INSIDE VSB

Charting New Paths

VSB is well known for graduates pursuing careers in more traditional business fields such as finance, accounting and marketing, among others with great success. However, two industries that are gaining significant momentum are management consulting and fashion. Although the career paths are quite distinct, they share similar keys to success: peer-to-peer engagement through student societies, alumni networking and mentoring, and the cultivation of employer partnerships.

Careers in Management Consulting

The consulting industry represents one of the largest sectors of the business world, yet as recently as five or six years ago, there were few Villanova graduates entering the field at the internship or entry levels. Now, consulting is the third most popular career path upon graduation for VSB students. Among the 76 class of 2019 Villanova graduates whose first post-graduation role was consulting, 41 were from VSB. Students are landing highly coveted internships and full-time opportunities with firms such as Accenture, Ankura, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte Consulting, EY, FTI, McKinsey & Company, Mercer, Oliver Wyman, Protiviti, and Strategy&. Much of the momentum toward consulting has been driven by students, who formed the Villanova Consulting Group (VCG) a few years ago as a means to increase awareness and help students prepare for the unique case interview method used by consulting firms. VCG offers numerous educational and training opportunities through professional-development workshops and organizes events that feature VU alumni who work in consulting. VCG's Faculty Advisor, Steve Kelly, professor of practice, Management & Operations—who was a senior partner at McKinsey & Company—advises students with an interest in consulting, and helps them pursue opportunities with leading firms. In 2018, under the guidance of Stephen Andriole, PhD, the Thomas G. Labrecque Professor of Business Technology, VSB created the Management Consulting concentration. The concentration builds creative problem-solving skills and helps students apply their theoretical knowledge of business against real-world challenges. The VSB O’Donnell Center for Professional Development and the University Career Center have been instrumental in building the momentum toward consulting by supporting the efforts of VCG, expanding and nurturing alumni relationships, and developing key industry recruiting partnerships. According to VCG President Ha Dinh ’21 VSB, the group—which now boasts nearly 500 members—aims to engage students from a wide range of backgrounds, majors and areas of interest.

Success in management consulting is not dependent on your course of study, but rather demonstrating the ability to solve problems and having a willingness to work with people.”

Careers in Fashion

Another career path gaining considerable momentum is fashion. Career opportunities in fashion include those related to traditional business functions and industry-specific roles such as buying, merchandising and e-commerce. Through the Business of Fashion Society (BOF), which focuses on the beauty industry as well, students are able to share information on careers in the industry, network with alumni and build relationships with prospective employers. According to Brenda Stover, assistant dean of the O’Donnell Center and adviser to BOF, the unique landscape and highly competitive nature of the fashion industry requires a more non-traditional approach from a career development perspective. Networking plays a significant role in gaining entry to the industry and is why connections with alumni in the industry are so critical. The O’Donnell Center and BOF work together to connect with alumni and create relationships with prospective employers through an annual BOF Symposium, internship panels and alumni receptions. To gain first-hand knowledge that’s hard to attain without specific coursework, they have sponsored TREKs to companies such as Ralph Lauren, Vineyard Vines, Michael Kors, URBN, Lilly Pulitzer and Estée Lauder. This year, they launched targeted programming for students to learn about specific sectors of the industry, with themes focused on beauty, menswear and sustainability. Speakers from MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Grafton Apparel, ER Men, Patagonia and thredUP participated. Stover credits much of the success for career placement in management consulting and fashion to the deep partnerships with alumni. “The unique focus on community that is so important to Villanova benefits us over and over again. The University naturally attracts those who want to help others so they are more than willing to contribute to fellow Villanovans’ success.”

The Nova Network is Villanova’s official social and professional networking platform for students and alumni. Visit business.villanova.edu to learn more.

Similar to how VCG began, BOF was formed in 2018 by a small group of students with shared interests in fashion.

Fashion is more than clothing, it’s a business,” explains Keeley Scott ’21 VSB, one of the founders and current president of BOF.

Connections help international students cope with COVID-19 lockdown

Gloria Angel has spent her life fearlessly trying new things. Her experiences living and working in different countries and cultures, as well as recruiting and retaining international students at another local university, instilled in her empathy for those far from home— particularly for students.

Our international students are a vital part of our Villanova community.

As Villanova faculty and students travel the globe, they connect with our international alums whenever possible. While they are at school, we are helping to build the foundation of what we hope to be a long and mutually beneficial relationship. And it does not stop there. The Moran Center for Global Leadership is launching a new initiative for international alumni engagement to help deepen those ties.” –Gloria Angel

When she came to Villanova in 2018 as the inaugural program administrator for the Elenore and Robert F. Moran Sr. Center for Global Leadership (MCGL), her first thought was, “How can I continue to work with international students?” With the support and active encouragement of her boss, MCGL Director Kim Cahill, Angel found a way. After joining the International Student Professional Development (ISPD) committee, a group of dedicated Villanova staff and faculty committed to international students, Angel reached out to the students to understand what challenges they faced at Villanova. They told Angel about their difficulties finding meals when the campus is closed. On-campus food service and meal plans are suspended during break. For many international students, this is an unforeseen expense. Although classes are on hiatus during breaks, the administrative offices are still open. With funding from MCGL, Angel organized the first International Student Community Luncheon during the fall 2019 break, which attracted international students from VSB, CLAS and COE. VSB faculty and staff working during the break were invited to join the luncheon and engage with the international students. In spring 2020, Angel organized an ISPD subcommittee—which included Melanie Menkevich, global programs specialist, and Fatima Rezaei ’19 MPA, assistant director, Graduate Studies, both from CLAS—to expand the opportunity across campus. Together they secured sponsorships from the VSB and CLAS Offices of the Dean, Undergraduate and Graduate Admission offices of CLAS, the Office of Education Abroad, the Center for Research and Fellowships, Campus Ministry, and Catholic Relief Services, enabling them to hold not one but four luncheons at different locations across campus, attracting three times the number of students attending the first event. Students were able to network and form relationships across campus while learning about post-grad fellowships, graduate programs and professional development resources.

Just after the spring 2020 luncheons took place, the campus was shut down due to COVID-19, stranding 40 international students in the dorms. The connections formed during those communal meals served as a valuable resource and helped the students to organize community trips for groceries. In addition, the ISPD committee held twice-weekly virtual Tea and Talk sessions over Zoom so these students could maintain a connection with each other and the rest of the campus community. Angel looks forward to the day when it is possible to gather in person, but is not waiting until then, noting that the ISPD committee held Zoom networking panel discussions in the fall. \v/