During his time at business school at UNC Kenan-Flagler, Ben Thayer (Kenan-Flagler, ‘16) made the most of his MBA experience. Whether it was through learning entirely new topics and skillsets in the classroom, transitioning into a career in management consulting, or actively engaging in student activities and leadership positions in various student organizations, Thayer thoughtfully engaged and immersed himself in the MBA experience which has propelled him to a career as a management consultant after graduation. But the journey in business school was not always easy, nor did it come without challenges and setbacks. In this wide ranging interview, Thayer shares a detailed account of his journey while at UNC, some of the challenges and difficulties he encountered as well as the lessons and skills he learned along the way that helped him make the most of his MBA Experience. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Show Notes
- 2:40 – Ben talks about why he chose to get an MBA
- 6:00 – Ben talks about the mindset shift, from thinking he was going to be an engineer his entire career, to going to business school to switch into a new career
- 8:14.- Ben talks about one of the moments early at UNC when he knew he had made the right decision to go to business school
- 12:00 – Ben talks about the challenges with the first few months of business school
- 14:00 – Ben talks about some of the challenges of shifting into the academic mindset
- 18:40 – Ben shares how he was able to manage the trade-offs he had to make in business school
- 24:25 – Ben shares a story about working with his classmates to navigate a challenging exam
- 30:52 – Ben talks about what he wish he would have known prior to starting his MBA
- 35:00 – Al talks about the value of failure in business school
- 37:12 – Ben shares his recruiting journey during his first year of business school
- 45:50 – Ben talks about his summer internship, and what he learned
- 51:40 – Ben provides an overview of his recruiting in his second year, and what he did differently
- 57:16 – Ben talks about finding a job/company that aligns to your values
- 58:54 – Ben talks about the career development lessons he learned in business school that he uses today
- 1:00:02 – Al talks about the importance of being proactive about career development
- 1:04:30 – Ben gives his advice for making the most of your MBA experience