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