Georgetown University Student of Indian Origin Talks About His MBA Experience
Name: Siddarth Kashyap
Designation: MBA FT’19 student
School Name: Georgetown University- McDonough School of Business
Date: 20th August 2018
Could you provide a short description of yourself?
Being in business school has provided me with a second opportunity to experience college life and I am loving every bit of it. I have been using my time not only to further my professional career goals but also my personal interests. I love hiking and undertaking long road trips. These adventures help you discover more about the world and more about yourself. The U.S. has provided many such adventures in just the one year that I have been here.
My Story: How an MBA at Georgetown University Shaped My Life
I am a full-time MBA student, class of 2019 at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
I graduated as a mechanical engineer from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, India. With a natural inclination toward engineering and a newfound passion in management, I chose to be a project manager at Hero MotoCorp Ltd. Here, I was able to initiate and manage large-scale engineering projects and got amazing exposure to all aspects and functions of a business organization. With these experiences, I slowly transitioned to the role of an internal consultant, helping my organization look at projects that would improve its operational efficiency. I gained exposure to the best manufacturing practices from around the globe. Seeing the latest trends in the digital space and smart factory concepts, I felt a desire to help manufacturing organizations across the world adapt to these emerging technologies and perform to their best. I saw that I will be able to achieve this as a consultant in an advisory firm with a global reach. To gain this specific skill set for becoming a consultant, an MBA seemed the natural path to take.
How McDonough School of Business Helped Me Grow?
I chose the McDonough School of Business because of its importance on global exposure in its curriculum and its strength in consulting recruitment.
McDonough has met my expectations and even exceeded it with a lot of pleasant surprises along the way. The program has provided me with numerous opportunities to connect with the best consulting firms and a platform to showcase my achievements to them. I was able to match my career interests with what these advisory firms required to secure an internship with EY in their supply chain practice. I gained amazing exposure to global clients and the best industrial practices in business planning as part of my ten-week internship.
I am now one step closer to achieving my career goals which have been possible due to the small incremental steps provided by MSB.
Questions:
1. Being able to follow your path to the right career is crucial. Who guided you? What motivated you to choose this academic/career path?
I am an engineer at heart. I always strive to solve problems. But I also found a passion for management through exposure to various aspects of managing projects at Hero MotoCorp. I saw that through interactions with consultants who were supporting us in our projects, that I will be able to solve a variety of problems and gain exposure to the best practices while also being part of different client-based projects. In a way, this career path combined both my interest and passion. I have been helped and guided along this way by a variety of people, especially my seniors, the second year MBAs at McDonough. They have been supportive and helped me in identifying the nuances of interviewing and recruiting for consulting firms.
2. Can you share with us what are you looking to pursue as a career in the future?
I am looking to be a consultant in the operations and supply chain sector. It was a natural extension of my previous work experience where I would get the opportunity to solve problems of many different organizations across the globe.
3. Describe the most interesting experience at college that you have had till date.
Georgetown McDonough is at the hub of the global events due to its location at Washington, D.C. The school has provided many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to listen to world leaders and amazing personalities on a regular basis.
I received the opportunity to attend a session with Former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell. He gave a pragmatic view on leadership with pointers that you can actually use in the early stages of your career.
4. What are the special features/highlights of your college experience so far?
The special highlights at the School have been a culmination of repeatedly feeling like a frog in the well. It is amazing- the length and breadth of the experiences my classmates bring to the program. The School is a reflection of the diverse population that Washington, D.C. attracts. The variety of their pre-MBA experience in terms of industry, culture and the lessons they bring are eye-opening and make you appreciate the diversity in the society.
5. What advice would you like to give to other students/professionals who wish to boost their academic or career goals?
You will receive hundreds of pieces of advice with different perspectives (like this one). Don’t try to follow all of them. Understand what works for you and follow it. This is highly critical as you keep progressing ahead in your career.
6. If there is one thing you’d like to change in your college, what would it be?
Better collaboration with the other business schools in the US or provide a platform to interact and change ideas on a professional level with the other schools on a regular basis.
7.Your final word of advice (in one line):
Achieving your career goals is never a one-run sprint. It is a marathon of many sprints.
