2016 Best MBAs: Sara Moret, University of Minnesota

Sarah Moret Minnesota

Sara Moret

 

Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when the most interesting jobs I would come across all had a line item for “MBA preferred.” That’s when I realized that an MBA was going to be critical in my career. It just so-happens that it was the best career choice I’ve ever made.”

Age: 25

Hometown: Andover, Minnesota

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Minnesota, B.A. in Economics

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Brightpeak Financial, a start-up organization owned by Thrivent Financial. Role: Senior New Business Development Specialist, Product Development

Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Bain & Company

Where will you be working after graduation? Bain & Company, Consultant

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School

  • President of Carlson Consulting Club
  • Vice president of Carlson Fellow and Ambassador Board
  • Team lead for Carlson Graduate Volunteer Consultants
  • Nominee for the President’s Student Leadership and Service Award

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Before my internship at Bain & Company, I had worked on a consulting project as a part of the Carlson School’s experiential learning program for a very large client. Thanks to the Carlson Consulting Enterprise, I had familiarity and experience using the consulting toolkit and managing the client which gave me an edge during my summer internship. It allowed me to dive into my summer project quickly and I believe it helped lead to the full-time job offer I ultimately received.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am incredibly proud and honored to be the first Carlson MBA student to intern at Bain & Company, one of the most elite consulting firms in the world. Thanks to the resources that the Carlson School provides, a network of both undergraduate and graduate alumni, and my own really hard work, I landed “the best consulting internship,” according to Vault’s 2016 survey. Even thinking about it now puts a huge smile on my face.

Favorite MBA Courses? The Carlson Consulting Enterprise, Corporate Strategy and International Strategy.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose the Carlson School because of its small class size. Minneapolis is such a vibrant business community, and since the school only takes about 100 full-time MBA students per year, the ratio of resources (career center, professors, and job opportunities) to students was going to be really high. It’s also a great place to develop a close network of talented classmates.

What did you enjoy most about business school? Business school provided me with a safe place to learn and grow in my career. Having worked at a start-up financial services company before school, I didn’t have the depth of expertise that some of my classmates did before switching careers. However, because of the broad course offerings and amount of group work, our class has been able to learn from one another to round our skill sets. I know continuing a career in consulting will allow for continuous learning, but I am thankful I first had a place to make mistakes in school instead of in the real world.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? Business school taught me a lot about working on teams. On campus, we all approached a class with different strengths and goals, but we somehow had to work together to be successful in the course. This experience taught me a lot about how to get buy-in from others, overcome conflict, and leverage each other’s skill sets.

What was the most surprising thing about business school? I am still surprised at how much this experience has changed my life. I left a job I absolutely loved to take a leap of faith into my full-time MBA. It was the scariest thing I have ever done, but it was absolutely the smartest. This program not only provided me with a platform to land my dream job at Bain & Company, but I have also learned a lot about myself and who I want to be as a professional, while making incredible friendships along the way. This journey has been a very special time in my life.

What was the hardest part of business school? The hardest part of business school is deciding how best to allocate your time, especially in your first year. The Carlson School offers a lot of opportunities to get involved in leadership roles in campus clubs, take advantage of the career center resources, network with alumni, and to do well in classes. Students have to make a choice as to where they are going to allocate their time such that they maximize their own experience. There is no one way to get the most out of your Carlson MBA and that can be a really hard thing to come to terms with. However, now being close to graduation, I wouldn’t want it any other way as it allowed for a personalized experience I don’t think I would have received from another MBA program.

I knew I wanted to go to business school when…the most interesting jobs I would come across all had a line item for “MBA preferred.” That’s when I realized that an MBA was going to be critical in my career. It just so-happens that it was the best career choice I’ve ever made.”

If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working at Brightpeak Financial, the start-up company where I worked for three years before starting my MBA. I absolutely loved my job, the people I worked with, and the projects I was getting to work on. I had a lot of responsibility, exposure, and autonomy at the small company so I got to learn a lot in a short amount of time.”

What are your long-term professional goals? I aspire to be a partner at Bain & Company. I absolutely love the firm, the culture, and the career path. I know a career in consulting can be challenging and even undesirable to most, but that might be what I like most about it. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I have to pick four people: My dad, my mom, my sister, and, most importantly, my husband. Each of these individuals has taught me things about myself, supported me in my pursuit, and inspired me to be a better business professional and person. There is no way I would be where I am if not for these four incredible people.

Fun fact about yourself: My (now) husband and I got engaged during the craziest time of my MBA, fall of first-year. I planned most of our wedding during first-year and got married in Minneapolis just three days after my internship with Bain & Company ended in Chicago. It wouldn’t have been ideal for most brides, but I loved it because it forced us to make fast and purposeful decisions. There wasn’t time to second guess ourselves or have the dreaded Bridezillla moments. In the end, thank goodness, our wedding day was perfect.

Favorite book: Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson

Favorite movie: Spotlight

Favorite musical performer: My husband is a self-proclaimed Rolling Stones super fan and I’ve been fortunate to tag along to two live concerts, both of which were absolutely amazing. The amount of talent and energy the band has after 50 years is incredible. Both concerts were without a doubt the best and most memorable I’ve ever been to.

Favorite television show: The West Wing. My entire “in-law” family is obsessed with the show and now having seen each episode two or three times I see why. We even named our dog after one of our favorite characters, Charlie, the president’s personal aide.

Favorite vacation spot: My favorite place to vacation is in the mountains in Colorado. We drive the 16 hours with our dog which means a lot of laughs, junk food, and audiobooks. Once we arrive, we hike, snowshoe, run and enjoy family time. It such a great way to experience the outdoors and take in some of the most gorgeous views in the United States.

Hobbies? I am a frequent yogi, dog park visitor, and huge Game of Thrones fan.

What made Sara such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?

“Sara Moret is an engaging, positive, and inclusive Full-Time MBA student leader whose goal-oriented mindset has transformed the Carlson MBA Consulting Club (CCC) leadership structure and club events offered to students and increased the Carlson School’s visibility and interaction with consulting firms. Her enthusiasm is contagious and prompts “the best” to do their very best in support of her leadership.

As president of the Consulting Club, Sara instituted a new structure that distributed expertise across multiple student leaders. During the 2015-2016 schoolyear the CCC offered sessions for students to learn, develop, and network within the consulting world. Under Sara’s leadership we have seen an increased number of student events, the development of new student leaders and new opportunities for students to engage with the Minneapolis business community.

In addition to her leadership in CCC, Sara supported students in the Carlson Part-Time MBA, Full-Time MBA, undergraduate, and Executive MBA programs with their consulting career searches. Over the last year alone, Sara has met with approximately 75 students to support them in this all-important aspect of the program—the career search. Sara serves as a resource to these students and assist with interview prep, case preparation, and provided networking opportunities to those she met with.” — Patrick McCarthy, Director of Student Affairs, University of Minnesota, Carlson MBA Program

DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS

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