HBS then ?
I am currently an analyst at a top commercial real estate firm and all of my experience up to this point has been in CRE finance. I will be starting at HBS this fall and I am curious as to what types of career options, outside of real estate, I should explore or consider after I finish business school.
I think the most logical step (based on my experience + an MBA) would be to transition into an associate-level role (probably acquisitions) at a major RE PE firm, but I am not sure that I want to stay in real estate.
Are there any other industries or roles (not IB or consulting) I could consider in which my real estate finance experience and an HBS MBA would be relevant? I know that I am very fortunate to be attending HBS (and that it should open up many doors), but I also want to be realistic and not assume that HBS alone will get me into any role I want. I'm just concerned that my work experience is too specific in RE that it might be difficult to switch into something else (essentially starting new in that industry)...
Thanks in advance for any advice!
The core in financial work is strong analytical skills.
Pe, consulting, ib, vc, your own startup, tech, company finance, corp strategy, marketing, operations, and IM/buy side are all feasible realistically. The gaps vary but you can make it up with ample time/courses. I've seen some wild transitions from my classmates and they seem ok.
Have you done any self assessments on your interests & motivation, that sort of thing?
I think I have to complete some of those assessments before classes start. I think I will also try to join some clubs outside of real estate to see what else is out there as well.
I think you may get tempted to do IB or Consulting or PE once you're in the program, because those firms will be all over your ears. It helps to have a foundation first before you start exploring a bit
Off topic, but what did you tell them what you wanted to do after HBS?
I mentioned I would pursue RE PE, which is most likely what I will do. But again, I'm just interested in seeing if there is something else that might be a good fit based on my experience (my reason to get an MBA isn't to switch careers, but it's something I'm curious about).
I think you are asking the wrong question. What do you WANT to be doing?
Sounds like using the internship between years 1 and 2 to explore another industry (either consulting, tech, etc) might be a good call, and then you can either accept that full time offer or go back to REPE pretty easily with the story of (I tried X, and it confirmed for me that my passion truly is in RE etc.)
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