Georgia Cassady (Ross, ‘20) worked at a non-profit in Public Relations and Brand Partnerships before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan for the Ross MBA Program. During her time at Ross, she took advantage of the Experiential Learning Programs such as MAP, to gain the skills and experiences to prepare her for a Career in Brand Management. During our interview, Cassady talked about her experience with MAP, and how it is preparing her for her post-MBA career
MBAScholed: What did you come to business school for, and how did you end up at Ross?
Before business school, I worked in public relations and brand partnerships at a small non-profit in D.C. I minored in entrepreneurship in undergrad at Wake Forest, and I always thought I’d go back to school for my MBA. I loved my job because it combined my love of writing and communications with my passion for social impact. But I wanted to do more.
Specifically, I wanted to work in marketing at a large for-profit with a strong social mission at its core. I believe business leaders have a duty to their consumers and to the world to make a positive impact with the resources they have at their disposal, and I wanted to be a part of fulfilling that responsibility. So, my search for the perfect MBA program was focused on finding a school with great marketing and social impact programs. In total, I applied to nine schools (I know, I’m insane!). I initially wasn’t sure about Ross because I’m originally from Alabama and NOT a fan of the cold. But a friend convinced me to attend a Ross event in D.C. about the power of business to do good in society, and I was hooked. I was on a plane to Ross two days later. Despite it snowing the entire time I visited and not being dressed appropriately whatsoever for the weather, I was obsessed with Ross and Ann Arbor.
MBASchooled: What is Experiential Learning Like at Ross? How did you take advantage of this in your first year?
At Ross, they want to make sure we have real business experience beyond the classroom. Twenty-five years ago, Ross really took the lead in Experiential Learning when they introduced the Multidisciplinary Action Project (MAP) program, a seven-week consulting project that all Ross MBA1s do at the end of the first year.
Beyond MAP, there are many opportunities for students to get hands-on experience, including several student-led funds, the Living Business Leadership Experience, Crisis Challenge, Michigan Business Challenge, Non-profit Board Fellows, Community Consulting Club and Detroit R&B.
In my first year, I participated in Board Fellows and Community Consulting Club. I hope to use my MBA to make a positive difference in the world, so I was very excited about both of these opportunities to help local non-profits run more effectively, measure their impact, and use their small budgets to have the biggest impact possible.
MBASchooled: Talk about MAP. What is the class/project like? What did you do for yours?
MAP is a course we take for credit, with two faculty advisors, a communications coach and two MBA2 peer coaches. We don’t take any other classes at this time. Every project is different, and the MAP office spends the whole year sourcing projects from all over the world.
In December, we received a long list of projects, both domestic and international, in a variety of industries and functions. Over Winter Break, we ranked our top 15 projects and had a big reveal at the end of January to find out our project and our student team.
I was a career switcher coming from a non-profit background to marketing, so I intentionally ranked marketing projects at the top of my list. I wanted (and knew I needed) that extra piece of experience on my resume and going into my CPG brand management internship. My project was developing a global go-to-market strategy for a U.S.-based CPG. My team stayed in Michigan and had one trip to Toronto. Despite not going to a cool or exotic location, my team became so close, and we had such a great time getting to know each other.
My roommates, on the other hand, went to Singapore, India and Israel for their MAP projects. Two worked for start-ups, while the other two worked for very large companies. Everyone’s MAP experience is different, and I can honestly say that it was everything I expected and hoped for and more!
MBASchooled: What were some of the important learnings or takeaways from your experience with MAP?
MAP was very much an experiment. It was a chance to put into action all the things we learned throughout the year about working with teams, managing expectations, effectively communicating, managing our peers, asking for and giving feedback, dealing with conflict, etc. I learned my strengths and weaknesses as a leader and as a teammate, had an opportunity to try out different leadership styles, and made some really great new friends along the way.
I learned so much from my peers, especially the former consultants because I’d never had a “client” in my previous job. We set personal goals at the beginning of the project, and one of mine was to get more experience presenting and working with a client. My teammates were VERY good at holding me accountable, and I came out of MAP with more confidence to speak with senior leaders.
MBASchooled: How did MAP prepare you for your internship experience?
After being in school for a year, MAP was timed perfectly to get us back in the swing of working a 9-5 and get in a more professional state of mind before the summer. Additionally, my previous job was in a very small organization, while my upcoming internship was at a large CPG. So, by having my MAP with another large CPG, I got a taste of a world I knew nothing about but was very soon going to be thrown straight into. I learned the lingo, the important metrics and gained a decent understanding of how the food industry works, and I believe that helped me start my internship more confident and prepared for the summer.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for others who are interested in understanding how MAP can help them strengthen their skills/get the most out of their MBA Experience?
Talk to current students or alums! Every MAP experience is different, and I’m sure it’s changed over the years, so ask around. One of my favorite things about Ross when I was looking at schools was how friendly and welcoming every single student was. We (Rossers and current MBAs at other schools) know that getting your MBA is a huge decision, and we want to help you make the best choice for yourself. We’ve all been in your shoes!