Graduate Programs

This is my first quarter at Albers and I am a full-time student. Originally from India I moved to Seattle almost 2 years back.

Before joining Albers I was trying to be a professional blogger. It was an interesting adventure. I had huge plans for my “Blogging Career”. But plans do go awry as this one did. That is when I realized my different experiences (4 years in technology companies, 2 years of community service and now almost 2.5 years of blogging) were not enough. I needed to go out of my shell and get a new perspective. Most importantly there were certain market dynamics that were beyond my comprehension. This little journey of thought brought me to Albers.

I always tell my friends “I do not want to survive, I want to succeed” and that’s why here I am at Albers. I am here to learn and grow. I am here to fill the gaps in my understanding. I am here for a 360 degree experience. I am here to get the maximum mileage from the amalgamation of my experiences and the tools/skills Albers will provide me. 

At the beginning of my course I was little nervous because I was going back to school after a very long time and I was also not sure if would be able to adjust. My doubt was how I would get along with people from so many culture and background. I remember the night before my first class I could not sleep. I even questioned my decision of doing an MBA, for a person like me, a MBA is an investment. I was asking myself again and again am I making the right decision.

So did I make the right decision…well…absolutelyJ. Three weeks into it and I am loving it. So far I have met people from various countries (Romania, Philippines, Ukraine, China, Pakistan, US) and from various industries (Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Costco, Paccar, Vulcan, Intercall). The diverse culture of Albers provides me tools to broaden my horizons. When you decide to do MBA you decide to make one the most important career move. This is a degree in which experience outside your class is equally important. Every teacher has a unique way of teaching. Every course is a different experience. But every class has an open and interactive environment.

It is said Well Begin is Half Done. The beginning no doubt has been amazing and I am sure the journey would be equally exciting. Would you like to walk along with me?

By Vaishali Agarwal, agarwal1@seattleu.edu

By Dan Klein

To our incoming students, welcome to Seattle U! And to the rest, welcome back everyone! Hope you all had a good break and holiday season! 2013 is looking to be a great year, and there are some fun activities coming up. The grad student group, AGSA, is putting on a joint networking event with the University of Washington MBA program later this month (January 25^th) – a tribute to the efforts Seattle University is making to expose its students to opportunities off campus. The graduate student council is also planning several activities, such as snowboarding trips and Redhawks basketball games.  You can see a full list on their website:  http://www.seattleu.edu/gsc/ which will be updated soon.Stay tuned and stay active!      

Dan Klein, kleind1@seattleu.edu

By Dan Klein

Last month I mentioned how the Albers Placement Center (career services) organized a career fair, and how beneficial I thought it was and would be.  Well, this week I have been proven right, as I have three interviews scheduled – all with different companies who took my resume at the fair!  With the resume reviews, mock interviews, and career advice, I definitely feel like I have the Placement Center to thank for the good fortune.  And because of all their support, I am confident that I am well prepared for all three.  Now, I’m not sure everyone gets the same kind of response rate that I’ve received, but it’s important to know that it’s possible!  I’m hopeful that at least one of these positions is a good fit, even though they’re a little out of my area of expertise.  Keep your fingers crossed, and hopefully I can report back with great news in a few weeks! 

- Dan Klein, kleind1@seattleu.edu

By Dan Klein

As I near the end of my MBA program (and also because my bank account has reached an all-time low!), I have started looking again at new career opportunities.  Unfortunately, I am in the difficult position of trying to transition from banking to something else.  But, to what?  Fortunately, as I’ve gotten to know classmates over the last year, I’ve been able to make some great relationships. And they have been tremendously helpful in sharing their experiences, describing their job positions, and offering advice about career opportunities that matched my interests and background. One person I worked in a group with even took my resume to HR at Boeing for a Financial Analyst position. And another classmate, who works at Amazon, submitted a referral for me to HR for an Account Manager position.    

Meanwhile, the Albers Placement Center, here, has been invaluable in my job search (as well as many other job seekers).  http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/placementcenter/.  The Career Services department offers advice, resume reviews, and practice interviews.  But they also bring in companies who are looking to hire graduate students, and last Thursday’s career fair was a perfect example of how the Placement Center can connect job seekers and employers.  Based solely on my interactions at the event, I submitted several resumes directly to HR representatives – rather than just sending my resume into the black hole of CV’s and job applications. (I wonder where those go, anyway?). Just two hours at the event proved more useful than two weeks searching for those job opportunities. 

But the relationships Albers has been able to maintain with Alumni is also commendable. The Career Center is more than happy to make introductions, as well, and sometimes even goes the extra mile by alerting you when they make a connection with someone they think will be helpful in your job search.  In fact, when the counselors at the Career Center found out I was also looking into the consulting field, they automatically CC’d me on an introduction email to several alumni currently working in the industry. 

I continue to be impressed with Seattle University and their dedication to the success of their students. This is one of the factors I considered when looking into MBA programs, and coming to Seattle U has once again proven to be a great decision! 

- Dan Klein, kleind1@seattleu.edu

Who would pass up the chance to spend two weeks in Hong Kong, or in Vietnam?  What about both in one trip?
Yeah, neither would I.  So I jumped at the chance to travel there in September with the Albers Study Tour.  It was a great offer, 6 full credits (3 in Management and 3 in Economics) towards my degree requirement and 2 weeks in East and Southeast Asia.  Plus, the time spent studying abroad fulfills the International component of my Master’s of International Business degree.  That’s a whole lot of boxes ticked off for one summer’s worth of work.  Its not often a chance like that comes around.

 
So what was it like?  Fun.  Exciting.  Informative.  Enlightening.  The adjectives could continue, but I’ll spare you.  We met several times over the summer, on Saturdays, to do some preparatory work for the classes.  We had a few lectures on the current situation in each of the countries and how it impacts both the economy and the local corporate management culture.  The class was divided into groups for our final projects and we gave our initial project presentations.  After each of the meetings, we had lunch as a group to get to know each other and to get a taste for all of the (wonderful) food we would be having once we were across the Pacific.

 
Departure day.  Lots excitement and anticipation.  I was very eager to have what I was sure was going to be such a rewarding and positive new experience.  The only obstacle was a borderline unbearably long trans-Pacific flight.  But no matter, a few in-flight movies later and we walked off the plane into a hot and muggy Hong Kong night.  One frenetic taxi ride through the canyons of skyscrapers, a restful night’s sleep and a quick breakfast later and we were off on our packed itinerary of company visits, business lunches and a bit of sightseeing.
If Hong Kong was wonderful, Vietnam was amazing.  If the people we met in Hong Kong were warm and eager to share, the people of Vietnam welcomed us with open arms.  The students of Duy Tan University brought us into their daily lives for a few days and shared their school experiences, shared their working lives and even shared meals with us.  I have never felt more welcomed by anyone in my experiences abroad and I love knowing that I would gladly return the favor if they came to Seattle to visit.

 
The last part of the trip was spent doing a bit of service with PeaceTrees Vietnam, a Seattle-based NGO that aids central Vietnam in the removal and disposal of unexploded ordinance and mines leftover from the Vietnam War.  PeaceTrees also helps the families and victims of landmine explosions to lead better lives after they’ve been so horribly injured.  We spent time listening to the stories of the victims, learning about PeaceTrees landmine education projects and planting trees to aid in the reforestation efforts.

 
Everything about this trip was a win.  The classwork we did here in Seattle before and after the trip was engaging, the time spent abroad was incredible, even the plane rides were ok, I guess.  Was it worth it?  Oh yeah.  Was it what I hoped for?  Yup.  Would I do it again?  Yes, in a heartbeat.  In fact, I’ll probably be signing up for another one as a celebration of my pending graduation.  I wonder where we’ll go?  Antarctica, maybe…

By Corey Cocker, Albers MIB student
corey.cocker@gmail.com
 

Campus is buzzing again! After a mellow summer in which I did two classes in summer quarter and another for intersession, enjoying the extra time I had to prepare for each class and the sunny warm days, fall almost caught me by surprise. Professors and students came back on campus, the lines in the cafes are longer and the calendar is quickly filling up. Now it’s back to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night classes, every one of them with weekly assignments plus a decent amount of challenging readings. Three classes and 20 hours of work a week is definitely enough to keep me busy and borderline stressed.

Although the days are getting shorter and the rain is around the corner, there are a few small things on campus that actually make this time enjoyable. The incredibly bright orange, red and yellow fall colors start popping up everywhere, perfectly matching the Chihuly glass sculpture in the Pigott building. Hot pumpkin flavored coffee drinks from Starbucks on 12th Avenue bring comfort in the chilly weather. Fall inspired salads and the occasional treat from the Bottom Line café help me get through the evening classes. The 7:15 pm breaks are great for catching up with classmates about their summer adventures and seeing familiar faces in hallways and elsewhere around campus makes me feel part of the greater SU community.
These are some of the things that make a hectic and busy fall bearable to me. Feel free to share your fall highlights!

By Kari Lio, MBA Candidate at Albers School of Business and Economics

This Friday the Albers Placement Center’s Mentor Program kicks off with the Mentor Fair, where graduate (and undergraduate) students have the opportunity to meet with over 150 upper level executives from leading companies around Seattle. As I missed the opportunity last year, I am definitely getting involved now, my last year at Albers. I have heard great things about the Mentor program, from students getting valuable help brushing up their resumes to career advice and networking opportunities. One student even landed a job through her mentor. As an international student with a background in the non-profit sector, there is so much I need to learn – both about the business world and American work etiquette. Here are some of the things I hope to get out of the mentor program:

How do I leverage my network to advance my career? In my first year at Albers I met a number of highly interesting and well-connected people. Some I established contact with through LinkedIn, Facebook, or even the odd informational interview. I am hoping that my constant effort to network and talk to people, sharing my interest and experiences, eventually can lead to an interesting job opportunity. But am I strategic enough? I would really like to hear from an experienced business leader about how they got their jobs, and how they recommend I go about talking to the right people, at the right time in the right way.    

What is the key to a successful interview process? What are companies looking for? I’ve heard stories of interviews that last for days, with panel after panel of HR representatives, subject matter experts, and managers grilling you to see if you are the right fit for their company. What are they going to ask me? How do I prepare? Looking forward to tips from someone who has experience sitting on the other side of the interview table.

How did they get to where they are today? I think one of the most valuable take-aways you can get from the mentor program is learning from the mentors’ experiences as managers and leaders. How did they get to where they are today? What inspires them? How do they deal with conflict? What would they do differently knowing what they know today? What are the biggest challenges facing new MBA graduates looking to land their dream jobs? I hope that meeting with a mentor can answer some of these questions, serving as food-for-thought, advice, and guidance.

I would love to hear from those who have participated in the Mentor program already. What was your experience like? Would you do it again?

By Kari Lio, MBA Candidate at Albers School of Business and Economics