Pablo Matarredona Valor
So, tell us a bit about yourself.
“A bit about my story, I played semi-professional basketball in Spain since I was 14, leaving home to play for the youth team of a big club. Later on, I enrolled in an engineering degree, but I continued playing basketball at the semi professional level. This time was very fun but challenging at the same time, my schedule was pretty busy!
The last year of my studies, I got a scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame in the US. This experience strongly influence my ambition of having an international career. I got to meet many internationals with very inspiring trajectories, which opened my eyes to the vast amount of opportunities that we have.
Later on, during Covid, I worked full-time, played basketball, and completed my pre-master to get into RSM (Rotterdam School of Management). My year at RSM has been awesome, I got to lead the consulting operations of a student-led consultancy, play for the university basketball team, travel to Brazil for a student competition, and meet awesome individuals!
The internship at Applied Materials was a great step for me in developing my career, and I’m grateful for Internships in the Valley for arranging this. My next adventure is my upcoming exchange at the University of Chicago.”
Why did you apply for the Internships in the Valley program?
“I applied to the program because I saw a lot of value in their offering. Getting exposure in the US job market is somewhat complex, but the program helped with that by opening their network of companies and allowing us to use their brand. On top of that, once you have secured an offer, Internships in the Valley really smoothes the visa process, which is always cumbersome.
On a personal note, I decided to go to the US to get exposure to corporate America before embarking on my academic exchange at Chicago Booth. I also wanted to experience the tech scene in Silicon Valley. As an engineer and technology-enthusiast, that’s the place to be - professionally.”
Tell us about your role within Applied Materials. How do you think this internship experience will contribute to your career growth?
“At Applied Materials I worked as a Corporate Strategy intern, which exposes you to many strategic issues. To me, the opportunity was amazing since you rarely get to contribute in the decision-making process of a Fortune 500 company at a young age. Since I was an intern, I had a bit more freedom to contribute to different small projects, so I got to work in economic studies, geopolitical scenario-making, emerging technology tracking, and market modeling. From each of these projects I got to learn a lot.
This experience will definitely contribute to my career growth. It has allowed me to understand the complexities of large companies, as well as the challenges that innovation faces in corporations. It also has taught me that good companies really spend time thinking about strategy and executing on it efficiently. “
Congratulations on being accepted to the Booth MBA exchange program! Can you speak more about that?
“Thank you! Being able to study in one of the best business schools worldwide is truly exciting. I will be taking classes during the fall quarter, for about three months. I’ll be focusing on entrepreneurship, innovation financing, and behavioral science. It is really a perfect complement and ending to my master program, as I can dive deeper in topics that I became more interested about during my master’s.
Outside of classes, I’m also planning to engage with the Polsky Innovation Center at the University of Chicago, one of the leading innovation and science commercialization units in the US.”
What are your future goals, or what do you hope to do after graduation?
“That’s a good question! To be honest, I’m still thinking about it. I’m very intrigued by industries that are very foundational, like energy/climate change and semiconductors, as their strategic issues tend to be very relevant for the proper functioning of economies and societies. Having said that, I’m open to different types of companies, either large or small, as both offer opportunities for growth and learning. I guess I’ll make my decision based on the project/role that inspires me the most.”
Did you visit any cool places during your time in the Bay Area?
“Oh yes! I went to Yosemite National Park with some Dutch colleagues, which was very fun! I also visited Point Reyes, Sausalito, Berkeley, Monterey and Carmel with my girlfriend. All these spots were beautiful and I have great memories at each of them. The great thing about the SF bay area is that you can explore many unique places pretty easily. It is like a micro country itself!”
“Getting exposure to these experiences when you are in the early stages of your career/life allows you to grow very fast, personally and professionally.”
