IDEO, Tech career forum and Open Weekend

1) Wednesday we had a cool presentation from Mat Hunter, IDEO's Global Director, Consumer Experience Practice. Very interesting stuff. I first heard about IDEO on a Managing Organizational Behaviour class, when we were shown a video tape with a IDEO team brainstorming and designing a new shopping cart. This design strategy and design thinking concepts are, in my opinion, much more interesting and successful ways of selling consulting services than the usual old-timer boring McKinsey Bain BCG ways.

2) Today was the Technology Career Forum. Interesting companies came on campus, to present some of the summer and full-time opportunities they have available. Activision, Skype, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, just to name a few. Not all of them have summer internships, but at least I got some good leads that I will 'actively' follow up :-) Great event.

3) This weekend is the MBA2008's open weekend. And I'm feeling nostalgic... It was already one year ago when I came to London on a Friday, feeling very anxious, and entered that restaurant to meet some of my current friends (that was also the day I was tatoo'ed for the first time :-) ). The day after that we had a reception at the school with the Dean and student representatives. God, how I was excited about all that! I had just been accepted by my favourite school and was about to start this MBA dream! It feels kind of strange now... mainly when work starts piling up and stress levels start to reach ridiculous levels and I forget that I'M HERE! This is why I was all that excited about one year ago. This was my dream! I'm living it! And I better make good use of it! Interesting how one's perceptions and emotions change. Anyway, the next time I feel like kicking my laptop and cursing everything I will try to stop for a couple of seconds and realize how fortunate I am. Not everyone has the chance to fulfill a dream.

I'm so envious of the new MBA class! :-) If there's any MBA2008 reading this, please take this simple piece of advice: live your MBA to the maximum. It's one hell of an experience.

PS: I volunteered to help on this year's Open Weekend. My role will be to meet the new class at a nearby pub, have some drinks and talk to them. My kind of job!