An impromptu interview...
John, or should I say Dr. John? I just realized from your eMail signature. Where do you teach? You must really like school to have a Ph.D. and continue to take more classes. One day I hope to get my Ph.D.
I teach a business plan course to first-year MBAs at Tulane on Monday nights. I got my Ph.D. in engineering at Tulane in 1968, but have been mostly in the business world, and teaching business part-time.
I started the UNO MBA program two years ago (at 60 years old) so I could teach topics other than entrepreneurship-related.
I wouldn’t say I really like school, but I have spent a lot of my life there. I am not good at working for other people or keeping regular hours, so it beats real work.
I know the feeling of not wanting to work for someone else. I retired from the Navy. 20 years of taking orders. I would really love to get a job where I determine my own hours and the money made would be determined by how hard I worked. Also, the money made would be mine and not working to make money for someone else. What has brought you back to taking courses at UNO?
When I sold my business in 1998 (at 55) I had no idea what I would do with myself. I was President of (then) NOBID for a year (I didn’t like it, the Board were micromanagers), then faculty at Dillard. That was good, but they laid me off in 2003. I had no idea what to do next. I was let go in May and started classes at UNO a month later.
My objective was to add business credentials to enhance my usefulness as a college professor. It may not have helped because there just don’t seem to be any jobs at any of the local colleges.
I chose UNO because of a history with them (I directed the computer center there in the early 1970s), my wife is a professor there, and my son a student. It also has the widest choices of classes, and they waived several for me based on things I took 40 years ago, or have taught recently.
I sort of surprised myself in my total disinterest in starting another business – I also don’t want employees, and don’t want to put much money on the line again. I have enough saved that if I am careful, and don’t live too long, and the stock market does well, and… I never have to work again.
I teach a business plan course to first-year MBAs at Tulane on Monday nights. I got my Ph.D. in engineering at Tulane in 1968, but have been mostly in the business world, and teaching business part-time.
I started the UNO MBA program two years ago (at 60 years old) so I could teach topics other than entrepreneurship-related.
I wouldn’t say I really like school, but I have spent a lot of my life there. I am not good at working for other people or keeping regular hours, so it beats real work.
I know the feeling of not wanting to work for someone else. I retired from the Navy. 20 years of taking orders. I would really love to get a job where I determine my own hours and the money made would be determined by how hard I worked. Also, the money made would be mine and not working to make money for someone else. What has brought you back to taking courses at UNO?
When I sold my business in 1998 (at 55) I had no idea what I would do with myself. I was President of (then) NOBID for a year (I didn’t like it, the Board were micromanagers), then faculty at Dillard. That was good, but they laid me off in 2003. I had no idea what to do next. I was let go in May and started classes at UNO a month later.
My objective was to add business credentials to enhance my usefulness as a college professor. It may not have helped because there just don’t seem to be any jobs at any of the local colleges.
I chose UNO because of a history with them (I directed the computer center there in the early 1970s), my wife is a professor there, and my son a student. It also has the widest choices of classes, and they waived several for me based on things I took 40 years ago, or have taught recently.
I sort of surprised myself in my total disinterest in starting another business – I also don’t want employees, and don’t want to put much money on the line again. I have enough saved that if I am careful, and don’t live too long, and the stock market does well, and… I never have to work again.
posted by John V at 8:38 AM
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