Summer Reflection

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Coming up on my second and final year I would like to reflect on what’s happened since I last wrote; particularly my summer and internship in NYC. After school ended I had about a month before my internship started in NYC, giving me a lot of time to chill before my expected 100+ hour weeks at the bank. I decided to spend half of that month in Austin and the second two weeks in NYC.The first two weeks in Austin consisted of hanging out by the pool at Gregory Gym by day and downtown Austin by night. It was a pretty cushy way to spend two weeks in what I consider to be one of the best cities in America, especially without any obligations – work or school. By the end of the first two weeks of the break, there were fewer and fewer of my fellow students around as many of them were off to their internships already, so once June 1st came around it was good that it was time to head to NYC.

Before starting work I had a few friends already scheduled to visit me – the first group, two days after I arrived, came in from London. The apartment I was staying in was a one bedroom apartment on the upper west side and big for 1 person, but for some reason seemed very small for 3 girls and 2 guys. It’s a good thing we spent very little time in the apartment and did a few touristy things during the day and out at night. Though it was great to see them, I was not disappointed to see them leave as I definitely needed a few days off before work started on the 15th. Unfortunately, those days off would be short-lived as the second visitor came only a day after the Londoners left. A friend from McCombs who was also doing banking, but in Houston for the summer, was in NYC for training and needed a place to stay for a couple days before his training started. The weekend wasn’t as debaucherous as the previous week of guests, in fact he forced me to go for a couple runs – which I hate to do, but was definitely good for me.

The long-awaited day finally arrived and on June 15th I started my internship with training down in the Financial District. Training was to last 4 days, and I would be at my desk in midtown at the end of the fourth day. Starting the internship I had 4 goals: 1) find out if banking was something I could do, 2) find out if banking was something I wanted to do, 3) find out if I wanted to do it in the group I was in, 4) fill out my skill set to include a technical and analytical aptitude to build complex excel models. The internship started off very slow and for the first week or so it was a “hurry up and wait” situation. As an eager intern I really wanted to get my hands dirty in some work and wasn’t given the chance until the start of the 3rd week. At that point I was given responsibility of running a project that was to be a pitch to a very large private software company that provided services to the financial services industry.

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Swimming in the Flood

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Over the last couple of months I have had “Manners”, the debut full-length release by current indie favorite Passion Pit, in heavy rotation on my Ipod. I guess I have a thing for synth-heavy electro pop. For more on their awesomeness, check out Paul Shirley’s blog on Espn.com.

Anyway, one of my favorite tracks on the album is “Swimming in the Flood,” and I have realized over the past couple of weeks that not only is the song a great five minute escape from the rigors of Financial Accounting, but also a near perfect description of my first three weeks at McCombs.

A packed week of orientation activity, followed by an intense week if pre-term academic boot camps, leading up to my first week of classes, has left me feeling like I am swimming in a flood. It has been a flood of people, places, experiences, concepts, cultures, classes and, most importantly, of opportunities. It has been simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting. Since we started three weeks ago there has rarely been a moment of rest, and as I look at my schedule for the next week I realize that we are only getting started.

This is a good thing. This is why I removed myself from the workforce and came to a place like McCombs. I wanted to be challenged and I wanted to be taken out of my comfort zone. So far neither desire has gone unfulfilled. A rapidly escalating load of course material has provided ample academic challenge, while presenting during orientation’s Executive Challenge and defending my (sometime erroneous) opinions to my study team have forced me to both embrace constructive criticism and approach problems from a different perspective.

It’s all happening very quickly now, but I feel great about being in Austin. My decision to come here has been constantly reinforced through interaction with my classmates and professors alike.  Before I got to campus, people told me that the biggest challenge would be finding time to do everything that I hoped to accomplish in two years. I can see that this is clearly going to be the case as I make tough decisions regarding the allocation of my time across groups, organizations, Plus projects and academic challenges over the course of the semester. All of this while trying to enjoy all the vibrancy of Austin!

So while it feels like a bit of a flood now, it is a great one to be swimming in. I’ll do my best to keep my head above water and communicate what the first year experience is all about. In the meantime, if there is something you would like to see me blog about, or if you have any questions about life at McCombs, drop me an email at Kevin.Burke@mba11.mccombs.utexas.edu (or follow me on Twitter – kburke1).

Until then, hook ‘em!

It’s All Happening

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I decided to apply to business school over two years ago.  For a long time it was just a talking point, something to insert into casual conversation.  When I made my final decision to attend McCombs in May, I thought that was a sizable reality check.  I signed my name, paid my dues, and committed myself to moving to a new city and jump starting a new career, but it still felt surreal.  Even my first three weeks in Austin carried a strong undertone of “is this really happening?”  In fact, the concept of going “back to school” did not hit me until this week- the first week of classes. As of August 17th, I am a full time student.  I ride the bus to school, I pack my lunch, and I hang out on campus from 8am to 5pm on a daily basis.  If orientation felt like summer camp, this week feels a bit like kindergarten.  Despite having been a student for 18 years of my life this experience is truly unique.

When I was preparing to come to business school someone told me I would find myself doing things that I never imagined.  So far I find this to be 100% accurate. In the last three weeks I’ve found myself engaging in activities that have both amused and challenged me. I entered my first fantasy football draft (and consequently learned the rules of fantasy football), played dizzy bat and engaged in a wheelbarrow race as part of the cohort games, went wine tasting in Fredricksburg (a big deal for a California wine snob), furnished my apartment by visiting every thrift store in the greater Austin area, went to a AAA baseball game, visited the oldest dance hall in Texas, and ate dinner at one of the most historic sites in Austin, the Driskill Hotel.

The Driskill Hotel embodies Texas. From the cow hide covered bar stools, to the gun shaped lanterns, this place bleeds Texas pride. Although the event was business professional, I still felt like I needed a giant belt buckle to truly fit in.

Our class descended on the Driskill for an Etiquette dinner, a meal in which we were to learn how to behave like ladies and gentlemen in every business interaction including dining experiences. I expected it to be a lesson in which fork to use, but it turned out to be much more. We discussed proper passing protocol, ordering techniques, payment procedure, meat carving, handshakes and kisses, along with the age old question of “what do you do if you have a piece of gristle in your mouth?” (Remove it with your thumb and forefinger apparently). It was a fantastic evening filled with delicious food, helpful tips, and a good deal of laughter.

Want more information about proper dining etiquette, or the transition to grad school? Email me at kalin.mckenna@mba11.mccombs.utexas.edu.

Summer in Austin

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I can’t believe that it has already been two months since graduation!  As you can imagine, finals were a whirlwind of projects and exams, but once that was over, it was time to celebrate!  The Graduate Business Council organized a 7-day extravaganza of “Disorientation” events in Austin, including a party barge on Lake Travis, floating the Guadalupe River, and renting the Alamo Drafthouse for a private screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  At the end of Disorientation, we found ourselves right back where we started two years ago at a family gathering at the Salt Lick BBQ.  What a way to end our Texas MBA adventures!  The next day, we graduated in Gregory Gym, and it was hard to believe that it was all over.

Party Barge on Lake Travis

 After the many nights of studying and celebrations, life does go on after the Texas MBA Program. Many of my classmates took a month to travel Europe and others began packing for their next move. As for me, I have spent my summer in Austin continuing to intern at the Austin Technology Incubator. I have learned so much and I am excited to continue to grow my experience with such a smart organization. In this tough economy, I am also continuing my search for a full-time job. It is definitely no easy feat, but with a lot of networking, I know something will work out. While many of my classmates are in my same position, we often joke that this recession is just one more thing that we’ll laugh about at our 10-year reunion.

Student Blog- Fresh Faces and Previous Pioneers

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One of the areas of the program that is often highlighted is the McCombs Alumni Network. Last figure I remember being quoted is that it is more than 75,000 members strong (although I’m sure that figure is somewhat dated given graduation by the classes of 2009). Last week, I had the opportunity to meet some of the newest members of the McCombs family as well as those who have paved the road ahead of us and have already graduated.

Wednesday, I attended a casual happy hour event for members of the TEMBA Class of 2012. I enjoyed meeting the new students and answering some of their questions and reassuring them that they made the right choice by choosing to pursue the program. Many asked for advice on how to balance the program with all of their other commitments, and my answer was that a strong support system both in and out of the program is essential. In just a few short weeks, they will step into the program via Orientation and then The Austin Intensive (the kick-off event for each program year). For any who I met or interacted with that night who may be reading this blog, I look forward to seeing you at the end of August…enjoy what’s left of your summer (it will be three years until you have one again!).

Then, on Thursday, I attended a networking event for McCombs alumni. This gave me perspective into some of the exciting pursuits that graduates are undertaking. Given the economic situation, many of the recent evening MBA grads found themselves with the same companies, but often in different roles. Some of the more seasoned graduates had stories to share about how the MBA was an opportunity opener for them. It was exciting to realize that next year, at this time, I’ll officially be an alumna.

And, for those of you who are reading this in anticipation of entering any one of the McCombs MBA programs, best wishes on your journey – from what I can tell, you’ll be joining a pretty esteemed group of professionals. Hook ‘em!

Summertime in the Mini Apple

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When I left Austin, it was 94 degrees and sunny. My first weekend after arriving in Minneapolis, it was 49 degrees and raining. I knew the weather would be an adjustment, but I had no idea the change would be so dramatic so early on. But first, let me back up a little.

I participated in on-campus recruiting early in the spring semester at McCombs, and was active in the interview process for a bunch of the companies that came down to interview for marketing positions. After several weeks of prepping, dinners, and first and second rounds of interviews, I was thrilled to get an internship offer from General Mills in their Consumer Insights function. This function, which falls under the Marketing umbrella (and includes market research, and studying and advocating for product development and innovation around the consumer), is a pretty unique opportunity among the sea of brand management positions that are recruited for at school. Having been an anthropology and psychology double major during my undergraduate years at Wash U, I was excited to finally have a true application for my liberal arts skills that could be freshly combined with my new business background. It seemed like the perfect fit. My offer letter came in the form of a Wheaties box, and I immediately got the catchy “go tell your mama what the big boys eat” jingle stuck in my head. I instantly knew I’d be heading up to Minneapolis for the summer.

I was lucky enough to have one of my best friends fly out from her home in Philadelphia to Austin to drive the 18 hours with me up to Minneapolis. After her whirlwind 24 hour trip to Austin that included a trip to Hula Hut, a bats sighting and taking in some tunes at the Mean Eyed Cat, we were off on our road trip adventure. After 18 hours of corn fields, casinos, and…cornfields, we arrived at our destination. General Mills assisted the interns with our housing, so all 30+ MBA GMI interns are living in the same place. Other MBA interns from 3M are also living in our building, and the Medtronic and Target interns are close by. We really have an intern family here, which is extremely nice. The interns at General Mills represent so many different schools – Harvard, Wharton, Indiana, Carnegie Mellon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wash U, Kellogg, Clark Atlanta, Emory and Michigan, to name a few. I am SO proud to be here representing McCombs.

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