Graduate Career Management Center holds annual Career Symposium
What is the best way to build career success?
To help Mason School of Business students find the answer, the school's Graduate Career Management Center (GCMC) presented their annual business career symposium on Nov. 15 at William & Mary's Miller Hall. Titled "Building Career Success by Exploring Diverse Industries & Functions," the symposium featured speakers and panelists from several top firms including Dominion Enterprises, Capital One, IBM, FedEx Corporation, CarMax, Continental, Riverside Health Systems, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and others. Hilary Fordwich, president of Strelmark Business Development Consultants, presented the keynote address.
Under the direction of Philip Heavilin II, the executive director of the GCMC, the event welcomed back distinguished alumni who shared their professional advice for breaking into lucrative career fields and industries. Featured presentations offered information on organizational behavior, traditional and non-traditional career paths, and tips for leveraging an advanced degree to enhance career opportunities. MBA and MS Business Analytics students were able to gain valuable insight into how work is accomplished, how talent is recruited, and how different career paths can lead to success. The event concluded with a networking reception featuring a business card exchange and gift drawing for those in attendance.
Mike Savage '89, M.B.A. '95, Vice President of Marketing Solutions at DirectMail.com participated in the symposium's featured analytics and technology panel, which aimed to help students understand the importance of gaining technology skills in order to be competitive in the job market. Participants were able to ask questions and learn more about high-demand skill areas such as business analytics. “The Career Symposium is a great networking, recruiting and learning platform for the Mason School," he said. "It gives the students a real-world view of the current management practices by many world-class organizations."
Michael Ryan, Director of Corporate Relations & Employer Development at the Mason School, believes the symposium remains one of the most important experiences for W&M graduate business students. "It brings together alumni and industry leaders to create a transformational experience that prepares students to be career-ready which, in combination with the classroom experience, makes William & Mary’s diverse learning opportunities all the more special."
