What job gets you laid the most?

January 4, 2011 – 5:39 am

What job gets you laid the most?
–Edward

The Harvard MBA says:

There are a number of careers that seem particularly suited to providing men with ample opportunities for sex.  Just off the top of my head, these include professional athlete, rock star, movie star, billionaire, fireman, pimp, and U.S. Senator.

However, these answers aren’t that useful, because most of us lack the talent to pursue any of these careers.  In terms of mainstream careers, the equation is probably Money + Glamor + Access.  For example, strip club manager gives you great access, but probably doesn’t help you too much with money or glamor.

The best bet is probably to pursue a career in finance.  It’s the most reliable way of getting rich, and most of your colleagues will be fat, balding men, which may help you look more attractive simply by way of contrast.  It also comes with a much lower chance of being shot than being a pimp.  And if you end up in jail, it’s probably a much nicer jail.

A dark horse career to consider comes by way of Mike Rowe, of Discovery’s “Dirty Jobs.”  Mike’s first job was as an opera singer in a local opera company.  He intended to stay in the job for 6 months, simply as a back door to a Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) card.  He ended up staying a number of years, once he discovered the following:

1) Despite the jokes we tell about fat ladies singing, local opera companies are dominated by attractive young women

2) The few men who sing opera locally are usually either married or gay

As the only young, single, heterosexual male around, Mike reports that he did very well.  Enough to convince him to stay in the opera company for 6 years.

In other words, keep an open mind.  If everyone thinks a job will help them get laid, the employer will be swamped with applicants, and you’ll have a harder time achieving success–both on the job, and in the bedroom.  If you can channel your inner Mike Rowe and find a job which is off the beaten path (and off the path to beating off), you may find yourself in a good position–or positions.  And if you do find this magical career, be sure to report back, so that you can share the wealth with the Ask The Harvard MBA community.

By admin | Posted in answer, relationships | Comments (7)

I come from a family of engineers, but want a career in business. Is it okay to start small?

December 22, 2010 – 12:59 am

I’ve just completed my Bachelor’s in Engineering but I never wanted to pursue a career in it. I’ve always been interested in marketing and sales or management related jobs.

Since I come from a family of engineers it was naturally expected of me to take up engineering. No room for argument. Anyways now that I have completed my degree, I’ve embarked on the tough journey of finding non-engineering-related jobs for myself. After many attempts  I have finally landed one as a project management trainee in a small company. My parents are not very happy but I am tired of sitting at home, unemployed. I want to pursue an MBA at a prestigious college in the US but not immediately since I don’t have much experience.

My job is in the financial capital of my country and it is a place of immense opportunities. This job will open many doors for me since most of the fortune 500 companies and other stalwarts are based there. It seems like I know the answer to my dilemma but I need someone to tell me if it is wrong or right to start small.

–B

The Harvard MBA Says:

While engineering is a wonderful profession (I highly recommend engineering majors to those who choose to attend college), the most important thing is to find a profession that fits with your strengths and passions.

It sounds like while engineering is in your blood, you really gravitate towards the world of business.  Given that fact, I think taking a job in business is exactly the right thing to do.  How are you supposed to know whether you’re correct in your choice in professions without experience?  If you went on and did your MBA without working first, you might find that you didn’t actually enjoy business, and would really have wasted quite a bit of time and effort.

If you want to make it easier on your family, you should point out that until you’ve tried your hand at business, you’ll always wonder, and you’ll end up being a half-hearted engineer.  Hold out the hope that if you discover you don’t like business, you’ll settle down and put that engineering degree to good use.

Right now, both you and your family are arguing about your future without any evidence.  Go work, gather the evidence, and it will make the argument easier and a correct decision more likely.

By admin | Posted in answer, career | Comments (3)

Why do Asian people love real estate so much?

December 7, 2010 – 6:57 pm

Why do Asian people love real estate so much?
–Shane

The Harvard MBA says:

An excellent question! I can’t speak for Asians in their own countries, but I can talk about Asian landlords here in America.  For example, in my neck of the woods (Palo Alto, CA) it seems like the majority of landlords are Chinese.

I suspect that several factors are in play. First, because many Asian countries are crowded, I suspect that Asian immigrants to America have a predisposition to valuing property.

Second, real estate investing requires capital, patience, and frugality–traits that fit well with the admired virtues in many Asian cultures.

Third, being a successful landlord does not depend on language skills or existing connections, making it particularly attractive to immigrants.

Finally, real estate is a very tax-advantaged investment, which makes it attractive to many thrifty Asians.

In summary, real estate is a tax-advantaged investment that doesn’t require language skills, and rewards capital, patience, and frugality.  In other words, it is as attractive to Asians as the Toyota Avalon (Lexus quality at Toyota price)!

Another day, I’ll write about the Chinese Landlord Principle, and how you can turn it to your advantage.

Bonus Asian-American humor: High Expectations Asian Father

By admin | Posted in race, realestate | Comments (3)

My friends say an MBA after the age of 30 won’t do me any good. Are they right?

September 8, 2010 – 5:18 am

I am 29-year-old successful telecommunications professional currently working as manager in a multinational telecom concern.

I am planning to apply to HBS through the Fulbright Scholarship Program. If inducted, I would be able to study anywhere within the US (provided I get the admission).

This plan would mean an admission into HBS (if i ever get close to it) or for that matter any other decent business school at an age of 31 and that I would have completed my MBA by the age of 33.

Many of my friends are advising me against this plan. They say that an MBA degree after the age of 30 won’t do me good.

I need your experienced take on this subject.

–Farukh

The Harvard MBA says:

Farukh,

I’ll keep it short and sweet, rather than doing  a whole discounted cash flow analysis:

I have plenty of friends who did their MBA after the age of 30.  It had a major impact on their career, and I know they don’t regret it one bit.

Given the continuing increase in human lifespan, the difference between getting your MBA at 29 and 33 is negligible.  It’s like saying that if you can’t get a driver’s license before the age of 19, you shouldn’t bother.

Another option, perhaps lower-risk, is to do an online MBA.  That way you don’t have to give up your job or relocate.  The rewards in terms of networking and connections won’t be as great, but it may be a better risk-reward ratio for your needs.

Your friends may be well-meaning, but in this case, you should reject their advice.

By admin | Posted in answer, mba | Comments (4)

I’m a professional athlete? What are my chances of getting into HBS?

August 15, 2010 – 8:01 pm

I’m in the process of applying to HBS. I grew up in Russia, emigrated to Toronto, Canada when I was 15.

I graduated from Purdue business school with 3.6 (while being a student-athlete); had internships as a research analyst in Washington and in sales and trading in New York. And currently working part-time with a Sports Agency in Russia in the marketing department… Last year I played professional basketball in France, and signed another contract in Spain for this year. What are my chances of getting in?

While I know that I can bring something very unique to class, am I too out there with perhaps not enough experience or experience that is irrelevant (pro athlete?)  :) Let me know what you think please! Save me the 300 dollar application fee :)

–Natalia

The Harvard MBA says:

Not only is this the first question I’ve received from a professional athlete (a trend that I hope continues–I’ll be happy to jump you to the front of the line, Kobe Bryant!), Natalia also used some very clever tactics to reach out to me (which I will not disclose for fear of triggering a series of copycats).  It just goes to show you that you can stand out by taking a novel approach.

The good news for you, Natalia, is that you have a lot of things going for you.  You’re international, a professional athlete, someone who has worked overseas, and a woman.  In addition, you’ve already proven your ability to handle the academic side of business school by doing well at Purdue, and with your traditional business roles in research and sales & trading.

Provided you can get a decent GMAT score and get some good recommendations, I’d say your $300 will be well spent.

As a side note for everyone else, that is one of the keys to gaining admission–you need to stand out, but you also need to show that you’ll be able to handle the routine work.  If you have an amazing and unusual background, make sure you do something conventional (management consulting, I-banking) to show that you can handle the mundane.  And if you have a mundane background, for goodness sakes, do something to stand out from the crowd.  There are many more people who get an 800 on the GMAT each year than can gain admission to HBS; high test scores and GPAs are necessary but not sufficient.

By admin | Posted in admissions, answer, mba | Comments (5)

I just got an MBA in finance, but I have no experience, and can’t get a job. What should I do?

July 17, 2010 – 1:52 pm

“I just got a MBA in Finance and now I don’t know what to do.  My experience has been mostly engineering so I have no finance experience, but I want to go into finance.  The economy sucks.  What should I do?”
–Adam

The Harvard MBA says:
Almost every employer prefers to hire employees with previous relevant experience, and with good reason.  All other things being equal, they’d rather hire a proven commodity.  Therefore, you need a two-pronged strategy.  One, you need to make sure that all other things are decidedly *NOT* equal.  And two, you need to prove yourself in a hurry.

Ask yourself what you can do to stand out from other potential hires, and to prove your ability to do the job.  For example, suppose you researched a company you wanted to work for, and discovered that they were working on an important problem.  You could put together your own solution to the problem, complete with detailed statistical analysis and specific proof points.  If you walked in the door with a 40-page report that specifically addressed their most pressing needs, you’d probably stand out, and you’d also go a long way towards proving yourself.

Another possibility is to volunteer to work for free.  When the economy sucks, it’s tough for employers to resist free labor, and once you’re in, if you can make yourself indispensable, they’re not going to want to let you go.

Finally, you may want to consider working for a lower-tier firm.  Certainly everyone always wants to work for a brand name firm, but you’re better off working for a no-name firm where you can pick up actual experience than sitting around filling out job applications that are doomed to be rejected.  If you end up as a big fish in a small pond, expect to be poached pretty quickly.

By admin | Posted in answer, career, recession | Comments (10)

Free iPhone GMAT Prep for Ask The Harvard MBA Readers

June 22, 2010 – 10:49 pm

Dear readers,

In addition to answering your questions, I also moonlight as an advisor to a number of different startups.  One of these startups, TestSoup, should be of interest to most of you.

TestSoup provides mobile flashcards for test prep on your iPhone or BlackBerry, so you can study for the GMAT (or GRE) whenever you have a free moment.

Normally, TestSoup is $9.95/year, but its CEO, Brian Reese, has a special deal for you.  If you vote for TestSoup in the Discovering Startups competition, and you post the link on Twitter or Facebook, he’ll give you free access to the test prep of your choice–GMAT, GRE, or AF PDG.

Just vote, sign up for a free TestSoup account, and email Brian with your choice, and you’ll get 1 free year of TestSoup.

Back when I studied for the GMAT, I was a cheapskate and picked up a 5-year-old GMAT prep book at the used book store for $0.50–this is even better, because it’s free!

If you’re interested, act fast, because the Discovering Startups contest ends at the end of the month.

By admin | Posted in giveaway, mba | Comments (0)

My spouse got into HBS; what can I expect as a partner?

June 13, 2010 – 6:20 pm

My fiance who is 24 recently got accepted and will be attending HBS. I myself am 24 and was curious how big of a role I will play, i.e. drinking with her section and so on, and what to expect as a male partner?  I will also be attending an MBA program in Boston at the same time.
–Brandon

The Harvard MBA says:

Congratulations to both you and your fiancee!  You’re fortunate to be able to be together in the same city during your MBA programs.  I have seen many other couples who didn’t have that opportunity.

The role you play in your fiancee’s section is really up to you.  You can be as involved or uninvolved as you wish (and as your own studies permit).  I’ve seen everything from partners who were almost completely uninvolved to the point of anonymity, to partners who were so involved that many thought they were the student, and the actual student the partner.

I would encourage you to do what comes naturally.  Don’t forget, you’ll have your own social life to attend to–part of the benefit for you as a couple is that you can tap into two different networks, and it would be a mistake to focus so much on HBS that you neglected your own classmates.

By admin | Posted in answer, relationships, social skills | Comments (1)

I switched to liberal arts to help find a girl; should I go back to engineering for my career?

May 22, 2010 – 1:48 pm

Hi Mr. Harvard MBA, love your blog.  Sorry for a slightly longer question, but this is about my college/life and is both important to me and also utterly confused me as to what to do.  Basically, I go to a pretty good University.  Actually, one of the best in my country.  I’m doing Computer Science because I’ve been programming since I was in grade 8, and always thought I had a natural affinity for it.  However, about a year and a half into the program, I realized I just couldn’t focus enough to accomplish the grade requirements needed for the math and logic courses.

It wasn’t because it was too hard.  Rather, it was just because I found my attention straying to other things.  You see, I’ve been single for about 4 years now, and while that can be attributed to various factors in my life, a huge portion of my passion and interest lies in being more social, going out, working out, making friends etc…in general, helping my case in finding a girl.

I thought I’d accommodate this quest temporarily and enrolled into a joint English/Philosophy/History major for a year.  As it turned out, it was a lot more interesting then I imagined, and I’m achieving constant B’s and A’s (as oppose to my C- in Com Sci).  Secondly, it gives me loads more time to do the things I never did in high school, such as joining sports teams and traveling.  I guess to sum up, I’m faced with the dilemma of career vs. relationship.  I don’t think I want to sacrifice either, and I honestly don’t know which is more important or how things will even pan out in the long run.  So what’s your take on the situation, and should I go back to Com Sci for a better career, or stick with what I’m doing now and hope for the best after graduation?
–Mike

The Harvard MBA says:

Mike, your situation is not unique.  It is absolutely true that doing a challenging Science/Engineering degree at a top-flight school will dramatically improve your prospects of landing a high-paying job at a prestigious company when you graduate.

It is also absolutely true that doing a challenging Science/Engineering degree takes a lot more time than something in the Humanities, and leaves far less time for sports, travel, and getting girls.  No one ever says, “Damn, those CS students get all the girls.”

Unfortunately, there is no way to have your cake and eat it too.  If it were easy to get a Science/Engineering degree, it would no longer serve as an effective screening factor for high-paying jobs at prestigious companies.  However, there is one approach that may allow you to do both.

While prestigious companies care a lot about your degree, you don’t need a CS degree from a top school to succeed as an entrepreneur.  In fact, any degree from a top school will pretty much signal that you have the raw mental horsepower to succeed.  But if you want to use your programming skills to succeed as an entrepreneur, you need to make sure that you hone those skills.  This honing can take place outside the classroom, and might take less time than doing a complete CS degree (which, by the way, doesn’t necessarily help you be a great programmer).

If I were you, I might try coding some interesting apps, if not starting a company.  (The problem with starting a company is that it will consume even more time than your CS classes!).  If it seems like you can build your programming muscles without the tedium of your CS classes, go ahead and complete your humanities degree, play your sports, see the world, and enjoy the company of the ladies.  When you graduate (and you are no longer surrounded by so many attractive and eligible women) you can turn your attention to entrepreneurship full-time, and your lack of an official degree will be less of a handicap.

By admin | Posted in answer, career, college, relationships | Comments (3)

Should I attend HBS or get a Masters in Finance from MIT?

April 17, 2010 – 3:24 pm

“I have been admitted to both the HBS MBA and the MIT M.Fin.  I know I want a career in finance. Which one should I chose?”
–Edward

The Harvard MBA says:

Edward, congratulations on your achievement.  The good news is, there is no wrong answer.  You have two wonderful options.

I am not a finance expert (except for when it comes to angel investing and venture capital), so I don’t know about the relative attractiveness of an HBS MBA versus an MIT M.Fin.  It may very well be that the M.Fin. offers some advantages over the MBA.  But I tend to subscribe to the “best athlete available” approach to life.

This is a term that comes from professional sports, where teams selecting new players in an amateur draft can choose to draft “for need”–that is, to fill a specific need on their team such as quarterback or power forward–or to draft “the best athlete available” regardless of what position he or she plays.

History is littered with examples of how drafting for need is a bad long-term approach.  The classic story here is basketball star Michael Jordan.  The Houston Rockets had the first pick in the draft, and chose Hall-of-Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, the consensus #1 pick, and ended up winning two championships during Olajuwon’s career.  The Portland Trailblazers held the second pick, and had to choose between drafting Michael Jordan, who was the consensus #2 player in the draft, but who played the same position, shooting guard, as their best player, Clyde Drexler, and Kentucky center Sam Bowie, who would fill a glaring need for a center.

The Trailblazers selected Bowie, and the rest is history.  Jordan won 6 championships with the Bulls, who selected him with the 3rd pick in the draft, and Bowie’s injury-plagued career never resulted in a Trailblazer championship.

In contrast, the Los Angeles Lakers have made two critical decisions where they selected the best athlete available.  In 1979, the Lakers selected Magic Johnson with the first pick in the draft, even though they already had All-Star point guard Norm Nixon.  The result was 5 championships.  In 1996, the Lakers traded Vlade Divac for a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant, even though no guard had ever successfully jumped from high school to the pros, and even though they already had All-Star shooting guard Eddie Jones.  The result was 4 championships and counting.

The point is, life is full of uncertainty.  I believe that a Harvard MBA is more flexible, and thus the “best athlete available” rather than the MIT M.Fin, which represents “drafting for need.”  I would go for the Harvard MBA.  But of course, I’m biased!

By admin | Posted in answer, career, finance, mba | Comments (4)