Analytics MBA student Shriteja Salunkepatil has used Stevens’ hands-on approach to teaching business to build confidence and prepare for new opportunities
Four years of multiple professional roles in a variety of industries, including working closely with startups, gave Shriteja Salunkepatil confidence in her business skills. In 12 months as an Analytics MBA student at Stevens, she’s confident in all her abilities.
After graduating in 2020 from V.G. Vaze College of Arts, Science & Commerce in her native India, Shriteja embarked on her professional journey as a business development officer for a real estate firm. Over the next four years, she added experience in health care and IT to her resume and co-founded her own company in 2022.
Her wide range of experiences showcased her many strengths, but it also provided a roadmap for improvement.
“I have worn many hats at one time,” she said. “I have had roles in operational client management, starting from how the product is billed to how the product should look to the customer. That gave me a sense that I am business-savvy and adept at navigating organizational dynamics. However, in today's world, it's very important to analyze all the data and use it to actually make a change. I understood that learning those processes with the right education and right teachers was very important for the next stage of my life.”
That next phase began with her enrollment in the dual degree program offered by the Stevens School of Business and SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR). Shriteja completed her Global Management Programme (GMP) certificate in June 2024 and arrived in Hoboken the following fall.
“I was the happiest person because it was like a dream coming true when I first got to campus,” Shriteja said. “I was a little nervous about what was to come because it was a new country and a new place, but Stevens has been so supportive of all my dreams and goals. When I talked about what I actually wanted to learn, the professors and all the staff helped to achieve this. Stevens has given me opportunities and believed in me. I started managing and collaborating with all the teams here. I got opportunities to work with different companies and since it has a very close proximity to in New York City, it's very good for networking as well.”
Shriteja has capitalized on the chances for hands-on, real-world experience that is built into the Stevens experience, whether it’s in the classroom, through projects with actual businesses and opportunities to work with staff and faculty. In addition to her courses, Shriteja has completed the Industry Capstone Program, leading the team that worked with The Webster, a luxury retailer headquartered in Miami, and worked as a research assistant. She is currently a graduate assistant and teaching assistant in the School of Business.
“In most of my classes it is more practical than theoretical work,” Shriteja said. “We work with data sets, learn what actually goes on in a company and what we actually do when we have a job as a business analyst or a consultant. For example, we build dashboards, generate insights and translate them into actionable recommendations. It’s not just creating the graphs but making actual sense of how it will impact the business.”
The experience with The Webster, which works with worldwide brands like Gucci and Prada, was particularly impactful. As the team lead, she managed a data analyst, data scientist and business analyst. Working with the company’s online Vice President of Merchandising, the group was tasked with providing a solution to an actual organizational issue.
“It wasn't easy at first — managing large datasets, balancing time and leading people. Beyond just meeting deadlines, it was about ensuring the client was happy with the work we delivered. If they aren't, what different ways can you do it? How can you try to reduce the time of the work? How can you make the most of it? I think that is helpful.”
“We worked on different platforms. We tried different things,” she continued. “We worked on making new agents, which is something every company wants now, a different AI or personalized AI. We applied all our coding skills. It was a great experience blending traditional business skills like managing people and learning how to communicate with the hard technical skills.”
Stevens may have provided the opportunities, but Shriteja made the choice early on to take advantage of them. Understandably a bit shy after arriving from another country, she quickly learned that the Stevens community was there to help make the most of her time in Hoboken.
“Initially, I was a little bit shy, not quite as confident because of the transition from one country to another,” she said, “I had a lot of questions. How are the people here? Will they accept me, and will they believe in me? I shouldn't have had those doubts. The main advice I give new students is to talk to the people here. They are very helpful, which I understood a little later. Don't shy away from opportunities or don't think you are less than anyone else.”
On track for graduation in December and currently pursuing her first full-time role in the U.S. as a business analyst or consultant, Shriteja feels prepared to tackle whatever comes next. She is eager to apply her strong project management skills, developed through leading diverse teams, to deliver meaningful impact in these roles.
“Stevens has been instrumental in refining my resume and preparing me through mock interviews,” she said. “I feel prepared because of the experience that I've had at Stevens working with faculty and the managerial staff. It has given me the confidence I needed and showed me not to shy away from opportunities and not to give up. I feel confident stepping into the next stage of my career.”
