Chen Song
MBA 18
Manager, Talent Development
Credit Karma
When I wanted to get a bit of experience in executive coaching, I posted on the class Facebook page asking if anyone would be willing to discuss their career passion. Forty people replied! That speaks not only to their curiosity, it speaks to Haasies' generosity in helping others explore their passions.
Now at Credit Karma, I research, set, and execute our talent development strategies. I also write and design many of the development programs that support those strategies. To do that, I have to understand the needs of the business and our stakeholders—something I am able to do using the knowledge gained at Haas.
Flexibility and freedom to design your MBA
The program office gave me a lot of freedom to craft a class schedule that allowed me to devote a lot of time to project work. That meant I was able to get a lot of practical experience, from designing a leadership development program for a local nonprofit to co-facilitating culture change workshops at a national healthcare provider.
In Social Sector Solutions, my team designed a leadership development strategy for a local nonprofit in the food and nutrition sector. I loved being on a consulting team that played to my passion for talent development.
All the threads of my past experience were knitted together at Berkeley Haas, with the addition of strong business acumen and skillsets.
Career advice to fuel your passion
The Career Management Group helped me funnel my passion to create spaces for people to grow and develop into a career path in talent and leadership development.
They helped me frame my story in a way that allowed prospective employers to understand and appreciate how my nonprofit experience in the education sector could benefit them.
INTERNSHIP
Cisco
San Jose, California
JOB PRIOR TO HAAS
Manager, Teacher Leadership Development
Teach for America
Tulsa, Oklahoma
PREVIOUS DEGREES
ME, Education Administration & Curriculum Studies
University of Oklahoma
BA, Psychology
Rutgers University