Meet UCLA Anderson’s MBA Class of 2018

UCLA's Ernesto Cruz in the Class of 2018

UCLA’s Ernesto Cruz in the Class of 2018

Ernesto Cruz  

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

Assistant Dean’s Scouting Report: “Very thoughtful and cerebral, someone every team needs.”

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  Eclectic and easy going personality, yet passionate and driven in everything I do.

Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have been to two of the last three World Cups.

Undergraduate School and Major: Monterrey Institute of Technology & Higher Education and University of Texas at Austin

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Deloitte AERS – Senior Consultant and Deloitte M&A – Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest career accomplishment was transitioning into M&A consulting and getting promoted to manager. This was a project I worked on for a couple years ago and that has allowed me to broaden my skills and learn from wide variety of clients and industries.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?  

  1. GMAT – Be strategic, plan head, and really commit to it. You’re better off investing in this test and taking it seriously than just “trying it and see how it goes”.
  2. Essay – I know everyone says this, but essays take a lot more time than you think. If you know you want to go to business school start figuring out “what’s your story” and ways in which you can make your case stronger.
  3. Interview – You don’t want to come off as a robot, but you want to make sure that you are communicating what you want your interviewers to know. Show passion in your path/career and seek feedback.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Location was very important to me, I knew I definitely wanted to be in California and Los Angeles offered a very unique opportunity. Culture was also very important to me. I wanted to be in a place where I could feel like I could be myself and where I identified with the students in the program. Finally, Parker (Career services) was something I valued. As most students going into an MBA programs, I’m interested in doing a career change, and Parker offered an unmatched opportunity to fulfill that task.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? My dream job would be to work in a tech company in their corporate strategy or business development team. As part of this team I’m very interested in helping this organization evaluate and prioritize projects, partnerships, and other business initiatives. This is especially appealing as the tech industry is in a pivotal movement were players are still being defined. Helping an organization capitalize on these opportunities and set its future path is very exciting for me. 

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would like to be remember by my peers for the moments and experiences we shared rather than by the things I accomplished.  To be known as a person in whom they know they can trust and a friend that they would happily see 10 years from today.

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