Chan - Harvard Business School Confidential: Secrets of Success

Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd.

Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

ISBN: 9780-470-822395

Typeset in 10/13pt JansonText-Roman by Thomson Digital

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This book is dedicated to my parents, Peter and Amy and my husband, Vincent

Most parents and teachers would tell you: Study hard in school, get a good job, receive a good salary, and live happily ever after. In fact, when I was a senior at Stanford, the only thing my friends could talk about was how to get a good job at a consulting firm or at an investment bank.

There is nothing wrong with getting a good job if you just want a stable life. A good job, by definition, pays well and has good career advancement opportunities. You will save up and eventually will be able to buy a nice place to live in, own a car, and send your kids to school. Although you will most likely always have to be careful with your expenditure to make sure you can pay the mortgage and the school bills, you will still be somewhat comfortable. You will most likely be in the good solid middle or slightly upper middle class.

However, to most Harvard Business School (HBS) students, getting a good job is a means, not an end. HBS students do not think of getting a good job as the ultimate goal for several reasons: