Shabbir Khan, Carnegie Mellon Tepper MSM Class of 2026
Age: 26
Hometown: Paterson, NJ
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Monmouth University – BS in Computer Science
Pre-MSM Work Experience: IT Project Manager Intern at Panasonic (3 Months), Technical Program Manager at Salesforce (1 Year – Full Time),Technical Program Manager at Dolby Labs (1 Year – Full Time), IT Project Manager at PepsiCo (1 Year – Full Time)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Coming from a technical background, I found at the companies that I was employed at, I gravitated towards the business aspects of product teams. This interest soon made me realize that I wanted to lead teams and learn more business skills. In addition, during my time at Salesforce, they had acquired Slack. There were news articles about why this was a mistake but I wanted to fully understand why. This leap into the finance world was interesting to me and was the catalyst I needed to delve into business school and look into a career in finance. With that, business school made the most sense in building a network of like-minded peers, learning the business skills I lacked, and pivoting from a tech focused PM into the finance world.
Why did you choose Carnegie Mellon Tepper? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
As I worked full-time, I had the pleasure of working with many Tepper alumni and their pedigree of hard work spoke volumes on the output of the university. I wanted to add my name to a list of people I knew that have been impacted positively by Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business. Another key factor included attending other schools that I was accepted to, I did not enjoy the cultures and student body of these programs. In contrast, a majority of Tepper students were intelligent and humble. To me, this meant that the school matched the environment that I wanted to surround myself with.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the class?
My most valuable contribution to the classroom is my ability to be inclusive and ensure that my other peers are heard, using my experiences and technical background to tie into class discussions, leading the way of developing meaningful points of contention.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I love meeting people! I am an extreme social butterfly and am always open to having deep and fun conversations.
Post-MSM career interests:
Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, and Capital Markets
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I would start with focusing on self reflection and tackling the why business school part of the application. It is easy to use your background or past success stories to show the admissions committee why they should be impressed by you but what they really want to see is why you want to be in business school. In other words, the past success stories are amazing but focus on where you want your future to head towards so touch on your career goals and how business school would allow you to obtain that goal.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would speak with more current or past students earlier in the process. With each conversation I recieved great insights that weren’t visible on the website and helped me understand the culture at Tepper better.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
If I could skip one part of the application process, it would be the video essay. I found it difficult to talk to myself and not show how awkward I felt in acting like I was talking to a person.
What is your initial impression of the Carnegie Mellon Tepper students/culture/community?
My initial impression is that Tepper students are collaborative, humble, and driven in a way that feels infectious. Oftentimes, in group projects, many people take the lead and I find myself ready to work with my peers to accomplish our goals. The community balances analytical rigor with a genuine willingness to help each other succeed.
What is one thing you have learned about Carnegie Mellon Tepper that has surprised you?
I was impressed with the community and tight-knit feel of the University. For example, many people have started conversations with me and still tap me on the shoulder to catch up on occasion. Pittsburgh as a city has also impressed me. The city is small and cozy with nice places to eat with friends.
