Devin Doyle 

University of Washington’s Foster School of Business

“I lost my baton, so I’ll conduct the orchestra with a flute.”

Hometown: New York (Queens), New York

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once played 90s teen heartthrob Aaron Carter on cable TV. I was probably cast more for the long brown hair than the sparkling eyes. All these years later, the episode has expired from my family’s DVR, but lives on forever in their hearts.

Undergraduate School and Major: Purchase College, Conservatory of Theater Arts, BFA in Acting

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: CBRE, Business Operations Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As part of our CTO’s goal of improved collaboration across the 1,400-person global technology department within CBRE (a commercial real estate firm), I revamped the new hire onboarding experience by standardizing operations across offices and creating an introductory platform on the intranet. A motivated tech workforce is one key component of the commercial real estate industry’s move to tech and onboarding is central to that. Beyond improved employee engagement scores year-over-year, the true marker of success for me was being able to see firsthand the ways data can inform decisions on something as variable as employee satisfaction in the workplace. In the coming years, I hope to learn much more about people analytics and HR tech.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why?  The first adjective that jumps out is “friendly.” Friendliness is often seen as a bonus, but it was something I was steadfastly looking for in each school’s culture. The safety of a learning environment — not to mention the strength of a professional network — rests on the authentic willingness of peers to build a community. Before I was accepted, the current students I spoke with were eager about not only the Foster community but my potential place in it. In some other schools, the student ambassadors made me feel like I was the thousandth prospective student they talked to that week. When I talked to Foster students, they loved learning about what I was interested in and what my professional goals were. Later on, my fellow classmates have proven to be equally friendly.

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA? The Foster program’s momentum reflects Seattle’s momentum. As someone making a career pivot, I am more drawn to a city trending upward than an established city where there might be greater barriers of entry. Seattle really hits the sweet spot between offering the trappings of a global city while allowing for the opportunity to make a professional impact early.

On a personal level, I wanted to be in a creative, liberal city where thinking outside-the-box is valued. Not to mention, when my schedule starts to feel as turbulent as the markets, I can rent some gear from the college and hike Mt. Rainier to clear my head.

Aside from your classmates and location, 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? Throughout the application process, I was concerned that my background in the arts would be a disadvantage in the classroom. Of course, I wanted a small class size that would afford me a level of personalized academic attention, but I was first looking for a strong faculty to begin with. With Foster’s Management and Organization department ranked number one in published research, I was eager to study the subjects I’m most interested in with a faculty at the top of their field.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m most looking forward to the Consulting Club, as it will be crucial in helping me recruit for internships and full-time positions. I was impressed with the club’s level of organization and initiative from the get-go. Months before our class even got to campus, the incoming president tirelessly shared preparation resources and pre-MBA events, organized happy hours, and answered any questions our class had — all while in the midst of a demanding internship herself!

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process?

“How did you resolve a conflict with a team member?”

Of all the common behavioral interview questions, I always found the ones about conflict to be the most difficult to answer. Workplace conflicts are tenuous and often lack clear-cut protagonists, making it hard to craft condensed answers. Furthermore, MBA applicants are early in their careers and might not have the interpersonal skills or confidence required to deal with conflict effectively.

My answer to this question focused on empathy. I explained that once I saw the conflict through the other person’s point of view, I was able to position myself more sensitively within the situation, which in turn helps to naturally dissipate the conflict. In terms of answering this and other gnarly behavioral interview questions, the takeaway for me was to resist heroic narratives and focus on the universal value involved and any lessons learned.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I wanted to pivot into consulting and the only way to do that would be to get my MBA. Early on in my career, I realized acting did not provide the intellectual challenges or lifestyle that I wanted from a career. After coming to this realization, I worked in administration and project management, prioritizing industry exposure and skill development as I explored different career options. Once I landed on consulting as my choice, I worked for a few more years to bolster my work experience but realized I would still need to de-risk my consulting candidacy by garnering comprehensive business knowledge, experience in applied strategy projects, and firm exposure.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Tuck, Darden, Yale, Haas

How did you determine your fit at various schools? In assessing schools, I prioritized a small class size, a student-driven culture, and a strong faculty and career management office. On top of that, for personal reasons, I wanted to leave New York after 30 years and experience a city with a different set of industries and cultures. Foster checked all those boxes, while also providing a tremendous ROI.

The tools that were particularly helpful in learning about schools were articles (Poets & Quants was a huge help here), videos, and podcasts. The schools’ websites, MBA fairs, and student ambassadors were somewhat helpful, but they started to blur together as a lot of them say the same thing. By far, the best way I got to judge a school was by visiting, sometimes twice if I could. In one example, I visited a school the first time and liked it, albeit with a few hesitations. However, after sitting in on a class during a second visit, those hesitations compounded, and I realized the school ultimately was not a good fit.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? There is no singular dramatic moment that shaped me. What feels more authentic is a collage of defining snapshots. One image that comes to mind is rather mundane: riding the New York City subway every morning to work, feeling a mixture of grogginess and nerves. On the one hand, this snapshot is a testament to the old-school fulfillment I get in showing up every day on time and taking pride in a good day of work. On the other hand, the snapshot is a gentle reminder that life goes by so quickly that it’s important to continuously think about the direction in which I’m heading.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I hope the work I do for clients is cutting-edge and challenging – and I hope to be appreciated by my colleagues for my ability to inspire them and commit to our shared success. I hope to have risen within an organization that doesn’t miss a beat and leaves a little room in the middle for improvisation. Most importantly, in both my professional and personal lives, I hope to be surrounded by bright, decent and fun people.