Neil Dwivedi, MM '15

Studying psychology, Spanish, and applied science as an undergrad at Michigan, Neil Dwivedi knew the benefits of being a Wolverine. After graduation, he planned to combine his academic background with his work experience as a camp counselor by pursuing studies in developmental psychology, but the long-tailed nature of lab work wasn’t the right fit.

“You can do research that won’t come into effect in the real world until 15 years down the road. It made me feel like what I was doing didn’t really have an impact. I was looking for another outlet for my creativity and passion.”

Neil’s next step was inspired by his father, an Executive MBA student at Ross at the time, who shared that the school was launching a Master of Management Program. “I know the Ross name and what it brings, so I had to jump on it,” he says.

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Before the 10-month experience was over, Neil found himself choosing among job offers from companies like PepsiCo, American Airlines, General Motors, and EY. Ultimately, he chose Target, where he is now a merchandise planning business analyst, providing insights to optimize inventory management, efficiency, and profits.

Neil credits the class lessons and Ross Career Services resources for helping to make this possible. “Ross does a great job of giving you the template to conduct a really effective on-campus job search. They want you to succeed here, and they do a really good job at helping you do that.”

And he was strongly self-directed; entering the MM Program without a solid career goal, Neil welcomed any opportunity to attend events and build his confidence as a job seeker. “I went to a bunch of different corporate presentations, put my name out there, practiced my networking skills, and polished my pitch, and throughout the time I was coached by Ross Career Services.”

Attending a career fair elsewhere on the U-M campus, where other students might have had reservations, Neil was confident. “I’ve been through all this hard stuff at Ross, which gave me an advantage not just on paper but also in feeling comfortable in that element. I had a great conversation with people from Target, and I got invited out to Minneapolis to interview.”

For future MMs, Neil shares his insights: “Do as much networking as you can. The worst that’s going to happen is that you get a ‘no,’ and that’s already where you are to begin with. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and stay true to yourself when you’re doing a job search, and you’ll find a great job.”