After starting his career as a film producer, Sunil Homes (Marshall, ‘21) chose to get his MBA to accelerate his career by developing the quantitative and analytical skills to find new opportunities in the Entertainment industry, and ultimately decided on attending USC Marshall. During this interview, Homes talks about why he chose to attend USC Marshall, the power of the Trojan family, and his advice for how Admitted MBA students can find the right MBA program.
MBAScholed: What were your big questions coming into making your decision on which school to attend?
Initially, I wanted to bolster my prospects of working in entertainment. At the time, I was driven to attend business school because my career as a film producer hit a snag. My company, which was parented in China, was facing a number of financial distresses like the trade war. Because of these, our office lost the support we needed to keep going. Not only was I jobless, but getting in with another production company in entertainment doing what I had been doing was next to impossible given how competitive the industry was.
Business school could help me “fill in the gaps” in my professional career by empowering me to develop the quantitative and analytical skills that are often lacking in many entertainment companies. And because I was driven to return to entertainment, there were few schools that were equipped to give me the tools and network to do so. USC Marshall is arguably the best school for those looking for a career and communicative network in all things entertainment.
MBASchooled: What characteristics were important to you in selecting the right MBA school?
In addition to having resources in entertainment, community was critical. I was drawn to schools that fostered a tight-knit culture among its students. Additionally, since I had spent most of my life in Southern California, I was hoping to stay in the region.
MBASchooled: Why did you choose to attend Marshall?
Marshall puts a ton of emphasis on its “Trojan Family,” and after hearing it enough times I thought it could be overhyped. But throughout my application process I connected with an alumnus, who then connected me to another alumnus, and then to other alumni. Unlike any of the other schools I was interested in, Marshall alumni would set aside as much time as I needed to answer my questions. Likewise, Marshall’s alumni were the only ones that seemed invested in my success, and put me in touch with others who they thought would be helpful resources for my growth. This element was lacking in my own professional network, and I knew this wasn’t something every business school could genuinely offer.
MBASchooled: What about the culture and classmates stood out to you about Marshall?
Me fellow students have been my favorite part of this entire ride! Coming into the program as a highly non-traditional MBA candidate, I was nervous of what other classmates would think of me, and vice versa. But those doubts were quickly quelled when I met my 213 classmates on day 1. Marshall’s MBA admissions does a bang-up job of finding candidates that exhibit genuine compassion and a desire to restore good to the world through business channels. And as a non-traditional MBA candidate, I was pleasantly surprised to be surrounded by many likewise non-conventional students. Marshall has demonstrated that non-traditional candidates are not only welcomed, but are welcomed very warmly.
MBASchooled: What resources, programs or information were helpful to you in making your decision?
The unending string of conversations with alumni proved to me just how powerful the alumni network at USC is. It’s really what sealed the deal for me.
MBASchooled: How has Marshall helped you work toward your own career goals and aspirations?
When I had applied to the program, I thought I wanted to return to entertainment by means of consulting in the short-term. But between being admitted and starting the program I began to have doubts for both entertainment and consulting. Marshall embraces its career pivoters, and wants students to think about the directions they’d like to pursue pretty immediately. Within the first few weeks of the program, Marshall held mandatory “Career Seminars” at which alumni from nearly every vertical shared details about their professions. This was a great opportunity for me to get a lot more info all at once about the roles and what people in those professions were like.
These seminars enabled me to approach my pivot as a process of cancellation. Ultimately, I had crossed out so many possible verticals except for marketing. And as I conducted independent research, I realized marketing roles embodied a lot of the things I loved doing in my earlier work.
Additionally, Marshall’s career center and professional clubs have been beacons of personal development. They have held several workshops on improving our craft when it comes to presentation, resumes, elevator pitches and interview responses. The career center also has strong relationships with recruiters, and I was able to secure a competitive internship with Mattel’s marketing department through the school.
MBASchooled: What parts or aspects of the academic experience attracted you to Marshall?
Marshall doesn’t have majors or concentrations, but allows students to choose-their-own adventure when it comes to electives. There are several roadmaps available to students on which elective classes are recommended based on what industry or function students intend to pursue without mandating that certain classes beyond the core classes be taken.
With students taking so many different classes, education can be shared and applied across so many more levels. Something I’m learning in my Strategic Innovation class can be applied to a project I’m working on in Market Demand & Sales Forecasting, and I’m able to inform others of that learning even if they aren’t taking that class.
MBASchooled: What were some of the best aspects of Marshall, outside of the classroom?
Mashall’s close-knit community is compounded by the diversity of clubs and activities offered year-round. We’re constantly having a range of events from panels and talks to mixers, hikes, and [yes] parties. I can take a workshop on how to build an effective financial model for a case competition in the afternoon, learn the basics of Tableau from the Marshall Data Analytics Club just after, and have enough time to attend an alumni mixer downtown in the evening.
MBASchooled: What has been your favorite moment or experience during your first year of business school?
I loved taking a chance and participating in one of the first case competitions of the year: the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Case Competition, which took place in Atlanta. Before joining the team, I had no clue what a case competition was. But as I learned, I had an incredible experience putting together a solution with one of the best teams (made up of now close friends) I’ve ever had, and we ended up winning first place!
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for those who are evaluating where they want to attend business school?
If you’re planning on pivoting but don’t know what you’d like to do, determine what function you intend to pursue before industry. Talk to plenty of current students and alumni, but remember that impressions do matter. Also, be able to identify how exactly a particular school can cater to your needs, as well as how you can cater to the needs of the school. By this I mean don’t waste time and money applying to “prestige” schools if your heart and brain aren’t really there.
For More Information on USC Marshall
Rounding Out My Business and Managerial Skill Set with an MBA from USC Marshall
The Value of Real-World Experience and an Entrepreneurial Culture at USC Marshall