Doing an MBA is like shopping in a grocery

Today Monday August 17th is the Day One of the whole Orientation Week to our Berkeley Haas MBA 2011 as new first-year MBA students.

Liz Rockett, the second year MBA student, and the President of Haas MBA Association (the student government organization for the full time MBA program) made a wonderful welcome speech.  She mentioned an interesting metaphor that “Doing an MBA is like shopping in a grocery”.

(Disclaimer:  below are not the exact words from Liz, but rather my own understanding, so it is open to correction).

Doing an MBA is like shopping in a grocery.

I just have a very general feeling that what I want to buy at the grocery.  For example, maybe some sweet fruits, but definitely not too sour, but I really have no idea that it should be apple or orange or something else.  So I just look around in the grocery, and maybe sample something that looks like tasteful.  And I am not alone, actually there are many friends who are shopping together with me.  Some of them have tried that kind of orange, and they told me it is actually nasty, oh my god, then I want to try something else…

Translated to MBA words:

I just have a very general feeling that what I want to do after MBA.  For example, maybe consulting, but definitely not that investment banking, but I really have no idea that it should be  the firm A or firm B or something else.  So I just look around in the business school, and maybe in the summer intern I try something that looks nice.  And I am not alone, actually there are many first and second year MBA students who are “exploring” together with me.  Some of them have tried that kind of job, and they told me it is actually nasty, oh my god, then I want to try something else…

At least for me, this is an interesting metaphor.  🙂

Update on Aug 24, 2009:

Liz, thank you so much for sharing that portion of your speech to me as a new post “Intentions & Conversations“.