News & Events Library
2024 - 2025 Academic Year
Building Your Professional Image
One of the secrets to career advancement is a strong professional image. How you conduct yourself, how you communicate, your etiquette at business meals - it all impacts how people view you, and whether you're seen as hirable and promotable. MS&E alumna Meera Clark has had a meteoric career path – from graduation to Partner in 10 years - and shared her thoughts on all this and more.
The Role of a Chief of Staff
What exactly is a Chief of Staff anyway? Why do the people doing it love it so much? Why might you want to consider it? MS&E alumni Monica Shen Knotts and Samuel Beskind, delved into the details of what they do and how it's impactful, and shared their insights about how to find, gain, and excel in these roles.
Choosing Wisely: How To Identify A Supportive Manager or Escape A Toxic One
Having a good boss can make all the difference in your career both short term and long term – the difference between mentorship, training and opportunities for advancement, or dysfunction, disillusionment and burn out. So how do you ensure you’re in the former situation? And how do you get out if you’re in the nightmare situation? MS&E alum Duru Ahanotu has been in both during his career, and hosted a candid conversation filled with practical know-how and tips.
How I Negotiated a Significant Job Offer Increase
Negotiating can be intimidating – what to ask for, when to ask, and how hard to push. But it can also be done successfully. MS&E alum Guillaume Noziere increased his initial base pay offer by 20%, and his stock options package by 50%. His presentation covered tactics, strategies and advice.
See the event slides (available to Stanford affiliates only)
Selling Your Super Power
Many people have valuable Super Powers that they're not aware of, but which are attractive to employers. Student athletes, international students, and the FLI populations specifially, but also those in club and activity leadership positions. MS&E alums and former student athletes Belle Battistoni and Rollins Stallworth hosted a lively and practical discussion on how to efficiently and effectively demonstrate them and tell your own unique story.
How To Network
One of the most popular – and accurate - pieces of career advice is to make sure you’re networking. But what does that actually mean? And how do you do it? MS&E alumni Arif Damji and Ben Ying, and Stanford JD Erik Pavia are ‘Networking Ninjas', who shared inspiring anecdotes and disclosed their best practices.
Senior Project Revisited
Senior Project is in many ways a mini internship, and something that can be listed on your resume, talked about in interviews, and helpful in your career as you look back on the lessons learned. Alumni David Madej, '22 - who was on one of the two teams that shared the Senior Project Award which is given out at Commencement, shared stories about how his Senior Project experience has already impacted and influenced his career path.
Utilizing AI to Draft Your Job Applications
Writing your resume and customizing it for all the different roles you apply to can be time consuming at best and confusing or even frustrating at worst. Add in cover letters and it’s all like having a full time job already! Taking advantage of AI is a great option – but how do you avoid an obvious “these materials were generated by AI” perception? Alumni Mehul Patel and Megh Gautam discussed tips, tricks and advice to streamline and improve your applications and interview performance.
Resumes for the Finance World
Customizing your resume to fit different companies or areas of industry helps make a strong first impression. Within the finance world, there are multiple specialties, so how do you best show your understanding of - and readiness for – your desired employer or domain? Alumni Evan Appel gave an advice filled session covering dos and don’ts, best practices, and expectations.
Mock Interview Review
Have you ever wondered what the interview panel really thought about your responses? Wished you could get insider feedback? Alumni Isabelle Meyer Stapf and Karen Chao, who have extensive interviewing and hiring experience across their combined 40+ years in product management reviewed real recordings students answering typical product management interview questions, giving their candid impressions and offering valuable advice.
Meet Your FutureSelf
David Telleen Lawton hosted his always popular session covering the why's, when's and how's of connecting with those in roles you’d like to explore – aka Meeting Your FutureSelf - one of the best things you can do for your short, medium and long term career success.
Internship Panel
Panelists Poorva Bhalerao, Mishika Govil, Kent Hippler and Yonglai Zhu, who between them had summer 2024 internship experience across finance, consulting, big tech and consumer goods/retail, hosted a discussion about all things internship: how they found them, how they landed them, and what the actual experience was like.
Additional events hosted this academic year:
- Info Session with Qube Research Technologies Investment Management
- Professional headshots
2023 - 2024 Academic Year
The First 90 Days: Secrets to Crushing Your New Job or Internship
Getting off to a strong start puts you in the best position for promotions and return offers. Remembering names, mastering the art of feedback, and immediately adding value will make an excellent early impression – but what are the best strategies for actually doing all of this? Star storyteller Sanjeev Bode had actionable advice and practical pointers.
Communicate For Career Success: What Your Written, Verbal and Non-Verbal Communications Need to Say About You
How you connect with others and present yourself are a key part of what drives your career success and growth - from helping ensure you get a return offer, to standing out for the right reasons. Cami Katz, MS&E BS, MS ’21, shared insider tips on the unwritten rules and best practices for your formal, informal and sub-conscious communications in the workplace.
The Magic of Mentoring
Having a mentor is one of the best ways to grow and develop in your career. In this session, Monica Shen Knotts, MS&E BS, who has benefitted from being a mentee, and has mentored many young professionals during her 30 year career encompassing consulting, business development and product management, covered all things mentorship, from how to identify a mentor to building a long lasting relationship.
Resume prep, and tips & tricks for answering case questions in industrial engineering interviews
Careers in Industrial Engineering are particularly relevant for MS&E students. Brandon Wulff (BS '19) and his colleague Johnny Dodero hosted a session covering what to include on your resume and planning out your interview answers, specifically looking at how to answer case study questions, as well as what their company is looking for in terms of skill sets and mindsets.
Quantitative Research in Pro Sports – From Stanford to the Front Office
Were you the kid who studied all the player cards? Are you fascinated by sport statistics? Do you want to use data to help drive strategy? John Sears, MS '15 answered yes to all of these and went into a career in front office sports. In this workshop, he gave advice on how to get onto this career path, what to think about before/once on it, and thoughts about the next, most exciting areas of exploration for sports quantitative analysis.
Identifying and Living Your Values for a Meaningful Career
Work that encompasses your personal values feels better than “just a job”. Tim Kendall, BS ’99, talked frankly about how he has incorporated his values into a career that has spanned diverse roles and senior leadership, and how he is living them as he invests in "tech for good" and advises founders on growth and scaling.
The Mindset of Meeting Your FutureSelf
Curious what this “Meeting Your FutureSelf” trend is? Experiencing FOMO as you hear others talking about the conversations they’ve had, and how they’ve helped them? Not sure how to approach these discussions? Watch an informative session from David Telleen Lawton, BS, MS, to get all the answers and cultivate the mindset that you’ll need to leverage a career-building approach that has outsized success rates.
Getting a job in DS/ML and the things that matter the most once you’re in that no one tells you about
Getting in, and getting ahead. Wondering the best way to start your career in data science and/or machine learning? And how to stand out and get promoted once you’re in? Paul Magon de la Villehuchet, MS ’19, hosted a session full of practical advice about tailoring your resume, what to expect in interviews, and the skills that make the difference to be impactful.
Senior Project Revisited
Senior Project 2019 winners Alex Hellman, Sami Koire and Kate Salmon, with additions from teammate Maddie Kerr, talked through how they've used the skills learned and mindsets developed during that keystone experience as they've navigated the most recent four years to launch and excel in their careers.
Zoom recording (for Stanford affiliates only) is linked below.
Building Successful Products: The Role of the Product Manager
Alumna Laura Marino hosted a session covering important concepts in product management, product lifecycle, and tips and tricks for getting started on this exciting career path.
Internship Panel
Alumni Rollins Stallworth III and current students Ignacio Guarna, Lyna Kim and Sophia Love engaged in a lively and informative discussion about all things internships: finding them, getting them, and leveraging them.
The ABC’s of Career, Discover, & Exploration: The nitty-gritty for the fastest way to find your best, next career role
David Telleen Lawton delivered a highly practical workshop, where students worked on their messaging for outreach to people who are doing the kinds of roles they think they might want to be in themselves in the near future.
The Importance of Network for Careers in Finance
Meera Clark and Ranjana Clark gave a fascinating session full of anecdotes about their finance careers, insights into the industry, and practical tips about building and maintaining a network.
2022 - 2023 Academic Year
What They Don't Teach You About Data Science in School
Nick Benavides hosted a session covering the differences between different data science roles, on-the-job skills, and tips on how to get started in the industry as well as standing out once you're in.
MS&E Career Chat: Alex Lin, BS and MS in MS&E, Class of ‘21: Investor at JMI Equity
MS&E alumnus Alex Lin discussed his career path and the details of the titles he’s held – the work that he did and currently does, what they *really* involved, and how he transitioned from one role or area to another - across academic research, the life sciences, and even his own venture-backed startup before moving to the investment-side of the world.
What is the role of Capital Allocator (aka Limited Partner) and why might it be my dream career?
The role of a capital allocator at a pension, family office, endowment or fund of funds (“LP investing”) is an important, but often overlooked, potential career path in finance. Jenny Chen described how determining asset allocations, understanding risk/return parameters, and evaluating and selecting fund managers is a complex, but rewarding job.
Building early stage product and how to get your foot in the door as a PM
Building early-stage product is a mixture of art and science that falls outside the bounds of most traditional coursework. Jacob Choi talked about his experiences building early-stage products, the wild adventures of taking a product from 0 to 1, and getting your foot in the door to product management.
Internship Panel: Spring 2023
Current MS&E MS students Guillaume Noziere and Stepan (Stephan) Sharkov hosted a panel session discussing their internship experiences, including how they got them, and what they learned before, during and after.
Do Good While Doing Good: How Values and Profits Align
Rollins Stallworth shared how his personal and professional experiences as a former professional athlete, Head of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and current Venture capitalist shaped his views on how one can pursue a career path that aligns their economic desires and moral compass.
MS&E Career Chat: Jeff Fenton, MS Operations Research; Sr. Staff Governance, Risk and Compliance Analyst at Lockheed Martin
Jeff Fenton hosted an informal conversation, reviewing his career path and the details of the various titles he’s held over the years - what they *really* involved, the work that he did and currently does, and how he transitioned from one role or area to another.
Students, meet your future selves
In the quest for career insights, MS&E alum David Telleen-Lawton encourages MS&E students to start having conversations with their FutureSelf. Master's student Daniela Rendon shares her experience implementing the technique.
2021 - 2022 Academic Year and Earlier
Designing the future of money: Crypto, CBDCs, and the broader global financial system
MS&E alumni Sean Howard (MS '21), Lead Project Manager at Criteo CBDC Solutions, and Catherine Gu (MS '21), Head of CBDC and Protocol at Visa Crypto, discuss challenges and advantages of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and how to design the future of money.
The Strategic Thinking Mindset: Stanford Alumni Panel
We had a wonderful group of Stanford alums share their stories about how they applied a strategic thinking mindset to their professional careers. They discussed how one course, in particular, Global Entrepreneurial Marketing, shaped their perspective on strategically planning for the long-term.
MS&E Black alumni panel
An open panel discussion with several MS&E alumni focusing on their experience as a Black student at Stanford and as a Black professional in industry. Panelists shared their stories, experiences, insight, and advice.
The road ahead: The post-COVID professional landscape
COVID-19 showed itself to be a significant disruption to key aspects of our society, and we've had time to learn several lessons that we could integrate into our vision of our individual and collective futures. In this session, MS&E alum Adib Kshirsagar discuss these noteworthy lessons, and how they can apply to the nature of work, the implications on the technology landscape as well as our relationship with uncertainty.
Turning ideas into products: The product manager role
MS&E alumna Laura Marino, product executive with 20 years of experience leading product management teams across start-ups and large organizations, provides an in-depth session on one of the most interesting and challenging roles in product-led companies. Laura presents an overview of the role of product management and the responsibilities in each stage of the product lifecycle.
Women in MS&E: Alumni panel
An open panel discussion with several MS&E alumni focusing on their experience as a woman at Stanford and as a professional in industry and academia. Panelists shared their stories, experiences, insight, and advice.
Startup life in the post-COVID era
In this session, Ahmed Reza discusses tips for startups on surviving and thriving in the COVID-19 economic crisis and the opportunities that arise from it.
MS&E Latino/a/x alumni panel
An open panel discussion with several MS&E alumni focusing on their experience as a Latino/a/x student at Stanford and as a Latino/a/x professional in industry. Panelists shared their stories, experiences, insight, and advice.
MS&E international alumni panel
An open panel discussion with several MS&E alumni focusing on their experience as an international student at Stanford and as a professional in industry. Panelists shared their stories, experiences, insight, and advice.
Job searching in the virtual world
MS&E alum Thomas Igeme (BS ‘10) provides insights on how to navigate the current job market through the effects of COVID-19. Thomas also provides students with practical and strategic tips for navigating a job search remotely during shelter-in-place orders.
MS&E Black alumni panel
An open panel discussion with several MS&E alumni focusing on their experience as a Black student at Stanford and as a Black professional in industry. Panelists shared their stories, experiences, insight and advice.