Dipti Dighe works as graduate assistant and career counselor at the Lerner Career Services Center, in addition to being an MBA in business analytics candidate at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. Dighe shared her experience choosing Lerner graduate programs and how it has impacted her both personally and professionally.
Q: Why did you go back to school to pursue your graduate degree? Why did you choose the Lerner College for your studies?
Dighe: I wanted to develop and hone essential MBA skills of:
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Problem solving and analytical skills
- Initiative
- Adaptability to change
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Strategic thinking and planning abilities
- Global orientation
- Ability to leverage technology
- Time management and project management skills
- Prior history of results and progressive experience
Lerner provided me with a unique blended course of an MBA in business analytics. This curriculum has enabled me to leverage my computer engineering background and become an expert as a business consultant with analytics expertise.
Q: What did you learn through this opportunity that you wouldn’t have learned anywhere else?
Dighe: I learned a lot of presentation and communication skills as I had so many group projects. I also honed analytical and business skills that I can apply across any type of industry.
Q: What is an example of a course or concept that you were able to apply directly to your life and/or career?
Dighe: I had a course on critical thinking and emotional intelligence taught by Professor [Jack] Baroudi. It helped me discover my strengths and weaknesses and how I can leverage them to become successful in private and professional life.
Q: Can you describe an important connection you have made through your graduate program?
Dighe: I got a chance to enhance my professional network and make some great friends. I also had an opportunity to participate in a mentoring program and be mentored by some great people from relevant industries.
Q: If you were to describe your classmates in one word, what would that be?
Dighe: Diverse! I have noticed my classmates are diverse in so many aspects. Some are right out of college and some are in their 50s. Some are working professionals and some are full-time [students]. They work in a variety of industries ranging from finance, education and healthcare settings to serving in the army.
Q: How do you balance your career with your studies?
Dighe: It’s a very tough job. The MBA curriculum is rigorous and needs a certain level of commitment and determination to assimilate the learning. I chalk out a weekly hour by hour plan and make sure I stick to the plan in order to stay on the top of things. There is no concept of weekends until my MBA is done.
Q: Fill in this sentence: “My graduate program helped me become…”
Dighe: a better business professional with a good amount of analytical insights.
Q: What was the most impactful hands-on project or case competition that you were able to participate in?
Dighe: I participated in the Carol A. Ammon Case Competition twice, which gave me the chance to apply my MBA knowledge to the case. Those cases provided me with the real life work that I would be doing as a business consultant when I complete my program.
Q: What are your plans or next steps for the future?
Dighe: I would love to take my MBA and analytical skills in the finance and healthcare sector by working in finance or healthcare companies to provide them with a plethora of insights that their data beholds.