Student Spotlight: The Pursuit of Direct Customer Impact

After working in Consulting for over four years, Divya Sawhney (MSSM ‘23) decided that it was time for a career pivot into product.

After working in Consulting for over four years, Divya Sawhney (MSSM ‘23) decided that it was time for a career pivot into product. 

“After a few years in consulting, I knew that I wanted to transition into a product role and the Bay Area was the right place to be for that. My journey at CMU helped me gain the product skills and experience needed to excel as a product manager,” Divya Sawhney recalled of her decision to apply to the Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) program at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). 

Before starting her journey at CMU, Sawhney obtained her Bachelors of Science degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a focus on Supply Chain Management. This degree led her to get a job as a software consultant straight out of college. 

“I wouldn’t say that I knew exactly what I wanted to do right out of undergrad, but starting my career in consulting helped me get where I am today,” said Sawhney. “I collaborated directly with customers in solving their problems, helping them with process improvement, and implementing supply chain solutions. After my consulting career, I knew that I wanted to work somewhere where I could see the changes in real time, but also continue to hone in on my top three consulting skills - communication, analytics, and strategic mindset.”

Sawhney always knew that she wanted to get a master’s degree, but was unsure of what type of program would be a good fit for her skills and goals. Sawhney also knew that a part-time program would be the most feasible option for her, but there was a lack of options in her area. 

“Looking at the MSSM program, I knew there would be classes that would give me theoretical and practical approaches to learn and grow my career in product management, but also help me look at my long term vision of expanding my career into having my own business or running my own startup. Learning about the success stories of MSSM students ensured that this program would be exceptional.I was excited that the part time curriculum would allow me to apply the learnings at my workplace the very next day, continue my professional career without interruption and fast-track my career growth.” 

After about a year of experience and learning in the MSSM program, Sawhney began to apply for jobs that would allow her to show off her newly polished product management skills. 

“It was comparatively easy to get into the product interview process, because I was already preparing for it. Instead of spending months preparing for the interview like most people, I felt like I was already gaining the right skills at school and applying those skills as a product owner at my last role at Box.” Sawhney said. 

After the application process, Sawhney eventually seized a Product Manager role at Cisco Meraki, a cloud managed company that creates technologies to optimize IT experiences.

Sawhney has held her position at Cisco Meraki for over a year now and specifically works on the cloud licensing team. Her everyday schedule includes discovering customer problems, collaborating with multiple stakeholders, including the engineering and UX teams, to brainstorm the right solution for launches of new features and finding ways to execute whilst generating revenue for the business. 

“My day is a constant balancing act, requiring me to juggle the needs of the business, the technical constraints, the project timeline, and the expectations of stakeholders, while always keeping the customer at the forefront of my mind.”

Making the change from consulting to product management proved that the two had many similarities and differences. Sawhney ultimately realized that product management was more beneficial for her because she could see the direct impact that she was making on the product. She has been able to be more creative and innovative, and the project management path has provided better career growth opportunities. 

In addition to her classroom studies, Sawhney also actively participates in the Womxn in Integrated Innovate Club (WiiiN) at the CMU Silicon Valley campus, and is passionate about breaking down stereotypes against women and people of color.