Keeping it nerdy

NerdySo here is the story.  I decided to “dress up” as a nerd for Halloween.  So I grabbed my pocket protector and put in on the outside of my square print blazer.  I put on a stripped shirt and did a special knot on the tie that I saw on youtube and  is based on a knot from The Matrix.  I pulled my pants up a bit and hung some USB drives on my neck.  I really thought I had it, until I show up at the party and someone came up to me and said: “So, did you have an interview today.”  So I guess that you can’t call a costume stuff that you own and wear.

On a more intellectual costume was me pursuing an MBA in Marketing.  The more I saw myself as a sales manager or marketing director the more I felt like a weirdo.  But I knew that I liked the MBA program and I know that I could do something in marketing, but what.  There must be something where I would feel at home.  I had a few interviews in California for a market research position.  The people that I would be working with I could totally relate.  These people where professionals that loved data, math AND marketing.

The past 2 weeks I have re-re-invented my self, more like deconstructing than inventing.  First, what is my passion?  I knew that, my passion is information.  I have a degree in computer science with an emphasis in data modeling.  I have been working with data bases and information for the past 10 years.  4 of those years have been with pharmaceutical information and I really enjoy it.  An MBA with an emphasis in market research is what I wanted.

So how to shape an MBA into a market research emphasis.  I met with the department of statistics to see some core competencies.  I also met with the department of Computer Science to do some Data Mining.  I also met with the Marketing director for the MBA for him to signoff on the changes I wanted to do.  In the end it wasn’t as hard, I have now shaped my MBA experience to something I really feel passionate about.

So in the end I continue to be all the NERD that I can be, even with a Marketing MBA.