Globalization

I was on the train early this morning with a friend from out of town. She was here for my convocation ceremony, and we got to talking about the frequent mention of globalization. There was a lot of talk about being a global school, preparing for global leaders in a global community fully globalized global global global. I was surprised when she expressed wariness.

I asked her what her concerns were, and as she described them, along with anecdotes about people she knows, it became clear that she equates globalization with offshoring - jobs leaving the country. She isn't ignorant, but she didn't mention new markets, growing a market, or expanding wealth through trade.

We talked some more, and exchanged ideas. I tend to focus on markets due to my degree, and in particular, the idea that overall job growth can be achieved through trade. She has her doubts. "What about factory workers, in their fifties, really, how retrainable are they?"

To that point, I said it was the role of education to prepare people to continue learning. It does know good to learn a trade and just work that trade for life. People have to know how to learn. Either their trades will change so much that they are unrecognizable, or they will switch trades.

For me, it was a glimpse of the fears so many people have. I've generally always supported globalization. I haven't understood fully why people fear it. Yes, it is disruptive, but it is for the greater good. I believe so, anyway.

Done

Well, Commencement and Convocation have come and gone. I don't have my degree in hand (or on the wall), but I am officially graduated. Julie McCoy, B.A, M.B.A.

While it's been a long road, in retrospect the time went quickly. Because I attended part time, I have had two parallel tracks: professional and academic. It is true that I've been able to bring real world examples into the classroom, and turn classroom lessons into tools for understanding my workplace.

That said, turning those tools into actions and accomplishments is a separate endeavor.

Regardless, I now have an MBA. This may sound like Kool-Aid talk, but I do feel like I have a much stronger grasp of business fundamentals, especially financial analysis and strategy. I have what I sought; a formalized framework in which to apply what I have already known about business.

So yay. Yay Me! I did it. Now I need to decide what I'll do next.