Jose Daniel Amata, better known as Joel, is an alumni of Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Amata earned his MBA as part of the class of 2015, where he was named valedictorian. Amato recently sat down with the school’s Lake Effects blog to take part in a Q&A about his experiences.
He explained to the blog the reasons why he decided to pursue his MBA:
“At that time, I took it as a sign that perhaps I should be looking for a job rather than starting my MBA. But when I was contacted, I understood that this was the direction my career needed to take, even though it was a little intimidating starting my MBA while I was unemployed.”
He went on to describe how attending Lake Forest and earning his MBA there helped expand his professional network:
“When I started the program I was in career transition and it was actually through some of my contacts at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management that I learned about an opportunity at a company….I successfully interviewed for a role, and when I started to work with my new employer, I found that Blue Cross Blue Shield had an on-site program for MBA study, affiliated with Lake Forest. Again, I took that as a sign because the coincidence was really extraordinary. I knew that I was on the right track, and exactly where I needed to be for my career.”
Through his cohort with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Amato says he was able to network successfully with a plethora of professionals:
“The networking is definitely one of the most valuable aspects of attaining your MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.”
He then offered his own advice to prospective MBAs:
“There is no better time than now. It’s really a carpe diem situation where you have to dive in. You have to look at what you might be losing by putting off your MBA… You have to ask yourself what your career is missing without this important credential. There will always be reasons and excuses to delay starting your MBA studies, and it is not an easy process, but it is worth it.”