Tag: Weston Career Center

Five Olin alumni who graduated during the worst economic recession in the US since the Great Depression share what they learned with the class of 2020 and 2021, who now face their own anxious, uncertain future.

“It’s not fair.”

In a panel Zoom conversation on Friday, April 17, among full-time MBA students and five alumni who graduated during the 2008-2009 recession, Davi Bryan spoke bluntly to the students.

“Relative to students who graduated a year or two ago, you are going to have to put in more work,” said Bryan, MBA ’08, and executive for workplace experience, North America lead at Avande. “It is going to be harder. You are going to have to bring more creativity to your search. And is that fair? No, it’s not. But at some point, you’ve just got to do it.”

Bryan, along with Jeannie Chan, MBA ’08, associate director at Merck; EJ Hullverson, MBA ’09, digital project lead at Nestlé Purina; Bobby Stewart, MBA ’08, marketing consultant at RDS Marketing Solutions; and Julie Zuick, MBA ’09, senior consultant for diversified search at Grant Cooper, shared their experiences and wisdom with students hoping to find jobs or summer internships amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn.

Find the “new doors” that open

Recognizing that the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 has closed doors for students, who might face hiring freezes or rescinded internships, Olin’s Weston Career Center invited the five MBA alumni, who had experienced similar tumult in their own job searches, to share their insights.

The panel, moderated by Kendra Kelly, MBA ’21, encouraged students to consider ways this change in plans might lead to options they might not have previously considered.

“In tumultuous times, opportunity can arise,” said Hulverson. “Being able to flex and bend and approach the situation looking for opportunities is what defined my job search.”

Bryan agreed, remembering her fear of failure because she couldn’t find the jobs she’d dreamed of and planned for. “I think my experience and those of the others here today speak for themselves: this isn’t something that follows you forever, and it doesn’t create an insurmountable hurdle.”

She explained how she turned an experience working for Walmart, after which she chose to move toward consulting, still helped her land her desired job at Deloitte because she had a story to tell about what she learned about herself: “I told them the skills I’d learned. Now I’m telling Deloitte a story of how I fit in there, and how the skills I learned at Walmart make me a better candidate.”

Stewart reminded students that large, publicly traded organizations—which may have frozen hiring—aren’t the only choice for getting experience. “Use your entrepreneurial spirit, the resources Olin has provided you to help other organizations get where they need to be.”

Zuick put it simply: “Each job, each company will teach you something,” she said.

Be prepared, work hard, use your skills

It’s no secret that the class of 2020 and 2021 will have to work hard and be creative in their job search—but the panelists explored how that might set them apart.

That need to be flexible, hard-working and agile in the job search is the same need companies have for their workers. As Hullverson said, “I don’t think the world is getting any more certain. Being able to pivot is extremely valuable.”

Zuick reminded students to do their research—and keep up that hard-work mindset once they’ve landed the position. “You might want to take on more,” she recommended. “You’ll get a project—knock that out of the park. But if it’s going well, ask for a second project where you can gain more skills and become a leader.”

The panel encouraged the students to stretch. “You’re going to have to do a lot of things that are uncomfortable,” Bryan explained. “But just because it feels uncomfortable doesn’t mean you’re not good at it.”

Be yourself

At least once in the hourlong session, each panelist reminded the students of the most important part of the job search: be who you are, and be real.

The panelists recommended that students not shy away from the impact COVID-19 is having on all of us. “Be sensitive about it,” said Chan. “But there is something that everyone is going through right now. Start a conversation by talking about this common experience, and become a real person to the person on the phone.”

Stewart reminded the students, “you’re competing against a lot of other very smart, very talented people from top MBA programs. Personality really does matter.”

After an hour of question-and-answer, students expressed their gratitude at the chance to talk to people who understood what they were experiencing—and had lived through it.

Adam Hull (MBA ’21) felt edified learning from the perspective of another class who faced challenging economic times. “It was inspiring to see that each member of the panel had built a fantastic career and had used the economic difficulties as a way to build resilience and adaptability.”

As the event wrapped up, Kelly asked the panelists for parting thoughts. Bryan summed up her hopes for the class of 2020:

“I hope you are being stretched and learning things about yourself, so that you emerge from this experience knowing who you are and what your value is. Then, you’ll be able to weather whatever comes before you. That’s my wish for each of you.”

When nearly 100 first-year MBA students traveled to three continents and four destinations during their global immersion experience last summer, they did more than just study abroad. Indeed, they were working professionals who experienced their career goals in real-time as they worked with local and global companies.

Walking alongside them each step of the way was a team of dedicated career and communication coaches from Olin’s Weston Career Center, who graded presentations and helped students contextualize their experiences and prepare for job and internship interviews—with some internship interviews even happening during late nights in Barcelona. Students reflect on the experience in the video above.

Ray Wagner (MBA ’21) called the experience of having career coaches along “invaluable.” He reflected, “What’s so great about having had them on the trip with us is we’re a step ahead of our peers.” We caught up with Ray, who shares how he’s been able to apply lessons from the immersion in the classroom and in his career plans.

In retrospect, can you describe how the global immersion has influenced your approach to class?

In respect to my approach to class, I think the global immersion further ingrained in me how global business really is. 

The global immersion opened my eyes and widened my aperture of business dynamics on a worldly scale. Now, as I approach business cases in class or work with my professors and classmates, I tend to look at things from more of a global lens—trying to see all sides of the story and the implications of respective business decisions.

What did you gain from the experience that you’ve been able to apply already – particularly as it might relate to your career interest?

Most notably, the global immersion opened my eyes to the vast amount of business opportunities that are out there. As we consulted with the wineries in Barcelona and with Strange Donuts in Shanghai, I developed a real interest in the strategy of how a business works and the implications of decisions business leaders make. 

That being said, I have been able to dive deeper into business strategy within my coursework and it has really driven my approach to my post-MBA career. The global immersion sparked my interest in looking at businesses objectively and answering the existential questions that a young entrepreneur or a CEO may have in order to make their business prosperous.   

What are your career ambitions right now? Do you have plans for your summer internship?

Thanks to the global immersion, I am motivated to work within the strategy space of a business. I am continuing to pursue that ambition and looking to make an impact on a team that answers those existential questions for businesses. 

As I continue to navigate my career aspirations and full time recruiting, I am excited to join the corporate strategy office at Emerson this summer as part of their MBA Leadership Internship Program. Emerson is such a great company headquartered in St. Louis with a large global footprint. 

I am very excited to get some real-world exposure from such a great company this summer.  I look to bring my leadership background from the military and experiences from the global immersion and MBA to Emerson and make great contributions to the team.  

Good business is all about good relationships.

As a business school, building strong relationships means 14 companies will hire more of your graduates than they did the year before. A commitment to creating new relationships means another 15 companies will hire your graduates for the first time.

Both happened this year. And thanks to the efforts of our Weston Career Center, we saw even more positive results for our students and recent graduates. Internship recruiting is up. New firms are coming to campus to recruit our students. Alumni are engaging with our students in greater numbers than ever.

Nearly two years ago, WashU Olin began a massive overhaul of the WCC and our corporate relations efforts. Now, that work is yielding the results we anticipated when we began.

“We’ve been much more focused and targeted,” said Jen Whitten, associate dean and director of the WCC. “Everything has moved from a transactional to a relationship model.”

In the past 18 months, Jen and her team have consolidated the career center and our corporate relations operation so they work hand-in-glove. Jen, along with Dorothy Kittner, associate dean and director of corporate relations, have deployed Olin team members to the east and west coasts of the United States, into Europe, the Middle East and Shanghai.

Those moves acknowledge the common interests we share with corporate partners. Building those relationships means we gain insight into career trends and specific job opportunities for our students and alumni.

“Having the ability to collaborate in real time with the WCC really helps to connect the dots,” Dorothy said. At the same time, these moves create new opportunities for recruiters to gain exposure to our talented students.

“We are really running on all four cylinders—and then some,” Dorothy said. “We’re helping employers rethink their strategies, creatively adapting to new ways of meeting students—bringing students to them, for example, or connecting them through live-streamed interviews.”

Indeed, our students regularly take career treks focused on technology, finance, accounting, wealth management and consulting—with access to big-name players in every industry.

Meanwhile, Jen and her team are empowered to “break down barriers,” persuading recruiters who have never visited to make a trip to Olin. “What’s the best way to plug you into Olin?” she asks. “We’ll figure it out.”

As any sound business would do, we leveraged external experts two years ago for insight into the next steps for our career center. Boston Consulting Group conceived many of the strategies we’ve implemented in corporate relations and career services. An interesting byproduct: BCG is now active on campus, working hard to further engage.

Placing corporate relations professionals in the field establishes that WashU Olin is serious about creating relationships. Empowering those professionals to proactively break down recruiting barriers builds those relationships. Encouraging those professionals to leverage our strong alumni network within those companies further cements those relationships.

Conventional wisdom has always been that without at least 200 MBA students, a business school cannot attract recruiters to campus. Jen has shown that conventional wisdom is wrong. We’ve had more employers engaging in a broader range of recruiting events than ever before. And we only see growth in the future.

Pictured above: Olin MBA students visit Cisco in Silicon Valley in October 2019, thanks to the help of alumni in the company and relationships forged through the Weston Career Center.

A recent career trek to the west coast was a smash hit for first- and second-year MBA students—but it couldn’t happen without engagement from Olin alumni and their link to key companies.

That’s the most important message from Greg Hutchings, west coast business development manager for Olin’s Weston Career Center. That critical alumni link opens doors in key companies, offers opportunities for current students and creates ambassadors for the school across the country and around the world.

“The alumni are key,” Hutchings said. “Alumni advocates are crucial to developing successful recruiting relationships with many companies.”

In that spirit, Hutchings applauded seven Olin alums for their work toward making the west coast “tech trek” a success October 17–18, 2019:

• Bethany Curd, Adobe, AB ’08/BSBA ’08
• Michael Nordlund, Google, MSF ’10
• Flora (Fei) Wang, Google, MACC ’12
• Don Yakulis, Visa, MSPT ’91
• Rick Butler, Cisco, BSEE ’80/PMBA ’86
• Gregory “Max” McDaniel, Applied Materials, MBA ’02
• Arjun Sharma, Apple, MBA ’17

With their collaboration, Hutchings and the Olin Technology Club was able to put together an aggressive schedule of company visits in Silicon Valley for 12 first- and two second-year MBA students. In addition to the companies those alumni represent, students also visited Uber, Visa, Square, Amazon AWS and The Gap.

Students recounted their experience in this blog post—experiences that included direction on what roles MBAs fill in their companies, strategies for how to interview and advice on preparing for interviews.

Kasey Lucas, associate director of development for Olin alumni and development, along with the alumni also arranged for a round-table reception with the students, something of a “speed-dating” opportunity in which every student spent time with every alumnus to pick their brains and gain career perspective.

The WCC’s partnership with Olin A&D—particularly with Lucas, Jamie Hansen and Kate Lyford—has been critical to establishing these alumni relationships for the sake of our students.

“These companies will not just come to you, so you have to have that alumnus who is willing to raise the WashU flag and lead the charge,” Hutchings said. “They’re absolutely the vital link for our way into those companies.”

Pictured above: Bethany Curd, Michael Nordlund, Rick Butler, Gregory “Max” McDaniel and Arjun Sharma.

In the first week of October, Anne Petersen was in the passenger seat driving through upstate New York when she noticed her email was starting to blow up.

The Weston Career Center coach was on vacation with her husband when inquiries started to roll in from an email the career center had just sent to thousands of WashU Olin alumni. “You’ll always be able to partner with the Weston Career Center for lifetime career support,” the email said, inviting alumni to seek support whenever they needed it.

Seek they did. More than 50 Olin alumni reached out within the week that the email blast and video went out. Some were recent alumni, out only a year or two. Some had left as long ago as the 1960s.

“The emails started coming and the phone started ringing immediately. It was more than we anticipated,” Petersen said. “I don’t think alums were aware of our coaching services and the breadth of resources available. They also didn’t realize that we work with alums across the country via phone or Skype, as well as in person in St. Louis.”

Existing services—and new ones

The email campaign and related video were designed to remind Olin alumni of the career coaching resources available to them long after they walked away with their diploma. Coaching, career assessment, personal branding, resume and LinkedIn profile building, interview preparation, networking and negotiation—all services alumni can continue to get from the Weston Career Center.

That day in October, Petersen started responding to alumni seeking ideas about making a career pivot or changing geographies. She set up later appointments with some and worked with Jen Whitten, associate dean and director of the Weston Career Center, who fielded inquiries and connected alums with experienced coaches on the WCC team—including Frans Van Oudenallen, Mary Houlihan and Kathie McCloskey.

“They’ve run the gamut from young alums, undergrads, MBAs, specialized masters, senior citizens, mothers that were out of the workforce,” Petersen said. “It’s been a great process. We have had the opportunity to work with a lot of fascinating alums.”

Once Olin, Always Olin

A number of them have started by taking advantage of the WCC’s career leader assessment, a survey instrument that normally costs $75—but is available to alumni free of charge.

“It gives alums insight regarding their interests, motivations, skills, potential career directions and company culture matches,” Petersen said.Petersen said. The response to the email has been gratifying for the WCC team, who had sensed the services were not well-known enough or that alumni from outside St. Louis might be reticent to take advantage of them.

“They very much are commenting about the idea of ‘Once Olin, Always Olin’— the idea that it’s for me at any stage of your career,” Petersen said. “They felt like, ‘This does pertain to me—no matter where I am.'”

Looking for career help as an Olin alum? Contact Anne Petersen for career coaching resources (annepetersen@wustl.edu or 314-935-8951), or Jen Whitten (jwhitten@wustl.edu or 314-935-8970) to discuss WCC’s resources or any questions you might have. For remote coaching, the WCC is prepared to connect via Skype, phone or in person.

In the midst of spreadsheets and cases and site visits and speakers, full-time MBA students are also spending time thinking about themselves and their career journey.

On Day 4 of the Barcelona leg of the MBA global immersion experience, MBA students attended a Weston Career Center-led session “Defining Your Competitive Advantage.” The students were divided into four groups for the session, which relied on a mix of presentation and small group exercises.

Jen Whitten, associate dean and director of the career center, began the session by discussing the importance of knowing who you are, what’s important to you and where you want to go. She stressed that you must be clear on these things to be able to effectively present yourself and your story.

When an opportunity arises—and that could be any time—you need to be ready to convey your best self, whether it’s while you’re networking or interviewing.

Students paired up for personal interviews, each spending five minutes talking about himself or herself. When the class came back together, they shared their thoughts on what they heard from their partners. That was followed up with the pairs conducting second-round interviews with thought-provoking questions as prompts, including:

• What’s the one activity you most love? How have you made it part of your career?
• What do you do better than anyone else?
• Tell me about an experience you’ve had that most others don’t.
• What do others tell you is your greatest strength? What do people come to you for?

While in Barcelona, Whitten will conduct another session with students to discuss ways to leverage LinkedIn and how to enhance their social media presence. In Shanghai, the career coaching continues on two fronts, starting with developing career search strategies and effectively targeting organizations.

The second area of focus is preparing for case-based interviews by integrating classroom learnings and strategic insights into your personal narrative.

Pictured at top: Students listen as WCC Director Jen Whitten discusses the importance of competitive advantage in all stages of your career during the students’ immersion in Barcelona in July 2019.