Describe a time when you experienced a setback in your career.

"I was employed as a senior project manager six years ago at a company that was acquired by a larger firm. I was working with my director on a promotion to a role that would have made me the direct manager of two cross-functional teams. I had worked in a leadership capacity for years, but formal resource management was an important step in my progression and I was excited to take that next step.

Our entire department was restructured during the acquisition and there were several rounds of layoffs. Promotions were put on hold and my role was moved under a new management team. While my new manager was sympathetic to my situation, she was honest and let me know it was unlikely that the role I wanted would become available in an acceptable time frame.

I was initially frustrated, but I focused my energy on finding a role within a new company that offered what I needed to grow professionally. I reached out to my network and found a new role quickly. While it took longer than I wanted to get where I needed to go, moving to my current company opened up valuable and unexpected doors for me. I am now a senior implementation manager and I manage eighteen engineers, analysts, and project managers. I want to move into a director role within the next two years and this MBA program offers amazing career advancement opportunities that will help me achieve that goal."