Viraj Adesara

The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business

“Always on the lookout for the road not taken.”

Hometown: Jamshedpur, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I like painting .

Undergraduate School and Major: Bhilai Institute of Technology, Computer Science Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Product Analyst, BlackBuck, India

What makes Austin such a great place to earn an MBA?  Austin is home to a diverse and rapidly growing business ecosystem. The presence of numerous tech companies, startups, and established corporations make it a perfect place for someone who wants to grow their career, especially in the tech domain. Moreover, the people here are very warm and welcoming which was very important for me, given that I moved all the way from India for this program.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Texas McCombs’ MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I was really excited about the Marketing Fellowship at McCombs. It is the perfect place to learn about marketing and get first-hand experience from all the real-world marketing projects that this fellowship provides us. Since I come from a data and analytics background with no exposure to marketing, this opportunity will help me gain the skills I need to be successful in my chosen career path.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Texas McCombs? One of the things that excites me about McCombs is opportunity to join the Sports, Entertainment and Media Association. I wish to join the entertainment industry post-MBA and SEMA can provide me with all the right resources I need to thrive in the industry, while also having fun during my MBA program.

What has been your first impression of the McCombs MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best McCombs story so far.

From the moment I have joined the program, despite being an international, I have never been made to feel like an outsider. The people are very helpful and welcoming. One of my favorite moments was way before orientation started when one of my classmates offered to pick us international students from the airport and to stay with his family in case we didn’t have our accommodation finalized. That was when I realized that I’ve come to the right place.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience at McCombs successful? I want the MBA to help me grow not only in my career, but also as a person. I want to be faced with opportunities that help me come out of my comfort zone and not be afraid to explore new things. I would consider my MBA experience to be successful if I am able to do that.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Texas McCombs’ MBA program? Applying in the first round is very important as there are a lot more admission resources available at that time.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE TEXAS MCCOMBS MBA CLASS OF 2025