MBA Alumni Profile: Dario Rustico, Florida Chapman

Dario Rustico shares his MBA experience as an alumnus of Florida Chapman.

1. What were you doing before your MBA?

I earned my degree in Italy at the University of Bergamo (major: Economy)      

2. What were your main reasons for deciding to attend business school?

I wanted to be able to aim at better jobs and start to be involved in a more international environment.

3. What research did you undertake in selecting your school?

At that time, after my graduation, I was in Miami in order to improve my English and learn Spanish; my goal was to stay in Miami and this new program (IMBA) that I found on Internet perfectly fit what I wanted to do.

4. What were the main criteria in your selection?

I was looking for a program that could grant me some skills in the international business and introduce me in a certain environment.      

5. How well do your think the MBA is regarded in your home country?

In Italy is very well regarded (even if right now these kind of programs are spreading a lot also here). My opinion is that it is very important to help you put the first "foot in the door". Once in nobody will grant you anyway better positions or more money because of this degree. Everything you get is the result of what you are able to build in term of business and relationships.      

6. How are you financing your studies?

My family helped me with the costs. Unfortunately I wasn't able to enrol in any student loans program. It is very important to help also the foreigners with some kind of contributions/loans.      

7. Did you apply for any scholarships? If so, which ones?

No I didn't apply for any scholarships but, to be honest, I don't think there were any dedicated to Europeans back then. 

8. Have you already been, or do you intend to become an entrepreneur?

We will see later on. Now I want to gain some more international experience in a corporation. At the least for the next 5 years.      

9. How much do you expect to earn on graduation? 

If we are talking about money this is the biggest illusion that MBA programs can give to the students. Nobody, at least when I graduated, granted me or anyone else of my class the kind of salaries that the MBA programs were promising around back then. Not even close. Many of us went through major disappointment and disillusion.       

10. What do you expect to do on graduation and where do you expect to be based? 

Right now I am based in Italy even if I am very often abroad for business. My goal is to move back to the States as soon as a good position opens up. I definitely see my future life in the States.      

11. Where do you see yourself in ten years time:      

Well, it's difficult to say. This march 2005 I will already become Director of my Dpt (Emerging Markets at Costa Cruises) overseeing sales and marketing activities in more than 40 countries around the world (Asia, oceania, Africa, Middle East, North and East Europe). In 10 years from now I might try to set up my own business. At the moment I need to gain way more experience and contacts.     

12. How easy or difficult do you expect it to be to achieve these objectives?

It's going to be extremely difficult. Job environments are super competitive and nobody grants you anything for free. Whatever you achieve is really the result of all the sacrifices you make, even in relation of your personal life.