GWSB students line up to talk to recruiters at the Spring 2013 Career Fair.

More than 300 GWSB students met with prospective employers last month at the Spring 2013 Career Fair run by the School’s F. David Fowler Career Center.

Representatives from over two dozen government entities and private businesses, including banks, accounting and insurance firms, hotels, and science and technology companies, set up booths in the Marvin Center to discuss job opportunities with students who have recently, or will soon, enter the job market.

The GEICO gecko holds court at GWSB’s Spring 2013 Career Fair.

Jacque Riley, who just received her MBA from GWSB and previously owned a public relations company, said she was particularly pleased to see hotels represented at the fair.

“There were a lot of good companies there, especially for a pretty intimate fair,” said Riley.

The Center traditionally has held the spring fair in April. But last year, it was moved to January to better coincide with the kick-off of many employers’ spring recruitment seasons.

Toni Della-Ratta

The F. David Fowler Career Center concluded the School’s first-ever, required Career Roadmap course for Global MBA students – jump starting their job-search preparation with instruction on writing resumes, crafting LinkedIn profiles and handling interviews.

The course, which was taught to first-year GMBA students and wrapped up earlier this month, was aimed at not only improving students’ knowledge of job-search techniques and strategies, but helping them assess their skills and develop plans for managing their careers early in their MBA training.  It was taught by Career Center instructors.

A similar course was offered to undergraduates last year.  The MBA version kicked off this summer, before regular classes started.

“This was a very practical course,” said Toni Della-Ratta, the Center’s associate director of graduate career management services.  One obvious benefit, she said, is that the course provided a structure within which MBA students were required to write resumes and perform other job-search-related tasks that they might otherwise postpone until later in their course of study.

During the nine-part series, students conducted self-assessments; prepared written documents such as cover letters and resumes; developed plans to market themselves; and attended networking events and career fairs.  They used the tool Interview Stream to record themselves during mock interviews and sent the links to their coaches for assessment.

Social media was integrated into the course, with students receiving coaching on tailoring and presenting profiles on LinkedIn, the online professional network.

“Employers are actually hiring off of LinkedIn profiles,” said Della-Ratta.

One overall lesson the instructors tried to impart, she said, is that today’s employers are increasingly looking for very specific skills, as opposed to hiring for general business positions. That means students must carefully target themselves toward a particular industry, company or job that interests them.

“Many persons are coming back to get an MBA to change careers,” she said. “What worked for them in the past might not work for them in their future.”

The Center has surveyed students on what they learned from the course, and their level of satisfaction.  Those results are being tabulated.

Recruiters from clothing manufacturer J. Crew spoke with GWSB students at the F. David Fowler Career Center's first-ever fall career fair last month.

Prepare for the Fair – GWSBFowler gives you tips to plan, research and prep for the GWSB Career Fair

Just in Time Tips – Watch for quick, timely tips to help you put your best foot forward at the GWSB Career Fair

Focus on Follow Up – Final follow up and professional relationship building tips for after the GWSB Career Fair.

Nick Akins, president and CEO, American Electric Power, was the featured speaker at one of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “CEO Leadership Series” events attended by GWSB students this spring. Photo: Ian Wagreich

GWSB students seeking careers are benefitting from a new working partnership between the F. David Fowler Career Center (FDFCC) and the National Chamber Foundation of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the focal point for every aspect of business and commerce,” said Steve Leavey, FDFCC employer development consultant.  “Partnering with the Chamber has opened many doors for our students, allowing them to meet with and listen to successful, well-respected corporate leaders.”

“The partnership between The George Washington University School of Business and the National Chamber Foundation has been an eye-opening and mutually beneficial endeavor,” said Jackie Carl, marketing manager, National Chamber Foundation.  “Having GW’s students participate in our events creates a depth to our audience that most professional programming does not offer.  Not only do these young entrepreneurs give us a different view on the future of business, but they can also learn from business experts on what it takes to succeed after graduation.”

Leavey has worked closely with representatives of the business federation to establish formal ties between the Career Center and the Chamber.  In February, he arranged a site visit for a group of 40 GWSB students.  Since then, he helped coordinate student attendance at several recent Chamber events, including:

• The inaugural session of the Chamber’s Center for Women in Business, Mar. 21;

• The CEO Leadership Series: American Electric Power, Apr. 26;

• The CEO Leadership Series: Amway Company, May 2; and

• America’s Small Business Summit, May 21-23.

Participating students have given the events high marks.  Kiran Bhandari, BBA, international business, ’12, was impressed with the CEO Leadership session that featured Nick Akins, CEO and president of American Electric Power.  “Akins was very focused on making sure his shareholders and customers were made aware of how AEP was taking initiatives to reduce the corporation’s carbon footprint and raise $2-3 trillion from investors for the sole purpose of R&D on alternative sources of energy,” Bhandari said.

“From being considered for internships to participating in the Chamber-sponsored programs and networking opportunities, our students will gain greater insight into the functional areas they are interested in pursuing and become more knowledgeable about their chosen career fields,” Leavey added.

FDFCC’s James Barricelli (left) and Tim Ryan of the International Finance Corporation

The F. David Fowler Career Center’s “Networking + Speaker” series wrapped up for the 2011-12 academic year with informative sessions on opportunities in international business and finance.  Each of the four sessions in the series featured a presentation from industry experts followed by the opportunity for students to network with representatives from local employers.

On April 3, Tim Ryan, International Finance Corporation (IFC) principal investment officer in its Global Portfolio Unit for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services, discussed his career in international finance, working in emerging markets around the world, including East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, Latin America, Africa, Russia and the Middle East.  Ryan described the IFC and its mission, as well as current opportunities in the international finance sector.

The final session, on April 19, featured a panel presentation and discussion on “financing innovation and growth,” with panelists Theron Green, vice president, small business banker, Bank of America; Andrew Sachs, founder, Sachs Capital, LLC; Jim McCabe, vice president, WWC Capital Group; and Nicholas Kilavos, director, Alliance Partners LLC.  Ken Alozie, financial advisor, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, served as moderator for the session, which covered a variety of topics, including market outlook for the year ahead, identifying and overcoming challenges in obtaining finance, and how to launch a career in financial services.

The popular series, co-sponsored by the D.C.-area alumni chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for business students and scholars, “was a great success,” according to James Barricelli, FDFCC associate director, employer relations.  “Student turnout and response was excellent, and I’d like to thank all of our speakers and Beta Gamma Sigma for working with the FDFCC to create such an outstanding program.”

The students attended the March 21 event through the F. David Fowler Career Center.

The event — focused on identifying and eliminating barriers for female executives and creating new opportunities — featured keynote speeches from Sharon Allen, former chair of Deloitte LLP, one of the Big Four accounting firms; and Ilene Lang, president and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst, a nonprofit membership organization that seeks to expand opportunities for women in business.

Allen’s story was “insightful, and I learned a lot about how to navigate one’s network in the business world,” said Dingfang Cai, a junior who is majoring in international business.

“I was interested in Sharon Allen’s idea of ‘drive-by mentoring’ − the idea that someone can be a mentor even if you don’t have a long-term relationship with that person,’’ said Rachel Schaengold, a second-year MBA candidate.

The agenda also included a panel of women executives and a presentation from Laurie Tucker, FedEx’s senior vice president for corporate marketing, who talked about building a personal brand and gave tips to help women be stronger leaders and gain more respect in the workplace.

Levine, ‘MBA, ’78, and a member of the School’s Board of Advisors, provided an overview of Core Capital’s success as a venture capital firm specializing in the technology industry. The firm has earned returns for its investors primarily through its expertise in the technology market and its relationships with high-tech companies.

Levine’s presentation was followed by a networking session with representatives from local employers. The event was co-sponsored by the D.C.-area alumni chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for business students and scholars.

The final session in the series is scheduled for Thursday, April 19. For details, visit the Career Center’s online recruiting system and events calendar at:

https://business-gwu-csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php?au=&ck=

Mark Levine

Job duties: Provide career guidance and coaching to GMBA students seeking a career in the consulting industry.

How long have you worked at GW: 3.5 months

What’s best, so far, about working here: Everyone is very team-oriented, mission-driven and supportive of one another and the students.

What’s something your co-workers do not know about you: I enjoy scuba diving but I don’t like to swim!

Where did you grow up: Maryland and Virginia.

Family: Married to my wonderful husband, Paul. We have two great children, Nathan (11) and Lauren (5).

Any hobbies? Traveling, eating, cooking, Zumba.

What do you enjoy doing on the weekend: Spending time with my family, going out with friends.

Favorite vacation spots: Hawaii, San Francisco, London, Disney World!

A favorite book: My book tastes are all over the place; I recently enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I loved the Harry Potter series.

A favorite movie: Any chick flick or romantic comedy (“Bridesmaids” is a recent favorite.)

A favorite food: Fried chicken.

E-mail: kellikolling@gwu.edu.

Phone: 202-994-6704

Kelli Kolling

The program was developed and conducted by alumnus Dan Simons, BA, ’92, the co-founder of Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group and managing partner of Founding Farmers restaurant in Washington, D.C.

“I learned that being successful in business boils down to one thing: find ways to create value for others,” said senior Alix Montes. “As I pursue a career in marketing, I’ll be sure to use Dan’s lessons on listening and time management.”

Dan Simons

The workshop was designed to help students learn skills applicable to a changing business environment. Students also learned how Simons incorporated socially responsible practices into his business.

“From discussing relevant workplace issues such as gender, language and time management, to simply learning about what it means to be a better individual, this workshop has given me support,” said senior international business and economics major Maria Villaquiran.

In January, Simons received the first annual Distinguished Alumni Award from “Business Gives Back,” a student-led initiative at GWSB that celebrates business’ commitment to responsible management and social change.

“Years from now, I will be able to look back on this experience and realize I have incorporated numerous components of Dan’s lessons into my life,” said Allison L. Latham, a junior studying finance and international business.

Margery Cunningham spoke at a Career Center event.

The inaugural session of the F. David Fowler Career Center’s “Networking + Speaker” Series featured a presentation from Margery Cunningham, vice president at Avalere Health, a Washington, D.C.-based advisory company focused on healthcare business strategy and public policy.

Cunningham, a former managing director with Lehman Brothers, spoke on “The Intersection of Finance and Healthcare” for students interested in finance careers within the healthcare industry. About 40 students and representatives from local employers attended.

Cunningham stressed the importance of building and maintaining a network of personal and professional contacts, and staying up-to-date on financial and business news. She said GWSB’s location in Washington, D.C., benefits students who are interested in careers in healthcare finance because the healthcare industry is subject to considerable federal legislative and regulatory attention.

The presentation was followed by a networking session with local employers. The event was co-sponsored by Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society for business students and scholars.

The next session in the speaker series is scheduled for Thursday, March 22. It will spotlight the venture capital industry and feature a presentation from GWSB alumnus and Board of Advisors member Mark Levine, managing director at Core Capital Partners, a $350 million Washington, D.C.-based venture capital firm.

Details will be posted on www.GWorkSB.com, the Center’s on-line recruiting system and events calendar.

As a target recruiting school for SAIC, a science, engineering and technology applications firm, GW joins the University of Maryland, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Virginia, among other institutions.

“Science Applications International Corporation is teaming with George Washington University to offer entry-level and intern positions related to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) work,” said Joanne Espinoza, staffing manager for SAIC’s ISR Group. “More than 200 interns are needed this summer in the areas of computer science, engineering and business.”

“This new partnership will offer significant career opportunities for GW students,” said James Barricelli, associate director for employer relations for the School’s F. David Fowler Career Center.

The Center has similar relationships with other firms, including Citigroup, GE, IBM and Johnson & Johnson.

James Barricelli

A Fortune 500 company, SAIC and its subsidiaries have more than 40,000 employees worldwide. SAIC provides services and products to fill clients’ technology related-needs in such fields as national security, energy and environmental, health and cyber-security solutions.

Hundreds of students took advantage of the opportunities offered by the GWSB Spring 2012 Career Fair.

The event last month drew recruiters from 30 organizations representing the financial services, government, advocacy, consulting, technology and communications sectors.

The fair was organized for GWSB undergraduate and graduate students in response to requests from recruiters for access to students trained in business, said Gil Yancey, the Center’s executive director.

“We hope both employers and students have a mutually productive experience matching available internship and regular employment opportunities with the students’ passions, interests and competencies,” Yancey said.

Career fair opportunities help students gain confidence as well as information, said Sylvan Von Burg, a Center consultant.

“It’s an ideal opportunity for networking, meeting recruiters and chatting with them,” Von Burg said.

Gil Yancey

Although starting salaries haven’t recovered to pre-recession levels, the figures still demonstrate “steady improvement from the lows experienced in 2009 when the recession was setting in,” said Gil C. Yancey, executive director of GWSB’s F. David Fowler Career Center.  The average salary is also 48 percent higher than the average earned by the students before they had MBAs, he said.

Toni Della-Ratta, the center’s associate director for graduate career management services, said that the School’s MBAs were “very competitive” in a lackluster job market. The nationwide unemployment rate is about 8.6 percent.

The center runs programs such as mock interview sessions to help students sharpen their skills as they look for jobs.

For more about the Career Center:

http://business.gwu.edu/careercenter/.

Riddle made the announcement at the fall meeting of the F. David Fowler Career Center’s Corporate Collaborative Council (CCC). Two years ago, the Center formed the CCC to bring business, government and nonprofit leaders together with the School to prepare students for work in a global environment.

Riddle said the new electives include:

• “External Development Finance,” through which students work for the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S. AID) on projects focused on Africa;
• “Clean Tech Consulting Practicum,” which links students to local start-up firms; and
  

  Liesl Riddle, associate dean for MBA programs, briefs members of the F. David Fowler Career Center’s Corporate Collaborative Council.

• “Consulting Strategies for the Public Sector:  Federal, State, and Local Levels,” in which students will hear from a consultant with Grant Thornton LLP, a firm that specializes in auditing, risk management, corporate finance and information technology.

Also at the fall meeting, the CCC conducted mock interviews with graduate students and “MBA-In-Action” roundtables that allowed students to meet professionals from industries that matched their interests.

Gil C. Yancey, executive director of the Career Center, said the business and policy perspectives provided by Council members make GWSB students “market ready.” Council members have also advised GWSB faculty as they design new academic programs.

Executives from Bernstein Global Wealth Management; Clinton Rubin; Cushman & Wakefield; Good360; Grant Thornton; IBM; KPMG; Living Social; SAIC; Pace Global and Washington Gas conducted mock interviews with students over two days.

“These mock interviews allow students to practice and hone their interviewing skills under realistic conditions,” Gil C. Yancey, the Center’s executive director. “They gain invaluable experience from the face-to-face interaction with top professionals.”

Austin-Drake James, a Career Center employer relations assistant, registers Rodrigo Briceno, EMBA, ’12, for his mock interview appointment.

The average starting salary for the 2011 graduates was $51,928 — a
13 percent increase over the $45,919 average reported for the Class of
2010.  About 11 percent of the graduates planned to pursue advanced degrees.

Gil C. Yancey, director of the Career Center, said the numbers are a reflection of the “quality of the School’s academic programs, the support and flexibility of faculty who understand the current demands of the job market and students preparing themselves early.”

Gil Yancey

Yancey said the employment statistics were notable given the sluggish economy.  The national unemployment rate is around 9 percent, and annual economic growth for 2011 is abysmal.

“This is worth celebrating now and also gives us momentum to build upon,” said Timothy L. Fort, associate dean for undergraduate programs and Lindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics.

Kathleen Duffy, the Career Center’s associate director of undergraduate services, said the employment figures should motivate this year’s seniors to avail themselves of the Center’s services.

The event included speakers, workshops and a job fair and exposition featuring representatives of more than 300 corporations.

“More than 20 GWSB MBA students attended the conference, and it proved well worth their time,” said Monice Sanders, a Career Center consultant who traveled with the students.

Megan Jenkins, MBA `12 who is focusing on marketing, interviewed with 3M, Diageo, Marriott and Volkswagen.

“Many marketing jobs do not get posted until the spring semester, so it was a great way to introduce myself,” Jenkins said.  “I developed a lot of phenomenal leads – even at companies I wasn’t considering until I spoke with their recruiters and learned more about them.”

Nina Lahijanian, MBA ’12, said before the conference she had sent her resume to 30 companies and didn’t secure a single interview.

“But in Atlanta, I was able to have face-to-face conversations with representatives from the employers I was interested in,” Lahijanian said.  She interviewed with Chrysler, Deloitte, Ecolab, Johnson & Johnson and New York Life.

Business leaders cut a ribbon at the career expo at the 33rd National Black MBA Association conference.

Tony Tra, MBA ’12, president of GW MBA Entrepreneurs, said he would recommend the conference to other MBA candidates.

“I was able to make some quality connections in a short time and get a brief look into the companies’ cultures,” said Tra, who met with representatives from E & J Gallo Winery, Hilton Worldwide, Kraft, Ogilvy and Target.

Sanders said large career fairs with a national focus provide good opportunities for students to connect with a wide range of companies and their representatives.

“Resumes, LinkedIn and the other paper and electronic vehicles really don’t compare to having face-to-face contact,” she said.

MBACASE founder David Ohrvall walks MBA candidates through a simulated case interview.

The case interview, a type of employment interview which assesses a job applicant’s ability to think logically while applying proven business principles in responding to a business scenario, is no longer reserved for management consulting interviews.  It is increasingly prevalent in evaluating candidates for MBA-level positions across the board.   It is an intense, challenging exercise that can be daunting for the unprepared.  This month, GWSB’s F. David Fowler Career Center took action to make sure the School’s MBA candidates are prepared, by bringing to campus the number one authority on case-interview training, David Ohrvall.

Ohrvall is the founder of MBACASE, which offers study materials, training opportunities and coaching services for case-interview training.  He is also the author of Crack the Case: How to Conquer Your Case Interviews.  Ohrvall, who earned his undergraduate and MBA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, worked for nine years in management and operational consulting, including four years with Bain & Company.  He has trained over 10,000 students at top business schools worldwide, and has coached more than 600 clients privately.

Ohrvall shared his extensive knowledge and expertise with approximately 80 GWSB MBA candidates in two three-and-a-half-hour “Crack the Case” workshop sessions.  During each session, Ohrvall described the case interview process (interviews typically run from 30 to 40 minutes) and discussed the basic tools applicants need to acquire and hone for a successful interview – problem-solving skills, logical communication and personal presentation.

Ohrvall walked the students through a simulated case interview that demonstrated just how demanding the process is.  For the exercise, students were presented with a scenario based on the (fictitious) manufacturer of “Always Fresh” deodorant, a U.S. personal-care products firm seeking to expand its business overseas.  Students received a few tidbits of relevant product, financial and market-share information, and were asked to make a clear, logical, analytical presentation – complete with reasonably accurate cost and profit estimates – on how to address every aspect of the overseas expansion.

Using a step-by-step approach, Ohrvall introduced general (communication, logic, analytical and social skills, and integration and creativity) and specific (market sizing and estimation, and presenting a mini or full business case) case-interview skills.  During the interview, candidates must answer questions correctly, and ask the right questions.  Ohrvall stressed the importance of practicing these techniques.  He assigned “homework,” urging the students to tackle ten or 12 simulated case interviews to prepare for the real thing.

Students said that the workshop was both informative and worthwhile, demystifying the process and leaving them more confident and better prepared to run the case-interview gauntlet.  “David Ohrvall is the best in the business,” said Toni Della-Ratta, the Fowler Career Center’s associate director, graduate career services.  “We are very lucky to have been able to have him here for our MBA students.”

Dr. Mrim Boutla, co-founder of More Than Money Careers

A capacity crowd turned out on Tues. evening, Sept. 27, to hear Dr. Mrim Boutla, co-founder and managing partner of More Than Money Careers, a training company dedicated to empowering emerging and established leaders to “get clear, get connected and get hired” for values-driven careers.  Boutla’s presentation, “Values Driven Careers: How to Successfully Compete for Well Paying Jobs in CSR, International Development, Social Enterprise and Sustainable Business,” focused on “doing well while doing good” and following a career path that is rewarding both in terms of money and meaning.  More Than Money Careers was co-founded by managing partner Dr. Mark Albion, the founder of Net Impact, the international nonprofit organization committed to using business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.

The event was co-sponsored by GWSB’s F. David Fowler Career Center and D.C. Net Impact.  Toni Della-Ratta, the Career Center’s associate director, graduate career services, noted that Boutla’s message aligns perfectly with Dean Doug Guthrie’s vision for GWSB’s positive involvement in local and global society, and the School’s commitment to ethics and social responsibility.

Boutla, who holds a BSc in psychology from Unversité Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), and an MA and PhD in brain and cognitive sciences from the University of Rochester, described how she incorporated her research on brain plasticity and working memory to develop a unique “brain-based” career-development methodology, and shared success stories about individuals who followed a personally satisfying, values-based career path.

“This presentation is only one element of the partnership between GWSB and More Than Money Careers,” Boutla said.  “We are also training Career Center staff to increase their knowledge and effectiveness in helping students successfully compete for career opportunities in CSR, sustainability and for-profit social enterprises in the D.C. area and beyond.”

More than two dozen graduate students took advantage of the opportunity to connect with accounting firm representatives at the first in a series of “Wednesdays with Fowler” networking events.

According to Gil C. Yancey, executive director of GWSB’s F. David Fowler Career Center, “Networking is the number one job-search strategy.”  With that principle in mind, the Career Center last week hosted the first in a series of targeted, career-networking events designed for graduate students.

The first “Wednesdays with Fowler” event, held at Tonic restaurant in D.C., was dedicated to students interested in accounting careers and drew 29 students as well as representatives from the accounting firms Deloitte, Kearney and Company, Baker Tilly and Wendroff & Associates.  “The series is named after one of our former deans, F. David Fowler, who is quite a luminary in the field of accounting,” Yancey added.

The two-hour event afforded students and employers the opportunity to interact in a relaxed, informal setting.  The format drew praise from both students and employers.  “At a career fair, for example, you’ve got maybe 30 seconds to make an impression on a recruiter,” said Matthew Casey, MACCY, Dec. ’11, and founder and past president of the GWSB Master of Accountancy Student Association.  “This event allows students and employers to really connect, more than an information session.”

Brian Wendroff, CPA, managing partner of Wendroff & Associates, LLC, agreed.  “This is a great event,” he said.  “I hope they do it every year.  I think it’s very beneficial for us, for the students and the accounting program, and for the Career Center.”  Wendroff added that his firm, based in Arlington, Va., frequently provides internships for GWSB master’s of accountancy candidates and has gone on to hire a number of them.  Wendroff’s experience with GWSB students has been very positive.  “They’re very eager to learn, they’re very passionate about the industry and their degree program, and we’ve been very impressed by their output and productivity,” he said.

The event was organized by James Barricelli, the Career Center’s associate director of employer relations, and Lisa Weyman, manager of employer programs for the Center.  “We’re very happy with the event,” Barricelli said.  “We had a good student turnout and nice mix of accounting firms of different types and sizes.  It’s a great opportunity for the students, and the recruiters really see the value of this kind of event.  We had a very easy time convincing firms to participate.”

The next “Wednesdays with Fowler” session, for graduate students interested in careers in finance, is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 26.

“Customizing the curriculum”– the Career Center’s Kathleen Duffy (left) and Peter West (standing, right) lead a team of industry professionals in an orientation session for a new, required, for-credit career management course; one of the instructors, Bryan Erwin (center) of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, takes notes.

Instructors for a new course, Career Management Strategy, spent much of Aug. 18 in preparation for the formal launch of the for-credit course, required for all juniors, beginning this semester.  The F. David Fowler Career Center’s Kathleen Duffy, associate director of undergraduate career management services, and Peter West, career consultant, conducted the five-hour preparatory session, covering the class schedule, syllabus and curriculum.

Designed and developed by the Career Center in collaboration with the Office of Undergraduate Programs, the course has been available as a non-credit elective since fall 2009.  Enhanced and fine-tuned over the last two years, the new course teaches the latest career management strategies, methods and procedures in an academically rigorous framework.  Students learn about all aspects of career development, including job search strategies and formulation of a career management plan, with practice in producing a resume and interviewing.

A number of factors set apart the GWSB course from similar programs at other universities.    “Few schools have a career management course, fewer have a for-credit course, fewer still have a required course – and none at all have a course taught in distinct sections, tailored by specific industry,” said Gil Yancey, the Career Center’s executive director.

Yancey and his staff recruited an impressive team of experienced instructors to teach the course.  The professors teaching the inaugural semester of BADM 3001 are:

• Bryan Erwin, former Goldman Sachs vice president and current director of the Advocacy Center in the International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, teaches a section on careers in finance;
• Christine Fruehwirth, former Wachovia vice president, current president of FlexCareers Consulting, and FDFCC career consultant, teaches a section on finance;
• Lisa Delpy Neirotti, GWSB associate professor of sport management and tourism, teaches a section on careers in sport, event and hospitality management;
• Bob Osmond, partner, IBM U.S. Federal Team, teaches two sections on careers in consulting;
• Nicolette Pizzitola, former investor relations manager with Time Warner, current CEO, Compass Point Associates, and FDFCC career consultant, teaches a section on general career management strategy; and
• Christie Susko, immediate past president of the American Marketing Association and current president of Go2Market, teaches a section on marketing.

Seven sections of the course are scheduled for the fall semester, with approximately 30 students per section.  Osmond, who will teach two sections for students seeking careers in consulting, said that he thought the course was “very visionary” and is a potential “game changer” for way universities provide career education and career counseling.

Name: 

Job title: Associate Director for Employer Relations, F. David Fowler Career Center

Job duties: My primary job responsibility is identifying and building relationships with employers for recruitment of GWSB students and alumni.

Time at GW: 10 months.

Best part of working at GWSB:  Working with individuals that have such a breadth and depth of experience.

What co-workers do not know about me: I ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, after graduating college.

Family: I’m a New Jersey native but now reside in Northern Virginia with my wife and dog, Lola.

Favorite things to do on the weekend: Photography, connecting with friends and home improvement projects.

Favorite vacation spots:  California wine country.

Favorite book:  Zeitoun by Dave Eggers – I found it to be a profound look into the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

E-mail: jrb@gwu.edu

Phone: 202-994-3071

More than a dozen nations are represented in the latest contingent of international Global MBA candidates.

International students face a wide variety of special challenges.  Adapting to the linguistic, cultural and climatic differences of a foreign country while pursuing a university education can be difficult.  It is even more challenging for international students pursuing a particularly demanding course of study like GWSB’s Global MBA program, the degree of difficulty is even greater – especially for students whose goal is to enhance an existing career or launch another in a new country.

In recognition of their special circumstances, the F. David Fowler Career Center offers a full array of career management services and resources specifically tailored for international graduate students.  Earlier this month, the Career Center held a two-day orientation seminar for new international students in the Global MBA program as part of the GMBA International Student Institute.  This year’s incoming class is made up of 34 students from 14 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Japan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Gil Yancey, Career Center executive director, welcomed the new students and urged them to take full advantage of the Center, adding that a strong student commitment is absolutely necessary for success.  “Everyone is 100-percent responsible for their own career success,” Yancey said. “The Career Center will partner with you, but you are the managing partner.”

The orientation program consisted of modules on “Career options and strategies for international students,” “What is ‘networking’?  How is it done in the U.S.” and “U.S. business etiquette, communication and cultural differences” as well as instruction and practice in writing U.S. – style resumes.  The program also included an overview of the complex immigration regulations governing internships and employment for foreign nationals.

Center staff members James Barricelli, associate director of employer relations, Toni Della-Ratta, associate director of graduate career management, and Sandipa Thapa Basnyat, international student career consultant for all GWSB students, developed the program in collaboration with Susan Musich, managing director of Passport Career, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in providing expert support and guidance for global career transitions.  Musich stressed the importance of building and maintaining a solid network of business and personal contacts, pointing out that 90 percent of international students cite networking as the most critical factor in a successful career search.

The orientation information was reinforced by a testimonial from a Career Center user.  Turki Alghusoon, a second-year Global MBA candidate from Saudi Arabia, shared an account of how his successful partnership with the Center helped lead to an internship at the World Bank’s internal audit department.   Alghusoon said the mock interviews conducted and critiqued by career counselors gave him great confidence when sitting down for the real thing.  He also advised his fellow students to build a “personal brand” and engage in self-marketing. “Network, but don’t be too rigid by always giving a ‘pitch.’  Find a way to stand out, be yourself, socialize and make friends,” he said.  “If it worked for me, it’s going to work for you guys.”

For more information, please visit the F. David Fowler Career Center Web site.

Gil Yancey

The GW School of Business has been named a “Core School” for GE’s Experienced Commercial Leadership Program (ECLP), providing GWSB MBAs with an inside track for career opportunities with one of the most innovative and successful companies in the world.  (Fortuneranks GE as the sixth-largest firm in the U.S.)  With the Core School designation, GWSB joins a select group of a dozen other elite institutions (Columbia University, Cornell University, Duke University, New York University, Indiana University, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, Northwestern University, Notre Dame, University of Southern California, University of Texas and Wake Forest).

“It is a great honor for GWSB to be included in this program,” said Gil C. Yancey, executive director of the School’s F. David Fowler Career Center (FDFCC).  “GE clearly recognizes the high quality of our academic programs and the outstanding caliber of GWSB’s faculty and students.”  The employer relations unit of the Career Center had worked with key GWSB alumni at GE for several years to elevate the firm’s existing recruiting relationship with the School and to secure the designation of “Core School” for the program.  “Ultimately, it was the commitment of our alumni at GE and the quality of the MBA students selected for the ECLP over the past three years that tipped the scales in our favor,” Yancey commented.

ECLP prepares MBA graduates and experienced professionals for GE leadership roles in marketing and sales.  The two-year rotational program offers opportunities for individuals to drive growth within a business, receive world-class commercial and leadership training, and be part of a global network of marketing and sales leaders.  According to GE, the program began in 2002 as part of its chairman’s commitment to grow the firm’s commercial pipeline and position GE as the “gold standard in marketing.”  ECLP participants are hired into one of four of the company’s many businesses: GE Capital, Energy Infrastructure, Technology Infrastructure and NBC Universal. In addition to conducting on-campus interviews for ECLP candidates, GE will assign a lead recruiter to GWSB and provide additional support to the School.

“Earning the ‘Core School’ designation from GE is an affirmation of the excellence of our MBA program,” said Murat Tarimcilar, vice dean for programs and education and professor of decision sciences.  “It’s proof positive that we are providing our students with the knowledge and skills that are sought by global business leaders such as GE.”

James Barricelli, FDFCC associate director of employer relations, said, “In addition to the direct benefits of this program, participation in the ECLP will also help to elevate GWSB’s stature among the top business programs in the nation.”

Gil Yancey (left), Kathleen Duffy (right)

An innovative career class developed by the F. David Fowler Career Center and the Office of Undergraduate Programs will be a required course for all GWSB juniors beginning in the 2011 fall semester.  The one-credit class, Career Management Strategy (BADM 3001), will give GWSB graduates an extra edge in today’s highly competitive job market.

“The program is a big differentiator for GWSB,” said Lawrence G. Singleton, associate dean for undergraduate programs.  “We’ve benchmarked ourselves against nationally rated institutions, including local competitors.  Nobody is doing a program like we’re doing.”

According to the course description, students will learn about all aspects of “the career development process, including job search strategies and formulation of a career management plan, with practice in producing a resume and interviewing for a position.”  The course has been available as a non-credit elective since fall 2009.  Over the past two years it has been continually enhanced and fine-tuned.  “We have made sure that the academic quality of the course is very high,” Singleton said.

To serve the customized needs of different academic disciplines and career paths, the class will be offered in several versions.  Two sections will be specifically tailored for consulting, two for finance, one for marketing and one for sport event and hospitality management.  “Finance, marketing and consulting are three of the most popular areas of interest to undergraduates at the School of Business right now,” Kathleen Duffy, the career center’s associate director of undergraduate career management services, explained.  “There are a variety of other areas of interests, so there will also be a general course.”

The different course sections will be taught by experienced practitioners, recruited by Career Center Executive Director Gil Yancey and his staff.  This team of instructors includes experts with senior level roles at organizations such as IBM, Goldman Sachs, Time Warner and The Motley Fool.

“Having industry experts teaching this course will really help to get students market-ready,” Duffy said.  “We are very excited about the program.”

The course will complement the career management resources and services available from the F. David Fowler Career Center and will be an integral component of the center’s four-year “Rise Above the Rest” undergraduate career management strategy.

“By the time students are juniors, they’ll already have had a couple of years of foundation building in career management tools and techniques, so they’re going to have this robust course to pull together everything they need to know about how to do an effective internship search, and ultimately, an effective job search by the time they graduate,” Duffy said.

Students visit the World Bank during the 2011 Metro Business Tour.

More than 50 GWSB students were offered a fresh perspective on their careers during the 2011 Metro Business Tours, organized by the F. David Fowler Career Center.

In March and April, six well-known employers welcomed GWSB students into their Washington, D.C. area offices to provide a valuable learning experience about what their day-to-day work entails.  Participating firms included: BET Networks, Booz Allen Hamilton, The World Bank, The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), SiriusXM Radio and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The FDFCC Employer Relations team worked closely with employer representatives to provide students with an opportunity to make valuable contacts, gain insight into the company’s culture, and better prepare students for their job search.

Students and employers connect during the "Just in Time" Career Fair.

GWSB students had an opportunity to meet with recruiters from more than 50 organizations at the annual Just in Time Career Fair, hosted April 7 by the F. David Fowler Career Center.

Representatives from a mix of companies were present at the fair, including Constellation Energy, Heartwood Consulting, Apple, BB&T, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, and a number of government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of State.

Recruiters said they were impressed with the quality of students they met at the fair.  “Students were very sharp and most were well prepared. We were surprised that some had experience to qualify for our mid-level positions, an opportunity not found at typical university fairs. Most had been employed through internships, which is nearly a must in today’s environment, ” one recruiter said.

As a result of the fair, 50 percent of employers surveyed indicated that they plan to interview students from the event.

CR Magazine

The nine companies are Accenture, Abbott Labs, Boeing, Citigroup, Cummins, General Electric, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Target.

“Since 2008, these companies have hired a steady flow of both GWSB MBA and undergraduate students into both internships and full-time jobs,” said Gil Yancey, executive director of the F. David Fowler Career Center.  “Among other things, they value the perspective our students have on ethics and corporate social responsibility, which are embedded throughout our curriculum.”

The ranking marks the 11^th year that CR, formerly known as CRO Magazine, has evaluated companies based on publicly available information.  Hewlett-Packard, Intel and General Mills led the list.

Name

Job title: Executive Assistant, F. David Fowler Career Center

Job duties: Managing the administrative team, running our social media pages and assisting the executive director.

Time at GW: Since May 2009.

Best part of working at GWSB: I love working with my team and enjoy all the fun people I get to meet.

What co-workers do not know about me: In eighth grade, I was Wendy in a ballet version of Peter Pan.

Family: My parents are in New Hampshire, my older brother lives in Boston and my younger brother goes to school at Tulane and swears he’ll never leave New Orleans.

Favorite things to do on the weekend: Long bike rides and perusing the crafts at Eastern Market.

Favorite vacation spots: Mexico and my parents’ house in Portsmouth, N.H.

Favorite book: “Bright Shiny Morning” by James Frey, “Made to Stick” by Dan and Chip Heath and “How Green Was My Valley” by Richard Llewellyn.

Email: whit@gwu.edu

Phone: 202-994-6704

Name:

Job title: Events Manager

Job duties: I plan, manage and execute all employer and/or alumni-related events for the F. David Fowler Career Center.

Time at GW: 1 year

Best part of working at GWSB: I enjoy my job, but most of all I enjoy working with my fellow co-workers. I enjoy the community and culture we have inside the career center. There is nothing better than working in an environment that cultivates your passions, where people genuinely care about each other’s well being.

What co-workers do not know about me: I’ve performed missions work in Europe and I’m a former teen beauty queen.

Family: I am the middle child of three children. I have an older sister and younger brother. My parents have been married for 30 years and are still madly in love.

Favorite things to do on the weekend: I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, singing in my church choir and shopping for shoes.

Favorite vacation spots: In the United States, my favorite spot is Myrtle Beach. Abroad it is Brazil and London.

Favorite book: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Mufarro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe.

Email: acmoore3@gwmail.gwu.edu

Phone: 202-994-4918

The goal was to create a forum where GWSB students interning on Wall Street could have an immediate network with each other and with seasoned alumni. “We also wanted to show GWSB’s appreciation for our Wall Street alumni who were instrumental in getting our student candidates internships this summer,” said event host Andrew Swartz, who has been spearheading the Career Center’s effort to increase GW student employment on Wall Street.

“Our new Wall Street initiative has been validated as evidenced by double-digit offers received by our students in the first year of implementation,” explained Swartz, a former investment banker who now consults for the F. David Fowler Career Services Office.

“Furthermore, more than 80 percent of the offers were for competitive front office positions like investment banking or research,” noted Sarah Saxe, a finance career coach at the Career Center and a crucial partner in GWSB’s efforts to improve Wall Street employment.  Saxe has a background as an investment banker.

Alumni in attendance praised the Career Center’s initiative.

“It was great to see so many alumni on Wall Street making an appearance and all of the students GW has helped out. This is a real turnaround in our career services,” said Brian Palo, BBA, ’09, who is employed by Citi in investment banking.

“GW has clearly taken several important steps to improve its visibility on Wall Street,” said Alex Foster, BBA, ’08, of Barclays’ investment banking division. “I wish there were a program like this when I was in school.”

Students who landed positions on Wall Street this summer were equally supportive.

“I can honestly say I would not have the internship I do now if it were not for all of the help I received from GWSB Career Center. FDFCC staff worked with me tirelessly to help me prep for my interviews,” said Michael Waterman, a rising senior currently interning in the investment banking division at Barclays.

The Career Center plans to continue and build on its “Wall Street Initiative” in the coming year.