{"id":49718,"date":"2020-08-31T12:19:26","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T19:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=49718"},"modified":"2020-09-29T10:03:16","modified_gmt":"2020-09-29T17:03:16","slug":"data-science-engineers-journey-to-booth-weekend-mba-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/data-science-engineers-journey-to-booth-weekend-mba-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Data Science Engineer&#8217;s Journey to Booth Weekend MBA Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Introduction: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shivakumar Barathi completed his Master's in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ, last year. Since then, he has been working as a Data Science Machine Learning Engineer at Verizon Wireless. He worked with MER for his application for the Chicago Booth weekend MBA program and has recently been accepted into the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Shiva.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Shiva.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Shiva-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Shiva-768x434.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p> In this video interview with Poonam, Shiva talks about: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>His background-\n02.00<\/li><li>Planning for MBA-\n03.33<\/li><li>Career Goals-\n05.25<\/li><li>Why Booth is the\nbest school for him- 07.05<\/li><li>Planning for GMAT-\n09.55<\/li><li>Application\nstrategy, planning, preparation- 13.12 <\/li><li>Challenges during\nthe application process- 16.26<\/li><li>Advice to new applicants-\n18.34<\/li><li>Work-life school\nBalance- 20.05<\/li><li>Interests and\nHobbies- 23.55<\/li><li>Thoughts on the impact\nof Covid-19 on MBA experience- 25:14<\/li><li>Interview Tips- 32:44<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam:<\/strong>  Hello, Shiva! How are you doing? Thanks for taking the time to join us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>Hello, mam. I am doing fine. Thanks for asking. I hope you are doing good as well. Thank you for this opportunity to share my experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Data Science Engineer&#039;s Journey to Chicago Booth MBA Program\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Yk2YNSWREPQ?start=6&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam<\/strong>: My pleasure. Congratulations on receiving an offer from the Chicago Booth MBA program. After years of wait, finally, you are going to fulfill your MBA dream. How does it feel? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>Thank you. It has been a long path, but\nfinally, I am very excited to get an MBA from one of the M7 business schools in\nthe US, To be honest, my wife still couldn't believe that I got accepted to\nBooth. She said that this wouldn't have been possible without her immense\nsupport. I agree. I owe her a lot and my entire family, especially my dad, who is\nexcited about my admit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam:<\/strong> Of course. Could you please tell our viewers\nabout yourself? Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad?\nWhat you do now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>Sure. I am a data-savvy person with ten years of experience in providing robust data engineering solutions to clients across different industries such as Insurance, Investment Banking, and Telecommunications.  I am from Chennai, India, and I completed my undergrad in Electronics and Communications Engineering in 2008. I came to the USA by the end of 2014 through Cognizant Technology Solutions on a work visa. Last year, in May, I completed my Master's in Business Intel. and Analytics from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken NJ, and because of my GPA of 3.97\/4, I was invited to be a part of Beta Gamma Sigma, a prestigious business honor society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since my graduation, I have been working as a Data Science Machine Learning Engineer with Verizon deploying robust propensity models helping Consumer Wireless businesses understand the behavior of existing customers, and deliver better-targeted promotions. That's all about me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam:<\/strong>  When did you start thinking about an MBA? Why now? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva:<\/strong><a><strong> <\/strong><\/a>Actually, the MBA idea has been in the back of my mind since 2014, but I didn't have a strong reason or justification for an MBA then. My career has been steadily progressing from a technical standpoint. &nbsp;After joining Verizon, I thought that in the next 3 to 5 years, it would be the right time to do a career pivot into management. If I continue progressing in my current role without an MBA, I will probably become a data science manager in 5 to 7 years, and I will be stuck with this low ceiling. I might be an expert in this data science field-leading different sized teams, but I will never be able to progress in the leadership ladder without an MBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To get into the leadership ladder in the field of\ndata analytics, I need to have a deep understanding of each business function\nwithin the industry, and of course, a strategic mindset with strong analytical\nskills to deliver robust analytical solutions to various business functions.\nGiven my age, experience, and future career goals, I feel this is the right\ntime to get the coveted MBA degree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam:<\/strong> What are your career goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>In another three years, I want to lead a team of data scientists and data engineers and deliver data analytics solutions spanning across different business functions such as supply-chain, finance, and marketing. The pinnacle of my career will be a Chief Data and Analytics Officer. In another 10 to 15 years, I envision leading and inspiring a team of data analytics\/ engineering and data science experts focused on creating an information advantage and translating complex findings into relevant and actionable deliverables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this position, I\nwant to leverage my unique fusion of technical data science knowledge and\nstrategic leadership traits to make the organization more data-driven, more\ndigitally adept, and better prepared for the challenges of the future. This is\nmy long-term goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam: <\/strong>You applied only to one school- Booth. How is Booth, the best school for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>There are two significant reasons why I\nwanted an MBA at Booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, I like Booth's\neducational philosophy\u2013 The Chicago Approach. As my MBA will be rooted in the\nfundamentals of Business, such as accounting, economics, psychology, sociology,\nand statistics, this approach will teach me how to think. It's not the direct\nknowledge, per se, that it will convey. Still, it will teach me how to ask better\nquestions, evaluate evidence, have an enduring strategic and analytic framework\nto organize my thoughts, and develop better solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, the flexibility\nin choosing courses and different concentrations such as Strategic Management\nand Behavioral sciences. The reason I am very much interested in Behavioral\nsciences is that as a leader in the field of data analytics, one of my primary\nresponsibilities will be to make data analytics a vital part of every function's\nbusiness decision-making. My success in achieving this will be determined by my\nunderstanding of the behavioral nature of the organization, such as individual\nroles, interpersonal relations, and group dynamics, i.e., to master\norganizational dynamics. Courses that are part of this concentration - 'Strategies\nand Processes of Negotiation' and 'Managing in Organizations' will enhance my\nunderstanding of human behavior in managerial contexts. These courses will help\nme understand human behavior in a better way from the managerial context. Booth\nis the best school for me because of its philosophy, flexibility, and wide\nrange of courses that it offers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam<\/strong>: Can you tell us your\nGMAT prep? What challenges did you face during your preparation? How did you\novercome them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>I took GMAT twice, and I made my last attempt\nat GMAT in August 2016. From the start, I was good at quant. In my mocks, I was\nscoring around 49 and 50. So, I was pretty much comfortable with the quant\nsection. I used to solve a lot of problems from the GMAT Club website. The\nquestions over there were quite tricky but helped me to sharpen my quant\nskills. Verbal was my Achilles heel. In particular, I was struggling with\nReading Comprehension and time management with the Verbal section. Initially, I\nwas using the Manhattan prep for verbal, but it didn't help much. Then, I used\nPowerScore for Critical Reasoning, and I found it very helpful. Through\nPowerscore, I learned how to tackle a Critical Reasoning question in a\nstructured way. Besides, I registered for e-GMAT's GMAT classes, and I found\ntheir 3-step process for Sentence Correction very helpful. Finally, for Reading\nComprehension, I couldn't pinpoint a book or website, but time and again, when\nI practiced, I did improve, but to be honest, not to the extent what I\nwanted.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to time management, I was able to finish quant with around 5 to 8 minutes to spare. But I had a tough time in managing the verbal section. So, I used to take full mock tests once in two weeks with the proper exam-like setting at home, and I slowly gained control in time management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam<\/strong>: Can you share your\napplication strategy, planning, and preparation with our audience\/ readers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>I thought of applying to Booth in May 2020. There are two main aspects that the admission committee is interested to see from my application. First, they want to know if I have enough clarity with my short- and long-term goals and how an MBA from the business school with help me meet those goals. So I should make it very clear that there is no other way other than MBA to achieve my goals. Second, they would like to see if I am an excellent fit for their community. They are eager to know what I bring to the table and how I, with my work experience and knowledge, will play an active role in the Booth community. So, I went through a lot of content on their websites, such as their educational philosophy, curriculum, teaching faculties, student groups, and specific blogs to understand Booth and its community. Then I jotted down all my strengths and picked those who will bring a unique perspective to the Booth community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only way to\ntell the Admission committee about these two aspects is through essays. So, I\nspent a lot of time drafting essays. Moreover, with your support and guidance,\nI was pretty confident that I had presented myself in the best manner in my\nessays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam<\/strong>: Looking back, what was\nthe most challenging aspect of the school admission process? How did you approach\nthat challenge and overcome it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>As I said, essays are the most critical aspect to reflect one's nature, strengths, weaknesses, and fit with the business school community. So, I wanted another pair of eyes to get the best out of essays. I was confident that I could write essays without grammatical issues. Still, I was a little bit skeptical about whether I am conveying the right information for the essay question in a meticulous way, and that became evident when we were revising essays twice and thrice. When I compared my initial draft and the final one for each essay, I felt that I would not have done a great job without your support. <a href=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/reviews\/comments\/essay-review-345359010\">You made sure that I convey my stories in a concise manner, and I could not have done without your support. <ins>Thank you so much for your excellent service<\/ins><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the final revision, I always had the satisfaction that if you\nare convinced, then the admissions committee will also get confident with my\nessays. That's the kind of support you gave me. So, for future applicants,\nplease don't feel pissed off when Poonam asks to make several changes to the\nessays. Trust me !! The final edit of your essay will be brilliant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam<\/strong>: What\nwill you advise other applicants who are facing similar challenges in telling\ntheir stories?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva:<\/strong> Some people might feel confident that they can deliver on their own. Yes,\nthey can, but I would say that they need another pair of eyes to make sure that\nthey are conveying the right information. So, they need another person to\nreview their essays, and it would be great if they can go for a person like you\nwho has expertise in advising a lot of applicants. You have assisted hundreds\nof applicants and know how to get the best out of each of them, so I would recommend\nyour services to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another advice that I would like to give is that please be honest. Accept\nweaknesses and let the Ad Com know about it and inform you that you are working\non that. You need not have to be a perfect person. Ad Com knows that no one is\nperfect. So be honest in your application and make sure that this is reflected positively.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam<\/strong>: This is highly valuable advice. Authenticity and honesty are the essential components of an MBA application, and that's what the admission committee members always emphasize. Thank you so much. Shiva, you will pursue an MBA along with your full-time job and family responsibilities? You will be traveling to Chicago every weekend, which is a tall order. What are your plans to achieve work-life school balance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>The next three years are going to be extremely challenging, and I am all set with a smile to face it. I am skilled at handling multiple things in parallel. I pursued my Master's along with a full-time job while taking care of my pregnant wife and then my newborn. I understand that with the weekend MBA at Booth, I will be put in a hot seat with even more challenges. The kind of academia I am entering into will be even more competitive, and I should make myself stay on top of a lot of things. To succeed, I need to remove the word 'procrastination' from my dictionary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of\neverything, I will have to fly to Chicago every weekend for classes. I feel\nthat doing something out of passion gives a lot more energy than doing\nsomething you don't like to do. I see an MBA as my passion, and I know that one\ncritical aspect which I have to master is time management. Every Sunday morning,\nI will put a schedule for that week, and I will stick to it at any cost. Of\ncourse, I need to have some buffer for some unprecedented events, especially\nwith my little 1.5-year-old son, who expects me to play with him any time of\nthe week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a family to take care of, I need to be strong at emotional intelligence. I am pretty sure that I will experience a lot of different emotions, and I should be self-aware to be able to balance everything, including my health. Finally, with the curriculum flexibility at Booth, I have control over the course load I can take for that semester based on the time at work and home for that semester. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam: <\/strong>Can you tell us about your interest and hobbies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>With my son around, I try to spend some quality time with him, enjoying every moment of his growing up years. Besides that, I love to play tennis, and down the road, I want to become a professional scuba diver. Also, I lookout for the latest happenings and advances in the field of data analytics, and I am an avid reader of The Economist, a weekly newspaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam: <\/strong>Finally, as you know, COVID-19 had turned lives upside down globally. Given the current tumult and uncertainty created by this international health crisis, what challenges are you anticipating in your MBA experience? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>One significant aspect of\ndoing an MBA is networking. Networking is best in classes and onsite events,\nwhich is something I will be missing this semester. As I am going to take close\nto 3 years to complete my degree, I feel that the situation will stabilize by\nnext year, giving me many opportunities to meet people in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COVID crisis is an unprecedented crisis. Even during the great recession, which happened around 2008, only financial institutions were significantly impacted. But now, all industries are widely and equally affected, and at this moment, the impact is not yet felt completely. For instance, even though the economy is down, the share markets are surging. That is something odd and exciting to watch. Pursuing an MBA at this time will give me an excellent opportunity to understand from a management perspective what business leaders are doing to get the companies out of the economic crisis without much impact. Also, I can research to see what is among companies that survived this pandemic without much consequence. It will be a great learning experience for me as I will get diverse perspectives from my peers in class. I see this as a positive out of COVID because this is the first crisis that the entire world is facing, and no one knows how to navigate and get the company doing well. An MBA at this time will give me enough knowledge to introspect each of the management's decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam: <\/strong>So, you think it's a good time to go for an MBA. To navigate\nthrough this international health crisis<strong>, <\/strong>B- Schools have been continually\ncoming up with changes\/ updates in school admissions to help the current\nstudents, incoming students, and prospective students. Have you received any\nupdates from Chicago Booth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>Regarding the classes, I am receiving constant updates from Booth. Initially, I was informed that this Autumn semester would be conducted in a hybrid model with both in-class and virtual. Later on, they said, only those who reside in Illinois could take in-person classes, and the rest will have to take virtual classes. As the situation is evolving, I would not be surprised by any further changes for this semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam:<\/strong> Is there anything else\nyou think I should have asked? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva:<\/strong><a><strong> <\/strong><\/a>I would like to share my experiences with the interview process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam:<\/strong> Please go ahead. Also, would you please\nshare some interview tips with prospective applicants?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva: <\/strong>Booth interview was the first and the last for me because I applied to only\nBooth only. Since this was the only chance for me to get an admit, I went\nthrough a lot of forums and posts to get an insight into the type of questions\nthey ask in the interview. Finally, I prepared a list of 42 to 45 questions- a\nmix of behavioral questions and questions about my strengths and weakness. I\nprepared answers for all the 45 questions and rehearsed them in front of the\nmirror.&nbsp; I knew that if selected, this\nwould be the turning point in my life. I was interviewed by a Second-Year\nstudent who was a part of the Admission Panel. Whatever question he asked me\nwas covered in those 45 questions that I had prepared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was comfortable in the interview. One thing\nI was sure that even if I didn't give the best answer, I did not draw a blank\nfor any question. One crucial thing I learned from those forums and posts that\npeople regret not asking the interviewer a question. So, to the prospective MBA\naspirants, I suggest going with a list of 1-2 questions that you want to ask\nthe interviewer and make sure that you cannot get their answers from the\nwebsite. Ask questions so that you gain their perspective about what you wish\nto know before attending Booth. Be prepared and do your best in the interview. My\ninterview was a casual talk, and I knew I did my best after having a rigorous\npreparation for the interview. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam<\/strong>: Thank you for sharing your story with\nus. It was a pleasure chatting with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shiva:<\/strong> You have gotten the best\nout of me through this conversation. I truly appreciate that, and one of the\nbest things that happened to me in this entire MBA prep journey was that I came\nto know about you and worked with you. You have been one of the major success\nfactors, and I wish that you continue to play a core role for future MBA\naspirants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-purple-color\"><strong>Poonam:<\/strong> Thank you so much for your kind words. It was my pleasure to assist you with your application. I wish you good luck with your Chicago Booth MBA experience and continued success in your career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can connect with Shiva&nbsp; via LinkedIn: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/shiku\/\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/shiku\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/myessayreview.com\/student-interviews\/data-science-engineers-journey-booth-weekend-mba-program\/\">success story<\/a> was first published in <a href=\"https:\/\/myessayreview.com\/\">myEssayReview<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction: Shivakumar Barathi completed his Master&#8217;s in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ, last year. Since then, he has been working as a Data Science Machine&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":141,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,943,243],"tags":[2244,2263,278,2264],"class_list":["post-49718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-myessayreview","category-blog","tag-admission-consulting","tag-chicago-booth-evening-program","tag-mba-application-tips","tag-my-essayreview-success-story","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/141"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49718"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49998,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49718\/revisions\/49998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}