Victor Castro, Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA Class of 2024
Age: 30
Hometown: Madrid, Spain
Undergraduate Institution and Major: BSc in Mechanical Engineering at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 2 years in the energy sector as a mechanical engineer; 6 years in the defense industry at General Dynamics in Europe; Part-time expert evaluator for the European Commission.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
The last 6 years at General Dynamics were amazing, a stage where I learned from great people with very different backgrounds, but I felt that something was missing, something that could satisfy my eagerness to make a great impact. I always thought about being in a place where I could impact not only a specific organization but the industry as a whole by being part of the decisions that drive organizations to success. After careful consideration, I knew that pursuing the MBA would give me the tools to switch my career to a more high-paced, high-impact industry, broaden my network, and continue developing the soft skills required to thrive in any organization.
Why did you choose Carnegie Mellon Tepper? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
When you are working in an industry that deals with cutting-edge technology and the people involved recognize CMU Tepper as one of the top business schools, you know you are making a great choice. I could go with several strengths that Tepper possesses, but I will stick to those most important for me: class size and alumni, and the rigorous quantitative program.
One of my main reasons for attending business school was to boost my professional career and for that purpose, the school alumni is a great asset during the duration of the program. In the case of Tepper, the alumni network is well spread along a great variety of industries, their careers are successful based on the roles and positions held, and what is more important, they are very supportive thanks to the Tepper tight-knit community. When you talked to alumni to hear their MBA experiences, and you experience the class vibe by yourself, you understand why people going out of Tepper are successful and well-recognized.
Finally, the rigorous quantitative program and data analytics that Tepper is well-known for. “The Intelligent Future” is the main initiative of the school, and it could not be more right. In the current business environment, those companies that are able to analyze and take the proper action with the continuous flow of data received from all of us are the ones that make the biggest impact on society. And Tepper, through the MBA curriculum, is preparing us for that purpose no matter what industry we are targeting.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Tepper MBA Class of 2024?
Working in the defense sector under daily stress and uncertainties, but at the same time delivering the best quality service to the customer gives you, among other valuable skills, the necessity of being a good team player, working side by side with your team to achieve the goals.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
The first thing I look for and visit when I travel to a new city is the best specialty coffee shop in town. Visiting the tourist spots of the city comes after that.
Post-MBA career interests:
Investment Banking
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Research about the business schools based on your necessities and not what a ranking says, and then talk to current students to make sure that the school is the right fit for you. At first sight, it may seem that most MBA programs are similar, but then you realize there are several differences in both the MBA program and the school that fits you better than others.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Talk to many more people from other schools different from your chosen one. In my case, I focused too much on talking to people from those schools that accepted me, but it really helps to talk to students from other colleges (no matter if they accepted you or not) to know what you are NOT looking for in your MBA experience.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I am sure I won’t be the only one saying this but: taking the GMAT. Finding the time to study when you have a full-time job and other obligations can become very challenging. In the end, you just need to think it is another part of the application process. In my case, thinking that the GMAT was not a no-go helped a lot to relieve all of the daily stress, and that helped me to “enjoy the process”. Of course, friends and, in my case, my brother and my sister-in-law were the biggest support I had during the hard times.
What is your initial impression of the Carnegie Mellon Tepper students/culture/community?
When you read interviews with MBA students talking about this same question, most of them have a great impression of the social environment overall. In my case, I am surprised that my impression is even much better than I expected; and I can tell that my expectations were already very high before coming to Tepper. The sense of community among students and faculty is amazing, and I value this even more as an international student that has been in Pittsburgh for just one month, that needs to readapt completely to a new country, but who is fortunate enough to have classmates that are making the process really easy.
What is one thing you have learned about Carnegie Mellon Tepper that has surprised you?
How MCC (Master Careers Center) and the professional clubs work so closely to help you get the job you want. The staff that works at MCC were involved in different industries for several years and in a variety of roles that bring a great source of knowledge on how to face the recruiting process. And regarding the professional clubs, I have no words to describe the amazing job and the great effort the board members are doing selflessly. I take this chance to say a big thank you to all of them, and even bigger from an international student that in another case won’t probably know how to navigate the process.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Balancing the infinite activities available every week. I want to be involved in lots of events, but at the same time I need to be well prepared for the recruiting process and I need to do well in classes. Apart from this, I love to hang out with my classmates and other people I’m meeting throughout CMU, and, finally, I have the bad habit of sleeping, for at least, 5 hours. Basically, how to prioritize your daily tasks with a clear focus in the long term is what I am most anxious about, but in the end, time management is what helps you go through everything.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Secure an internship as soon as possible for next summer, so I can focus on enjoying a lot of the experiences available: from club events to helping the Tepper community to grow even bigger, to making amazing trips with my classmates.
