| I'd offer six suggestions to young people | | | | leadership and teamwork-which makes us |
| thinking about a career in management. | | | | perfect for some, but not right for others. |
| | | | |
| First, make sure that management is right for | | | | Fourth, find a great mentor or supervisor and |
| you-that you really enjoy marketing or | | | | a good company to work for. Again, the point |
| finance or human resource management or | | | | is that you have choices-in graduate schools, |
| corporate communications and other aspects of | | | | in careers, in companies to work for. |
| organizational life and management | | | | Everyone entering any profession is eager to |
| responsibilities. Take the test by working | | | | find that wonderful first job and to get a |
| for a company or an organization to see | | | | fast break. But take time to be sure that you |
| whether it feels great-challenging but | | | | will be proud to say that this is where you |
| appropriate, hard but enjoyable. Management | | | | work and that you have an opportunity to |
| isn't right for everyone, so take the time to | | | | learn from people who you respect. You will |
| explore and invest in a couple of | | | | spend more time at work than with your |
| internships, even if they are unpaid, to see | | | | family, so make sure that the company you |
| what it's really like and whether it meets | | | | keep is one that you really enjoy, can growth |
| and matches your career aspirations and | | | | with, and learn from. |
| professional/personal needs. | | | | |
| | | | Fifth, remember that management is basically |
| Second, get as much experience as you can | | | | about people and organizations, about doing |
| before entering graduate school and going for | | | | things right and doing the right thing. Good |
| the MBA. This might mean taking three or more | | | | management is needed in every sector of our |
| years off between college and business | | | | society-business, to be sure, but also in the |
| school, or it might just mean packing a lot | | | | not-for-profit sector, which is 10% of our |
| of relevant management and leadership | | | | economy, and in government, which is about a |
| activities into your life at an early age. | | | | third. So think about applying what you know |
| The point is that you will be able to bring | | | | about management not only in a business, but |
| those experiences to the classroom, which | | | | also in a public agency or in a community |
| will make the learning more relevant-and will | | | | organization where the demand and need for |
| make you not just a student, but a bit of a | | | | skills is high. |
| teacher as well. | | | | |
| | | | And, lastly, think about using your |
| Third, be discriminating about where you | | | | management training to do well and also to do |
| decide to get that MBA. It's a buyer's | | | | good. Peter Drucker, considered the founder |
| market, which means that there are literally | | | | of modern management and the person for whom |
| hundreds of schools to choose between. Find | | | | my school is named, asked: "What do you want |
| the right fit in terms of not only location | | | | to be remembered for?" Even as you set out on |
| and reputation, but institutional culture. | | | | your career, find a balance and look for |
| Some schools focus on placement, others on | | | | opportunities to not only be successful but |
| finance; some on research, others mainly on | | | | to do something significant. Society needs |
| teaching. We at the Drucker School, for | | | | your talent and ambition and skills and |
| instance, offer an unusually intimate setting | | | | energy; we also need your idealism and |
| with small classes; a very diverse, global | | | | creativity and commitment to leaving the |
| student body; and a values-oriented approach | | | | world better than you found it. |
| that emphasizes ethics, integrity, strategy, | | | | |