KTech Ambassadors are second-year students who have successfully navigated their way through Tech recruiting and share their words of wisdom for current Kellogg students interested in Tech.
Katie Muse
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Undergraduate: UNC-Chapel Hill
Pre-Kellogg: Business Development, McKinney (ad agency)
Summer Internship: PMM, Salesforce
Why did you choose Kellogg?
I wanted to get out of my comfort zone – I was deciding between Kellogg and an MBA program much closer to home. Kellogg represented a new adventure and opportunity to branch out and live somewhere new! I also knew I wanted to go into PMM in tech, and Kellogg offered the best, most supportive community for that purpose.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
Advertising was exciting but I wanted to pursue growth in a new role and industry (and I love tech). A mentor told me that you should go for jobs in a growing industry, at a company that's growing within the industry, and a role that's growing in importance within that company. I felt like getting an MBA would offer me a chance to pivot into that kind of high-growth role.
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
My IPG was incredible (shout out to Mini and Fred!). I also cased with friends and took classes in the marketing and tech space. I also joined KTech as a conference speakers director and built a tech community that way!
What has been your favorite class at Kellogg? Why?
I'm currently in Negotiations with Professor Medvec. It's worth the bid points! I've learned so much about negotiating for myself (which will definitely come in handy soon).
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
Don't discount your experience! I believed that I was an underdog coming from a nontraditional background. That turned out to not be the case – I had already started learning so many relevant marketing and tech skills in my pre-Kellogg career. Don't worry if you aren't technical or don't come from a so-called "traditional" background. You will have all of the resources you need to make that pivot at Kellogg!
Trevor Marrero
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022
Hometown: Boston, MA
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Pre-Kellogg: Financial Analyst, Goldman Sachs
Summer Internship: FLDP, Amazon
Why did you choose Kellogg?
I chose Kellogg for the community. Throughout the application process and prior to arriving in Evanston, the people at Kellogg treated me very well. I was introduced early on to the mantra "high impact, low ego" and I am happy to say that the Kellogg community truly exemplifies it.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
I love learning and intended to pursue higher education since I graduated from Cornell. My first role after undergrad was in NYC in a legal and regulatory function, and I strongly considered applying to law school. When I moved to Boston in a business function, I decided business school was the better route. While I did not intend to pivot into Tech right away, I wanted to move away from traditional financial services. I applied to a corporate finance and strategy roles across a variety of industries.
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
KTech was and has been an invaluable resource for me – especially as someone who comes from a strict finance background. Last year, I attended KTech bootcamp, a Tech Strategy IPG, and Resumania. I also tapped into second years that interned at the companies I maintained on my target list. All of these resources helped me prepare for a shift into Tech. As a second year, I am doing my best to pay it forward!
Summer Nagy
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022
Hometown: Fort Washington, PA
Undergraduate: Northeastern University
Pre-Kellogg: Digital Strategy Consulting, Mobiquity Inc.
Summer Internship: Technical Product Manager, IBM
Why did you choose Kellogg?
I chose Kellogg for the community. The people I met during the application process were so supportive and welcoming, and I was impressed by everyone's humility given their accomplished backgrounds. I also remember the energy when I walked into the Global Hub during my visit and instantly knew it's where I wanted to be!
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
I have taken classes such as Product Management and various analytics classes to improve the hard skill needed for a role in tech, as well as soft skills classes that will make me a better leader. I am also a VP in KTech, which has given me a smaller community of students interested in tech within the broader Kellogg community.
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
From a recruiting standpoint, focus on making your transferrable skills very clear. You will also need to do a lot of research because the common roles in tech (such as product manager) can vary a lot from company to company, as does the culture. Talk to peers, alumni, and research online to figure out what the best fit is for you.
Kai Amory
Program and Class Year: MMM, 2022
Hometown: Scarsdale, New York
Undergraduate: University of Chicago
Pre-Kellogg: Strategic planning role, Lincoln Financial Group
Summer Internship: Outbound Product Manager, ServiceNow
Why did you choose Kellogg?
I am a collaborative person, so I was drawn to Kellogg's focus on teamwork and brave leadership. I was also excited by the opportunity to pursue MMM and develop design thinking skills alongside traditional business skills. When it comes to design thinking and human centered design, no other business school offers the level of resources and programming that Kellogg provides.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
I felt that I could use an MBA to pivot to my desired industry (tech) while building key, career enhancing skills. I come from a liberal arts background, so all of my business knowledge prior to Kellogg was learned "on the job" through my varied roles at Lincoln Financial Group. I felt that formal business training would deepen my existing expertise, expose me to new ways of thinking, and accelerate my professional development.
What has been your favorite class at Kellogg? Why?
I really enjoyed Product Management for Technology Companies. It is an extremely practical and experiential course that enabled me to learn the core competencies of PM fairly quickly. Even though I had never done a PM role before, I felt very prepared stepping into my summer internship. As I collaborated with team members to develop a new product for a new industry, I would often rely on the lessons and frameworks from the course.
Patrick Dorion
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022
Hometown: Bloomsburg, PA
Undergraduate: BA in Chemistry/MEng in Chemical Engineering, Cornell University
Pre-Kellogg: Process Engineer, Mondel─ôz International
Summer Internship: Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft Corporation
Why did you choose Kellogg?
My search initially covered business schools relatively close to New York City because of my family's location, but Kellogg was a dream program for me. We ended up choosing Kellogg because of their clear strength in preparing students for the tech world, not just with functional skills but as a thought leader. I'm pursuing a marketing major here with my MBA, and the ways Kellogg has taught me to think about and communicate the value of products has been amazing.
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
The interview prep groups were a great resource to "get the reps in" practicing for recruiting. The more time in the seat you spend practicing your pitch and narrative, the easier it gets to tell your story. The IPG's were a safe space to work out some of the issues I had talking about my experiences.
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
Don't be afraid that you don't have the technical skillsets or experience needed to switch into this industry! I came from an engineering background and even I was scared and held myself back when recruiting at different companies because of self doubt. Tech companies are like any other, they need expertise in many different roles, not just software or product skills, so find your niche and own it.
Mashiwat Mahbub
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022
Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Undergraduate: Wellesley College
Pre-Kellogg: Risk Analyst, State Street Global Advisors
Summer Internship: Treasury, Google
Why did you choose Kellogg?
The process of interviewing with Kellogg staff, chatting with Kellogg faculty, and meeting the students helped me realize how Kellogg's culture was the perfect fit for me. This was a determining factor for me. I wanted to be in a place where I was surrounded by worldly perspectives and backgrounds, as well as inclusive peers that would help me be my best self.
From a career perspective, I wanted to be in a school that had a growing rate of technology placements, post-MBA.
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
Interview Prep Groups (IPGs) were the most helpful recruiting resource for me. My IPG leaders were helpful in every step of the recruiting process - resume, cover letter, pitch, interview, rejections, acceptance, negotiating offers. In addition to that, Career Peers for 1-1 feedback, KTech hosted Resumania, Intern Panels. CMC Library (for company specific research) were some of the other helpful resources for me. I also had recurring invites to practice interview questions with my peers to get more comfortable around behavioral, hypothetical and case questions specifically.
Joanna Zouhour
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022
Hometown: Paris, France
Undergraduate: Université Paris Dauphine
Pre-Kellogg: Brand Manager, Arcor (CPG food company)
Summer Internship: PMM, Twitter
Why did you choose Kellogg?
As a marketer, I wanted to build on my experience and skills in a top MBA school with a strong marketing program. Kellogg also has an amazing collaborative culture, where I got to meet and work people from different backgrounds and experiences.
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
Be patient and focused, it's not supposed to be an easy journey, but it will pay off if you stick to it!
Sean Augustine-Obi
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022 (Go Highlanders!)
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Undergraduate: Columbia University
Pre-Kellogg: Healthcare corporate strategy
Summer Internship: Product marketing management, Intuit QuickBooks
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
The KTech IPG curriculum was a huge asset in my preparation by pointing me towards resources such as Rocketblocks exercises, blogs like Stratechery, and books by Lewis Lin and other authors. These helped me better speak the language of tech in interviews, ask relevant questions of my interviewers, and prepare for case problems. I also spoke to former PMs and PMMs among my classmates and recent Kellogg alumni to get a sense for their typical days and how the roles differed across companies.
What has been your favorite class at Kellogg? Why?
Product Management for Tech Companies was quite useful because it combined cases based on product issues faced by real tech companies with hands-on experience using design tools like Figma and Balsamiq. We learned how to think of customer needs in terms of 'Jobs to be Done' and address those needs to achieve product-market-fit. These insights were valuable practice for interacting with teams outside Product Marketing during my internship.
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
Have plenty of coffee chats with people in the roles you're interested in. Whether they lead to a referral, learning about the different day-to-days can help you figure out what function and type of company you'd be happiest at. Then, think about how to portray your past experience in a way that is relevant and adds value to the teams you're interested in.
Eliza Loomis
Program and Class Year:2Y , 2022
Hometown: Austin, TX
Undergraduate: Wesleyan University
Pre-Kellogg: The Bridgespan Group
Summer Internship: MBA Intern, Crowd Capital
Why did you choose Kellogg?
The "high impact low ego" thing is really true! I think most people come to Kellogg because they're excited to work with others and learn from their peers. This creates a collaborative, non-competitive atmosphere that has shaped my business school experience in such a positive way.
What has been your favorite class at Kellogg? Why?
Early Stage Impact Investing! It was a great mix of really practical skills (e.g., understanding a cap table) and big questions to mull over (how to think about measuring impact, and when markets can be used to correct for market failures). We also got exposure to so many social entrepreneurs and investors that it really deepened my understanding of the field.
Danielle Ma
Program and Class Year: MMM, 2022
Hometown: Westborough, MA
Undergraduate: U.C. Berkeley
Pre-Kellogg: Fly Communications (Advertising)
Summer Internship: Product Marketing, Xbox/Microsoft
Why did you choose Kellogg?
Kellogg's MMM program was a big part of my decision. Pre-Kellogg, I worked at an ad agency and embedded myself in client organizations big & small, from startups to the Fortune 100. In that time, I developed a hunch, a hypothesis that the future of business is human-centered design. It seemed that all too often, companies looked inward & built products for themselves rather their users. I wanted a formal training on how to avoid that pitfall. Luckily, I found a cohort of people here that share my hypothesis, and I'm grateful for that sense of connection with everyone in MMM. But more broadly speaking, the people at Kellogg are the reason to come—they're not only smart but multi-dimensional and empathetic, interesting and funny, social and generous.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
I was a bio major in undergrad and thought I'd become a doctor some day. But I ended up pivoting and moved to NYC—for 7 years, I worked at both agencies and early-stage startups. Everything I knew about business and marketing was learned on the job. I wanted an MBA to round out my experience, to teach me all the rules so if and when I start my own company one day, I'll know when to bend them, or not.
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
More than anything, I've talked to my extremely bright & curious classmates about tech. These conversations have helped me prepare for the industry better than any class or blog—though I do recommend Kellogg's "PM for Tech Companies" class and Kellogg alum Ben Thompson's "Stratechery" podcast. From attending KTech events to tackling case competitions together to group prep sessions for interviews, I can't stress enough how much learning happens by engaging at Kellogg with your peers and nerding out about tech.
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
A lot of people seem to think you need to be technical to go into tech. That is an absolutely myth, and you only hold yourself back by believing it. You should love tech, be genuinely excited by it, be literate enough to understand the trends & challenges, but you do not need to be an engineer. I repeat: you do not need to know how to code! There are so many business roles within tech for those of us who do not come up from engineering (myself included), and honestly, they're way more fun anyways ;)
Akanksha Singh
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022
Hometown: Kanpur, India
Undergraduate: M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology
Pre-Kellogg: Mu Sigma, Analytics Consulting
Summer Internship: Cisco, Product Management
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
Working in analytics consulting had helped me get exposure to a range of industries and build strong quantitative skills. I wanted to progress towards solving more strategic problems, so given my science focused background, I decided to take some time off to gain 'hard skills' that would help me understand businesses and industries more holistically. I also wanted to dedicate time to formally studying and building on my leadership skills; an MBA would give me the breadth of experiences and knowledge to accomplish these goals.
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
I was recruiting for both tech and consulting, so speaking with second years early on helped me get a head start in understanding which companies and roles I wanted to target – while it was still the early stages of consulting recruitment. KTech resources such as bootcamp, workshops and intern panels were amazing to get all my basics right; they also helped me build a deeper understanding of each company and the cultures so I could write good cover letters and personalize my interview prep in general. My peers from tech/product backgrounds gave me great perspective that helped me articulate my fit and prepare for interviews. Finally classes such as core Marketing course, Product Management helped me gain a few hard skills that were useful for interviews and on the job
Tom Boonyanit
Program and Class Year: 2Y, 2022
Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
Undergraduate: Chulalongkorn University, Industrial Engineering
Pre-Kellogg: Tech - Marketing / PM
Summer Internship: Domo, Product Marketing Manager
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
I wanted to improve and prepare myself for my long-term career goals in the tech industry. There are many more opportunities in the tech industry in the US than in SE Asia. Getting an MBA will not only allow me to tap into leading tech firms in the world but also equip me with the skillset and network that I need to succeed.
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
First, I educated myself and adapted to the culture in the US by interacting with my peers and taking a leadership role in a career trek during the Fall quarter. Second, KTech and CMC provided multiple resources, from intern panel discussions to industry reports. I highly recommend setting up a regular meeting with your CMC coach and utilizing CMC library resources. This helps me understand the big picture and company-specific detail. Last, KTech IPG provided tremendous guide and support during my long search for an internship. 2nd-year students and your peers are also great resources. All people that I met at Kellogg were willing to share their experiences about their previous internship/work.
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
Follow Tech news! I recommend Emerging Tech Brew and Accelerated Newsletter.
Shashwat Sinha
Program and Class Year: MMM, 2022
Hometown: Roanoke, VA
Undergraduate: Virginia Tech, Chemical Engineering
Pre-Kellogg: Project Manager, Georgia-Pacific (Paper manufacturing)
Summer Internship: Product Manager, Amazon
Why did you choose Kellogg?
For me, it came down to two things: the people and the MMM program. First, the people I met at Kellogg truly felt like they were passionate about the school and helping others in a way that students at other MBA programs weren't (I visited 12 schools in person). I specifically remember being interested in meeting MMM students during a Preview Day lunch and one of the 2Y students in the lunch walking around the Hub with me after lunch until I could find multiple MMM's to talk to (and they talked to me for another 15 minutes!). And on that note, I really found the MMM program to be unlike any program offerred by other MBA programs. So many companies talk about being focused on designing for the consumer, but it seems to often not be the case. The MMM program is specifically focused on teaching how to create solutions with human-centered thinking and that really appealed to me.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
I knew I wanted to pivot the industry I was in. As much as I enjoyed the work I got to do at Georgia-Pacific (it's a paper company so yes, I've heard every Dunder Mifflin joke), I wasn't waking up every day itching to make some paper. The technology I was working with already felt often times out of date before I ever got to implement it. So, I wanted to switch over to the tech industry specifically in roles that let me work on the cutting edge of innovation (especially in ways that I got to feel my work directly impacted end customers).
How have you used your time at Kellogg to prepare for a role in Tech?
The biggest thing that has helped me feel ready to take on a FT role in tech is becoming the Head of Product Design for a Kellogg founded food-tech startup, Cravosity. In this role, I've been able to utilize my passion for design to learn how exactly to take a tech product all the way from conceptualization to release. Every day presents our team with lots of interesting challenges and though I'll be going to big tech after graduation (back to Amazon!), I know I'll use the lessons I've learned through this startup journey every day.
What has been your favorite class at Kellogg? Why?
It would have to be one of my MMM classes called Whole Brain Communication where we learned about how to best present ideas and solutions in ways that are clear, memorable and engaging. As someone who really enjoys public speaking, it was fascinating to learn about how exactly the human brain takes in ideas/data and interprets it.
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
There are so many skillsets that are required in Tech that you can get from lots of other industries. Coming into Kellogg, I was stressed about whether I would be able to pivot into Tech since my manufacturing experience didn't seem very translatable. Thankfully, I got help from some 2nd years who knew how to translate my resume into Tech terms and that probably had the biggest positive impact on my recruiting journey for pivoting into Tech!
Rohan Bhatt
Program and Class Year: MMM, 2022
Hometown: Wellesley, MA
Undergraduate: Williams College; Major: Political Economy
Pre-Kellogg: Kaiser Associates (Strategy Consulting), Principal of Tech & Payments Practices
Summer Internship: Product Marketing Manager, Adobe
Why did you choose Kellogg?
I chose Kellogg for two primary reasons: the culture and the unique dual-degree MMM Program.
When I was first researching schools, I had several chats with current students and alumni to get a sense of the school culture. Each discussion with a Kellogg student was incredibly warm, genuine, and helpful. Kellogg students went out of their way to make time for me, to listen and understand me, and to champion my success. That is a culture I wanted to be a part of and have been so fortunate to experience during my time here.
When looking at MBA programs, I came across Kellogg's unique MMM Program, which is a dual-degree MBA and MS in Design Innovation. Ever since I was a kid, I've loved creating things. Over the last 5 years post-college, I worked at a strategy consulting firm to develop my analytical skill set, but I never gave up that creative passion and learning mentality. When I found MMM, it seemed to provide the perfect mix of creativity, design, technology, and core business acumen – the program pulled together all the threads that would enable me to pursue a tech-focused career that placed creativity and innovation at its core.
Why did you decide to get an MBA?
I decided to pursue an MBA to develop an innovation-focused skillset and to enable a career pivot from consulting into a tech product role.
Consulting was an excellent space to develop a broad set of strategy and critical thinking skills. However, I wanted to better understand the methodology behind designing and developing successful tech products and services and how companies become pioneers of innovation. The MMM Program has given me a toolkit to drive innovation throughout my career.
Additionally, while I felt it would have been feasible to shift from consulting into an in-house strategy role, making the transition directly into a product role is tough. By taking advantage of the amazing resources that Kellogg offers, including a network of generous students and alumni, support from clubs like Ktech, and career resources from the Career Management Center, I was able to make that shift from consulting to a PMM role.
What has been your favorite class at Kellogg? Why?
There have been so many impactful courses here at Kellogg, but I'll briefly mention two of my favorites, Research-Design-Build (RDB), and Managerial Leadership.
RDB is a MMM required course in which we put into practice the full arc of the design thinking process with a real-world client. I loved how hands-on the work was as we conducted design research, brainstormed new solution concepts, built early-stage prototypes, refined our new product ideas, and presented them to the client.
Managerial Leadership has reframed how I think about leadership. Most leadership courses I've taken focus only on how to lead others. However, this course starts with you, understanding that you can only lead others successfully once you understand your values, adopt a balanced perspective, and develop true self confidence and humility. Soft skills courses like this one at Kellogg have truly shaped how I act, both in my daily life and at work.
What tips do you have for someone interested in pivoting into Tech?
When I first got to Kellogg, I thought of "Tech" as a big, uniform industry space that I wanted to be a part of. However, as I went through my job search, I realized just how nuanced the industry is. I down selected to focus on creative tech companies in the music and arts spaces (e.g., Spotify, Adobe, Canva), as those were areas that I was truly passionate about. I would encourage you to think about where you want to go within the tech world, and more importantly, why? Find companies and sub-industries that you are passionate about, as that will come through in your interviews.
Additionally, when pivoting, find a through-line from your previous role/career to your new one. For example, I was pivoting from strategy consulting into B2B tech product marketing. While I didn't have PMM on my resume, I had worked on an array of projects focused on go-to-market strategy, product positioning, value proposition development, and understanding customers in the B2B space. I highlighted those projects and experiences to show that I have the skills needed to thrive in PMM and bring a unique strategy lens from my consulting experience. I would encourage you to use job descriptions to reflect on common threads from your experience to the roles you are applying for, and to highlight those whenever possible.