Caitlin Jones

Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business

“Native Texan and travel enthusiast always looking for ways to enrich the environment around me.”

Hometown: Austin, TX

Fun Fact About Yourself: Last November, I climbed Huayna Picchu, including the stairs of death, at Machu Picchu.

Undergraduate School and Major: The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, Marketing

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: South by Southwest (SXSW), Planner

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: After my first SXSW Conference & Festivals experience as an employee, I recognized the need for an effective process on how we internally tracked the placement of the 25 unique conference tracks, staff workspaces, and venue sales spaces located across 19 city-wide hotels and venues during the planning phase of the event. With help from the logistics and programming teams, I created a real-time document the entire company could reference to ensure that we did not overlap the use of conference event spaces for the 10-day international event. The document was immediately beneficial and continues to be used to maintain accuracy across all departments and committees, from graphics and signage creation to sales and sponsorship client use to keynotes and featured speaker placement. Now communication for conference placement is streamlined and quicker, which means SXSW staff can focus on what it does best: fostering creative and professional growth.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? From the moment I scheduled my on-campus interview, I have been overwhelmed by everyone’s friendliness as well as their assistance. I received several emails and phone calls from alumni, faculty, and current students congratulating me on my acceptance and offering their time to talk all things Kelley. I even received a handwritten note in the mail from the Dean herself congratulating me! It was so encouraging to have such a friendly start to my time as a Kelley.

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? Kelley’s focus on knowing yourself and your personal brand through the Me, Inc. was a major factor in my decision. If you don’t know your true values and motivations for the changes you make in life, how do you know you’re making the right choice? Me, Inc. ensures that you are fully knowledgeable about your decision-making process so that you can be 100 percent confident in your choices for the rest of your career. I truly believe that knowing your personal brand and understanding your values provides the best starting point for success. To know that Graduate Career Services and the entire Kelley faculty is so dedicated to helping me not only as a student but as a person and leader is extremely comforting.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The first group I will sign up for is the Kelley Association of Women MBAs. Surrounding myself with a powerful and supportive female network will be vital to thriving in a world where, unfortunately, gender equality remains a struggle.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? It was detailing a time I failed. Whenever you are asked to talk about a time you failed, it can be uncomfortable. Failure is such a relative concept, but something we all must experience to better ourselves. While answering that question means recalling the failure, which can be painful, it also means you have the chance to show what you learned from it. Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in life have been through failure and I came out stronger as a result.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After spending a decade in the workforce, I realized I wanted to head in a different direction than the path I chose as an undergraduate. For a long time, I thought I wanted to be in event production forever. However, I’ve realized over the last couple of years that I truly enjoyed the logistics of event production and I wanted to use those skills in a different industry. Someone suggested I put together a list of my top three values. When I did, they aligned with pursuing my MBA. An MBA program gives me the opportunity to learn the skills I need to advance in a new industry while building a network I can count on for the rest of my life.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? The University of Texas, McCombs School of Business; USC, Marshall School of Business; Emory, Goizueta Business School; and Rice, Jones School of Business.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? There were a lot of spreadsheets when I first started exploring programs! In the initial phase of my research, I focused on the percentage of jobs at graduation and the class size. I knew I wanted a smaller class size so the experience would feel more personal. I was unfortunately not able to visit each campus in person, so it was extremely helpful to find ambassadors for each program who were willing to take the time to talk over the phone. Having those one-on-one conversations with people from each program was instrumental in figuring out if the culture was a good fit for me.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Studying abroad in Europe for six months while I was an undergraduate had a huge impact on my life. The experience gave me independence and a sense of adventure that I did not have before. Studying side-by-side with students from all over the globe enabled me to learn so much about their different cultures, viewpoints, and experiences. I was able to explore so many places in such a short period of time. Now I try to experience a different country and culture at least every other year.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?  I hope to be back in Austin working in the technology industry as an Operations Logistics Director leading the charge to improve process efficiencies. I also hope to have explored more of the world, mainly Southeast Asia and South America.