Dallas Investor Credit Education For Opening The World Of Business
As the president and founder of DABCO Capital, Duncan Lee invests in undervalued residential real estate. He earned his bachelor's degree in liberal studies and a master's of business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
Why did you pursue a master's degree?
"I was working for a bank in New York and had such a low salary that I had to take an extra job selling clothes at Brooks Brothers just to survive plus, I was a dog walker. It was a struggle and I finally woke up to the fact that I was on the wrong path when my year-end bonus at the bank was a company logo'd nylon ski cap and a gold pen. I realized that in order to get a higher paying job, I needed an M.B.A.."
What would you tell someone who is considering returning to school to earn a master's degree?
"Treat school like work. Go early and stay late. Even though I worked in a bank, I didn't know about accounting and finance. Those courses were paramount in my master's program. Financial analytics are key in being able to make sound business recommendations and decisions. Learn Excel and PowerPoint or Keynote because you have to be able to present your thoughts on paper and in meetings. Study hard and make a lot of friends. The friendships you build will be part of your business contacts. Don't be shy about looking for a job in the summer and during your last year of business school. From my summer job, I was offered a full-time position. You will get rejections but, use that rejection to push you into a different direction. Your day is not done until your work is done."
What was the biggest challenge you faced when pursuing your master's degree?
"Getting a job in the summer between school years and still graduating on time. You have to treat school as work. You have to balance everything."
What was the biggest reward for earning the master's degree?
"I had much better career choices and more diverse friendships. From my life experiences, I had foreign language skills which is highly desirable when coupled with my master's degree; I got jobs in New York, London and Italy."
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com