MBA students had a unique opportunity to network this past semester. With the guidance of MBA Assistant Director, Debbie Fisher, the MBA Career Consortium for Alumni and Students successfully took place in February.

This event, designed and presented by Lee Hecht Harrison (a career management services company specializing in outplacement, leadership consulting, executive coaching and career development services), consisted of a full afternoon of training modules that allowed participants to focus on tips and techniques that can help to improve and enhance skills necessary for networking and career development in today's business world. Sessions such as "Resume Writing" and "Interviewing Skills" were presented, as well as "The Positioning Statement: How to make a GREAT first impression." At the conclusion of these learning sessions, all participants were invited to join in the "Action Learning Session," where facilitated discussions were held to share information on what was learned, what was observed and any best practices that could be taken away from the day's events.

As a finale to the MBA Career Consortium, participants were treated to a reception in the Robins School Atrium. This was no ordinary wine and cheese, though. Under the category of "Mocktail," those at the event were encouraged to mix and mingle with select company representatives from the Richmond community, thereby practicing many of the skills they had just learned.

'The MBA Program is committed to building strategic relationships with organizations to enhance employment opportunities for MBA students and alumni," says Debbie Fisher. Through the partnership with Lee Hecht Harrison and the corporate community, the MBA Career Consortium does just this.

Press Release, 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 an MBA graduate with a career interest in finance. Garcia, who graduated 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.

One of Garcia's posts, "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.

It started as an idea. Some kind of dinner series...perhaps at the home of an alum or corporate friend...smaller, more intimate groups for conversations on important topics...

And so was born the MBA Dinner Series.

The brainchild of MBA Assistant Director, Debbie Fisher, this new series pulls together a small group of MBA students, alumni, corporate friends and prospective students to discuss focused topics of interest. With a final group size of 12, this intimate gathering creates and facilitates opportunities for interacting, learning and networking.

The first dinner, held in January, was targeted specifically towards women, with the topic of discussion being, "Networking: as women, how can we successfully interact in the business world?" Held at alumnae Katie Gilstrap's home and including Denise Odenkirk of Owens & Minor, and Catherine Epps of Dominion Resources, the event was a huge success. "I think this is a great program as it not only allows us to network, but also to really understand the struggles and experiences of others," said MBA student Patricia Wescott. Following the conclusion of the dinner, key "takeaways" were developed, based on the rich conversations that occurred. One takeaway was, "Networking provides an opportunity to let other people know how you have contributed value. Manage your story. It is not about what you know; it is about who knows you know. Be proud of your accomplishments." See January's takeaways.

In early May, the second dinner in the series took place in the home of Devon Cury of AXA Advisors. Inspired by a recent article in the Economist, the topic was, "How can tomorrow's leaders promote innovation within their organization?" The discussion was a lively one and an important takeaway was, "Create an environment and build a culture that allows ideas to percolate up. Don't have too many filters." See May's takeaways .

Future dinners are planned on the topics of healthcare, brand management, and entrepreneurship. MBA students are encouraged to share ideas for future dinners with Debbie. This successful series has offered up a new way to engage The Richmond MBA community, creating learning opportunities and friendships along the way.

Executive Education at the Robins School of Business and the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council have come together to design an innovative leadership development program designed exclusively for chief executive officers of certified minority businesses. Robins School faculty with expertise in strategic management, finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship, in collaboration with the school's Executive Education division, will be hosting the minority business leaders June 25th-27th and September 10th-12th. The first set of dates will be focused on developing business acumen, while the second set of dates will be placing emphasis on leadership and other soft skills. For more information regarding the Minority Executive Management Program, please call (804)320-2100 or visit www.vmsdc.org.