How did your management major prepare you for your professional career? As an HR professional, business acumen is one of the key factors in being recognized as a credible business partner. Earning a degree in management developed my baseline business acumen by providing a broad-based program that covered key aspects of business (finance, accounting, economics, statistics, marketing, technology and business law). It also provided deep learning in things like leadership, organizational change, organizational theory and compensation.  

What advice would you give to someone about to graduate? Don’t worry about becoming a people manager right away. The most important thing is to find a company you love, a boss who believes in you and is supportive of your career development, and a job you find interesting. There is always an opportunity to move into management if you are successful at your job as an individual contributor and you are good at collaboration and building authentic credibility. 
 
Are there any particular classes you would recommend to current students? Make sure you are taking finance and accounting courses, and really learn and internalize those concepts. Too many times people don’t have basic financial knowledge, and it holds them back from advancing in their careers. Whether you are in marketing, human resources or technology, knowing how to read and interpret an income statement and a balance sheet is absolutely required if you hope to advance. 

What insight can you offer people interested in working at your firm? It’s important to really get to know the company. At T-Mobile, we want prospective employees to know our Uncarrier story  and be enthusiastic about who we are and what we do.  Following us on social media is a great way to learn more. We also want you to be ready to talk about your work and school experience, how you work with others and how you’ve overcome obstacles. If you’re looking at a management role, we want to know about your leadership style and how you approach managing others.