From SDM to Adobe: Tanvi’s path, portfolio strategy, and job search playbook
Tanvi returned to share what her job in experience research looks like, how she structured a portfolio that got attention, and the habits that kept her job search moving. It was honest, specific, and very usable for anyone aiming at product teams. Five takeaways to act on this week Apply fast on the company website. Use LinkedIn to find roles, not to hit Easy Apply. Treat your portfolio like a set of short books. Make each project easy to pick up and hard to put down. Prepare real stories for behavioral interviews. Memorize points, not scripts. Curate 4 to 6…
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Insights from Soumil Panwar: Navigating UX, Strategy, and Career Growth
We recently hosted Soumil Panwar, Senior UX Designer at Optum in Dallas, for an engaging alumni talk. Soumil, a Parsons SDM graduate (Class of 2023), shared his career journey, portfolio strategies, and reflections on navigating the UX and product design industry. Below are the key highlights and insights. Career Journey into UX Soumil’s design path began in India, where he ran his own design agency before moving into UX through client projects in software. At Optum, he started with execution-focused UX tasks but gradually expanded into leading UX research, managing teams, and bridging product strategy with technical feasibility. His journey…
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From Non-Linear Paths to Strategic Success: A Bain & Company Designer’s Journey
An in-depth look at how Carlos Salom turned a “non-linear” career into his greatest strength and landed at one of the world’s top consulting firms.Last week, our Strategic Design and Management community had the privilege of hearing from Carlos Salom, a recent SDM graduate who now works as a strategic designer at Bain & Company. What unfolded was an honest, practical, and inspiring conversation about navigating career uncertainty, building authentic stories, and leveraging the unique skills we develop in our program.Carlos opened with a striking visual timeline of his journey, describing it as “very non-linear path”. What initially seemed like…
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Alumni Webinar – Tips for a successful Job search
In our recent webinar with Parsons SDM alumni Lucia Jaramillo, Divya Harpalani, and Anamika Gopi, we delved into effective strategies for navigating a successful job search. Each alumnus shared their unique journey, offering insights into what helped them secure their current roles and the lessons they learned along the way. We discussed a range of platforms that students can utilize to boost their job search efforts, emphasizing the critical role of networking and providing alternative strategies for those who find traditional networking daunting. The session also featured valuable advice tailored to international students, along with tips on building a standout…
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Alumni Led – Design Spark Workshop Series
Alumni Led – Design Spark Workshop Series The recent Design Spark Workshop Series was a complete success— an innovative, action-oriented workshop designed to ignite creativity and empower students with practical skills to thrive in the fast-paced, resource-constrained environments that characterize the world of design. This three-part series provided an incredible learning experience, and we are incredibly grateful for the dedication of our presenters, Dhairya Sathvara and Anwesha Sengupta, who brought their expertise and passion to make this event so impactful. The Design Spark Workshop Series was designed for students eager to go beyond the theoretical aspects of design and dive…
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Spring 2025 Portfolio Masterclass and Alumni Review Session
Reflections on the Spring 2025 Portfolio Masterclass and Alumni Review Sessions We are thrilled to share that the Spring 2025 Portfolio Masterclass and Alumni Review Sessions were a success! The sessions were designed to provide the MS SDM students with invaluable tools and guidance to enhance their professional portfolios and advance their careers. Thanks to the incredible dedication and expertise of our alumni, the event exceeded expectations and proved to be an enriching experience for all involved. A Masterclass on Crafting an Effective Portfolio The Portfolio Masterclass, led by the talented Paul Benson, took place on February 6th. In this…
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Divya Harpalani, Class of 2022
Divya Harpalani | Product Manager B&H New York I’m a product manager focused on creating customer centric digital shopping experiences to make sure our customers has a seamless shopping journey. Creating an impact at a global user advocacy level with a focus on innovation is what drives me and pushes me to contribute in a culture full of cross collaboration, growth and opportunities. What three things do you feel make the MS SDM program special? 1. The environment of cross collaboration 2. Understanding and knowing problem solving skills 3.Interaction and engagement with professors who come from a distinguished and notable set…
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Juliette Wang, Class of 2022
Juliette Wang | User Experience Designer Google “I’m Juliette Wang, a strategic and interaction designer with a global perspective. Born in Taiwan and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I developed a passion for art, design, and exploring cultures. I earned my BFA in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2019 and later completed my Master’s at Parsons in 2022. My career has taken me from design agencies such as Instrument—where I worked with clients including Google, YouTube, and Niantic—to my current role at Google, creating the next generation of shopping experiences on Search….
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MSSDM Alumni Webinar on April 5
This is the last Alumni Webinar of the spring semester 2024. In this session, we will talk to Aminata Diatta, Creative Lead at Dalberg Design; Vasuta Kalra, Senior Experience Designer at Method; and Aryanna Martin, Senior Service Designer at EY Seren. We will discuss their perspectives about Strategic Design, how they excel at their jobs, and how they approached networking and job-hunting. The panel will be virtual. All MS SDM students are invited.
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MSSDM Alumni Webinar on February 16
We start our Spring Alumni Webinar Series on Feb 16th! For this iteration, we will be joined by Fas Lebbie, Design Manager at Meta; Michelle Rotbart, Trend Manager at JCPenney; and Bill Lepentis, Founder of Lepentis Research and Design. We will discuss their perspectives about Strategic Design in entrepreneurship, tech, consulting and retail. The panel will be virtual. All MS SDM students are invited. Full recording of the panel here
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