Full-time Offer!!! =)

Music: Howie Day- Be There
Mood: Relaxed and Fulfilled

If you're gonna be there, be there
If you're gonna stay, stay tonight,
Start livin, out with the old, I'm on the up,
Must be the good life

I am thrilled to officially announce that I have received a full-time offer to work in Dallas with a strategic consulting firm after graduation!

I never thought this announcement would come, but after much hard work, preparation, and stress, I finally accomplished my goal of getting an offer in strategic consulting, and let me tell you, it is extremely satisfying and humbling to be done with recruiting.

I interviewed with the firm on Tuesday, and then I got a call back for a 2nd round on campus again on Thursday, and then on Friday, I got a call from the partner at the firm (whom I interviewed with on Thursday) extending me an offer at the firm after graduation!

It all happened so quickly that I'm still processing it right now. This weekend, I went to the Business Council informal retreat and I got my physical offer letter with compensation and offer details yesterday! Today, I sent in my background check information and I hope to accept my offer soon. I am still waiting to hear back from one other consulting firm I interviewed with on Thursday and Friday, but regardless of whether I get that offer or not, there's a 95% chance I'll take this offer. It was my top choice, but now that I've got it in the bag, I feel weird accepting the first offer I've received and not having to "options". I think psychologically, we like to keep our options open, even if we don't need them. In Michael Gladwell's Blink, he talked about options and how people will keep options open for them, even if it hurts them because they can't stand doors closing, even if they know that their current option is amazing.

That being said, with the firm I got an offer with right now: The opportunity for growth is amazing, I know a lot of people at the firm from Business Council and BHP, I've enjoyed talking to everyone I met at the firm, I think the work will be challenging and engaging, and I most importantly, it's what I wanted! Call me crazy, but I should be submitting my acceptance offer now.

But, I don't know what I'm waiting for though. I guess I'm trying to get through all the tests from this week (one tomorrow, 2 on thursday, and I still have to start studying! Yike.. senioritis much?) I'll probably send in my acceptance on Thursday or early next week. I have already notified companies that have called me back for 2nd rounds (namely investment banks) that I've got an offer for consulting and am no longer looking for a full-time offer in banking. I've also canceled all my interviews on OCR and withdrew my application from any firms that I had a pending application with. Let me tell you, that is an amazing feeling! Especially in this economy, I am very humbled to be extended an offer for the firm I want to work for. For all the other seniors looking for a job right now, I wish that you each will experience the same feeling soon!

So besides the excitement of not having to recruit anymore and having a full-time offer from the firm I really wanted to work for, life has pretty much been about the same. I can already feel myself relaxing a bit more and enjoying myself! I went to an Ingrid Michaelson concert last night and it was so much fun! I really like her music and seeing her live for the 2nd time was great. Besides from the 3 tests I have this week, I'm flying to New York for an all-expense paid business conference from Friday to Monday. The conference is only Friday and Saturday, but I'm staying on Sunday and Monday to just visit the city and catch up with friends in the New York area! I'm super excited about the city. I'm planning on going to the last regular season baseball game with the Mets playing the Astros (and of course I'm going to wear my Astros gear!). I'm also hoping to see a broadway, check out nightlife, and experience the city some more.

Besides that, I met with my advisor today to see if I could simply my spring schedule a bit due to me having a job now. I found out that even if I dropped my accounting minor, I'd still have to take intermediate accounting and my course load wouldn't change at all b/c I don't have enough finance classes for any other track besides the corporate finance track. So, unfortunately, my schedule will not be getting easier. In the spring, I'm taking intermediate acct, finance for lg corporations, management 370, capstone finance class, and writing my senior thesis. I was hoping to free up time to study for the GMAT or relax a bit, but it doesn't look like it. =\ Oh well, I have the job that I really wanted, so I'm not complaining.

One caveat, I've used the word job throughout my entry. I'm still weary of calling this a career, but in thinking to myself, I'm wondering what distinction I've drawn myself between a job and a career. I'd like to think of job as something that just pays the bills and allows us to get by and a career as a job that I like and that allows me to develop professionally and personally. Maybe I then, by that definition, I should be calling it a career, but that just feels weird, so I'll resort to calling it a job for now.

So, this year, I'm still going to enjoy myself, do things on my Austin Bucket List, and make my senior year enjoyable!! But enough of the rambling. I need to start studying for my Cost Accounting class. YIKES!

To Bank or Not to Bank

Music: Halo by Beyonce
Mood: Burned-out

It's only Tuesday, and I'm already suffering from burnout. Last week was non-stop and this week is even worse, and the scary thing is, the pressure is still on to get the job I want after graduation. I had about 7 interviews last week, and this week, I have a total of 10 first round interviews and a potential for 3 second round interviews this week.

It's been not only physically draining, but emotionally, I don't know how to even process what is going on. I'm so set on just getting a job offer in something that I'm not sure what I actually am recruiting for or if I'd actually accept if I got an offer from them.

I have been recruiting with the consulting firms and investment banks, but I'm not sure if my heart is even set on doing investment banking. I just don't know if I'm cut for the long hours and the stress involved with banking. I know for sure I'd do consulting. However, if consulting doesn't work out and I get a banking offer, I don't know if I'd be happy taking it simply because the work-life balance would not even exist.

I already have a second round interview with a bank in Houston this weekend, and I'm waiting to hear back from the consulting firms I've recruited with last week and this week. The company I interviewed with last week should tell me within this week. Another consulting firm I interviewed with today will tell me tonight and 2nd rounds will be on campus again on Thursday. I also have another interview on Thursday with a consulting firm and they'll make decisions overnight and have second rounds on Friday. Hopefully by the end of the week, I'll have a consulting offer in the bag. I just need to ace my case interviews (which I have been practicing very hard for as of lately).

Besides recruiting, not much is going on:

• Went to the Tech game, and my parents and brother was in town this past weekend
• I'm working on finding a research assistant position
• I'm talking with professors to develop a solid thesis idea and have 2 advisors

That's all folks. I'll have updates later as they develop.

Careers are Intense

Music: Ingrid Michaelson- Everybody
(She's coming on Monday, Sept 28th, and I still need to buy tickets, but I can't wait!! By then, I hopefully will have a job lined up.)

Since pictures are worth a thousand words...

I feel like OCR is my homepage and interviews and info sessions make up my day job.

What I've been thinking about often... I've woken at 7am everyday this week for either interviews or class at 8/8:30am.

What my fridge is like at home with my 4 other roommates (but I love my house and my roommates!)

Me and Vicki at the UT vs. Louisiana-Monroe game! I'm excited about Texas Tech on Saturday!!

And my brother is coming in town this Saturday to recruit for his company. I got him a Texas Tech ticket, so he'll be joining my crazy group!

I'll try to do a better update on Friday when things are less busy and I'm not rushing to go to bed! C'est la vie!

Career Week Rush

Music: Justin Bieber- One Time

Mood: Recruiting

So this kid, Justin Bieber is 15 and got discovered by Usher after positing pretty good R&B videos on youtube. Now he's got a single out and an album coming out in September. The first time I heard the song, I thought to myself, "what is this..." I think he sounds like a girl and still needs to mature a bit, but his voice is pretty pure. I wonder what's going to happen after he hits puberty. I find it slightly ironic that he's so young and hasn't matured yet, yet hes singing about love and in the video, is partying with girls who are like in college. It's pretty bizarre, but after listening to the song for a bit, it's catchy.

Now, back to business-- This week was the official McCombs Career Week, and let me say that it's been busy but pretty uplifting. Last week, I finished recruiting and going to dinner with the major consulting firms and this past weekend, I completed submitting my application and resume to all the firms I'm interested in. Now I just have to wait to hear back from them about interviews. I've been practicing quite a bit for case interviews with friends (to the point where I'm pretty sick of doing cases but getting pretty good at the format). I'm planning on doing more prep this coming weekend as well as dropping my resume online on OCR for some fo the comapnies. I also need to prepare for some banking interviews I have on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so I'll be busy! A friend from UPenn gave me a pretty good guide that's better than Valut and Wetfeet, so I'll review that and make sure I know my stuff.

This week itself has been busy. Even though I only have class on Tuesday and Thursday, I find that I'm always busy on MWF doing other things. I get up for class at 7am on TTH, and I get up to go jogging on MWF at like 7:20ish to fit in a nice jog before it gets hot. While I'm such a morning person, I also find that I'm a night owl and get a lot of work done in the evening as well. I've tried to be in bed by 11 each night but this always extend to 12 or even 12:30... which is late if you're getting up around 7am.

Tuesday, I had a dinner at PF Changs with a consulting firm that deals heavily in technology (they don't call themselves an IT Consulting firm, but they do a lot of technology). I got to go to that dinner because they contacted the Honors Business Association, and I got pulled in by a friend to go. I went for the food, but ended up actually enjoying what the company had to say, and I'm definitely going to recruit with them.

Wednesday, after going for a morning jog down to town lake and getting poured on, I showered, suited up, and went down to the career fair. This is my 3rd year going to the career fair, and I must say, this has probably been one of the most productive of the three, given that I am a senior now and companies are actually looking to hire me. (probably the 2nd more effective career fair was freshman year first semester, when I got an internship from meeting the people at the career fair). I talked to several firms and got to meet many of the recruiters so I'll let y'all know what pans out from that.

Today, I don't know why I signed up, but I'm going to the Diversity Dinner tonight at the alumni center for a free dinner. I've got to get dressed for that and head out so I'll update y'all later on everything else that's going on.

Stay dry, Austin!

Lazy Sunday

Music: Half the Girl- We The Living
Mood: Lazy

This was such a hectic week that I think I deserve a lazy Sunday (even though I have every Monday off. Frankly, I think since Monday is Labour Day, but since I normally have it off, I should get Tuesday off too, but I don't think it works that way).

Recruiting for the consulting firms was in full swing this week, with events on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I recruited with these same firms earlier this spring, so although much of the information they discussed about the firm, culture, and new-hire responsibilities was a repeat, I found it helpful to chat with the consultants from the firms to just network and meet people I hadn't meet before. The only thing was how tedious and how much time the networking takes. Yesterday, I dropped my resume on the McCombs website for all the consulting firms and went to their individual websites to complete the required information on their site as well. Interviews are slated for about two weeks from now, so I hope to get interviews with all the firms I dropped for. Speaking of interviews, I already have several scheduled for next week already for a few of the investment banks. Although my heart isn't really with investment banking, I at least want some type of job before I rule anything out.

While on a career note, I had a meeting with a Teach for America representative on Wednesday, which peaked my interest in TFA again. I'm not sure if I'm cut out for it, but I don't really know what exactly I want to do, so I'm keeping my options open. The application is due Sept 18th, so I'll probably submit my application and see where that path goes.

I know this post is very scatter-brained and lacks a lot of cohesion, but the last thing I did this weekend was go to the UT game versus Louisiana-Monroe. This was my first game here at UT since sophomore year, and I felt like I was a freshman again, taking pictures of the stadium and the crowd. My sophomore year, the north endzone seating wasnt there so it was pretty cool seeing that. That game was fun-- we won 59 to 20. I enjoyed seeing Gilbert score his first TD of his college career and seeing OU lose against BYU. One thing I did notice was how much rumors spread through a stadium and how vulgar some fans can be. There were rumors that Bradford broke his collarbone and was out for the entire season, and people were laughing at him. While I don't like OU, I don't think it's right to wish harm upon someone else. Anyways, it turns out Bradford sprained his shoulder and will be out for only a few games. Hopefully he recovers to play in the TX-OU game.

Ok, time to attempt to be productive today!

Oh, and on Friday, i went for a jog and go lost around the townlake area and ended up at barton springs and mopac before making my way back to my house.

Don't Steal My Bike

Music: Evacuate the Dance Floor- Cascada
Mood: Freezing in the Mil-lab

Confession: I've become one of "those annoying bikers on campus." (And I LOVE it.)

I used to be so annoyed with the bikers on campus, zipping by, taking up the sidewalk, and sometimes making you feel like you're about to get run over. As a biker now, I totally understand the other side's perspective. I try to stay on the road and operate my "vechicle" according to the state's laws, but some times, the roads are one ways, and I need to go down a street via the sidewalk. I, unlike most bikers, do stop at stopsigns. And I do wear a helment.

On Monday, when I originally planned to write this post, I was originally going to get up at 7:30am to go for a jog. I didn't get up in time (after snoozing for like an hour) and finally got up at 8:30am. Instead of jogging because it got too hot, I decided to go to group cycling (spinning) class at the REC Sports Center at 10am. Living at 29th and Rio, I hopped on my bike and biked all the way down to the REC next to San Jac and locked my bike (with my U-lock) to the bike rack right outside of the gym. An hour later, after a good, intense spin session, I was all sweaty and was ready to bike back home to shower and take care of other things for the day. When I unlocked my bike, I found that the axel to my front wheel was loose and was removed from the frame. The only thing holding the wheel to the bike were the front brakes and the U-Lock. It took me a while before I was able to reattach my wheel to my bike before I could ride back home.

I seriously cannot believe someone tried to steal a part of my bike. Thank goodness for my U-Lock. UTPD recommends using 2 locks, a ULock and then a cable. I knew this, so I ordered my second lock on Amazon on Sunday, and it should be here by tomorrow. It's just ironic that in the meantime, someone actually tried to steal my bike. I'm lucky they didn't try to cut the lock and run off with my entire bike.

After that experience, I think I felt a bit violated. I LOVE UT and Austin and like to think that the area is pretty safe. I've read about the crime that happens on Campus Watch an occasionally read about the bike thefts, but I didn't actually think it would happen to me. I was gone an hour and at 10 in the morning. The thought of someone actually touching my property and trying to take something that isn't theirs just feels so wrong and foreign to me. I'm not overreacting or trying to make a big deal out of it, but I think this incident made me realize how harsh and mean the real world can be, outside of our imaginary UT bubble.

I'll have an update about recruiting and other events of this week later.