Meet the Indiana Kelley MBA Class of 2018

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Mark Goldstein

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: 50% the Energizer Bunny, 30% Brawny Man, 20% Tony the Tiger

Hometown: Bethlehem, PA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I can name the make and model of every single car on the road

Undergraduate School and Major: Goizueta Business School – Emory University. BBA in Marketing and Management.

 

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: I spent 4 years working at Bloomberg LP post-college and had the following roles:

– Sales & Account Manager: 4/14 – 6/16

– Equity Specialist: 2/13 – 4/14

– Analytics Generalist: 6/12 – 2/13

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Not knowing what a hedge fund was on my first day at Bloomberg and then leaving four years later and being able to walk into the largest global hedge funds and have meaningful (and revenue generating) conversations about their organizational structure and market data spend and usage.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?  You’re going to hear it a lot, but setting a schedule for GMAT study is so important. I found that picking the date in advance and then mapping out a weekly schedule of time to set aside helped me manage the studying and the stress that went along with it. It’s easier said than done, but don’t let studying take over your life. I made a habit out of not studying past 2 PM on Sundays, just to give myself some time to breathe and get ready for the week ahead. The GMAT is a mind game, and you can’t beat it unless you give your mind the “occasional break” from it. The recommenders you pick are so important, too. I would always recommend picking someone who knows you better than someone who you’ve barely interacted with. For example, I asked one of my managers from an undergrad internship (with whom I developed a great personal relationship) to write my recommendations, rather than a few superiors and high-up managers I had post-college whom I felt didn’t know me as well and couldn’t speak to my personality and strengths.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Before I even started looking at schools, I put together a list of criteria that I wanted my MBA program to meet:

1.) Strong and well-regarded consumer marketing program that placed marketing students in top-notch marketing roles across the country.

2.) Small class size where I could truly build personal relationships with my classmates in a college town (while still having a large alumni network).

3.) Collaborative culture where you could really lean on and learn from those around you.

I came to campus in April for Admitted Students Weekend (“Experience Weekend”) and after about an hour, I knew that Kelley was going to be at the top of my checklist. The admissions committee, faculty, and current students were so open and hands on about their experiences and I was truly blown away. I would definitely recommend visiting each and every school that you apply to, sometimes you just get that “feeling” and know that school is the right choice!

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? After four years in financial services and financial data sales, I knew that I was passionate about working with end-users on their product feedback, and taking that feedback to improve and build a product. However, I want to be able to work on a product that the every-day consumer has access to. I see myself working as an Associate or Assistant Brand Manager at a consumer products and durables organization.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? It would be that my classmates were able to learn from my shared experiences and that I was always a shoulder to lean on and a person to have fun with.

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