The logic behind Kartik Ramakrishnan’s decision to pursue an MBA was impeccable. After working or living in three Asian countries, he wanted to grow professionally in a completely different culture. While he’d enjoyed some autonomy over projects in his manufacturing and supply chain operations roles, most of his tasks involved execution rather than the making of strategic decisions. And while he’d led project teams, he wanted to be more prepared to lead staff members every day.

His choice of Vanderbilt was equally logical, even though his job in Singapore precluded a visit to campus. The smaller class size, he reasoned, would not only offer a more tight-knit group but, he says, “would get me more face time with second years when it came to interview preparation.” And as someone who wanted to pivot to a consulting career, Kartik was impressed that “all the big strategy consulting firms recruit on campus.”

It didn’t hurt that, for a music lover like Kartik, Nashville offered exceptional opportunities for listening to live music (he counts BB King’s Blues Club as his favorite spot) that contributed to an appealing quality of life.

The experience worked out as he had envisioned. At Owen, Kartik served as president of the Operations Management Club—introducing the first operations case competition at the school—and as vice-president of the Indian Business Club. And he achieved his goal of moving into a consulting career with one of the world’s top firms.

But one thing that Kartik recommends to other international students is something he hadn’t thought much about before classes began: take advantage of the opportunities to build a strong network of peers. “Recruiting for international students can be quite stressful,” he explains. “It can be easy to get bogged down and not resurface for months. I had to consciously force myself to attend social events despite the heavy academic and recruiting workloads. The good times I had at these events will stay with me for a long time.”

Fun Fact: Kartik is an avid audiophile whose collection of LPs includes a prized first pressing of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” album from 1975.

I had to consciously force myself to attend social events despite the heavy academic and recruiting workloads. The good times I had at these events will stay with me for a long time.