Profile

Arvind Salian
Automotive New Production Introduction PE Manager, Freescale Semiconductor

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By Katie Ford

Salian offers these tips to maximize the graduate school experience:

• Spend the first semester scoping potential team members and quickly partner up so you can tackle the following semesters together.

• Be disciplined on non-class days. All the materials and information handed out in class are only as valuable as your preparation and ability to interact and discuss in class.

• Don’t forget to network. The relationships forged in graduate school can open doors to business partnerships and job opportunities.

• As you’re earning your degree or even before you start school, start demonstrating your leadership skills to the people who can help you achieve your goals. Volunteer to be a team leader when issues or projects arise; seek a mentor and communicate your ambitions.

In August 2006, Salian completed his MBA with a focus in technology. The following year, he earned a promotion to product manager with responsibility for Freescale’s pressure sensors.

Salian says having an advanced degree can open doors. In his industry, the importance of being able to understand a problem and explore the associated risks is priceless. He says his years in graduate school taught him to be an independent thinker.

“An advanced degree gives an individual the necessary knowledge to push the performance bar in their favor,” he says. “When I look back on my life several years from now, hopefully I will have made a positive contribution.”

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