Raghav Madhok ’22
Education: MS Management Information Systems Internship: Professional: |
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Describe your career and what led you to your current position. Before coming for my master’s program in MIS, I had no work experience as I was coming straight after my undergrad program. However, I had multiple internships in software engineering and data analytics. While I was interning at Carnegie Mellon University, as a research intern in 2018, I learned about product/program management and how it was a mix of elements that I enjoyed. After that internship, I wanted to break into product/program management because I felt it was something that I would enjoy. I started my master’s program at Texas A&M while studying and learning about product/program management from all the sources I could find. Luckily, I got an opportunity to work as a product manager intern at SunPower in the Summer of 2021. This experience was so valuable for me because it gave me clarity that product/program management is the field that I want to make my career in. What were your job responsibilities in your internship? How did the MS-MIS program prepare you for this position? As a product manager at SunPower Corp., I was working on the SunPower dealer portal and my work involved working with users to identify pain points, designers to visualize new features, and engineers to transform stories into software/product. What was your favorite course at A&M? Information Systems Design and Development was my favorite course. The course had a semester long project centered around creating a website that demonstrated a knowledge and understanding of UX and design. The project not only allowed me to work on my teamwork and collaboration skills but also allowed me to show my creativity like I did in this final presentation that I created – http://y2u.be/QPjKXPyPx4A What was the most beneficial course you took at A&M? Advanced Systems Analysis & Design was the most beneficial course I took. This course taught me how to structure the process of system design while teaching me the importance of every little step and detail that goes into designing a system. The course teaches every aspect of system design starting from conducting interviews and writing user stories to creating sprint trackers and product roadmaps. Lastly, the knowledge I gained from this course also came handy during my internship at SunPower. Why did you pursue a Master’s degree? Before joining my undergraduate program, I was under the impression that once I complete my undergraduate degree, I will have complete clarity of what my career path would be. Unfortunately, that was not the case at all. As an undergrad, the only way I thought I could have a clear understanding of what my career could be was by taking up internships and projects. I did exactly that but instead of giving me a clear direction, it added to my confusion. However, in one of my internships, I learned about product/program management and how it was a mix of all the things I enjoyed doing. I loved solving problems that were technically challenging in nature. I also enjoy communicating and collaborating cross-functionally while being able to make an impact through my work. Once I had the clarity of what made me happy, I started to look for a master’s program that was the right mix of courses that could help me break into product/program management. That’s where MIS program at Texas A&M comes into the picture. The program offered the right mix of technical and management courses while being flexible enough to allow me to take up a few electives that could further enhance my skills and knowledge. What advice do you have for someone who is considering returning to school to earn a master’s degree? Just go for it! I guarantee, it’s worth it! What is the biggest challenge you faced in graduate school? The biggest challenge I faced in graduate school was how to manage my time efficiently. Managing coursework load while applying for jobs can be difficult at times. What is the biggest reward for earning your MS-MIS degree? The biggest reward for earning an MS-MIS degree was the job I landed at Meta. It was the role I always wanted and the company I got it at was nothing short of a dream come true. Lastly, a reward that was even bigger than the role was seeing how proud my parents were of me for what I had achieved. |
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