Gael Power: Tiara Griffith ’20
Rotational Product Manager at Facebook
Major: Business Management
Tiara Griffith ’20 credits Iona’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation for being the first stop along her journey to landing her dream job at Facebook. One day she decided to explore a new path and step out of her comfort zone, becoming founding president of Iona’s Entrepreneurship Club, and it was that decision that would eventually lead her to develop the skills needed for the position she’s in today.
Perseverance is what led Tiara to become a rotational product manager at Facebook.
Once she had her sights set on that career path, she reached out to various product managers (PMs) and associate product managers (APMs) from different tech companies via LinkedIn to learn more about what the career was like and ask for advice.
She then joined a community of aspiring and current PMs where they conducted mock interviews to prepare for her three interview rounds with Facebook.
“The ability to not only work and try to solve complex problems, but also having the opportunity to come up with new product ideas that can solve core user problems, drive them to fruition, and impact billions of users worldwide is the most exciting part of my job,” she said.
Tiara had many opportunities to learn outside the lines at Iona, gaining valuable experiences both in and outside the classroom. She was one of two students selected to be on the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation search committee to assist with selecting the Institute’s founding director and also became the founding president of Iona’s Entrepreneurship Club.
Her involvement in Hynes also led her to participate in the Iona Innovation Challenge as well as the opportunity to study abroad in Turin, Italy at the European Innovation Academy (EIA).
“I really enjoyed collaborating with the Hynes Institute team, interns, and students,” she said. “It quickly became a second home to me.”
WHY IONA
“I chose Iona for two main reasons. One, I felt that the LaPenta School of Business would give me a solid education and provide valuable internship and networking opportunities. Two, it was within commuting distance from where I lived which meant I could live at home throughout college.”
TIARA’S ADVICE
“Be dedicated and determined, be patient, and don’t give up. I applied to many companies and heard many no’s before receiving that one yes that changed my life.”
A DAY AT FACEBOOK
- Collaborate with engineers, data scientists, product designers
- Develop new products and features for Facebook and its family of products
- Brainstorm marketing and product strategies
IONA HIGHLIGHTS
- Hanging Out at GaelVentures Iona’s Co-working Innovation Space
- Iona Entrepreneurship Club
- Hynes Institute Workshops & Events