College Experiences That Helped a Business Consultant and Professor at Lucid Morpho Succeed
Richard believes that the most important thing college students can do to set themselves up for success is to appreciate "our resiliency and whatever challenges you're facing," since unexpected hardships like graduation during a recession or career path closures are difficult to avoid, but ultimately strengthen you and enable you to rebound; however, Richard regrets not walking at graduation due to burnout. Richard encourages all college students to remember that "we're very strong creatures," and to always give yourself credit for the natural ability to persevere and rebound.
Resilience, Overcoming Challenges, Work-Life Balance, Career Development, Job Market Realities
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Richard Clarke
Business Consultant and Professor
Lucid Morpho LLC
College of Charleston
University of San Diego (MBA, MS Finance, PhD)
Economics
Education, Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain
Consulting
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Balancing work and academics in college can be challenging, but it can also teach valuable lessons about resilience and time management.
2. Experiencing setbacks and career path changes after graduation is common, especially during economic downturns, and it's important to allow yourself time to recover and reassess.
3. Recognizing and appreciating one's own resilience and ability to rebound from challenges is crucial for navigating career uncertainties and maintaining a positive outlook.
Transcript
And what did you do in college to set you up for success in your career?
That's a tough one. I worked pretty much full-time after my freshman first semester. Because of that, I missed out on a lot of games and didn't get to attend as many office hours as I wanted.
I made up for a lot of that in grad school while getting my master's. For me, it was about finding a balance. If you can avoid that kind of grind, you should.
As a college athlete, you experience something similar. You can fill your life with many important things. Grinding it out sometimes and appreciating your resiliency, whatever challenges you're facing, is the most important thing. It's easy to lose sight of that.
I did. There were times — hope you won't show this to my mom, she still holds it against me — I didn't walk after graduating undergrad because I was burnt out. The career path I was going for closed.
I was a transfer student, had student loans, and didn't know what was going to happen. It was the end of the recession. My older sister graduated from the University of Florida, and I remember attending her graduation where companies were hiring people right then. That wasn't the case when I finished undergrad.
I had all these things going on, and honestly, I let it get to me. I sort of closed up a little bit, and it took me time to recover. It's easy to look back and think, "Oh, look, I did a thing." But at the same time, I don't think I did a thing; I think I couldn't have *not* done that.
I think we're very strong creatures with a level of resiliency and rebound ability. We don't always give ourselves credit for it. I think that's an important piece to try.