David Hong
“As a former engineer, my Carlson MBA is giving me the practical business experience and strong network to make a successful transition into Corporate Finance.”
My story
Before my Carlson MBA I was a mechanical engineer at St. Jude Medical. As I progressed in my career I became increasingly interested in understanding the broader business-wide implications of my decisions, especially how they fit into the company’s overall strategy. I grew especially interested in Corporate Finance where I could make data-driven strategic decisions for the overall organization. To gain the business skills and network to make this transition from engineering to finance, the next step in my career was an MBA.
Why Carlson?
As a career switcher I was looking not only for a broad business education but the practical experience that will make me more successful in my new role. Through Carlson’s Consulting Enterprise I am working directly with a local company on a real-world business problem, allowing me to gain valuable first-hand experience with how the knowledge I’m gaining in the classroom can be applied to an actual business situation. These experience I’m getting at Carlson will make me better prepared to jump into my post-MBA role.
A Day with David – Wednesday, February 11th
| 6:00 - 7:00 a.m. | Wake up and prepare for a busy day. Catch up on email as I eat breakfast, then head to campus early to beat traffic. I live in St. Louis Park so it’s only a 20 minute commute. |
| 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Meet with Sarah Gisser, Director of the Carlson Consulting Enterprise, to discuss our plans for a Carlson MBA get-together after the 10-mile Goldy’s Run coming up in April. |
| 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. | Work with a classmate on our group homework assignment for Debt Markets class. |
| 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Prepare a financial valuation model for my Financial Decisions class. |
| 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Meet with my Financial Decisions team to discuss our valuation models. |
| 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. | Attend the student debate for electing our next Full-time MBA class president. |
| 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. | Work with the Sports Business Club to plan our upcoming end-of-semester Golf Tournament. |
| 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Attend my Organizational Behavior class followed by Financial Decisions class, then commute home. |
| 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. | Fit in some much-needed exercise. I’ve learned to prioritize exercise even during busy times, as it’s a valuable stress reliever! |
| 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. | Cook dinner and enjoy some downtime with my fiancée. |