Being the Driver

When I first started MBA school I declared myself as an organizational behavior/human resources major. My background in teaching had given me the skills to excel in this field. Plus, I liked the idea of training development. Overall I thought I was a good fit. But then school started. I went on the marketing trip to Moab and liked what the recruiters were saying about marketing. My marketing class is one of my favorites: integrating theory with practical application. Most of HR is integrating theory with more theory. We have professional seminars and information sessions where recruiters come in and talk with us about their company and usually a BYU grad/former intern explains what they do/did in their job. My honest opinion is most of their jobs sound boring. I couldn't grasp the idea of waking up and going to that job everyday. VP and senior mangers' jobs sound great but I decided I did not want to be stuck in a job I didn't like until the day I could have their job. And lets face it, I'm still hoping for the whole mom thing. So what to do...? I am in contact with someone at Apple and he described the differences between marketing and HR: What I do think marketing provides is a chance to drive the boat. HR hires the captain and makes sure he has good Medical and a Personal Development Plan, etc, but HR doesn't get to drive. Both roles are important...it just depends on whether or not you like driving! My career assessment I took for the career center also said, "You also have a high interest in Creative Production, one of the core activities in business work. You enjoy bringing something entirely original into existence -- whether it's a product, marketing plan, way of delivering a service, or entrepreneurial venture. Whether you work as a manager, executive, or individual contributor, acting creatively is an important part of your work satisfaction. You find the initial, creative stages of projects much more stimulating than later "maintenance" phase, so a job that may have been a good match at first may feel less and less satisfying over time. In fact, many people with a strong interest in Creative Production change jobs more frequently than other people for this very reason -- not because of an inability to persevere or make a commitment." What does all this mean? I want to drive the boat! So now I am actively pursuing a marketing career, something I never planned on doing, never even considered, but am completely excited about.