Career Track Series Helps Graziadio Alumni Navigate Their Careers in a Virtual World
From February 2021 through July 2021, Graziadio Business School has hosted the second “Navigating Your Career in a Virtual World” series. The events aim to connect Graziadio alumni to helpful industry insights, career resources, and esteemed faculty, alumni, and industry experts. The virtual series launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic moving most industries to a work-from-home model.
“Last year, as the pandemic pushed us to this virtual world while also seeing mass layoffs, we wanted to meet this moment and support our community,” shares Nicole Green, alumni engagement manager at Graziadio. “This series unlocked practical and tangible resources for alumni either in the job search or planning transitions in their careers.”
Following the success of the inaugural series, Graziadio decided to continue the six-part series in 2021. Each session’s speakers are intentionally chosen to curate a range of voices from diverse backgrounds, industries, and stages of their careers. Speakers have included experts from Amazon, Google, Major League Soccer, E77 Marketing, and more to support alumni no matter their interests or career fields. Beyond career support, the series has opened avenues for community involvement, connection, service alongside other Pepperdine alumni during a time of escalated isolation.
“The series has tremendously helped me establish and maintain new connections during the pandemic,” shares alumna Rocio Isabel Castrillon (MBA ’06), who joined the series as she sought new opportunities in her marketing career. “I've also become more closely connected to Pepperdine and Graziadio now because of this.”
Eileen Huah (MBA ’17) and Sean McGrath (MBA ’14) also reflected on how important the series was in keeping them connected to their professional communities throughout the pandemic. Huah, who serves as an assistant manager for Genesis Motor America, found herself not only gaining valuable tips from speakers but also connecting with former classmates she had not seen since graduation.
“My experience with the series is a reminder to practice gratefulness and tap into the unlimited opportunities available to you as part of the Pepperdine family,” Huah says.
The second series will come to a close on July 15, 2021, with the sixth session “Building Connections through High-Speed Networking,” which will feature Facebook recruiting specialist Osei Gyamfi (MBA ’15), lead recruiter at Target Mikayla Mejia (MSHR ’19), and talent management senior manager at AT&T Courtney Simmons (MBA ’14) sharing their effective networking tips particularly for a virtual environment.
To learn more about the series, watch previous session recordings, or register for the final session, visit the series’ website.