Choosing an MBA in the Bay Area
Before my MBA, I was working in consulting and rather clueless about how to make a shift into the tech industry. Working in London back then, where a lot of companies focused on traditional sectors such as finance, I felt I was missing out on the latest innovations happening in Silicon Valley.
I think Haas has one of the most extensive networks in tech among all business schools. Being in the Bay Area made it easy to reach out to folks and get to know their roles/companies over a coffee.
The location of the business school matters a lot. In the Bay Area, I managed to do lots of face-to-face networking through company treks organized by Haas, as well as attend world-class conferences such as Techcrunch Disrupt SF and Startup Grind.
Learning the power of soft skills with an MBA
I have grown to be a lot more assured of my own self-worth, and this cultivates a virtuous circle for wanting to achieve more – all coming from within rather than some external pressure or benchmark.
Haas's four Defining Leadership Principles, especially Beyond Yourself, taught me about leadership. On multiple occasions, I saw how putting yourself last and watching out for others is actually leading.