Annie Plachta: A Harvard MBA candidate makes her case.

Annie is happily eating her words from college when she swore she'd never get an MBA, although she did add a quick caveat for HBS, which is where she happily landed in the fall of 2019. A 2015 Mendoza grad with a degree in Finance, Annie considered a variety of finance and consulting roles before landing at HBSC and then Golub Capital.  She's back on the job market with another graduation this May, but she's focused on a variety of different factors as she carefully chooses her next step this time. Along the way she's learned that, while important, her job doesn't have to be the center of her life or the main source of happiness. Annie also shares her takes on the state of diversity in the world of finance, the importance of finding your support group, and numerous small, practical tips for making the most of your connections.

Annie's recommendations:
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - evergreen advice
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi- a slightly cringey but very worthwhile read

Other resources mentioned in our conversation:
Irish Compass - a great networking resource for Notre Dame students and  alumni.
Poets & Quants for MBA programs and Poets & Quants for Undergrad business programs

Find more on Annie's background on her LinkedIn profile. 

Please check out the pod's sponsor Fire Stationery and follow them on Instagram @firestationery to play along with their own version of March Madness. Which city color will triumph? You can help decide the winner and see so many great stationery options while you play!

Find more on Alison @ https://linktr.ee/alisonlevey. If you have questions that you'd like me to answer on the monthly bonus episode, The Highlighter Edition, send them to openbooktestpodcast@gmail.com.