I’m sure by now you’re familiar with what is classified as book smart and what is classified as street smart. Business school will teach you everything you need to know to check the box on book smart. But there are still a few things you can’t learn until you enter the so-called real world. Read on to find out what life lessons you can expect to learn that business school won’t prepare you for in advance.
5 Life Lessons You Can’t Learn in Business School
1. Office Politics
Love them or hate them, it doesn’t matter, they exist, and you need to pay attention to how your company works. Be kind to everyone you meet, treat people with respect, and figure out each person’s preferred method of operating (this will take some time) and adapt your working style to theirs when collaborating. It will make working together so much easier, and you will find that people enjoy working with you. This is key for future leadership and growth opportunities.
2. Networking
Master your people skills because getting where you want to be is all about who you know. Hard work will help you get there, but getting recommendations from former employers and fellow respected industry leaders is essential in advancing your career. Play nice and build genuine relationships with people.
3. Hiring a Team
Established companies have human resources teams that do the hiring for them, but for young companies, that responsibility lies with the founder. It’s hard, but critical, to make the right hiring decisions in the infancy of a company. Trust your gut, because a resume doesn’t tell the whole story, but an in-person interview is much more informative of a person’s capabilities.
4. Marketing
Digital marketing trends and tools change at a rapid pace, and by the time new books are put out, the information is mostly obsolete. Business schools do the best they can, but as entrepreneurs, we must keep up with the digital marketing space to ensure we never fall out of touch with our audience or how to communicate with them.
5. Establish a New Business
Business school will teach you the ins and outs of forming a new business, from research to budgets to business structure, but they don’t go into securing capital and investments and making your first sale. You have to figure all of that out on your own. Be sure to do some research on how to secure capital and to get investments for your business in general, and then narrow your search for your vertical. It’s always worthwhile to see if there are any articles written that might include specific advice for your business area.
Did you attend business school? What were you most shocked to learn in the real world about the business world that you weren’t expecting? Tweet me @lorenridinger.
