Commercial Real Estate for a beginner like me

[Nico Nakamura]

So I currently live in Japan, and will be here for another 8 months. When I come back to the states I really want to get into commercial real estate. I want to spend the next 8 months becoming as knowledgeable about the topic as possible, and apply to some commercial real estate companies before I return. I have a degree in finance, but absolutely no experience in real estate. Does anyone have suggestions on the material I should study, or a simple guideline of things I should learn to make myself more appealing in this field. Should I practice evaluating properties, and figuring out cash flows? Any help would be greatly appreciated.