| I'd offer six suggestions to young people thinking about | | | | some, but not right for others. Fourth, find a great |
| a career in management. First, make sure that | | | | mentor or supervisor and a good company to work |
| management is right for you-that you really enjoy | | | | for. Again, the point is that you have choices-in |
| marketing or finance or human resource management | | | | graduate schools, in careers, in companies to work for. |
| or corporate communications and other aspects of | | | | Everyone entering any profession is eager to find that |
| organizational life and management responsibilities. | | | | wonderful first job and to get a fast break. But take |
| Take the test by working for a company or an | | | | time to be sure that you will be proud to say that this |
| organization to see whether it feels great-challenging | | | | is where you work and that you have an opportunity |
| but appropriate, hard but enjoyable. Management isn't | | | | to learn from people who you respect. You will spend |
| right for everyone, so take the time to explore and | | | | more time at work than with your family, so make |
| invest in a couple of internships, even if they are | | | | sure that the company you keep is one that you really |
| unpaid, to see what it's really like and whether it meets | | | | enjoy, can growth with, and learn from. Fifth, |
| and matches your career aspirations and professional | | | | remember that management is basically about people |
| personal needs. Second, get as much experience as | | | | and organizations, about doing things right and doing |
| you can before entering graduate school and going for | | | | the right thing. Good management is needed in every |
| the MBA. This might mean taking three or more years | | | | sector of our society-business, to be sure, but also in |
| off between college and business school, or it might | | | | the not-for-profit sector, which is 10% of our economy, |
| just mean packing a lot of relevant management and | | | | and in government, which is about a third. So think |
| leadership activities into your life at an early age. The | | | | about applying what you know about management not |
| point is that you will be able to bring those experiences | | | | only in a business, but also in a public agency or in a |
| to the classroom, which will make the learning more | | | | community organization where the demand and need |
| relevant-and will make you not just a student, but a bit | | | | for skills is high. And, lastly, think about using your |
| of a teacher as well. Third, be discriminating about | | | | management training to do well and also to do good. |
| where you decide to get that MBA. It's a buyer's | | | | Peter Drucker, considered the founder of modern |
| market, which means that there are literally hundreds | | | | management and the person for whom my school is |
| of schools to choose between. Find the right fit in | | | | named, asked: "What do you want to be remembered |
| terms of not only location and reputation, but | | | | for?" Even as you set out on your career, find a |
| institutional culture. Some schools focus on placement, | | | | balance and look for opportunities to not only be |
| others on finance; some on research, others mainly on | | | | successful but to do something significant. Society |
| teaching. We at the Drucker School, for instance, offer | | | | needs your talent and ambition and skills and energy; |
| an unusually intimate setting with small classes; a very | | | | we also need your idealism and creativity and |
| diverse, global student body; and a values-oriented | | | | commitment to leaving the world better than you found |
| approach that emphasizes ethics, integrity, strategy, | | | | it. |
| leadership and teamwork-which makes us perfect for | | | | |