Efesa Origbo ’11
Education: MS Management Information Systems MBA MS-MIS Internship: MBA Internship: Professional: Microsoft Corporation; Seattle, WA Microsoft Corporation; Seattle, WA Microsoft Corporation; Seattle, WA Google; Seattle, WA |
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| Why did you pursue a master’s degree? Before my master’s degree, I was a guy with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and 3 years’ work experience in advertising who was passionate about technology, and constantly dreamed about working in the global technology industry. I decided to pursue a master’s degree in order to make my dream come true.
What would you tell someone who is considering returning to school to earn a master’s degree? I would tell that person to think really critically about his or her motivations for returning to school. I would also ask them to clarify their expectations. While career potential usually improves after graduation, students are more likely to reap the benefits of a master’s degree if they pick graduate programs that fulfill three main criteria. First, the program has to be one that you are genuinely interested in. Second, you have to be able to really develop the skills that are expected from graduates of that program. Finally, unless you plan to start your business immediately after graduation, employers have to be willing and able to adequately compensate you for the new skills you will develop through your master’s degree. What was the biggest challenge you faced when pursuing your master’s degree? The biggest challenge was learning a lot of functional and technical material in a relatively short period of time. This was quite challenging especially since I had no prior background in technology. However, I worked with my professors and with classmates who had prior technology industry experience, and I was able to quickly fill in the gaps in my knowledge base. What was the biggest reward for earning the master’s degree? The biggest reward was a job offer from National Instruments Corporation in Austin, TX. I was also able to build relationships with classmates from different parts of the world, and to develop a global mindset. Why did you choose Texas A&M for your graduate work? Although I was fortunate enough to get admission offers from 4 out of the 5 schools I applied to, I ended up choosing to study Management Information Systems at Texas A&M for three main reasons. First, I was attracted to the program’s curriculum as the courses convinced me that I would develop the business and technology skills that I needed for my future career. Second, I was excited by the variety of career opportunities that I could access within and beyond the booming economy of the state of Texas. Finally, the Management Information Systems graduate program at Texas A&M is surprisingly affordable, especially when compared with other similarly reputed programs within the United States. |
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