BS - Industrial and Systems Engineering
MBA - Finance
When I started college as an engineering student, I really wanted to design and build sailboats when I graduated. I am an avid and competitive sailor. But, when I graduated in 1982, things were pretty bleak in the boating industry, so I took a job at a national research laboratory. After working there for a while, they paid for my MBA, and I have been with this organization for 32 years....I am truly a dinosaur, but all and all it has been a pretty good run.
While I was an ok engineer, I was a much better financial analyst and manager. So, that was were I made my greatest contribution. I am preparing for retirement next year, and the pace at work has slowed quite a bit. I would like to do something freelance, but don't really have a clue what that would be. The most important thing will be finding something that gives me a feeling of contributing.
As you think about a major, think about how you want to contribute when you graduate. Also, try to be flexible and broadly prepare yourself for the future. Remember, the field you will work in might not even exist at the present time. Ten years ago, how many people worked in social media???
There are really only a few undergraduate degrees that brand you for a job; Engineering, Computer Science, Accounting and Finance. As a person that studied Engineering and Finance, I think it would be a sad world if young people only studied these branded fields. My daughter is a Government major at a great liberal arts university, and that is just fine with me. She will need to work a bit harder to find that first professional job, but I am confident it will work out in the long run because she is getting a great education, and she is passionate about working in not for profit or public sector.
Over the years, I have hired and managed a fair number of people. Training people in technical job responsibilities is relatively easy. Finding people with good communication and "meet and deal" skills is very very difficult.
MBA - Finance
When I started college as an engineering student, I really wanted to design and build sailboats when I graduated. I am an avid and competitive sailor. But, when I graduated in 1982, things were pretty bleak in the boating industry, so I took a job at a national research laboratory. After working there for a while, they paid for my MBA, and I have been with this organization for 32 years....I am truly a dinosaur, but all and all it has been a pretty good run.
While I was an ok engineer, I was a much better financial analyst and manager. So, that was were I made my greatest contribution. I am preparing for retirement next year, and the pace at work has slowed quite a bit. I would like to do something freelance, but don't really have a clue what that would be. The most important thing will be finding something that gives me a feeling of contributing.
As you think about a major, think about how you want to contribute when you graduate. Also, try to be flexible and broadly prepare yourself for the future. Remember, the field you will work in might not even exist at the present time. Ten years ago, how many people worked in social media???
There are really only a few undergraduate degrees that brand you for a job; Engineering, Computer Science, Accounting and Finance. As a person that studied Engineering and Finance, I think it would be a sad world if young people only studied these branded fields. My daughter is a Government major at a great liberal arts university, and that is just fine with me. She will need to work a bit harder to find that first professional job, but I am confident it will work out in the long run because she is getting a great education, and she is passionate about working in not for profit or public sector.
Over the years, I have hired and managed a fair number of people. Training people in technical job responsibilities is relatively easy. Finding people with good communication and "meet and deal" skills is very very difficult.
