4 Years & Some Life Lessons
I still sometimes think I'm living a dream. The occasional nightmare from a horrendously dull class or those frustrating game days pop up every now and then to disrupt, but those seem so unimportant compared to the big picture.
I'm sitting here reflecting on the past few years and my college career here at Michigan. And I'm so damn proud. I did good. I have great relationships with my family, friends, peers, coworkers, professors, mentors...the list goes on. I have the job of a lifetime waiting for me right after I get my diploma and it's the absolute best place to start for me. And I love my school so much that the memories I've made here will be the ones I talk about 50 years down the road.
But with all the glory, come the bruises. I made a ton (seriously...a ton) of mistakes. I lost a few friends, didn't study hard enough for an exam, got mad at things I probably put upon myself... you get the point. But I learned pretty quickly from it and am still learning. I felt real failure for the first time as I had breezed through getting absolutely everything I wanted in high school. It felt like a punch in the face. A blow to my ego. And it was awful. But I felt it early enough in college to get me that much more motivated. It humbled me down. I stopped taking myself too seriously. And I started to learn a little bit more about myself. Here are some of those lessons that I'd like to share...
Take Risks to Avoid Being Complacent
My sophomore year leading into the summer before my junior year, I had interviewed for an internship that I really didn't have passion for. I just wanted something to slap on my resume because, you know, Ross culture kind of creates that ugly mentality. Not because Ross forces it but the competitive nature we have with each other really explodes into this resume/experience battle. So I felt lucky to have gotten this internship... but at the same time, I was competing for this Under Armour "Ultimate Intern" contest. If you know me, you know how this all ended but at the time, I didn't know my odds. I was one of 5,000 competing for these 5 spots at Under Armour. Do the math. My odds weren't that hot. And my internship that I had gotten at the other place's offer expired well before I would hear from Under Armour. I could have chose to play it safe and just accept it. It probably would have ended up fine and it was advice I was given by many people to forgo the near impossible chances of Under Armour for this safety net. "You'll have something for your sophomore summer...for sure!" they would say, "Why throw that all away for something you might not get?"
But I chose to take a big risk. I turned that internship offer down to continue in the Under Armour process, not knowing my chances but knowing a few things: I knew how damn passionate I was about Under Armour, how badly I wanted to be there, how much of a better fit for me it was, and most importantly, that it was an aspiration. And I think that risk ended up shaping me more than I knew at the time. I learned how I wasn't complacent. On anything. I work harder for what I want than I'll ever let known. I ended up working that much harder and actually won that Under Armour contest, landing an internship with the performance apparel company.
And junior year I continued that intensely focused mindset and chose not to be complacent, deciding to take another risk. On average, my friends were interviewing for 20 companies. I ended up dropping resumes for just 6 or 7. It was definitely a gamble but I was confident that those 6 places were where I would be happy. Of that list of six, there had been just one company that I dreamed about working for because in my mind, they were the best at their craft. And I worked my tail again but kept my cool and just continued to be myself. Luckily, hard work pays off because it ended up that that #1 company was where I interned this past summer...and where I'm starting my life post-graduation.
Personality Matters Way More Than You Think
It is amazing how far tact, loyalty and fit will get you. At P&G this past summer, we were given feedback during the midpoint of our internships. While I was given an opportunity area to improve on for the rest of the summer (mine being something more technical), I was surprised to find out that having a great personality was one of my top strengths. My team told me about how I provided a good atmosphere around the office, and my manager explained to me how I had a gift of understanding other people's perspectives and knew how to approach situations with that in mind. It was flattering and I was taken aback because it's just something I didn't think about. When doing your job, you don't really think about the soft skills such as holding conversations or empathy. Instead you think about technical skills such as analyzing data. But it's because they're intangible and unteachable that it's so important to have a good personality. And THAT'S why companies will ask you behavioral questions.
Step Back to Learn The Less Obvious
Just the other day I spoke to someone about how the majority of students don't understand that at Michigan (and in my case, Ross), many professors don't have their first priority as teaching. Teaching comes second to research. I don't think I even really understood this till senior year. I had a small sense of it from Finance my junior year when my professor would sometimes add small things about his research into what we were learning but I wouldn't think twice about it. I thought about it more as stuff he just did in his free time or previous research he did while he was on break or something. Looking back, I'm ashamed I never really stood back and thought about it; so selfishly thinking that all of their time was devoted to just us, thinking, "Gee, how easy it must be just teaching 2 or 3 days a week with summers completely off. Must be a killer life! Why can't they grade my damn exam any faster or email me back in 6 seconds??!!" Reality check: They're doing bigger and better things all while giving us a great education. And it's absolutely fascinating and it's so unbelievably different than what I'll be doing post-graduation. And yet, some things professors are doing I know are only a few years away from being practiced in the "real world" if they aren't already. I'd challenge everyone I know to go to a professor they think they know... and ask about what they do outside of teaching. You'll be mind-blown. I promise.
Something really important to me is giving back. And I don't necessarily mean through money. Though I fully intend to donate back to the University when I get the chance, I really mean paying it forward in intangible ways.
I keep on saying it this year but being a peer coach for Ross is the best thing I do. I invest countless hours a week to help advise younger students on everything to make them successful with recruiting and getting their dream job. Do I do it for the money? Believe me...that ain't it. I do it because I realize how far Ross has gotten me. With both education and career search, this school has really given me everything. The least I can do is help younger BBAs love and appreciate what this school has given them as much as I do.
It's also important for me to remember my roots and remember who has helped me get to where I am. I am in debt to people who don't even know it. Paying it forward comes from staying loyal and jumping at the chance to help those people out...without even asking.
Showing you care does great things. You not only feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but you really show other people how much they mean to you. And I think it's that acknowledgement that's so priceless.
It's sad to think that it'll be over so soon. But I know that I'll keep these little life lessons with me as I continue forward. A semester and a half to go... Let's make it count.
