Karaoke is Japanese for ‘empty orchestra’. However, there was nothing empty about the event the MBA students organized last Saturday. The social committee of the cohort set up a karaoke night, to get the class back together after a few weeks of intense job searching and preparing for their ICP projects in the fall.
Where the class is
September is the time of the year where the class shifts course and pivots towards the next step. We are preparing for our consulting projects, which launch on 26 September. After months of arduous work on core subjects, here is the time to put those skills to the test and apply everything that we have learned.
It is also a moment of figuring out where we want to go after the MBA. As graduation comes near, the whole cohort is searching, interviewing, and networking to find a job. As with the consulting project, this is a time to apply the things we have worked on in the last few months. We spent a great deal of the MBA on self-reflection and how to grow as leaders. That knowledge comes in handy when trying to figure out what is the best next step for each one of us. Hopefully, it will lead to a role that furthers our development as leaders.
Time to have fun…
However, as a class, we are very mindful that we only have a few months left in the program. We know that come next year we will all be in various parts of the world, and we are making use of the time we have left.
Dinners, drinks, get-togethers, game nights. All of the above apply. We have also organized a few other events to get as much of the class together as possible. And this is where the karaoke night comes into mind. Hopefully, it was a chance to blow off steam and forget about our obligations for one evening before coming back recharged for the work that comes ahead.
A lot of fan favorites made an appearance in the setlist, plus a few additions that were pleasantly received by the audience. From Eminem to ABBA, almost all music genres were covered and widely revered. As a capstone to the night, the whole group ended in a room-wide chant of “We are the champions” by Queen. It was quite a fitting moment for this MBA class of champions.
…and think about the future
While it might become more difficult in the future to set up this kind of event, given the nature of the international consulting projects, the social committee has committed (no pun intended) to hosting at least one of these events per month, so that we get a chance to come together as a class a few times before we leave.
As we look into the future, it is comforting to know that you have a group of people on whom you can count. That’s not only to give you a lead on a job or to help you on your consulting assignment, but just to enjoy the moment, have some fun and make the most of what is left of this MBA year.
