Engineering Taught Me How. My MBA Shows Me What to Build.

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When I was working as a process engineer, I genuinely enjoyed the work. I was proud of the technical foundation I had built through chemical engineering, and I could see steady progress in my career.

But over time, I began to recognize something uncomfortable. I could see my ceiling.

I did not want to spend my entire career focused only on execution. I wanted to move into management, lead teams and help shape decisions. I wanted to understand how financial trade-offs were made and how product, operations and marketing strategies connected to revenue. The more I reflected, the clearer it became that I did not yet have the business foundation to grow into those roles.

That realization led me to the UC Davis Graduate School of Management (GSM).

Rethinking Business School

Before starting the MBA, I assumed business school would focus mostly on leadership theory and soft skills. I expected discussions about strategy and marketing, but not necessarily deep technical work.

I was wrong.

In my first year, I built hard skills in accounting, finance and data analysis. I worked with tools such as SQL, R and Excel in ways that were directly tied to business outcomes. I even used Python in a marketing context. Rather than stepping away from STEM, I was expanding how I could apply it.

Another important lesson came quickly: an MBA is not a job guarantee. The degree opens doors, but you still must build relationships, apply early and take initiative. That mindset shaped how I approached the program from the start.

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The Competition That Changed My Direction

When I began the MBA, I thought I would pursue operations or manufacturing consulting. That path seemed like the most logical extension of my engineering background.

Then, classmates invited me to join the Tepper Tech Innovation Challenge at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

That experience changed my trajectory.

Product management felt like solving a multidimensional puzzle. It required technical depth, business reasoning and clear communication. We gathered input from engineering, marketing and finance, evaluated trade-offs and presented a revenue-backed recommendation to leadership.

Our team advanced to the final round, and in that process, I realized this was the kind of problem I wanted to solve long-term.

Reaching the finals of the Tepper Tech Innovation Challenge was the first time I saw how my engineering background and MBA could work together—not in separate lanes, but toward the same goal.

When Classroom Became Rehearsal

Continuing Lecturer Mark Lowe’s product management course centers on Markstrat, a semester-long marketing simulation that places students in the role of general managers. Using the platform, we define product features, build perceptual maps, model financial performance, forecast cannibalization and present strategy, make decisions and see the consequences play out in real time.

At the time, the product management simulation felt intense and theoretical. Months later, during my internship at Micron Technology, I realized it had been a rehearsal for making real strategic recommendations to stakeholders.

At Micron, I worked as a technical product manager and was responsible for driving StageGate 1 for an SSD product designed for a hyperscaler. I evaluated positioning, analyzed margins, forecasted sales over time and assessed how a new product might affect existing lines. I presented my findings to directors and vice presidents.

Every framework I relied on had been introduced in that simulation.

My manager later told me he expected the project to take three months. I completed it in two. The uncertainty was real, but it felt manageable because I had practiced navigating uncertainty before.

That was the moment I knew product management was the right fit.

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Access and Initiative

One of the defining strengths of UC Davis GSM is access. Because the cohort is small, relationships develop quickly.

During competition preparation, my team reached out to professors we had not yet taken classes with. They responded and offered meaningful feedback. Faculty members such as Distinguished Professor Hemant Vaidya and Continuing Lecturer Mark Lowe shared insights that strengthened our strategy and sharpened our thinking.

Career Development Services also played a critical role. When I struggled to gain traction in recruiting, advisors helped refine my resume and coached me through mock interviews and negotiation strategies. That preparation directly contributed to securing an offer.

However, access alone is not enough. You have to take initiative. The resources are available, but you must use them.

The Hardest and Most Valuable Lessons

The most challenging part of the MBA was recruiting. You cannot rely on the brand alone. You must network intentionally, attend events and follow up consistently.

One advantage at UC Davis is starting early. With résumé preparation available before classes began, I secured about ten interviews during my first recruiting window.

I also participated in the biotech pre-immersion. Initially, I assumed biotech would align with my engineering background. Instead, the experience clarified that I wanted to pursue product management in a different sector.

Through Industry Immersions, I was able to explore an industry in depth before committing to a long-term path.

Who Thrives at UC Davis GSM

UC Davis GSM works best for students who are proactive. If you are willing to ask questions, connect with alumni and seek feedback, you can accelerate quickly.

In a close-knit community, when you reach out, someone responds. That culture of access and accountability allowed me to move from engineer to product manager with confidence and clarity about the kind of problems I want to solve.

Student Life Snapshots

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Marianna de Lima Freitas MBA 26 with MBA classmates in the Bay Area, where friendships formed outside the classroom became a defining part of her MBA experience.

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Marianna de Lima Freitas (third from left) connects with classmates and faculty at Gallagher Hall, where mentorship and peer relationships played a key role in her transition to product management.

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MBA classmates gather at Oracle Park in San Francisco, strengthening relationships that extended beyond coursework and into long-term professional networks.