Well, it’s been a month since my last blog—sometimes you just need a vacation. I’ve been to Hawaii, celebrated Darden graduation, and begun a productive summer since my last post. I’ve also started some summer reading, which has given me new fodder for career development advice. This blog tends to be about career development and the job search process. I like to take the everyday happenings of life and relate how it might help a Darden student with their job search or just with life. Thanks for humoring me.
First on my list was an older book by John Grisham. Since we’re both from Charlottesville (I saw him on the Downtown Mall Friday afternoon), I try to read them all. Besides, I love them all—entertainment and fast reading. But this book wasn’t typical Grisham. Playing for Pizza is a very fast read, and I thoroughly enjoyed. The career lesson from the book is one we build our entire career development program on at Darden—do what you are passionate about, with people you love, in the right environment, for the right reasons, and you’ll be both happy and successful.
Briefly, the story: a lousy professional National Football League, as a last resort, moves to Italy to play football. Pay is minimal (hence the title), so players play for the love of the game. Our hero, the QB, discovers why he ever played the game, and thrives in this new environment. No spoiler alert here—I’ll let you read it. But the career lessons are clear.
Do what you are passionate about.
Much has been written about this subject. At Darden we help our MBAs think this through during their first week of school. Take your hobbies, your passions, the skills at which you excel and enjoy, and find a career that leverages those things. See my previous blogs on the subject. (My Daughter’s Paradise Paper and Bee Movie- Guide to Career Development)
Work with people you love (or at least respect and like).
Sometimes this aspect is hard to assess until you are at the company. Don’t let that be so. Get to know people in the company throughout the process. Do they share your values? Do you like them? Make sure their people are your people.
Make sure the environment is right. I have a personal experience with this one that led to a very short tenure at a great company. The environment was not right for me. I tried to ignore it, but it led ultimately to my demise. Explore the culture. How do they treat people? Know this before you go there.
Do what you are doing for the right reasons.
This one is huge for MBAs. It is easy to follow the herd when you go to a major business school. Everyone is going to Wall Street or to consulting. Don’t follow the herd. If you choose to go into management consulting, be sure it is because you are passionate about solving problems, etc, not because it pays the best or is where all respectable MBAs are going.
That’s it. Much good advice from a simple piece of fiction from one of my people. And two hours of pure fun to read.
Now, the second book I’m reading also contains good insights for MBAs. More to come.