mental/sentimental busy. And it's been interfering a little bit with my sleep.
So, BUSINESS SCHOOL. Let's talk about that today.
I love my job as an investment analyst, my respectful, kind, amazing company, and my potential career path from where I am. Yes, I have been incredibly happy for the past year and half that I've lived and worked in New York City, and that's why I have been constantly feeling terrifically guilty for logging onto GMATClub every once in awhile to see what the current MBA applicant pool is like.
But recently I realized I really need to stop feeling guilty. Because, well, just because you're happy it doesn't mean you have to be stagnant. There is a world of things that I still have to learn. Not gonna lie, taking 2 years off to explore the world and to learn about all things business really kind of, um, appeals to me. And also, well, the BIGGEST reason is that there's been something I have wanted to do for a long time now, and business school seems like the highest probability shot of getting there.
I have spent a lot of commutes over the past few months stewing over this. Do you remember my blog post a few months ago about my mid year review with my manager and realizing I needed to start taking more risks? (HERE). That kind of started it all. And after running that through my head over and over for two months, I am finally ready to be really honest with myself and you guys, here goes:
I spent almost my entire life as an analyst supporting investments in funds when I've secretly wanted so, so much to be supporting direct investments.
There, I said it. My deepest, darkest secret. To the Internetz.
So you might be thinking, well, if you want to do directs so badly, why don't you just go do it? Go join a firm that does directs and work there.
... It's not that easy. They won't want me. And why won't they want me? Because I have never worked on directs before, never built a financial model in 2 hours, never met with management teams or been involved in a corporate transaction. The role "investment analyst" is quite misleading. When I took my first job, effectively locking myself into funds and allocations, I had no idea how big the world of difference is between investing in funds and investing in companies.
In particular, I've been really interested in how companies make direct investments (rather than hedge funds, mutual funds, banks, etc.). I follow pharma and biotech for my personal account, and I've been able to see some really cool corporate venture deals. In pharma/biotech, the small guys are lacking in capital ... and the big guys are lacking in risk. It makes so much sense for a company like GlaxoSmithKline to pour some funds into a small start up.
Business school opens up opportunities like that. Alternatively, if I wanted to do more directs at my current firm, I think I need the skills that business school would give me in order to be successful. Because guys, to be 100% honest I have tried to build models a lot. Spent a lot of evenings and my personal time pouring over 10K's, googling spreadsheet tricks. But at the end of the day what makes a model is knowing how a business makes money. And I struggle with that. I need to develop business instinct, something that B school is set up to deliver.
So yes, guys, I am going to apply to business school. I still need to work out some details, but just wanted to update y'all!
xoxo,
the closing belle
