Part-Time MBA Student Profile Jackie DiMonte
Smart Cities Manager, Silver Spring Networks
City of Residence: Chicago, IL
Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Jackie DiMonte: 00:00
I really wanted to pursue an MBA early in my career because I was in this consulting role, and I kept noticing that I didn’t exactly know why all these different decisions were being made. I loved the fact that Booth was a very strong business program, and I needed that to round out my background in education. Since I’ve been at Booth, I’ve been taking on larger roles at work, and people have really noticed a different confidence about me. The faculty at Booth are very accessible. It’s very easy to get in touch and get questions answered. Craig Wortmann just seems to do it all and bring an energy to the classroom. Some of the classes I’ve been taking recently, like Strategy and Structure, have really given me a foundation for why you choose certain strategies or build teams a certain way to get things done.
Jackie DiMonte: 00:50
I loved the early career program seminars. There’s a lot on leadership development, group process, that would be key to pursuing a more fulfilling career. The Chicago Business Fellows is just a group of great people. You get to feed off of each other. We’re all in the same age, doing a lot of dynamic things, and it’s been a great support group.
Favorite Professor
Craig Wortmann, clinical professor of entrepreneurship
Career Changes While at Booth
I moved from a systems and technology analyst at Accenture to a smart cities role at Silver Spring Networks. I diversified my responsibilities in an area I had been angling to get into, and also received an increase in salary.
What Surprised You Most About Booth?
Three things: 1) The breadth and depth of the network. I’ve met some of my absolute best friends here. 2) Exposure to new opportunities and people. Since starting Booth, I’ve considered career paths and industries that I didn't even know existed before. 3) Continuous self-development. Booth faculty make it a point to include a mix of lessons based on developing both hard and soft skills.
Advice to Anyone Considering Business School
Do it! I did, and I haven’t looked back. I recommend reading the book Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work. It helped me identify alternative learning options and validate that an MBA was right for me.
Student Groups
Evening and Weekend Booth Technology Group (cofounder), Built@Booth: Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club, Corporate Strategy and Management Group, LAUNCH Mentor