Career close-up: a student’s perspective

by Bryan Martz,

“Before returning to school, I worked for a Willamette MBA graduate. One of my professional mentors is a Willamette MBA graduate. At Career Close-up, a number of the companies were represented by Willamette MBA alumni. With both the career management resources available and the Willamette MBA alumni network, students are given access to amazing career opportunities.”

  • Student sitting across from a recruiter
    Zach Dyne MBA’20 learns about summer internship opportunities from a recruiter.

Why did I choose to pursue an MBA? There were many reasons. With a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and media studies as well as experience working in public relations, I wanted to diversify my skill set to include quantitative skills. I gained teamwork and leadership skills from having played football all through college, but I wanted to learn how to take those skills off the field and into the workplace. My main reason for pursuing an MBA though is to take the next big step in my career.

The Willamette MBA Career Close-up is one of the many ways Career Management goes above and beyond to support us in our search for that next big step in our career. An annual event, it takes place in the heart of downtown Portland and serves as key part of our internship and job search. Career Management hosts employers across many industries and sectors to sit down both in one-on-one and group settings. As a result, many MBA candidates receive internships or job offers from these companies. A year ago at this same event, I met with a recruiter from Pacific Seafood. That short conversation was the beginning of what became my summer internship as a Marketing Intern at Pacific Seafood. At Willamette MBA, 100 percent of students landed a summer internship, 83 percent of international students and 84 percent of domestic U.S. students receive a job offer within three months of graduation.

This year, the fair consisted of nearly 20 employers, half of which were government and not-for-profit organizations. Some companies were there for the purpose of recruiting for a specific position and others were there to talk about the many positions available for MBA students. Among those in attendance, Tesla, Boys and Girls Club and BusinessOregon were just a sample of this diverse group that spanned across all sectors.  

As I enter my job search, it was a great reminder for the importance of networking. Sometimes, it is about who you know along with what you know. Before returning to school, I worked for a Willamette MBA graduate. One of my professional mentors is a Willamette MBA graduate. At Career Close-up, a number of the companies were represented by Willamette MBA alumni. With both the career management resources available and the Willamette MBA alumni network, students are given access to amazing career opportunities.

Now that I’ll be graduating in three months, this year’s Career Close-up was an opportunity for me to make great first impressions with potential future full-time employers. I spoke with five employers and was able to get to know what they are looking for in potential employees. Although these were just start of many more  conversations, I know that if I can use it as a springboard for continued networking, I will be able to find just what I am looking for.

Previous Career Close-up Companies

Aflac

Bon Mua Oregon

Boys & Girls Club

Family Building Blocks

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Garten Services

Helen of Troy Limited

Hitachi Consulting

Kaiser Permanente

Moovel

New York Life

Oregon Metro

Pacific Seafood

State of Oregon: Business Oregon

Tektronix

Tesla

United Way

Willamette University

University Communications

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