Career
What Does "M&A Finance at Google" Actually Mean?
My LinkedIn title says "M&A Finance at Google" but I realize most people probably wonder what that actually means day to day.
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Your First MBA Job Is Not a Life Sentence
Your first MBA job is not a life sentence. Most MBA grads enter consulting, finance, or tech. Then stress about choosing the "right" path. But the path matters less than the skills you build early on.
Consulting trains you to break down complex problems and communicate with clarity. You develop client management instincts that serve you everywhere.
Finance sharpens your analytical thinking. You learn how companies create value, allocate capital, and make strategic financial decisions.
Tech and product management expose you to how digital products get built, shipped, and scaled.
Here is the part a lot of MBA students forget: your first job after business school is not your forever job. The skills and experience you gain will unlock opportunities you cannot see today.
Many great tech leaders began in consulting. Sundar Pichai started at McKinsey before leading Google. Many top investors began in tech before moving into venture capital.
I began in investment banking before joining Google, and many of my classmates moved from consulting into tech.
In today's market, you might not have five offers to choose from. Sometimes you take the opportunity that's available, and that's perfectly okay.
But if you are fortunate enough to choose, the 5R Career Filter brings clarity:
- •Role skills: What hard or strategic skills will you build?
- •Reps: How often will you practice and refine those skills?
- •Relationships: Who will you learn from? How close to decision-makers will you be?
- •Resume brand: How does this role strengthen your future narrative?
- •Routine: Does the day to day rhythm match your energy and current season of life?
The goal is to build a foundation that creates options later. Choose the role that strengthens your skills and your story. The path will shift as your goals and experiences evolve.
More Reflections
Career
What Does a CPA Actually Do?
What does a CPA even do? I started my career as a CPA and every time I told someone, the response was always the same.
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P × Q = Revenue. It Also Applies to Your Career.
Everything I learned in business school can be summed up in one line: P (price) × Q (quantity) = Revenue.
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