It’s a well-known fact that the best way to find a job is through networking. So after I finished my MBA at Bentley College last year, I worked every connection I could think of, from professional organizations to members of my temple. I also took full advantage of the resources of the school, since they had a strong career services organization, and the experts there helped me craft my pitch in product management.

Although I had a history of decades of successfully leading software development efforts, it was still challenging to get companies to look at what I could do for them. I knew that sitting home putting resumes into an electronic system wasn’t going to be a productive job-hunting route – I needed to get out into the world. But I never expected to find my next job through a book club.

We had just finished discussing the business of consulting, and I had raised my hand and said, “I would never want to be on the road four days a week, as I envision consultants need to do.” Afterwards, the facilitator took me aside and told me that not all consultants have this kind of lifestyle, and that she knew of a company that was looking for product managers – with very little to no travel involved. She took my business card and I got a phone call about a month later from Collaborative Consulting in Burlington.