Two months before starting my MBA, I retired from a 16-year career as a principal ballerina. It was a career I loved, but after years of juggling it and simultaneously founding a mentorship program, launching my own consulting company, and starting a nonprofit that trained ballet teachers around the globe, I was ready for a new challenge.
That pivot brought me to Fuqua. I showed up for Orientation carrying a lifetime in the arts, an eagerness to learn, and a five-month-old baby. One year later, I have a few hard-won lessons. While my path looked nothing like the person sitting next to me, I learned that it is not a weakness, it is an edge.
If I were starting over, here’s how I’d approach my first year.
The MBA moves fast, and you will feel pressure to follow the clearest path in front of you. Commonly, this is consulting and banking, due to their structured recruiting timelines. Before the noise of the first term kicks in, think through your career goals and map out plans A, B, and C.
For me, a role with a mission-driven health care company was my north star. Knowing early that consulting and banking were not for me saved real time, but I will be honest: I only had a plan A, and that was stressful. I got lucky, it worked out. If I could go back, I would not leave that to chance. Set your plans before you arrive, trust your instincts, and run.
You cannot be in five places at once, and the MBA will ask you to try. Make a clear ranking before you arrive so every decision has an easy answer. And know they will shift over your two years, but it is best to have a starting point.
Mine were non-negotiable:
I said no to a lot and felt FOMO (fear of missing out), but I never agonized over a decision. That clarity was one of the best things I did for myself all year.
Coffee chats can feel forced and their value unclear, but do not underestimate them. These connections become your advocates in ways a resume simply cannot. Use the alum database, talk to guest speakers, and always follow up.
I ended up interviewing with four people I had originally connected with through coffee chats. As someone pivoting both industry and function, from ballet to health care strategy, I had no built-in network to draw from. Coffee chats were how I built credibility from scratch. If you are making a big career pivot, this is your most powerful tool.
I put enormous pressure on myself about my summer internship. After 10 years at one organization, I had convinced myself that the company I interned with had to be my long-term fit.
Instead, consider the internship as your opportunity to try something out. Yes, you want a return offer, but it is equally valuable to discover what lights you up and what does not. I had to actively remind myself that this is a testing ground, not a final answer. Give yourself permission to learn from it.
Fuqua has so much to offer, and so does the rest of Duke. There are university-wide events, wellness resources, and entire academic communities that most Fuqua students never tap into.
For me, it was ballet. Wanting to keep it in my life, I started taking ballet classes with undergraduates at the beautiful Rubenstein Arts Center on Duke’s campus. It brought me a sense of joy and grounding that I did not realize I was missing. It connected me to students, professors, and graduate dance faculty from completely different walks of life.
Next year, I plan to stretch past the confines of Fuqua by taking a nonprofit management course through the Sanford School of Public Policy. Whatever your version of this looks like, find it. The best parts of your Duke experience might be waiting just outside the building.
The MBA is a lot of things at once: an academic experience, a career accelerator, a social community, and, depending on where you are in life, a personal challenge that runs parallel to everything else happening at home. As you get ready to start your first year, know that there is no single “right” way to do it. If you’re a non-traditional student, a career-pivoter, or someone juggling a personal life alongside school, just know that the Fuqua community has room for your whole story.
The post From Ballet to MBA: What Year One Taught Me appeared first on Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.
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How does this impact your International MBA decision?
I'd be glad to learn your thoughts on this story : From Ballet to MBA: What Year One Taught Me
That pivot brought me to Fuqua. I showed up for Orientation carrying a lifetime in the arts, an eagerness to learn, and a five-month-old baby. One year later, I have a few hard-won lessons. While my path looked nothing like the person sitting next to me, I learned that it is not a weakness, it is an edge.
If I were starting over, here’s how I’d approach my first year.
1. Come In With a Plan, and Make It Your Own
The MBA moves fast, and you will feel pressure to follow the clearest path in front of you. Commonly, this is consulting and banking, due to their structured recruiting timelines. Before the noise of the first term kicks in, think through your career goals and map out plans A, B, and C.
For me, a role with a mission-driven health care company was my north star. Knowing early that consulting and banking were not for me saved real time, but I will be honest: I only had a plan A, and that was stressful. I got lucky, it worked out. If I could go back, I would not leave that to chance. Set your plans before you arrive, trust your instincts, and run.
2. Know Your Priorities and Rank Them
You cannot be in five places at once, and the MBA will ask you to try. Make a clear ranking before you arrive so every decision has an easy answer. And know they will shift over your two years, but it is best to have a starting point.
Mine were non-negotiable:
- Being a present mom
- Academics
- Recruiting
- Social events
I said no to a lot and felt FOMO (fear of missing out), but I never agonized over a decision. That clarity was one of the best things I did for myself all year.
3. Take Coffee Chats Seriously
Coffee chats can feel forced and their value unclear, but do not underestimate them. These connections become your advocates in ways a resume simply cannot. Use the alum database, talk to guest speakers, and always follow up.
I ended up interviewing with four people I had originally connected with through coffee chats. As someone pivoting both industry and function, from ballet to health care strategy, I had no built-in network to draw from. Coffee chats were how I built credibility from scratch. If you are making a big career pivot, this is your most powerful tool.
4. The Internship Is a Test Drive
I put enormous pressure on myself about my summer internship. After 10 years at one organization, I had convinced myself that the company I interned with had to be my long-term fit.
Instead, consider the internship as your opportunity to try something out. Yes, you want a return offer, but it is equally valuable to discover what lights you up and what does not. I had to actively remind myself that this is a testing ground, not a final answer. Give yourself permission to learn from it.
5. Explore Duke Beyond the Fuqua Bubble
Fuqua has so much to offer, and so does the rest of Duke. There are university-wide events, wellness resources, and entire academic communities that most Fuqua students never tap into.
For me, it was ballet. Wanting to keep it in my life, I started taking ballet classes with undergraduates at the beautiful Rubenstein Arts Center on Duke’s campus. It brought me a sense of joy and grounding that I did not realize I was missing. It connected me to students, professors, and graduate dance faculty from completely different walks of life.
Next year, I plan to stretch past the confines of Fuqua by taking a nonprofit management course through the Sanford School of Public Policy. Whatever your version of this looks like, find it. The best parts of your Duke experience might be waiting just outside the building.
The MBA is a lot of things at once: an academic experience, a career accelerator, a social community, and, depending on where you are in life, a personal challenge that runs parallel to everything else happening at home. As you get ready to start your first year, know that there is no single “right” way to do it. If you’re a non-traditional student, a career-pivoter, or someone juggling a personal life alongside school, just know that the Fuqua community has room for your whole story.
The post From Ballet to MBA: What Year One Taught Me appeared first on Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.
More...
How does this impact your International MBA decision?
I'd be glad to learn your thoughts on this story : From Ballet to MBA: What Year One Taught Me