“Just listening and communicating, even if it takes some extra time out of your day, is extraordinarily important.” – Tarun Mahajan, doctor and BCG consultant
Why this engineer and beauty pageant winner left McKinsey to pursue acting and modeling (and how she got her foot in the door while working full-time at McKinsey)
“Acting for me is the craft of self-exploration, and it’s the study of human nature.” – Melanie Kannokada, actress and model
The biggest entrepreneurship lessons this science major learned in two failed attempts starting a company, before nailing it the third time with a multi-million dollar venture-backed food startup
“In a startup, there are many situations where you just don’t know what you’re supposed to do because you’ve never seen it before. But it’s also really exciting because you get experience you may never get in a traditional job.” – Kevin Yang, EAT Club
Why this entrepreneur started a non-profit to provide mothers in developing countries with an innovative infant warmer he designed after selling his startup for millions
“The idea wasn’t to start a company. The idea was to get this product out to everyone who needed it.” – Linus Liang, co-founder of Embrace
How an engineer and McKinsey alum found his career passion in global health at the Gates Foundation
“I’ve realized how important it is in interviews to craft a story that conveys how your career transitions fit into a larger plan.” – Wilson Mok, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
How this former investor has applied investing insights to running a retail business (and what he’s also learned about how much harder it is than he thought as an investor)
“This is the most creative job I’ve had since graduating college, and it’s definitely where my energy comes from.” – Vijay Brihmadesam, co-founder of Tava Indian Kitchen
How a high school dropout and massage therapist became an MIT robotics engineer working at McKinsey and Pixar
“Pixar is unique in the way it balances the need for the artist to explore with the need to get things done.” – Naomi Davidson, Pixar Animation Studios
How a McKinsey alum volunteered her way to becoming the Chief of Staff at Khan Academy
“I spend a lot of time thinking about scaling our organization and figuring out how to preserve the culture.” – Jessica Yuen, Khan Academy
What made a P&G brand manager say “F” it and go full-time as a stand-up comedian, how he told his parents, and how he keeps his sanity and stays focused every day
“In entertainment, people think success is binary: you’re either Russell Peters or you’re working at Wendy’s. That’s just not true.” – Rajiv Satyal, Comedian
What an engineer, Stanford MBA, and pro photographer (who did a photo shoot with Barack Obama) has learned about careers and relationships (oh, he also founded a VC-backed social gifting startup)
“We’re building a social gifting framework that allows me to get a gift for you by crowdsourcing the creativity of our common friends.” – Dana Underwood, The Muse Factory
