MiM Class of 2020: Line Alaeddine (MiM’20)
After graduating from the Master’s in Management (MiM) program at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Line Alaeddine has accepted a position with PwC in Dubai as a consultant starting in September 2020. Alaeddine is excited to be back in the Middle East, where she will work across various sectors as a part of their Foundations for the Future Graduate Program.
Why did you choose the MiM program?
When I was accepted to Georgetown, I knew it was where I wanted to spend the next chapter of my life. I chose the Master’s in Management program at the McDonough School of Business for its sense of community. It also is a thrilling experience to be in the center of the nation’s capital — just minutes away from the Library of Congress and the U.S. Capitol Building. The professors are invested in their students’ success and academic growth. Between the intimate class sizes, individual attention, and a strong push from the school’s faculty for academic success, I knew that this program would be my path to success.
What industry interests you the most?
Before joining the MiM program, I was solely focused on consumer psychology and a career in marketing. However, having been introduced to different business concentrations in my graduate program, I found myself drawn to the consulting industry. I am passionate about the fast-paced lifestyle in consulting, which presents a constant learning curve due to the frequency and consistent change of projects. The consulting skills I learned in the MiM program not only provided me with a wide array of marketable skills, but also offered me a challenging experience in an enriching rewarding workplace.
How did MiM prepare you for this career opportunity?
The MiM program thoroughly prepared me to enter the consulting industry. The program highlighted real-life examples and a wide number of case studies in different fields such as marketing, finance, economics, and so much more. Additionally, I was introduced to many coding languages and became proficient in Excel, SQL, R, and Tableau, which are crucial to solving complex problems in management consulting.
As the youngest student in the cohort, I saw a tremendous amount of personal growth in myself. I learned to believe in myself, adapt quickly to change, work efficiently in teams, and operate successfully under stress.
What class had the most impact on your personal and professional growth?
To be very honest, every class had a profound impact on me in its own way. Whether it was the material itself, the collaboration between students, or professors enthusiasm, the wide array of classes in this program were enjoyable and insightful. If I have to choose one class, it would be he Global Consulting Experience with Arthur Dong, teaching professor of strategy at Georgetown McDonough. Even though we did not get the chance to travel to Singapore due to the pandemic, this class taught me how to work with a client, succeed under pressure, and how to conduct market research, from scratch, in a very short period of time. It also offered me the unique experience to work with SATS, the chief ground-handling and in-flight catering service provider at Singapore Changi Airport.
What challenges did you overcome throughout your time in the MiM program?
I came into this program with an undergraduate degree in psychology and was worried I would not have the quantitative skills to make it through business school — I feared numbers. MiM helped me overcome this fear thanks to its collaborative atmosphere, expert faculty, and a very well-designed curriculum that eased the transition. Most importantly, I would say that the MiM program taught me a great deal about time management.
My peers also played a huge role in making my experience memorable. I was worried I would not fit in as an international student, but what I did not know was that we would quickly become family.