MBA-baby

Thursday was devoted to thinking about my future. As my friend so aptly pointed out I could write a memoir entitled The Torment of Being Annabel simply on the topic of career decisions alone.

My public relations internship is coming to an end in two weeks. My work at West Elm has been halted for the time being due to budget constraints. As of Wednesday I have picked up a part-time job at an art gallery in Jacksonville Beach just to have some sort of cash flow, especially for the holiday season. Each passing moment is one step closer to being free from the responsibilities that have kept me in Jacksonville. I have wanted to move to DC (and dream of it constantly) since I moved here.

Last weekend I spent some time in Charleston celebrating my 23 birthday. My time in Charleston cannot be described as anything except serendipitous. I love that city; each return visit is like seeing a friend again: a close, vibrant, beautiful, charming and cultured Southern friend.

The purpose of my trip north was strictly for pleasure, which is why the events of last Friday were so interesting. Friday morning, after narrowly escaping being towed, I ventured to the Beatty Center in hopes of catching up with a few of my old professors. No luck. Each office I visited was locked, dark and empty. While standing on the third floor, getting ready to leave the Beatty Center, a certain ‘friend’ surprised me. We ‘chatted’ for a few minutes in the back staircase (which I never knew existed until this particular ‘friend’ brought me there.) until he left in order to go take an exam. I left the way I came and he went down the back stairs. No sooner did the door open and I stepped out into the main area of the third floor did I immediately run into the professor I had been most eager to see.

Thirty minutes later I had all but enrolled in the College of Charleston’s accelerated MBA program. 2010 was the inaugural year for CofC’s new MBA program and it appears the program has not only been very successful but it’s quite a strong program at that. I reviewed the curriculum with my professor and independently and can confidently say I am impressed. Not only am I impressed with the class offerings but the heavy hitters involved are also impressive: retired top tier executives from Lacoste and General Mills to name just two. I am seriously considering applying. If I were to enroll I would begin the MBA program in the summer of 2011 and complete it exactly a year later in 2012. I am seriously considering this for four specific reasons. First of all, I was a French major with a Business Administration minor and am constantly kicking myself for not double-majoring. I enjoyed studying business and the mechanics behind its operations. At this point I wish I had the education to supplement my experience, especially within the realms of Finance and Accounting. Second, I have the option to specialize in Marketing or Finance. I’ll probably choose Marketing but I feel as though the program at CofC will fill in the knowledge gaps I currently have in both subjects. Next, I have always wanted to eventually own my own business. I gave up on government long ago as the best way to change the world. Money is the name of the game. Lastly, I am more than ready to get the #$%* out of Jacksonville. It’s like living in a stale-air, stifling, suffocating shoebox.

Ever since I spoke with my professor all I can think about is the opportunities that will be available to me upon graduating with an MBA. Not only will I have a masters degree but I’ll also finally have rounded out my business education in a city that I absolutely adore.

DC may have to wait.