MPD2 Graduate Reflections
Three recent graduates look back on their time in the program and offer advice to future MPD2 students.
Northwestern Engineering's Master of Product Design and Development Management (MPD2) program celebrated its latest class of graduates earlier this summer.
Before this year's graduates said farewell to campus, they took time to reflect on their MPD2 experience and offer advice to future students.
What are your plans after graduation?
Daniela Salonen (MPD2 '24): I'm taking a job as senior product manager for Popeyes in Miami, where I will be overseeing digital and web experiences.
Yim Yan (MPD2 '24): I was a food designer at Kellanova. In July, I started a new role as launch program manager.
What was it about MPD2 that initially appealed to you?
Apurva Jha (MPD2 '24): The carefully designed curriculum touched on various aspects of design, product development, and business. The courses aligned with industry demands, which will equip me with the skills to be a leader in designing and developing products.
Salonen: I wanted to accelerate my career.
Yan: Exposure to diversity of thought and professional advancement. Sometimes in industry, we end up in an echo chamber. I was drawn to the diversity of student experience in the program as well as an academic environment that allows for challenging and exploring ideas. Entering the program, I had research and development experience, but I was hoping to gain knowledge and skills on the business side of innovation. It had potential to bridge my technical background with roles I envisioned taking on later in my career.
How did you grow during your time in the program?
Jha: I got to learn and understand different frameworks to execute product discovery, understand unmet needs, run sprints, and design through practical applications.
Salonen: I developed more professional and business acumen and the ability to connect frameworks learned in class to the real world.
Yan: While I appreciated the academic learnings, I grew the most by having my perspective expand and my soft skills deepen. I loved that I was able to take on different roles, think about different angles of a problem, and test drive learnings that weren't a part of my daily responsibilities at work.
What are the most important lessons you learned in the program?
Jha: Along with teamwork comes patience and perseverance. Only some things will go according to plan, but to stand out, you need to make do with the existing resources and produce the best possible result or product.
Yan: Communication is crucial, be it storytelling during a pitch, navigating conflict within a team, or bringing others along for the journey. Creating a safe space for creativity is necessary. The ability to validate the experiences and thoughts of ourselves and others while remaining open to new ones is important to the process. Active listening and understanding are key.
How did the program prepare you for life after MPD2?
Jha: The program equipped me with numerous tools, knowledge, mentors, and access to abundant resources that I can leverage to tackle any problem that comes up professionally.
Salonen: Knowing my value in the market.
Yan: It inspired me to see different possibilities.
What advice would you give future MPD2 students?
Jha: Come with an open mind and a curiosity to learn. Sometimes, you will question yourself, but trust the process. It is beautiful to experience the feeling when it all starts converging together. That is the "Aha" moment that you want.
Salonen: Be courageous, participate in class, get to know your professors, and have fun.
Yan: Reflect on your personal "why" and professional North Star. How does MPD2 fit in? How might you navigate the program with those things in mind?