When you’re a new college graduate applying for graduate school, it can be very intimidating. You look at the percentage of graduate students who have full-time jobs and are much older than you and you become nervous. I know the feeling all too well. In the fall of 2013, I entered my first semester of the Liautaud MBA program. A lot of things went on during the fall orientation; however, the only two words I remember were “Informational Interviews.” Jeff Wilson, Director of Liautaud Career Services, spoke about how informational interviews were essential to figuring out what you want to do career-wise and gaining connections. The fact that I was being encouraged to ask someone for their time and sit down and question them about their career frightened me. Following orientation, Liautaud hosted a social, a.k.a a networking event, at a local pub (like I wasn’t already nervous enough). Needless to say, all of these events made me extremely nervous, and I was terrified of public speaking, until I enrolled in MBA 590 Improvisation and Leadership with Michael Popowits.
As cliché as it may sound, this course was truly life-changing. I saw the faces of fear from the first day of class evolve into confident, calm expressions by the last day of the course. Though the class experienced nerve-wrecking activities and unexpected improvisation assignments, we endured and gained self-assurance more and more each day. In November, I saw a posting for an internship career fair at Discovery Communications in Silver Springs, Maryland. I really wanted to go but then again who wants to pay for a roundtrip for a possible internship? In short, I took the risk, booked the flight, and attended the fair. I used all the information that Popowits and the assigned books introduced me to and took along my new found poise as well. Two weeks ago, I received a call offering me a marketing internship with Discovery Communications. Did I take it? Heck yea!
I recommend this class to anyone who is eligible to enroll and if you are ineligible, I advise that you write a letter to someone who would be able to change that! MBA 590 Improvisation and Leadership is the reason why I am a Discovery Communications intern, and is also responsible for the confidence that I have gained in such a short period of time. Thank you Michael Popowits!