This post is a part of the Student Perspectives series - each post is written by a current UCLA Anderson student, and provides first-hand perspectives and experiences about being an MBA student at UCLA Anderson.
When I decided I wanted to pursue a career in entertainment, UCLA Anderson was the obvious choice for business school. In the same zip code as many of the major studios, and with an impressive alumni roster including Youtube CEO Susan Wojcicki and AEG CEO Dan Beckerman (among a slew of others), it just made logical sense. What I didn’t realize, however, was how great an undertaking an industry pivot would be, especially into the world of entertainment where full-time job opportunities are limited, recruiting is just-in-time, and sometimes it really is more about who you know than what you know.
Before Anderson, I was a management consultant in Kansas City, Missouri. I usually get a strange reaction from my peers when I say that, not only because they didn’t realize Kansas City was in Missouri, but because many of them came to business school to pivot into consulting, and here I am looking for what will surely be a pay cut in entertainment. Truth be told, I’m sponsored by my former employer, which essentially means I have a position waiting for me at the end of these two years, but no contractual or financial obligation to take it. In other words, this is the least risky time for me to explore my passion for entertainment despite my lack of industry knowledge and experience. Fortunately, I’m not alone, and Anderson recognizes that. I am consistently impressed by the availability of resources that Anderson and the Parker Career Center provide to alleviate the difficulty of an industry pivot and ensure I’m ready for the recruiting process. Below are just a few that have been especially helpful.
- Anderson Career Teams (ACT): Constructed of 10-12 peers also pursuing a career in entertainment, ACT teams are taught by enthusiastic second-year “coaches” and designed to prepare us for the recruiting process by generating relevant and meaningful industry-specific dialogue. One week we talked about the strategy and tradeoffs of the Disney/Fox merger, the next we did a full SWOT analysis of Netflix and its competitors in the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) ecosystem. You may be wondering: “But what did you actually do with that information, Andrew?” Great question! A few months ago, I didn’t even know what SVOD meant; now, with a more holistic understanding of the entertainment landscape, I can confidently engage with industry professionals, and I was even able to land an academic internship at NBCUniversal next spring!
- Interview Prep Teams (IPT): “How do I answer a behavioral interview question? What the heck is a case interview? And more importantly, what does that look like in an entertainment interview?” Unless you’ve been through it before, it’s hard to answer any of these questions. Fortunately, IPT at Anderson is the interview prep I never knew I needed. These weekly one-on-one sessions with a second-year student in the Entertainment Management Association have been wildly beneficial in helping me structure my thoughts under pressure. From seemingly simple prompts like “Tell me about yourself” to trickier case questions like “Will Disney+ be successful?”, IPT has provided me practical frameworks, hours of practice, and candid feedback that will be invaluable as I approach interview season.
- Professional Clubs and Organizations: In such a dynamic and interconnected industry riddled with mergers, acquisitions, carve-outs, and other structural intricacies, the Entertainment Management Association (EMA) at Anderson ensures we know how to talk the talk. The first few months of the fall quarter were packed with alumni visits providing state-of-the-industry updates on the various entertainment verticals (e.g., TV, film, gaming, music). For someone like me who had never needed to be informed of and have an opinion about entertainment industry trends, these events were incredibly valuable in getting me up-to-speed with many of my peers who came to Anderson with a solid knowledge base or had worked in the industry previously.
- Industry-specific Career Advisor: Having a Parker Career Advisor dedicated to the entertainment industry has been vital in my pursuit of internship opportunities. Especially in entertainment, companies are excited to learn that you’ve invested time in talking with current employees and learning more about the culture, and my advisor has connected me with alumni nationwide to ensure I’m doing just that. Company visit at 7pm? They’re there. Quick meeting at 8am before your interview this afternoon? Sure, why not! In just the first four months, my advisor has gone above and beyond to build my alumni network, inform me of internship opportunities, and advocate on my behalf.
Not interested in entertainment? No problem. These resources are available to students across all industries and business functions. Regardless of your subject matter expertise when you start the MBA program, whether you’re pursuing a minor functional shift or a dramatic pivot into an industry you know nothing about (*raises hand*), Anderson has the resources to get you there. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it.
Cheers,
Andrew
Student blogger: Andrew Waldman
Hometown: Shawnee, KS
Undergraduate Studies: Kansas State University, B.S & M.S Industrial Engineering
Pre-Anderson: Strategy & Operations Consulting, Deloitte
Post-MBA Goals: Entertainment Management
Activities @ Anderson: Entertainment Management Association, Out@Anderson
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