In this week’s MBA Student Profile, we’re excited to showcase Ryan Van Wagoner. Ryan is a 2nd year MBA Student at the University of Notre Dame (Mendoza, ’15) and currently resides in South Bend, Indiana. In addition to getting married right before entering business school, Ryan worked in Sales at Qualtrics in Utah, and will be transitioning into Product Marketing at Salesforce.com. During our interview, Ryan shared some great insights on some key learnings from business school, his recruiting process, and his advice for making the most of the MBA experience and landing a job at a Tech company.
Name: Ryan Van Wagoner
Year: 2015
School: Notre Dame (Mendoza College of Business)
Previous Work Experience: Corporate Sales at Qualtrics, Inc.
Undergraduate: Finance at Brigham Young University
Current Clubs & Activities: Marketing, Business Analytics, Cycling
MBASchooled: Thanks for joining us Ryan. First off, why did you choose the University of Notre Dame (Mendoza) for your MBA?
Ryan: I got married six months before applying to business schools, so it was important to me to choose a school that is not only highly ranked with a good reputation, but also prioritizes family and has a tight-knit community and alumni network. Notre Dame seemed like the perfect overall package.
MBASchooled: What’s been the best experience you’ve had in business school so far?
Ryan: This might not count as an “experience,” but the best (and most surprising) part of business school has been the quality and quantity of friendships I’ve made. I came for the education and to switch careers, but by far the most valuable asset I’ll be leaving with is a network of close friends scattered across the country.
MBASchooled: What’s been the most challenging aspect of your business school experience?
Ryan: I’m not a naturally great interviewer, so improving my interview skills was challenging and took a lot of work. It felt awkward and fake. I tried to interview as much as possible (both for practice and for real). I used flashcards to practice and wrote up stories for every possible behavioral question I could think of. The process took months, but I eventually started feeling confident and started nailing my interviews.
MBASchooled: What’s something that you didn’t know before business school that you know now?
Ryan: I didn’t know how much I would learn from my classmates. I assumed I would learn a lot from my classes and from the recruiting process, but I think the most valuable learning came from classmates with diverse experiences and viewpoints. It’s given me a more holistic view of the world and of business, and it’s strengthened friendships. Also, I should mention that my wife wanted me to answer this question with “How to change a diaper.”
MBASchooled: While you were a first-year at Notre Dame what did you decide to recruit for?
Ryan: Great question. I started off wanting to go into marketing, then I switched to investing, then switched again to corporate finance, then back to marketing, and I finally ended up in business analytics. Luckily I was able to explore each concentration and was able to zig-zag my way to where I’m at now, and Notre Dame provided plenty of networking events and recruiting opportunities to help me decide what was the best fit.
MBASchooled: What in particular attracted you to this function/industry/profession?
Ryan: My last job was in corporate sales at Qualtrics, a marketing technology company, and I often found myself wishing I was on the other side of the table—that I was the one managing marketing campaigns and running analytics. It seemed fascinating to me, and I wanted to learn more. I also knew that the Big Data wave was just beginning and that a background in analytics was becoming more valuable than ever.
MBASchooled: What are some ways in which you’ve been able to explore your career path while at the University of Notre Dame?
Ryan: Notre Dame holds lots of events and networking nights, but I think what helped me most was the recruiting process itself. I would have a certain level of interest in a particular field or company, so I would apply for the position and research the heck out of the opportunity. Usually during the interview and my research I would know whether it was for me.
MBASchooled: This past summer, you interned at Salesforce.com out in San Francisco. How did you find that opportunity, and what was the recruiting process like?
Ryan: I’m a “West Coast tech company” type of guy, so I wanted to look beyond Notre Dame’s on-campus recruiting at some opportunities farther west. I came across a LinkedIn listing for the Salesforce.com marketing internship and thought it would be a great fit—my last job was in corporate sales and we used Salesforce.com daily, so I figured my experience and knowledge of the product would be a strong selling point. The recruiting process was much tougher than any I had experienced. I submitted my resume and got selected for the initial “video interview” through HireVue. After that, I made it to the next round of several phone interviews with managers and directors on the marketing team where I would be working. I was then asked to prepare a 30-45 minute PowerPoint presentation to pitch a new product idea to the team (Salesforce is big on presentation skills and creativity). I then had a final 20-minute phone interview with the Senior Vice President, and a few days later I got the good news.
MBASchooled: During your interview process, what do you think set Salesforce.com apart from other places you were considering?
Ryan: I received an offer from another large tech company but was unimpressed by their long response times and unaccommodating attitudes. Salesforce really laid out the red carpet during the entire recruiting process. Response times were no more than a few days, and every interaction I had with both the marketing team and the recruiters were very positive and encouraging. The further I got in the recruiting process, the more excited I became to work there.
MBASchooled: Can you share what you did as an intern at Salesforce. What was your role, and what kinds of projects did you work on?
Ryan: I was on the Product Marketing team for the Sales Cloud product. The role was really unstructured, which bothered me at first (it’s always easier to have a concrete project or to-do list) but by the end I was grateful for that—it gave me the opportunity to be involved in a variety of projects and develop many new skills. I created a product feature demo video, revamped the product’s social media strategy, helped develop customer stories, created a new sales enablement tool, spoke at the sales rep bootcamp, and led the vendor selection process for Salesforce’s new customer referral program (now live! Check out refersalesforce.com). I even had the opportunity to travel to Anaheim and assist in the live product demo at the Salesforce World Tour.
MBASchooled: What did you enjoy most about interning at Salesforce?
Ryan: Salesforce is a very fast-paced company that demands a lot of its employees, but it’s very rewarding. I developed good friendships, made valuable connections, and learned the importance of collaboration and time management. Another great perk is the location—Salesforce is headquartered right next to the Ferry Building in San Francisco, so we had a great view of the Bay out our windows. I’m looking forward to rejoining the team this summer.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for prospective MBA applicants?
Ryan: First of all, make sure you’re going to business school for the right reasons. An MBA just doesn’t have the same universal worth that it did 20 years ago, and you need to have a plan for how it will help your career and why the investment will be worthwhile. If you need an MBA strategically increase your earning potential or to switch careers, then an MBA is a great option; if you just don’t know what you want to do or want to “get some education”…probably not the best route. Second, try to get leadership experience in as many ways as possible. That doesn’t mean you have to have “manager” in your title—just look for opportunities to take ownership of projects and lead others at work and in your community. Third, try to read as much as possible. This is one thing I wish I would have done more before coming to Notre Dame. Read the best books on business and read the Wall Street Journal regularly; it will set you apart in classes and make you more valuable to recruiters.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for students looking to work for a Tech company?
Ryan: When I started my internship at Salesforce, my manager told me that one of the reasons I was selected was because my excitement really showed through in the interviews. “Most people just aren’t that excited about CRM,” he said. Tech companies are typically faster paced and require more creativity than other industries, so make sure that you really are excited and passionate about the company and role and that you let that shine through in the recruiting process. Also, make LinkedIn your new best friend—reach out to anyone at the company who might be able to give you advice or a contact or an open door.
MBASchooled: What are some of your top lessons learned from your time in business school?
Ryan: The biggest lesson I’ve learned has been to prioritize my time. Business school offers a unique opportunity to participate in lots of different activities, including clubs, case competitions, and networking and recruiting events. For me, I had to selectively choose the most effective activities to get involved with—especially considering I also wanted to make time for my wife and daughter—and balance those with homework and group work. The ability to prioritize and use time effectively will be vitally important in any career.
MBASchooled: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Ryan: I always wanted to be a pilot. Sometimes I still want to get my private pilot’s license. There’s nothing like looking down and seeing how relatively small everything you know is to give you perspective on life.
MBASchooled: If you could have anyone’s job in the world, whose job would you want and why?
Ryan: A professional skier or mountain biker. Who wouldn’t want to get paid to do what they love?