It's Business Time

In a previous post I mentioned that after graduating from college I realized I felt more suited for business than for counseling. I worked with behaviorally challenged children for the first 11 months out of college and while I really enjoyed working with most of my clients, the work didn't intellectually challenge me and I didn't see a future in that field. Also, regularly chasing an 11 year old who went on rampages through his elementary school while the principal called the police to remove him from the school didn't help things.

Fortunately in 2001 I met a retired CEO who became my mentor and through his connections he recommended me for a position with a healthcare management company. I started there in the Fall of that year and was with the same company until this year when I transitioned into the NC State Jenkins MBA program. I worked my way up to the position of managing the department I initially started with and became a key member of the project management team. I gained a lot of valuable experience there because it was a medium sized company where I was able to operate at a higher level than I might have been able to do so elsewhere.

What I found that I really enjoy about upper management is having an input in the overall direction that a company is headed. I'm the type of person who likes to understand the big picture and have a hard time when I can only focus on one small area of responsibility. Being part of a business management team is something that excites me because I enjoy the practice of business. Strategic vision, operations, and execution are things that stimulate me intellectually and areas I wanted to learn more about by going back to school for my MB. I think having my MBA education will complement the skills I've previously learned through my work experience and I will come out of the program a much stronger manager than when I entered.