Cristina Lozada loved her job at Belcorp, but aspired to learn more about the intersection of business and technology, and transition into the tech industry. Lozada chose Dartmouth Tuck for her MBA after meeting alumni who genuinely loved their experience, and seeing the school’s success rate in job placement. In this Real Humans: Alumni, Lozada explains how both personal reasons and professional goals led her to the MBA program at Tuck and, after an incredible internship experience, a career at Microsoft.
Cristina Lozada, Dartmouth Tuck MBA ’25, Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft
Age: 32
Hometown: Lima, Peru
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Universidad del Pacífico, Business Administration
Graduate Business School, Graduation Year and Concentration: Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, 2025. Management Science and Quantitative Methods
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Consumer Engagement Manager at Belcorp (direct-selling beauty company in LATAM), 2014-2023
Post-MBA Work Experience: Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, 2025–present
Why did you choose to attend business school?
It was a really hard decision because I loved my job at Belcorp and I’m very close to my family back in Peru. However, I aspired to learn more about the intersection of business and technology, and pursuing an MBA felt like a good pivot point for me to step into the big leagues. I wanted to transition into the tech industry, where innovation moves at a different pace, and I viewed the MBA as a way to intentionally challenge my way of thinking and expand my network beyond my Lima roots.
Why Dartmouth Tuck? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Now I get it, but at the time, I was genuinely impressed by how much Tuckies LOVED their experience. Every alum I spoke with was obsessed with Tuck. Now I’m one of them! Practically, I wanted to get into a good school that cared about international students and secured job placement. For that, I think Tuck’s employment reports are self-explanatory. However, the reason I chose Tuck was more personal. Since I was coming from abroad, I got drawn to the truly close-knit community. I knew that leaving my family and friends was going to be tough, so I placed a lot of value on attending a school where I could build long-lasting relationships. And that proved to be 1000% accurate. The network transcends the years and goes far beyond the classroom.
What about your MBA experience prepared you for your current career? How do you feel that your MBA has been an asset when it comes to navigating new challenges, such as AI?
There are two things that are critical at Microsoft: adaptability and a growth mindset. Beyond the hard skills I strengthened at Tuck, the experience challenged me to juggle multiple priorities, events, and commitments while also being open to unlearning in order to relearn. Being thoughtful about what to prioritize and where to put my energy has been my secret weapon at Microsoft, especially in the era of AI. I really appreciated how Tuck embraced AI in the right way. We were encouraged to actively experiment with it and use it to become better and more efficient professionals, while also being adamant about exercising good judgment. Through consistent, hands-on use, I’ve become very comfortable integrating AI into my day-to-day work and as AI becomes increasingly imperative, this has been a major advantage.
What was your internship during business school? How did that inform your post-MBA career choice?
I interned at Microsoft in the summer of 2024, within the marketing organization. I worked on a project focused on M365 Copilot and absolutely loved it. I had an incredible experience, so I worked really hard to convert the internship into a full-time offer, and thankfully it worked out. The internship was my segue into where I am today and served as a great preview of what my full-time role would look like. Knowing where I was headed after my second year allowed me to be more intentional with how I spent my time, both academically and personally.
Why did you choose your current company? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to work?
Microsoft embodied the reason I wanted to pursue an MBA in the first place: to join a global company where innovation moves at godspeed and everything operates at a different scale. I also met incredible people during my internship who helped me navigate such a massive organization and mentored me through the recruiting process. We spend a lot of time working, so just like in business school, the people matter a lot to me. The factors I considered most were global scale, culture, and the size of the challenges. Microsoft checked all the boxes.
Advice to current MBA students:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of the job search?
Start early. It’s a myth that tech recruiting only starts in the winter. I secured my internship in the fall of my first year. The process is definitely non-linear, but starting early gives you more opportunities and more learning experiences.
–One thing you would change or do differently as part of the job search?
Use your school’s network. I wish I had tapped into the Tuck community at Microsoft earlier in my recruiting process. Everything worked out in the end, but I could have started those conversations sooner.
–Were there any surprises regarding your current employer’s recruiting process?
The timeline. It was both early and fast. I know this can vary by role, but I applied in September, completed three interviews in one day, and then received my offer, all in about a month’s time. Everything moved quickly and efficiently.
–What piece of advice do you wish you had been given during your MBA?
It’s such a privilege to have the opportunity to spend two years of your life focused on growing, learning, and becoming a better version of yourself, so don’t take it for granted. Be intentional in how you spend your time during your MBA. There’s so much to do and the time flies by! Commit to the things that align to your goals and also, to things that bring you energy. But above all, have fun, learn and make the most memories. It’s truly the best two years!
