Tough Economy will not Prevent Students from Finding Work

Like many college kids, Tyler Beck knows the economy is not what it used to be.

However, he is not worried about getting a job after graduation.

That was before Beck, an MBA student at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, made a career-changing decision.

He decided to leverage the skills he learned in class through the university’s Business Career Management Center.

“It’s all about networking, networking, networking,” says Beck.

That fateful decision helped Beck gain a little peace of mind by obtaining a summer internship with Proctor & Gamble (P&G) as an assistant brand manager in the business-to-business arm of the company. Upon completion of his internship and after he graduates, Beck – who will receive his MBA in May 2012 – has now been offered a full-time position with P&G.

Beck is one of many students at the David Eccles School of Business gaining valuable experience and making important connections through the school’s Business Career Management Center, and then turning that experience into jobs after graduation.

Under the leadership of Sarah Johnston, the new director of Business Career Management Center and former Senior Vice President at Citibank-Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, students are able to receive guidance and find work experience that fits with their long-term career goals.

The new direction in which she has taken the center has already demonstrated results. Despite the decline in national employment, the center successfully placed 92 percent of students looking for summer internship opportunities with companies such as Target Stores, Marriott International, and Ernst & Young.

The Business Career Management Center helped MBA student Tyler Riggs, who will graduate in May 2012, secure a summer internship in Palo Alto with Davia, formerly Groupit.com.

Executive career coaches with extensive business experience are on hand at the center to help students determine the best ways to market themselves to potential employers, get help with interview preparations and get tips on improving their resumes.

The center also works closely with companies to create a custom recruiting strategy that best meets their needs and connects students with businesses that have positions to fill.