How Business Career Services helps working professional MBA students achieve their career goals
The UF MBA program prides itself on enabling transformation. Part of that transformation for many students is in their career – whether it be moving into a more senior role at their current company or transitioning to a new industry altogether. Beyond the important skills learned in the classroom, the UF MBA program, in partnership with Business Career Services, helps prepare students to achieve their career goals.
Students in two of UF MBA’s programs for working professionals, the Online MBA and Weekend Professional South Florida MBA, shared their transformational career experience. Read on to see how their education in the UF MBA program and support from the Business Career Services (BCS) team helped them achieve their career goals.
Victoria Cooper | MBA ’22
Job before working with Business Career Services: Senior Human Resources Manager | UniLever
Job after working with Business Career Services: Senior Consultant in Human Capital Transformation | Deloitte
I’ve always wanted to work for a Big Four firm, so when I was browsing the Deloitte careers website and saw the Senior Consultant role, I applied. [Business Career Services Associate Director and Career Coach] Debra Marcum was there to assist me throughout the recruitment process from the time I applied until the offer was made. She explained to me how the negotiation process should go and sent templates/verbiage on what to say. She was always there to answer my call/respond to my email regarding the technical interview process and ways to prepare. I am truly thankful for her because she is the reason, I got through the interview process and was able to negotiate a higher salary.
When I started in the UF MBA program, my goal was to become an HR Director within the next five years as well as become a senior executive for a major organization by the time I turned 30. With around a year left in the program, I am well on my way to achieving those goals thanks to Debra, Business Career Services and the UF MBA program. In addition to being hired as a Senior Consultant for one of the Big Four accounting organizations and the largest professional services network in the world, Deloitte offers career growth opportunities and resources, so I would reach my goals before I turn 30.
Beyond helping me secure a job that met my goals, the UF MBA program has helped me think more strategically. I’ve applied business management principles to my everyday duties and used them to shape how I think about some of Deloitte’s big challenges. It’s allowed me to understand and communicate complex business and financial decisions to my team with ease. There were a lot of team projects through the course of the MBA program that helped me prepare/know how to function in a group and produce quality work. At Deloitte I must work in groups once picked for certain projects, so this experience helped me to excel in this type of work setting. The relationships I have been able to build have provided me with the resources and support necessary to help me reach my career goals ahead of time. Choosing to become a part of the UF Warrington College of Business was the best decision I have made thus far, helping me to grow both personally and professionally.
The road to success was not easy and I truly want to give thanks to God, University of Florida and Debra Marcum for making all this possible. Every successful person at some point has failed at something in their lifetime, the key to their success was not giving up. No matter what came my way with my health, finances, and family, I kept pushing and told myself I would not give up until I have achieved my career and education goals.
Weekend Professional South Florida MBA
Job before working with Business Career Services: Product Owner, Talent Management Products | UKG
Job after working with Business Career Services: Program Manager, Global Resources Planning Strategy & Technology | Apple
When I was researching part-time MBA programs, I was considering a lot of variables as many prospective students do: whether I would need to relocate, how much debt I would need to borrow, the time to complete the program, the school’s reputation, the classes, the alumni network and the career center. Overall, how likely am I to achieve my post-MBA goals.
I narrowed my search down to three schools, and in the end, I elected to go to UF. There were three main drivers that convinced me: UF’s reputation was rapidly growing, the cost and their career services were HIGHLY regarded (#1 in Financial Times globally).
Seeing how UF’s Business Career Services was ranked #1 by Financial Times, ahead of all the Ivy Leagues, really impressed me. The more I researched, the more I impressed I became. Compared to the other schools I was considering, I had read mixed reviews about their career services, whereas I saw no negative reviews about UF’s BCS.
After working with BCS, I can understand why they are ranked so highly! Thanks to [BCS Executive Director] Craig Petrus and the BCS team, I was able to get my job with Apple. In addition to helping me review all the companies I was interested in, what my post-MBA goals were, practicing interviews, reviewing and tailoring my resume, BCS helped me understand how to tell my story, which is perhaps one of my biggest takeaways going forward.
With knowing how to tell my story, I’m much more confident in navigating the next stages of my career. A good story really helps convey your ‘fit’ with a job posting. There was one interview I had with Apple where after I did my ‘resume walk’ with the recruiter, my story apparently fit so well with what she was expecting for this position, she didn’t ask me any other interview questions. We just discussed how things worked previously, how they work now and areas I’d be able to help in. That was probably my favorite interview, not because it was less stressful, but because it sold me that this position was a phenomenal fit for me.
I’m very glad I took advantage of what BCS offered. Before UF’s BCS, I felt like I kept adjusting strategies or tactics based on whatever I read online or heard from others. Now I feel that I have a much stronger, cohesive strategy in how I pursue jobs. And, ultimately, working with BCS helped me get my job at Apple, so it has only impacted my career for the better!
