Clare Koneval

University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

“An adventurous, responsible, and smart individual who enjoys exploring new cultures in any possible way.”

Hometown: Pound Ridge, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: I recently went on a trip by myself to Medellin, Colombia and loved it. I would highly encourage anyone to visit.

Undergraduate School and Major: UCLA – International Development Studies and Spanish & Portuguese

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Internet Brands – Tech Recruiter

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Hiring a Senior Director of Product Management for WebMD (Internet Brands is the parent company of WebMD)

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Those I have met so far are really excited to be here and come from diverse backgrounds. I know I will enjoy learning more about them.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The Katz career management team has so many resources available to help me take my career to the next level, with connections and career opportunities across the U.S.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The networking events.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? During my interview, I was asked to describe a current event related to my current position.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I mainly have recruiting experience and wanted to change my career path into a core HR focus. I feel that in order to be the best HR manager, you need to have a core business foundation which is why I decided to pursue an MBA.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to UCLA, University of Southern California, University of California – Irvine, Northeastern University, Boston University, and New York University.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I applied to schools based on their reputation, whether they had an HR concentration, my GRE score, the location, and by speaking to admissions representatives to determine if there was a cultural fit. I also spoke to friends of friends who I know may have gone to one of the schools I applied to in order to get a better feel for the school as a whole.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I don’t think I have one defining moment. I think my various life experiences all together have defined me as a person. I moved from New York to California to complete my Bachelor of Arts degree and this move helped me learn how to be independent and allowed me to explore a completely new side of the country. I also have an autoimmune disease and this taught me how to advocate for myself and not to judge someone immediately because they may be going through something I am unaware.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Ideally, I would like to be working in the tech industry within the HR function. I have not yet determined if I would like to become more specialized in the HR field. However, in 10 years, I aspire to be in a management position.