2 years until b-school. Free time at work- what should I be doing??
Due to the unique nature of my job (military officer) I have quite a bit of free time at work right now. I'm planning on starting business school in two years, but I'd like to start preparing now, as I don't have any sort of real life business experience outside the military.
I think I want to work in management consulting, but corporate finance (or especially an LDP) appeals to me as well. My undergrad degree is in accounting, but I remember almost nothing about accounting. Should I buy an accounting book or program and review that? Or is there a better use of my time? Can anyone recommend some sort of program to purchase or possibly a specific book with concepts/problems that I can work that would be beneficial for my personal development?
I purchased Spanish Rosetta Stone a few months ago, but I can't do this at work because it requires you to speak into a microphone. I don't have much to do, but I still can't be mumbling into my computer in a different language all day at work. Also, it's kind of hard to really see Spanish adding that much value to my business school resume/life, as I don't think it is realistic to be fluent without actually living in a Spanish speaking country for a period of time.
Just to clarify, I knocked out the GMAT about 2 months ago (studied for it almost exclusively at work, it was beautiful). I have a 730, so there's really no sense in taking it again, as that was about the top of my range for practice exams.
Thanks for any help you all can provide. It is annoying to have this much free time at work, but I want to take full advantage of the opportunity- versus just spending 7 hours a day on WSO/espn/reddit.
looks like you WANT to go to business school but have not gotten an offer yet.. I would start thinking about which schools to apply to, placement programs, getting in touch with alumni, hear about their experiences/what type of recruiting the school is actually good at, visit school campuses.. all this will not only help you find a program that suits you but also show solid interest in schools you want to apply to thereby increasing your chances of actually getting in..
I was going to suggest taking the GMAT again, but I think your course of action will depend on a few factors.
If you Undergrad GPA is low you've still got time to knock out an online Master's. A 3.8+ might help.
I also have family in the same situation that's doing HBX's online Core program. Getting a certificate like that (or the business foundations course Wharton offers via Coursera) is a good way to accomplish everything else you wanted.
If you have a strong interest in corporate finance taking any one of the various "prep" classes like Wall Street Prep might be good. You'll come out of those with a strong knowledge of financial accounting.
It's not directly relevant to what you want to do, but if you want to get your FINRA licenses and learn about markets in the process apply to the Wall Street Warfighters Foundation. You get training and a significant networking benefit.
Finally get involved in community organizations. Toastmasters is great because it will allow you to get a leadership position fairly quickly, and the experience and confidence you gain in public speaking will give you a massive advantage during the admissions process, during presentations as a student, and into your post-MBA jobs. Also look at local social welfare organizations. If you go to church that's a good place to start because most churches work with the local charities and can introduce you.
Since you aren't actually admitted yet, your first priority should be to gain extra experience or credentials that will boost your resume.
Personally I'd suggest balancing your time between the two.
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