Meet Chicago Booth’s MBA Class of 2018

marco-poetsandquants-classof2018

Marco Ortega

The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m a creative changing person. Trying new things is my thing.

Hometown: La Paz, Baja California Sur, México

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m a technology geek. I truly believe we are in a disruption era where mankind will never be the same, and that excites me every single day.

Undergraduate School and Major:  ITESM, Bsc. Mechatronics Engineering.

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

McKinsey & Company – Research Analyst

Google – Industry Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: To have the opportunity to sit in front of, and persuade key decisions makers to move something in different Mexican industries through data and technology (where I believe best years are yet to come) and at the same time maintain a healthy and balanced personal life.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?  Be yourself, and I really mean it. Most of applicants are so focused on building something so perfect that it does not really reflect who they are. I believe being original means writing about yourself and showing why business school makes sense, no more.

Being yourself, also means that when gathering recommendations, find people who really know you (They are closer than you think), and could complement what you want to share with the University. Everyone has limited time, so get close to people who are willing to invest time of quality writing your recommendations.

The GMAT and GRE are not testing only your ability to reason; They are also measuring your ability to administrate your time and your resilience. Keep that in mind and make a plan and you will improve your score.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? It was flexibility and recognition. As a changing person, the flexible curriculum from Chicago made total sense, having the opportunity to “choose” specific areas of focus is what I was looking for. You know in which subjects or areas here you’re weak and in which ones you’re strong, so my plan is to definitely build over those ones specifically. The University of Chicago – Booth is also recognized as one of the top programs for full time MBAs, and its leadership is well-known worldwide in areas of specific interest for me. Adding both made it a no brainer.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I see myself as part of a company (or group of people) with amazing momentum. One of my goals is to use my energy, knowledge and experience to help organizations move faster and with more accuracy and, at the same time, lead them to do the right thing. If using technology in the mix is the way (and should be), then that’s my dream job.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would love to be remembered as the guy who tried different things, and really got close to people providing different ideas. If i could put that into a phrase, that would be “Whatever he does after graduation, I want to be close.”    

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