By Larry Wasserman (OF)
Ode to My Summer
When I went through recruiting late last year
My summer plans remained still ill-defined
Though banking brought me nausea, dread and fear
I thought consulting might not be a grind.
So I applied to BCG and Bain
Booz Allen, Monitor, not many more
They all said, “Dude, your efforts are in vain”
And, bluntly put, each one showed me the door.
But lo, McKinsey, hired me. Hooray!
My sorrow turned to joy, delight, and glee
The work I did affects us all today
My client was a junk mail company.
I made new friends, worked hard and gave ’em hell
And got a ton of hotel points as well.
by Katy Huang (OC)
Do I love 15 weeks of vacation! I headed back home to London for a week and caught up with family and friends. My parents and I decided to circle Ireland by car for a week – definitely very rainy and green. I then spent a week relaxing in Boston before I started my summer marketing internship with BEA Systems in San Francisco for nine weeks. That’s excluding the mandatory week off for Independence Day, which meant more road-trips around the California countryside – I loved the Yosemite waterfalls. The grand finale was a two-week vacation in Hawaii. I was most impressed by Big Island – we saw sea turtles and colorful tropical fish snorkeling up close, red hot lava coming out of volcanic ground and dolphins at the Hilton’s pool near the beautiful Hapuna beach!
by Jim Verbeeten (OB)
Unlike most of my classmates, I did not work. Having a job to go back to after graduation, I figured I’d take it easy. I sublet my SFP apartment and took the proceeds to see cheap countries for a few months. So I traveled throughout Indonesia and Southeast Asia. A few random things I did there:
– After someone found out I studied at HBS, I taught a session on strategy at a university in Medan, Indonesia. Not sure if they really got Porter’s five forces, but they were eager to know more about HBS. It’s amazing how far the HBS brand name reaches.
– I played (would love to say starred, but that just would not be true) in episode 153 of soap Kehormatan next to local hero Primus Yustisio, which was aired on Indonesian television on August 7. As things got delayed while waiting for Mr. Superstar, I put my negotiation skills to the test and doubled my pay from $10 to $20. I mean, what was their BATNA anyway if I would walk from the set?
– I helped a small apparel manufacturer better plan its production and developed a business plan to grow the business, in which I now am a proud investor. To some it might be called a sweatshop, from another perspective it provides employment and a place to sleep for people with little alternatives.
I know some of my friends were hoping to hear something seedier, but let’s keep that for discussion over a beer sometime, shall we?
