Biography
Arun’s family had a long history in retail, and he followed that path in the two positions that he held after leaving college. However, with several years of work experience under his belt, he wanted, in his words, to expand his network and “to be paid to think, not do,” which is why he decided to pursue an MBA and a concentration in finance.
As he considered where to attend, he knew he wanted “a total package,” and in pursuit of it he looked at each school’s placement rate, ranking, class size, curriculum, city, and length of degree. He was especially interested in one-year programs because he didn’t want to be out of the workforce for too long.
Arun derived a lot of insight from Goizueta’s Super Saturday, which allows prospective students to meet and have lunch with faculty, tour campus, learn more about scholarships and loans, and hear from fellow students. “Given my interest in the One-Year MBA program, hearing enrolled students speak honestly about it solidified my choice,” he says.
Goizueta’s One-Year MBA program begins with the Summer Experience. “Bottom line,” says Arun, “it prepares you for the real world. There is a lot of work and short deadlines, but plenty of resources to keep you on track for success.”
Arun has made great use of the Career Management Center, which early on “pairs students with career coaches, helping us keep focused on our job searches while also taking classes full-time.” He credits his coach with “spending a lot of time learning about what I did professionally and what my goals were. In fact, we didn’t talk at all about jobs I might pursue following my degree until our third or fourth meeting.”
As a result of superior preparation from his career coach, not to mention the assist that his negotiations class provided for his salary talks, Arun accepted a position at Fiserv, which specializes in financial services technology and services. He will be in a three-year rotational program, all of which will be local, giving him more time to enjoy Atlanta.
For Arun, a Florida native, the city has no equal in terms of either social or business vitality. As he notes, “So many companies have their headquarters in Atlanta, and more are coming. Also, the city has a strong tech/startup scene and it’s continuing to grow.” For big networking events that the school hosts, he cites the incomparable backdrop of beluga whales at the Georgia Aquarium, where the fall Goizueta Career Connection takes place, and events at the perpetually buzzing Atlanta Tech Village.
Beyond his considerable admiration for his professors, all of whom, he says, are “so decorated in their fields,” Arun is grateful for the large part that classmates play in the learning that takes place. “We come together,” he says, “out of so many interesting and relevant backgrounds, and our professors encourage us to speak and relate our experiences to whatever discussion is at hand. It is amazing how smart the people around you are. You truly build a lifelong bond with your classmates.”