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Alumni Testimonials

"I'm currently working at an advertising agency in Boston called Hill Holliday. I'm the assistant to the EVP (managing director) and 3 other SVPs on the Bank of America account management team. While at Brandeis, I definitely took full advantage of the opportunities available to me.

As a Business Undergraduate Department Representative, I was able to plan events around topics of interest for myself and my peers - for instance, I planned a Marketing forum with Professor Zimmerman to discuss what different paths one could take in the marketing field. Additionally, my double major in Business and Economics also help set me up for my job - I made sure to really learn the material in my classes and to also have 1-on-1 with professors to discuss the options I had with my majors.

I also prepared myself by doing several valuable internships - I did at least one a semester and sometimes two (in total I had 8 internship experiences). This not only looked good on my resume but also equipped me with the fundamental skills that hiring managers look for while also showing that I was motivated.

It also helped that I interned at companies in relevant industries with well-known reputations such as Arnold Worldwide, Reebok, Schwartz Communications, and Hill Holliday. Something else that really helped me prepare for my job is my involvement with the Hiatt Career Center - I worked there as a career advisor (learned the tricks of the trades on how to write resumes and cover letters) and also helped plan the Communications Forum with my mentor, Caroline O'Shea (networked and had informational interviews with several people in the industry to gain more knowledge). Lastly, I was also involved in planning several large events on campus (Culture X, Lunar New Year, APAHM, to name a few). This taught me not only how to be a leader but also how to work with others as a team in order to achieve a shared vision.

Overall, during my time at Brandeis, I made sure to get involved in everything I was passionate about and while doing that, I was able to build some great foundations and gain valuable experiences that helped me with finding my dream job!"

— Karen Hu '12

"Without a question in my mind, completing the business major and working as an Undergraduate Department Representative gave me the analytical and practical skills that I use every day at work at Ifbyphone. The eclectic mix of classes that can be used to construct the major—I personally took classes in business, psychology, legal studies, social policy, and sociology—each contributed to my base of knowledge that I brought with me to my first day of work. The business major allows students to not only learn core business skills, but also allows students to explore other departments at Brandeis, allowing them to fully embrace each aspect of the university. Being a business major means more than just keen business acumen—being a business major means embracing the full scope of academics that Brandeis University has to offer, and all of that exposure has helped me to excel in my job."

— Jeremy Elkins '12

"It was a great experience to be able to take the graduate-level business course, Marketing Communications (Bus 257f) with Professor Zimmerman as an undergrad. It definitely pushed me to think harder and step up my game in class.This has been one of the more impactful courses of my 4 years at Brandeis, and I believe that was due in part to my interest in the material and the higher level of the class, but also to the incredible teaching. Quite honestly, Prof. Zimmerman has been one of the best professors I've had here, and I'm really grateful that she found subtle ways to push me, either by challenging what I said or just posing the issues in ways that made me think about them more deeply. I was thrilled to finally get to take a class with her after all the great things I had heard, and I definitely got a lot out of it."

— Sarah Goliger '12

"The skills that I acquired while enrolled in the undergraduate economics and business program, serve as an incredible asset to my everyday work. I currently work as a Client Analyst at newBrandAnalytics in Washington DC. My role as an analyst requires a robust skillset, specifically with respect to compiling, and presenting client reports. I undoubtedly was prepared for the tasks as a client analyst, because of the experience I had gained from working with teams in my marketing, and finance classes to present high-quality analyses.

I applaud the business department for training me over the course of my Brandeis career, to be well prepared for the workforce, and for arming me with a unique set of skills that will be highly useful particularly in the business world."

— Ariella Herman '11

"The different classes in the business major taught me many skills, and those skills undoubtedly helped me in my internship. Knowing the basics of accounting, understanding financial reports, and learning to do company and industry research, really allowed me to dive into my internship with minimal training. But what by far was the most important lesson I learned wasn't a skill but a way to think. In several classes, the most important lesson taught was how to think critically and look at a situation in multiple ways. Learning this thinking allowed me to see the bigger picture of my tasks as an intern and come up with ideas and conclusion that were above my pay-grade. I believe this is the reason I was offered a full time position at the same company."

— Nicholas Howard '11