Career Path of a Program Manager at International Game Technology
Angela's career path took an unexpected turn from pre-med studies to marketing, starting with an internship at Oppenheimer Funds and then a management associate program at MGM Resorts International. After eight and a half years at MGM, progressing "from assistant manager all the way up to a director of corporate strategy," a desire for better work-life balance led Angela to a program manager role at IGT, a significant shift from managing teams of up to 20 people to being an individual contributor.
Career Development, Project Management, Communication, Executive/Leadership, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Angela Bae
Program Manager, North America Gaming
IGT - International Game Technology
University of Pennsylvania, 2013
UCLA EMBA, MBA earned
Psychology
Gaming
Operations and Project Management
Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Angela's career path showcases the value of internships, even later in college, demonstrating her ability to transition from pre-med to marketing. She emphasizes the importance of building experience through multiple roles (7-8 at MGM Resorts), highlighting her career progression from assistant manager to director of corporate strategy.
2. Her experience at MGM Resorts highlights the potential for significant career growth within a single company, providing valuable experience in various aspects of the business.
3. Angela's decision to pursue an Executive MBA at UCLA and subsequently transition to IGT illustrates a willingness to adapt and seek new challenges, even if it involves a shift from management to an individual contributor role. This demonstrates adaptability and a proactive approach to career development.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college and then any internships or jobs you had before your current role?
Sure, so I went to the University of Pennsylvania. In the first few years, I was actually pre-med at that school.
Over time, I realized it just wasn't my calling. In terms of internships and jobs, I didn't have my first internship until I was a junior. That summer, I did an internship with Oppenheimer Funds as an internal communications specialist.
From there, I was able to get a little bit of experience in marketing, which is what I ultimately wanted to do. When I started applying for jobs again, I didn't have as much experience as I wanted. However, MGM Resorts International here in Las Vegas gave me the opportunity to join their management associate program.
Through that, I was able to do a one-year postgraduate internship with a guarantee to a managerial role after that year. I was able to grow in the ranks at MGM Resorts International. I started as an assistant manager and worked my way up to a director of corporate strategy.
I worked at Aria, MGM Grand, and analytics for corporate as well. So I had about seven or eight jobs during my eight and a half year tenure there.
Once I started my Executive MBA program at UCLA, I realized that the 17-hour workdays I was doing during COVID just wasn't sustainable. I ended up moving over to IGT, International Game Technology, which is a slot manufacturing company here in Las Vegas.
I am now a program manager. I went from having a team of about a maximum of 20 people at any given time to being an individual contributor. It's been a very different experience, but I am very excited to be at this job and I'm still growing in my career.
Advizer Personal Links
linkedin.com/in/angelabae