Thunderbird grad credits on-campus job for landing his first role

When Vinayak Bansal decided to move to Phoenix to pursue his Master of Global Management (MGM) at Thunderbird School of Global Management (Thunderbird) at Arizona State University,   he was implementing a strategy to take his family’s plastic manufacturing business to a national stage. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya in Indore, India, he was looking for a holistic approach to management education with the goal of having a more informed approach to taking the business global.

Now, as Bansal celebrates his second year as an associate at KPMG, he reflects on how the school contributed to his success now.

“I came to Thunderbird because of the professors, the curriculum, and the alumni network,” Vinayak said. “The professors and alumni gave me so much guidance.”

During his first semester, he took an on-campus job as an IT Support Specialist. “I was helping professors set up their computers before classes. Getting that on-campus job really helped me connect with a lot of other people in the school whom I would not have met otherwise.”

Through expanding his network and meeting other faculty in the role, he built relationships with Professor Euvin Naidoo and Professor Mary Teagarden who, coincidentally, were seeking students to assist in building the Thunderbird Case Series.

“I credit my success largely to them. Because I got to work with them on building the Case Series, they gave me a lot of guidance that was pivotal in my career. There was this dual advantage of working a job and learning things that shaped my professional success.

“I was reviewing and editing a lot of cases that featured global business scenarios, and I would discuss them with the professors. I got to understand their views on the cases which gave me more insight into a lot of different issues. I was really fortunate to work with them.”

He feels similarly about his relationships with alumni.

“The professors’ perspectives come from so many years of experience and the alumni’s come from currently being in the positions that students aspire to. Both are equally valuable.”

One of his top considerations before choosing Thunderbird was that alumni network. He says that towards the end of his degree, they helped him get his foot in the door and fast-tracked his career opportunities. He also says, however, there are right and wrong ways to go about connecting with alumni.:

“Don’t ask for help getting a job. Ask what it takes to get that job. Understanding what you have to do to be in that position is more important than just getting it.”

When he was building those relationships, primarily through LinkedIn, he was very intentional about connecting with people from similar experience levels and backgrounds. The process gave him both the learning that he now uses in his career and valuable relationships with other graduates from the school.

“As an alum now, I want to help other T-birds. I’m happy to look over a resume or give advice to a fellow student.”

One piece of advice he wants to give every student: “Be patient.”

“I see a lot of students get discouraged by all the rejections. The job market is tough, but if you can find any job, whether on campus or off, and stick with it, and show your strengths, employers will start paying attention. Learn as much as you can from the professors and alumni. They are there to help you develop and grow so absorb as much as you can.”

And especially for aspiring consultants, he recommends reviewing footage of yourself speaking.

“As a presenter, the way you speak and your posture and your gestures leave impressions and have an impact when communicating. Even if it just makes you only one percent better, it has an impact.”

Bansal graduated with an MGM in spring 2023 with a concentration in global business and global digital transformation.