James Parnham
MBA 18
Senior Product Manager
ThousandEyes
I learned more about empathy in my two years at Berkeley Haas than ever before. That happened in the classroom—Leading People, for example. But mostly, it came from working through challenging situations with classmates, from all of us acknowledging our weaknesses, and understanding how our actions affect others.
Supportive community encourages risk-taking
My classmates were absolutely amazing: smart, willing to speak up, take risks, and organize around issues that mattered to them. I learned so much just from watching and listening to them.
I wanted an IBD project that would give me experience in how a tech company operates. I got that, and valuable lessons in teamwork. We all learned to trust each other, to create a safe place where we could work collaboratively and disagree respectfully.
The people at Berkeley Haas come from a place of love. That may sound strange, but I really felt that people cared for me. They valued my perspective and were concerned for my well-being. Because I felt their support, I was able to take risks that I wouldn’t have taken otherwise.
Finding meaningful work with tangible impact
The Career Management Group takes its work very seriously. My career coach took time to talk with me about what I wanted from my career. He understood and supported my desire to do meaningful work in a setting where I could have a tangible impact.
I didn’t even know what product management was when I came to Berkeley Haas, but within my first month in the program, I realized it was perfect for me. I love the tangibility and being close to the consumer.
INTERNSHIP
Cisco, Product Management
San Jose, California
JOB PRIOR TO HAAS
Consultant
Technomics, Inc.
Virginia
PREVIOUS DEGREE
BS, Business Management
Virginia Polytechnic Institute