By Julia Tongate (M.S. in Commerce ’24)
The M.S. in Commerce Program provides plentiful opportunities for career development. After accepting my offer and getting access to the “My McIntire” portal, I connected with career counselors in May before the program even began. I wanted to get ahead on networking and check in with a career counselor to see if there was anything I needed before the semester began to be better prepared to find a career. I’m primarily focusing on marketing jobs, and the career counselor I spoke with, Rory, informed me that the recruiting cycle didn’t begin until the spring semester. I was way too early for the game, but it was nice chatting with him to understand the recruiting cycle more. Rory also informed me that if I was interested, there would be consulting boot camps during the summer. While I didn’t attend them, my peers who did found them very helpful. During the summer, there were also networking opportunities with alumni to learn more about different industries. The one I attended for marketing was a week before classes started, and it was a great introduction to potential marketing job pursuits.
Alumni Networking
Another opportunity open to new students is the alumni mentoring network. After I filled out a short application about myself and my job aspirations, I was paired with an alumnus. The alumnus is available to answer any questions I might have about my resume, cover letter, or finding a job. She is also there to help me prepare for interviews, be my cheerleader, and offer advice. My alumni mentor has been very supportive and will meet with me anytime I have a question or need a pep talk.
Career Center
At the beginning of the semester, the career center hosted three classes and an orientation session. At orientation, we were introduced to the two MSC counselors we would primarily be working with, Nate and Rory. Nate and Rory encouraged us to meet with them and went through the recruiting cycles for each track. In the following class sessions, they went over networking, resumes, and cover letters, and creating an elevator pitch for yourself. In addition to these sessions, the career office holds open office hours where anyone can drop in. They are also very responsive to any panicky emails I might send them.
Throughout the semester, Professor Ira Harris holds Zoom “Speaker Series” sessions that are required for the MSC students. Each week, Professor Harris has different alumni talk about their experience in the workforce, and we can ask them questions about their roles or any advice. It is a great networking opportunity. The career center also holds a variety of different events that let students network, learn more about a role, or give advice on how to perform an interview successfully.
The MSC offers an abundance of career development opportunities. It is an incredibly supportive program, but ultimately, it is up to the students to make the most of the opportunities given.
