Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Today as I was walking to the BART station, a familiar sight passed in front of me. An old Philadelphia street trolley was running along Market St. in San Francisco. When I saw the trolley with the word "PHILA" plastered on it, this wide grin spread across my face. I never thought I'd be so happy to see something familiar from Philly. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
This week I'm actually headed back to my former home for the Whitney M Young Jr. Conference. It'll be my second trip back since moving away. Last month I went back for a recruiting event. It was weird to be a visitor in a place I called home so many years. I know Philly like the back of my hand, so it was odd to be in a cab for once and know whether or not the cabbie was trying to take the long, stupid way to my destination. I'm still in near constant state of being lost in San Francisco - I hardly ever know when the cabbie is going the wrong way. Although the other day, I was VERY proud to be able to tell the cabbie he was going the wrong way. And on another day I was actually able to direct a tourist - sure it was only one block away, but hey, it's something.
The trip this week will feel exceptionally weird because I'll be manning a career fair booth. Being on the other side of the recruiting table is SOOO weird. People act so nervous around me, and sometimes avoid returning my phone calls and emails. I think I'm pretty approachable, so it's hard to process these reactions. And it can also be frustrating when you see people drop the ball. As a student, sometimes all it takes to make the interview list is reaching out and connecting with people at the firm you're interested in - when you don't do this it makes it hard for people to advocate for you. I remember how much I hated doing this stuff when I was at Wharton - but I still did it. It's sad to see people avoid doing it. It's like watching people shoot themselves in the foot.
So this week will feel weird. Weird to be in Philly. Weird to have people nervous around me. What I am excited about is seeing some of my old classmates. WMY is a homecoming of sorts for a lot of AAMBAA alums. It'll be great to catch up with people and hang out.
This week I'm actually headed back to my former home for the Whitney M Young Jr. Conference. It'll be my second trip back since moving away. Last month I went back for a recruiting event. It was weird to be a visitor in a place I called home so many years. I know Philly like the back of my hand, so it was odd to be in a cab for once and know whether or not the cabbie was trying to take the long, stupid way to my destination. I'm still in near constant state of being lost in San Francisco - I hardly ever know when the cabbie is going the wrong way. Although the other day, I was VERY proud to be able to tell the cabbie he was going the wrong way. And on another day I was actually able to direct a tourist - sure it was only one block away, but hey, it's something.
The trip this week will feel exceptionally weird because I'll be manning a career fair booth. Being on the other side of the recruiting table is SOOO weird. People act so nervous around me, and sometimes avoid returning my phone calls and emails. I think I'm pretty approachable, so it's hard to process these reactions. And it can also be frustrating when you see people drop the ball. As a student, sometimes all it takes to make the interview list is reaching out and connecting with people at the firm you're interested in - when you don't do this it makes it hard for people to advocate for you. I remember how much I hated doing this stuff when I was at Wharton - but I still did it. It's sad to see people avoid doing it. It's like watching people shoot themselves in the foot.
So this week will feel weird. Weird to be in Philly. Weird to have people nervous around me. What I am excited about is seeing some of my old classmates. WMY is a homecoming of sorts for a lot of AAMBAA alums. It'll be great to catch up with people and hang out.
