One of the big questions for next year is ... what comes next? What do I do, once I've quit my job, gone to school in Germany for a year and have two MBAs (one from the US and one from Germany).
As a general goal, I want to do something that matters ... something that I can see matters. I'm sure going on vacation matters, but to quote an old co-worker: no one has ever died because they couldn't check-in to a timeshare.The very thought is ludicrous (and I'm sure, by typing this, someone is going to get murdered for this exact reason in the near future. I will be flummoxed.).
Thinking of "things that matter", I mentally gravitate to NGOs - especially as it's one of the areas of concentration available to me. On the other, I have heard truly appalling things about the (non-existent) level of professionalism in the world of non-profits, and I'm not really sure I want to deal with that.
I've been in a massive company for 9 years. I am curious about smaller companies, but, again, the rumors of the unprofessionalism abound. Sure, that is likely a mixed bag across industries, and will vary by the tone set in each company. Still, it's something to be aware of, along with my low tolerance for bad behavior.
This morning, my LinkedIn email from my alma mater included a link to GE's ECLP - Experienced Commercial Leadership Program. It's a competitive program lasting 2 years, with 3 rotations (generally geographically and always functionally diverse) where 100 associates are given the chance to learn and to shine in GE's corporation. There don't seem to be a lot of reviews of the program online. The company in general gets rave reviews online, generally, with the caveat that entry level is underpaid (I know! It's shocking!!) and that career progression can be frustrating so maybe don't plan to stay in the longterm. At least that's what I'm seeing. Also, if you want to succeed plan on looong hours. Which, again, shocker. So, at a guess, many of the reviews are by younger workers, particularly the negative ones. You can pretty much expect anything flagged as from an Analyst as negative. By the time you get to Senior Analyst, Manager or Director, however, things are brighter and, let's be frank: I'm not starting at the Analyst level.
For once, I'm seeing this potential opportunity well in advance of application deadlines - applications go in October, decisions are made in November, program starts mid-July. Which ... would be perfect, actually, if I don't want to take any vacation after school.
So ... that's a thought
