Many people pursuing their MBA have established a family alongside their career. For Casey Hubbell, Harvard Business School offered the family-friendly setting he needed. In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, get to know Hubbell and how HBS supported his personal and professional choices on his way to Bain & Co.
Casey Hubbell, HBS MBA ’22, Consultant at Bain & Company
Casey Hubbell, HBS MBA ’22, Consultant at Bain & CompanyAge: 31
Hometown: Redlands, CA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: BYU, Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Business School, Graduation Year and Concentration (if applicable): Harvard Business School, 2022
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 5, aerospace
Post-MBA Work Experience (years, industry):1, consulting
Why did you choose to attend business school?
I loved my time as an engineer, but after a few years in the industry, I realized that I wanted to tackle the bigger-picture challenges that our business faced. Though self-learning and online schools were an option, I felt that attending business school in person full-time would allow me to focus on studying, get reps at applying the concepts, and expose me to new facets of the business world through both curriculum and classmates.
Why HBS? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
When I visited campus, there were so many aspects of the experience that I fell in love with. First, I found the case method to be a compelling style of learning that would push me to become a confident decision-maker in the face of ambiguity. Second, I was enamored with the faculty, the facilities, and the atmosphere that permeated campus. Finally, and most importantly, it was the most family-friendly campus by a wide margin. The proximity of apartments to campus and resources for spouses and kids meant that my whole family would be a part of the experience. The decision was a no-brainer.
What about your MBA experience prepared you for your current career?
The case method was all about synthesizing information quickly and generating meaningful insights early, skills that are essential to consulting. Exercising that muscle so often in business school has helped me address our client’s needs in such short periods of time.
What was your internship during business school? How did that inform your post-MBA career choice?
I was a Business Development intern at a late-stage defense tech startup for my MBA internship. I was interested in the startup world but realized that I wanted to apply the concepts I was learning in business school more directly and have more structure in how my career might develop. Consulting checked both of those boxes well.
Why did you choose your current company? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to work?
I went through the usual process of applying to multiple firms, but discovered early on that Bain was engaging with me on a much more personal level. I clicked with the people well and appreciated their staffing model that would reduce travel expectations. We chose to pursue the Dallas office mostly for affordability. My oldest daughter was starting kindergarten, and we wanted to afford some space while being near excellent schools.
How has COVID impacted your industry/career plans?
If I had been asked that during business school (i.e. during COVID), I might have given a stronger response, but the reality is that everything worked out the way it needed to. I think that period gave us an appreciation for being surrounded by the people that matter to you, and I’m certain that priority will stay with us over the years.
Advice to current MBA students:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of the job search?
Get to know the careers of your classmates! It was so much fun to meet them and understand the pros/cons of wherever they came from. They will give you the inside scoop on a company/industry in a way that no career fair or job posting ever can.
–One thing you would change or do differently?
I felt so much pressure to secure an internship quickly in the first year, I wish I had been more patient with myself and allowed more room to explore. The stress of seeing your classmates securing jobs gets intense, but good opportunities do continue to arise.
–Were there any surprises regarding your current employer’s recruiting process?
The case interviews ended up being a bit more “go-with-the flow” than the practice sessions I had done. That said, the consulting recruiting process is a well-paved road, so I still felt pretty comfortable throughout.
–What piece of advice do you wish you had been given during your MBA?
I wish I had engaged the faculty more and invested in relationships there. They are truly experts in their fields, and I had some professors that I grew to deeply respect. They insist I can still reach out though, so maybe it’s not too late.
