University of Richmond MBA student Grant Garcia blogging about his job search on BusinessWeek's "The Hunt" feature

April 13, 2009

University of Richmond MBA student Grant Garcia is one of four from MBA schools around the country selected to blog for BusinessWeek.com's new feature, "The Hunt."

Garcia is chronicling his job search as a soon-to-be MBA graduate with a career interest in finance. Garcia, who graduates in May, faces the difficult challenge of seeking work in the field during a turbulent economic climate.

"The Hunt" is a periodic feature within the "Getting In" section of BusinessWeek.com's MBA admissions site.

Garcia's latest post, "Going to Plan B," highlights the need to keep options open and developing new job-hunting strategies.

"Over the last year, I have witnessed banks lay off thousands, scale back summer intern classes, and all but eliminate the hiring of new MBA recruits, including me," he writes. "I had poured all of my time and energy into doing whatever it takes to begin a career on Wall Street, but I soon realized my strategy had to change to ultimately reach my goal. As a result, I have turned my job search to regional and boutique banks hoping to find my first job out of grad school."

Garcia keeps a positive outlook, which he credits in part to his 14th-ranked MBA program at Richmond's Robins School of Business. Before pursuing his MBA degree, Garcia worked for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Virginia House of Delegates and government organizations in Washington, D.C. He has continued working, for BB&T Capital Markets and Matrix Capital Markets Group, while studying for his MBA. Garcia earned a B.S. in business administration from Richmond in 2006.

"Grant's professional experiences in politics and finance make for an intriguing tale as he looks for his next opportunity. I'm thrilled that he was selected by BusinessWeek to chronicle his journey," says Robins School Senior Associate Dean Richard Coughlan.