Student Spotlight: Using the MSSM Program to Pivot into Product Management
After years of working in the automotive material research and development domain, Ann Rojsurakitti (MSSM '23) is now using her years of experience to explore the world of product management.
By Kaitlyn Stossel
Choosing to go in a different direction than intended with your career can be a daunting task. However, current Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM) student Ann Rojsurakitti never let that scare her. She took control of her career and pursued what she’s really passionate about - product management.
Rojsurakitti started her career by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in NANO Engineering from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. She started her first job as a materials engineer at Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing (TDEM), and then shifted into software development for a fashion tech startup.
After years of working and trying to break into software development engineering, Rojsurakitti finally realized that product management was her true passion.
“I started looking for a master’s degree program, and that’s when I found MSSM. This program was the one that aligned most with my personal and professional goals.
I wanted a program that had the right balance of integration of disciplines in software engineering, design, and entrepreneurship. CMU has a great reputation in technology and innovation that, I believe, will broaden my perspective.”
Rojsurakitti at the Women Impact Tech conference.
Advice for Students
“The semesters go by very quickly, so you have to be very organized and know how to prioritize your time to get assignments done, all while managing the internship/job search. Plan a lot, and focus on your goals and what you want to achieve. Prioritize the most important things you want to accomplish while at CMU.
The journey at CMU-SV is a good learning step to achieve your goals based on the courses you take and networking opportunities. Utilize all of the university resources, especially alumni networking. At CMU, I can see that the alumni connections are very strong, and people are very friendly and eager to help you. This is something you should strongly consider doing.”
This summer, Rojsurakitti is leveling up her career by taking on a product manager internship with Flodesk in San Francisco, California. Flodesk makes simple, intuitive software tools to help entrepreneurs design beautiful emails and sales pages that customers won't get bored of.
“Being in the actual industry and learning from a seasoned product manager will give me the exposure and practical experience I need. That, combined with what I have learned in MSSM, will help me grow professionally and excel in any product manager role in the future,” Rojsurakitti said.Rojsurakitti’s future plans are to find a full time job as a Product Manager in the technology industry here in the United States.
“I have tried a lot of roles and jobs already, and I feel like product management resonates with me the most,” Rojsurakitti said. “Most importantly, I am motivated by seeing the result of the impact of what I can solve for customers. Being able to bridge the gap between technology, business, and other key aspects to make sure that the solutions or products that I’m working on can meet actual customer needs and solve their pain points is very fascinating to me.
Rojsurakitti attends the Silicon Valley campus of CMU and loves being involved in the community. Her main involvement is with Women in Integrated Innovation (WiiiN) in which she serves as a board member.
“I am very interested in being an advocate for women’s rights and the LGBTQIA+ community. I personally feel like it is right to leverage all human rights and represent any minorities in STEM."
Rojsurakitti hosts a game of Kahoot for WiiiN during Women's History Month.
The WiiiN organization’s objective is to increase awareness and appreciation of being a woman in tech. Members of the board plan events that will showcase successful women in STEM and assist current students at CMU-SV with their career journeys. Some of these events include women’s history month celebrations, women speakers, and conferences. Rojsurakitti was recently selected to attend the Women In Product Conference as a scholar, an incredible opportunity to learn from other women and non-binary leaders in the field. On top of that, she was also recently awarded a Grace Hopper Celebration Student Scholarship from AnitaB.org.
“My main responsibility is to think about what kind of activities will resonate the most with the students on our campus, and from there we start planning. Out of all the clubs that exist in CMU-SV, this one resonates with me the most,” Rojsurakitti said.
Why Product Management?
“Being a product manager would allow me to be involved in the entire product life cycle. From the process of identifying problems, to collaborating with other teams, to execution and launch, I would be a part of it all. I would have a very deep understanding of the product and what I am doing."
"I love to learn new things. I really enjoy working with diverse and cross-functional teams because it allows me to learn new concepts and domain knowledge, and it also helps me grow through solving problems by analyzing different perspectives and information to come up with solutions."
"I love solving problems and the process of brainstorming solutions to create a product from concept to launch.”