Student Spotlight: Anubhav Gupta

Anubhav Gupta is only a few days from graduating (June 2018) and attended the MEM program full-time. He is from New Delhi, India and holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. He loves playing computer games and lawn tennis, but his secret talent is roller-skating. In fact, he was a roller skating champion back in school! Upon graduation, Anubhav will be joining Amazon as a Sr. Software Development Engineer.

We asked Anubhav several additional questions to learn about his MEM student experience over the past 9-months:

What made you decide to pursue a MEM degree?

I decided to pursue MEM degree to explore my leadership style and develop business acumen. As an engineer, I was in a tactical role which provided me the opportunity to apply my technical skills in a constrained environment. I wanted to gain a broader perspective of how organizations run successful businesses and how I can become an effective leader within an organization. The MEM program was a perfect match, as it provides sufficient breadth of business knowledge through its core curriculum and gives the flexibility of choosing few electives which help students to further strengthen their area of expertise.

Favorite Class/Professor?

Each class in MEM program is unique. I thoroughly enjoyed MEM424: Leadership & Organizational Behavior taught by Professor Gail Berger. I learned the most applicable skills in my industry from MEM490: Product Management, taught by Professor Birju Shah. But my favorite class, hands down would be MEM437: Strategic Management for Engineers taught by Professor Donald McNeeley. The course is well-structured, highly practical and Professor McNeeley teaches it with elegance and creativity.

What is the most surprising aspect of your experience in the program?

Coming full-time into the program, I was apprehensive about the evening schedule of most of the classes. But after the first week, I realized that I could spend mornings and afternoons to participate in various events going around (which is especially helpful during career fairs). The classes are also arranged in a single 3-hour lecture, which frees up a lot of time. This translates into much more productivity or much more fun depending on individual tastes and preferences!

How does the program experience prepare you to reach your professional and career goals?

MEM program has enhanced my leadership and interpersonal skills and business knowledge. It has provided me with the necessary tools to identify and leverage business opportunities and make better decisions thereby adding value to my knowledge and personality. It also helped fill the gaps in my core engineering knowledge by enabling me to take electives in my area of expertise.

What is distinct about your program experience? What draws you in?

The opportunity to learn from distinguished faculty and experienced peers draws me into the program each day. I am constantly amazed by the breadth of knowledge and ideas that everyone around possesses and the learning opportunities presented as a result.

What do you feel you’re learning from Northwestern’s program that you might not be experiencing elsewhere?

Northwestern’s MEM is focused on engineers with a few years of industry experience which makes it different from other similar programs. I can relate the content taught in the classroom directly with my experience in the industry and retrospectively analyze my actions. I am also learning a lot from my peers who are seasoned professionals with vast industry experience.

Once you’ve graduated and are looking back, what do you think will have been the most valuable thing you will have received or learned from this program?

I think that the overall development of leadership style, decision-making skills and business knowledge has boosted my self-confidence and polished my personality, which are the most valuable things I would receive from the program.

What advice would you give future/prospective students?

I would suggest the future/prospective students to trust the process and take the leap. MEM is a wonderful program, and with the right approach, it can do wonders for your career. I would also advise the full-time students to sharpen their domain-specific skills before coming into the program as the program will build on their existing skillset.