STUDENT FEATURE: John Huntsman, MBA '14

John Huntsman

Marketing & Strategy

Treasurer, Toastmasters   

John is a full-time MBA candidate, with concentrations in Marketing and Strategy.  This Jersey native's professional interests include product management and the healthcare industry, but his portfolio of expertise also includes travel, sports, music, beard-growing, and cooking (well...eating). 

Where were you before you came to RBS? 

I was born and raised on the Jersey Shore where I grew up playing basketball and sailing competitively. I completed my bachelor degree at The University of Vermont in which I had concentrations in finance…and skiing. My graduation was timed perfectly to coincide with the financial collapse, so I decided to shift away from a career in finance and took my first job at a market research company called KL Communications. There I got a lot of great small business experience while working with fortune 500 clients, but at some point during my first 3 years I got the travel bug and was somehow able to convince the company president to let me work remotely. I proceeded to fly down to South America for 5 months and continued working while living in Argentina and Chile. I eventually returned to Jersey and immediately applied for my MBA at Rutgers, and here I am today.  

John's Non-OCM Approved beard (just one of
the many perks of working remotely).

Where do you see yourself in 15 years? 

Wow…15 years ahead? It’s tough for me to think that far ahead, so how about we aim for a more manageable five. In five years I can see myself as a product manager at a health care company that has global reach. My goal is to be at that intersection between the R&D and sales teams to ensure that new products resonate with customers in a compelling way. With that said, that’s just one possibility and who knows what opportunities may come my way…

What is your favorite thing about being an RBS student?

For me it’s the camaraderie with my fellow classmates. Whether it’s getting to know people through a group project or grabbing a drink across the street at Martini’s, I’ve been constantly impressed with the caliber of student at RBS, both in terms of ability and just being genuinely nice people. I can see myself keeping in touch with several of my colleagues throughout my career and this is something that’s hard to emulate without going through a program like this.     

What do you do for fun?

Hanging with friends and family, cooking (but mostly eating), live music, playing guitar, running, skiing, sports of all kinds, watching my sports teams (Giants and Knicks), and traveling.

What would you do differently if you could repeat your first semester all over again?

I would’ve interviewed with more companies. I was lucky to get an offer relatively early and accepted soon after. If I could do it again I would’ve tried to interview at another 2-3 companies for a few reasons. First, it’s good to get exposure to different companies early on in your MBA to get a feel for what works for you and what doesn’t. Second, building your network with recruiters is something that can give you more options in your second year. Third, interviewing is a skill and repetition will only make you better.