Travis Klein - Stern ‘23
Where are you from? San Antonio, TX
What was your background before Stern? I majored in chemical engineering at Texas A&M University, and then started my career at ExxonMobil. I worked primarily as an environmental/regulatory engineer and was fortunate enough to support projects in Texas, California, Suriname, Guyana, and Mozambique.
Why did you choose to pursue an MBA? Why Stern? After spending 9 years in one career path, I felt the time was right for me to explore other interests and make a big change. My work in the environmental space had exposed me to a lot of the issues we face today related to climate change, threats to biodiversity, and associated impacts to human economic and social health. I chose to pursue an MBA to learn the language of business, which I believe is vital when it comes to driving progress and change in today’s world. I chose Stern because I was excited by the opportunities provided by both the school and by NYC (coolest location amongst US MBA programs!). I knew I would find a passionate community of like-minded individuals to explore my interests with, whether they be professional, social, or cultural.
What did you do to explore careers in your first year and what was most helpful? I did a lot of research prior to arriving on campus, but I still attended just about every club kickoff that interested me. I wanted to make sure I was exposed to as much variety as possible in the beginning. Ultimately, I knew my mind was set on starting a career in consulting or sustainability, ideally a combination of the two. The CSB job board is an awesome tool to see the variety of sustainability jobs that are out there. While I won’t be going directly into one of those jobs, they helped me clarify the types of skills and experiences I want to gain during and after school.
Also, don’t hesitate to ask fellow students about their prior career experiences! People will be happy to share, and you can learn what certain jobs are really like, which can sometimes be difficult to glean from a company’s website or presentation alone.
What advice do you have for MBA1s or prospective students?
Say yes to as much as you can! This is a very unique opportunity in your life, and there is a rich variety of experiences you can have.
At the same time, take care of yourself (sleep) and say no when you need to, especially during recruiting.
Remember why you chose to pursue an MBA, and try to reflect on what type of long-term career you want and how the MBA and your post-grad job can help set you on the right path
Try to educate yourself on NYC as much as you do within NYU. It’s (obviously) a vibrant city that opens itself up the more you dive in.
What was your internship recruiting process like? I recruited for consulting, which has a well established recruiting pipeline. It was definitely strenuous (a lot of networking, resume editing, cover letter writing, and case interview prepping) throughout the fall and winter until interviews were done, but there is a great support system amongst all the students on that track. Consulting recruiting prep is very student-led, which highlights the generous nature of Stern students.
Tell us a little bit about where you interned and the work you did over the summer. What skills were most helpful? What did you learn? I interned at EY-Parthenon, a management consulting firm. Like all consultants, I spent a fair amount of time in Excel and Powerpoint, but I think a lot of the success in any job ultimately hinges on soft skills. Being able to really listen to others to understand where they’re coming from or what their needs are is a vital skill in any industry. Other key skills are time management and organization. Many post-MBA jobs will likely be fast-paced and throw a lot at you. Being able to manage yourself when a lot is coming at you is very important. Luckily, these are all skills that you will naturally strengthen just by getting through your MBA program!
What are your goals for post-MBA? This is a work in progress for any MBA student, but right now I hope to work on energy and sustainability projects in the consulting space.
What have been your favorite classes at Stern (sisa focused or otherwise)? Thus far the course that has pushed me most was the Stern Consulting Corps, an experiential learning course where you are assigned a real client and asked to help them solve a particular problem. I felt a little uncomfortable as I had no similar experience before, but I ended up really enjoying getting to know my client and helping them think through solutions. I would recommend trying out an experiential learning course whenever you can, as it’s a really safe place to apply your knowledge from other classes. Currently I’m very excited to take part in classes like “Marketing & Sustainability” and “Driving Market Solutions for Clean Energy”.
How has SISA played a role in your Stern experience? SISA has allowed me to meet many, many like-minded individuals who share my interest in SISA-type topics. I’m really thankful this community exists at Stern. It also attracts students from across all of Stern’s MBA programs, which further enhances the networking and learning opportunities. Overall, SISA has provided me with many great friends and inspires me to look at how SISA topics can be advocated for in any organization.
What would you say to a prospective student who is interested in exploring careers in social impact or sustainability? Social impact and sustainability careers are (rightly) becoming much more common and popular. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity in the space, which can sometimes be overwhelming. I think it’s really important to explore what interests you and talk to a diverse spread of professionals in the space to discover possible jobs for you. That said, I don’t think every impactful job has to have “social impact” or “ESG” or “sustainability” in the title. Simply being aware of these topics means anyone can be an advocate for them in their work. And remember that no job or career is permanent. Each job will develop you in different ways and give you transferable skills. Every type of skill will ultimately be necessary to drive positive changes in the business community and for the planet. Never stop growing, and the right opportunities will present themselves :)
