Romika Kotian

LinkedIn

Graduate University: Purdue University, West Lafayette

Answers from the Mentor:

1. What led you to pursue your current career sector?
I was drawn to innovation and strategy because I became increasingly interested in what happens before solutions are implemented. Across research, teaching, and consulting roles, I saw that many well-intentioned initiatives struggle not because of lack of effort, but because of misalignment in early framing and decision-making. That curiosity led me to focus on helping teams gain clarity at the front end of complex, impact-driven problems, where strategic choices shape downstream adoption and impact.

2. If you could give one piece of advice to graduate students exploring career options, what would it be?

Career exploration can be treated as an experiment rather than a single high stakes decision. Instead of trying to identify the perfect path, focus on gathering signals through conversations, short term projects, or internships that help clarify what energizes you and where your skills create value. At the same time, remember that career trajectories are rarely linear; they evolve in different ways for different people.