Greetings From Goizueta: Why Your Second Year Matters More Than You Think

Before I start, let me congratulate my fellow second years. We’ve almost made it! Yes, the finish line is so close. We’re likely looking forward to no homework or case readings. And we may even be heading on a graduation trip. Still, we can’t slow down now.

There’s a dangerous assumption that floats around business school once recruiting wraps up: you’re done. You’ve got the offer and the money is about to start rolling in. The hardest part is over, right? So why not coast through second year with the easy electives and just show up on graduation day?

Here’s why you want to work hard and finish strong at the end of your MBA program.

MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

Do you know the feeling of going back to work after a great vacation? You’re looking forward to seeing your work friends. You may even be excited about picking things up again on a project. But there was probably another feeling. There was probably the feeling of being off the pace with everyone else. In meetings, they may have been talking about details that you pretended to understand. In just a week, they may have pushed the project beyond the point you expected. You’re behind. You lost momentum. That same feeling is what you’re risking in the transition from school to work. The last semester – the last year – can’t be one long vacation.

If you’ve spent six months in cruise control, taking the minimum course load and phoning in your effort, you’re going to walk into your new role rusty. After our internship experiences, we’re well-aware that our employer isn’t going to ease us in. They’ll support us, of course, but they’ll throw us in with the wolves and expect us to figure out how to make things work.

The adjustment is jarring enough when you’re sharp. When you’re not, it can be genuinely overwhelming. There is no need to bring self-inflicted wounds into the start of our post-MBA career.

MAXIMIZE A SKILL-BUILDING ENVIRONMENT

I accepted my offer in November. For a moment, I felt that pull toward senioritis. As I got deeper into Winter Break, I felt a shift in my outlook on the rest of my time in school. I thought about my summer internship. I pictured my final months and weeks at work before going back to school. I also reflected on a basketball game I played in eighth grade.

In two of those situations, I gave my all. I fully exercised my professional pride and commitment. I finished strong by setting up teammates, managers, and junior members for continued success once I left. It was through small things like documenting processes for reporting, organizing files for easy access, and speaking with clients to communicate the change on the team. That way, there could be as seamless a transition as possible for whoever backfilled me. Even though I was leaving, I put in consistent and dependable effort for them.

Then there is the other situation where I didn’t finish well. It is the only game in my un-illustrious athletic career, from pre-K soccer to sectionals my senior year, where I did not leave it all out there. That game, that moment gnaws at me still because it was an act of laziness and disrespect. My teammates and friends deserved better. I mailed it in on defense by not hustling down the court. I wasn’t in position on the help side. I was less aggressive offensively and passed up opportunities for good shots. I avoided taking calculated risks on passes that could have put my teammates in a position to score. In short, I didn’t give my all. I knew I could be better, but I chose not to be.

Sitting in that locker room changed my outlook. I don’t do everything well. From that moment on, effort – consistent and dependable effort – can always be expected from me. That outlook has helped me grow skills, relationships, and knowledge I probably wouldn’t have had otherwise.

This outlook, to bring consistent and dependable effort, is what I’m bringing to my final months in school. This semester, I’m taking a fiction writing class that will test my ability to tell stories…and check my ego. I expect to take criticism and learn not all of my ideas are good. To move up, I know I’ll need to be able to tell stories well. Succinctly. Engagingly. To do that, I can’t let pride torpedo a relationship or a project.

This is going to be humbling. And I don’t even need to take this course to graduate! But that’s exactly the point. I’m building competence in an area where I know I need to improve. I’m doing it in an environment where I can ask basic questions without judgment and make mistakes with low stakes.

Business school is an opportunity to test yourself and grow in a safe space. Why coast and leave value on the table when it’s so easy to grasp? That sounds like bad business. We didn’t pay all this money to go back to school so we could make bad decisions.

RELATIONSHIP INVESTMENT

We have all heard cliches about networking. Whether it be that’s 90% of the value of the MBA or “your network is your net worth”, it has been made clear that this part of school is important. This semester, I’m leaning into that. The first year was a blur of recruiting and required courses that drained my time and energy. These demands diverted me for investing in the connections I wanted to build.

Now I have time to really get to know people—not just the five people in my study group, but the classmates I’ve always wanted to know better. I’m having lunches or grabbing meals with people I’ve rarely spoken with. I’m stopping to say ‘hey’ in the hallway instead of making a beeline to my next class or my car to go home. I’m trying to make the most of being in proximity with so many talented, intelligent, and good-natured people.

Sure, you never know when you might need someone. But networking doesn’t have to be about that. It shouldn’t be. These are people going through the same transformation you are, and those shared experiences create bonds that matter. The person sitting two rows behind you in elective class might be your co-founder in five years or the person who refers you for your dream job. If anything, they may be someone who you invite over for dinner when times get tough. Whatever that relationship may be, you won’t know what it is until you take the time to have a real conversation.

FINISH STRONG

There’s a version of second year where you check out, take the path of least resistance, and show up to graduation having done the minimum. We’ll still get the degree. We’ll still start our jobs. But there are so many risks with that approach. We risk starting rusty. Underprepared. Under-skilled. We risk leadership opportunities that can prepare you for the future or deepening relationships that could last a lifetime too.

That’s why I encourage MBAs to treat our second year like what it actually is: our last chance for a structured opportunity to build capabilities, test ourselves, and take smart risks before the training wheels come off for good. This may be our only time to be in the same place at the same time with people you’ve grown to care about immensely. We don’t need to grind ourselves into exhaustion or take on too much. This is our time to be strategic with the time you have left and spend it on great opportunities and with great people.

I’m so happy that I invested two years into this degree. I have taken great classes, experienced personal growth, and met people I hope will be in my life for a long time. I have gained a lot from the first 75% of this experience. Now, I know that the last 25% has just as much, if not more, to offer me. I’m looking forward to making the most of this opportunity.

Bio: Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Martin graduated from Seton Hall University with a B.S. in Marketing and Economics. After undergrad, he worked in digital marketing and social media analytics in health media before moving to into the agency world with SSCG Media Group as an analyst and brand supervisor.

DON’T MISS:

GREETINGS FROM GOIZUETA: HOW A LAYOFF MADE ME A BETTER MBA

GREETINGS FROM GOIZUETA: STAY THE COURSE — THE POWER OF CLEAR VISION IN YOUR CAREER PATH

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