I had some idea early on in my career that I wanted to get my MBA, but to be honest I did not have a plan or roadmap for when I wanted to pursue this goal. I graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in Psychology and Business. My first job was with Cardinal Health in their leadership development rotational program. My time at Cardinal Health exposed me to the health care world and gave me the chance to work functionally in Corporate Finance and Corporate Strategy. The rotational program was a great fit, as I moved around to different places while learning about a new part of the business each year.
Eventually, I reached a point where I had a drive to explore other fields, and to push myself to learn and do more beyond my capabilities at that time. This coincided with an urge to begin a new phase in my career. I felt an MBA would give me the opportunity to build confidence and credibility professionally. After visiting Harvard’s campus, I knew that learning in the HBS classroom setting would provide me with a wider perspective of multiple industries and give me the ability to plan the next phase of my professional life.
Figuring out post-graduation goals was not as straightforward as I thought it would be. Of course, everything looks perfectly planned and linear in retrospect, but in reality, it definitely was not for me and I pivoted a couple of times.
I started my first (RC) year at HBS focused on internship recruiting for health care technology companies, but I ended up broadening that scope. One benefit of meeting a wide range of incredible people in diverse industries is that I initially felt drawn to explore tons of industries – I wanted to see “everything!” Of course, this was unrealistic, but it forced me to focus on assessing what I really cared about in my career. Ultimately, in seeing “everything,” I realized that I was still most interested in health tech. I ended up at an amazing patient engagement start-up in Chicago doing strategy and product work. My internship helped inform my full-time job search in the fall.
When I started my second (EC) year, I was intentional about my job search. I had spoken to and learned from many of my classmates about their career paths and goals. I was also involved in the Health Care Club and was able to connect with many others who also had a passion for health care. I learned from my internship that I wanted to solve for “function.” I had to determine the new skills and day-to-day job I wanted. I ultimately decided that it was important for me to gain deal/transaction experience and valuation skills. It was interesting to me, and as I thought about where I wanted my career to be in ten to fifteen years, it was an essential skillset I needed to acquire.
When it came time for me to consider full-time offers, I turned to a couple of my professors for advice and reactions to my thoughts and goals. The most important takeaway from my discussions was to be practical about my first job out of graduate school – no job was going to be 100% in all categories. Additionally, my professors helped me think about my first job out of graduate school in the context of my long-term career. They helped me realize that the best decision for me at my stage in my career was a job that would give me the experience and skills I needed to succeed long-term in a leadership role.
I joined Medtronic’s Corporate Development team after graduation, and I am keeping busy here! My role at Medtronic has opened my eyes to the world of healthcare investing. I evaluate and execute acquisitions, investments, divestitures, and partnerships across the business. My experience so far has confirmed my passion for health care, specifically for medical technology, and I feel lucky to say that I truly enjoy the work and that my role has confirmed that healthcare investing is where I want to be.
The community and relationships are what I loved most about my HBS experience. I made so many wonderful friendships and I keep in touch with many of my classmates. In many ways, the best part of HBS for me was meeting these people who I consider to be some of my closest friends. I am incredibly thankful for them, as they’ve been supportive both personally and professionally. Catching up with my classmates and hearing how many of them are working to achieve their life goals continues to inspire me. Can’t wait to be reunited once it’s safe again!