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by Julie Kang
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Thursday, June 25, 2009 08:57 PM |
Carly Strausberg’s feature will be posted next week.
This blog will be appropriately archived under “Personal/Social Discussions.” Given the unanticipated open blog slots this week, I’m going to courageously venture into an uncharted territory – my dating life (or lack thereof).
The last blog “Is he worth it?” was intended to serve two purposes. 1) To set the stage for Carly’s feature (more in line with the HeelsConnect mission). 2) To….well, a bit nutty, but I’ll disclose. I hope some of you can relate, so that I don’t feel foolish alone.
A couple of days ago, I received a Facebook friend request from a high-school classmate. I’ve not had any contact with him since graduation, and had no idea about his current life until I connected with his brother a few months ago. Let’s call this new Facebook friend from HS “John”.
I was not friends with John or his brother in high school, but we did have mutual friends. After John’s brother and I exchanged a couple of emails, I had a dream about John. In my dream (I have no idea why), I had a huge crush on him – CRAZY! I barely spoke to him during the four years in high school, and don’t know him as an adult. But, for some wacky reason, he crept into my dream, and I now have this fantasy crush on him. There, I said it.
So, when I saw the Facebook friend request from him,... |
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by Julie Kang
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009 12:24 PM |
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Prior to entering business school, I heard horror stories about the program from the vocal “been there; done that” alumni. Topics ranged from the ridiculous amounts of workload to never-ending conflicts among team members. It’s clear that experiences and perceptions of business school vary among individuals. It is, however, true that most students find it extremely challenging to juggle the intense demands that constantly pull them in multiple directions. For me, it was, hands down, the best two years of my life. That my business school was located in my home town was a bonus. Of course, I did run right back to Los Angeles after graduation because of the oppressive humidity in our nation’s lovely capital. One of the horror stories, in particular, struck me as both comical and ridiculous – at the time. It had nothing to do with the intensity of the business school programs. It was why some women pursued an MBA. A friend of mine’s classmate from Carnegie Mellon stood up on the first day of orientation and said she was there to get her MRS along with her MBA. If it happens, like it did for my friend Angela, then great. But to announce it from day one? Hmmm… You’d think the logic for attending business school is, regardless of gender, to advance one’s career. Apparently, there is more. This is, in part, due to the environment. Much like the high level positions in the corporate world, business schools are dominated by men. It is estimated that women make up only about 25% of MBA programs, especially in the more competitive schools. Because of this lopsided ratio, many single women find this venue to not only serve their professional needs, but also their personal ones. In fact, some enter with a single mission: FIND A HUSBAND. Are they for real? There are several reasons why this is amusing... |
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help! need a name...."career makeover" |
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by Julie Kang
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Thursday, June 18, 2009 10:31 AM |
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Phase One of HeelsConnect.com is exceeding all expectations. Quite frankly, I am shocked. Who wants to read what I think? I’m just a poor girl (now a starving entrepreneur) from Korea – SOUTH! Way south. Apparently, many people, not just in the U.S., but in other countries, are reading and coming back for more. Thank goodness. There is still a light at the end of the tunnel. I didn’t think that we would attract as many loyal readers as we have in just 6 months. Loyalty for web sites is measured by the average time spent there, and the average number of pageviews per visitor - both are very high for HeelsConnect. Consequently, our web ranking is rising fast, and all I can think about is writing the next blog, contacting the next workingwoman who will be featured (many amazing women – each uniquely fabulous – will be introduced this summer), developing new offerings for the HeelsConnect community, obsessing over the next strategy, and so on. Nonstop brain activities. Breathe. Sometimes you have to take a step back to remember why you began something in the first place... |
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a former investment banker's perspective |
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by Julie Kang
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009 03:54 PM |
When you go into investment banking, most people generally go into it, knowing that they will hate the job during the junior years (as an analyst, associate and perhaps as an early vice president). The job is a means to an end, and the end may just be the next stage in one's career, e.g. graduate school, private equity/hedge fund, professional investment banker, etc. I don't think anyone at a junior level goes into an investment banking job with the remote inclination that they will "LOVE" (or even like) their job.
So what happens when you find out you hate your investment banking job to the point where you really have to get out? If you're like most level headed, success/money driven, reasonably intelligent banker, you will network, interview quietly, find allies within the bank who you can use as trusted references, and assuming the economic/job conditions are healthy, you leave the bank approximately 6-12 months after you start your new job search. I'm generalizing here, but must junior bankers aren't so irrational (perhaps some of the just-out-of-undergraduate-college bankers are) that they flat out quit. Most leave with a job offer in hand, and usually a skip in their step because they are either leaving banking - which means FREEDOM, or they are leaving for another bank, which usually means guaranteed bonus = $$$$....
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