Amanda Nardella, MBA'20, is taking over our Instagram @damoremckim this week! Follow along for an inside look at her experience in our Full-Time MBA program!
Q: When did you graduate and with what degree?
A: I graduated in 2020 from the Full-Time MBA program with concentrations in supply chain management and leading organizations and people.
Q: How did you get involved at Northeastern as an MBA student?
A: During my time at Northeastern, I attended numerous events that D'Amore-McKim hosted. I participated in a panel to share my corporate residency experiences with others about to embark on their own residencies. Additionally, as a second-year MBA student, I attended as many networking events as I could to connect with first years to share my insights and experiences with them.
Q: Tell us about your corporate residency experience and how it helped form your current career path.
A: I completed my corporate residency at CVS Health. It was my first time working for a big company. During my time there, I had a great opportunity to have full ownership on my project. Working at CVS gave me great insight into how bigger companies run, added more healthcare experience to my resume, and allowed me to improve my analytical skills. It also opened my eyes to other possible career paths than what I had originally thought I wanted when entering my MBA program.
Q: Tell us about your experiences with the Graduate Career Center.
Working with the Graduate Career Center was a huge positive during my MBA experience. During the first year, we had a class that helped with topics such as resumes, interviews, cover letters, and more. Personally, I found the knowledge to be so pivotal for my learning and application to the real world. It's something I wish I was exposed to earlier in my career and during my undergraduate experience.
The Graduate Career Center also set up numerous panels and networking events for us to attend. Getting exposure to the “real world” was great because it allowed me to build relationships that could help during my job search post-MBA. The emphasis on networking that the Graduate Career Center highlighted was such a crucial part of the program for me because it allowed me to really discover what I wanted in my career and what paths I could take to get there.
The staff at the center were always there for whatever I needed—whether that be to discuss career options, resume advice, or just to chat. Tim Chezar helped me develop a quality resume and cover letter throughout my time there. Additionally, I loved connecting with Tim Tippet before my night classes every week to discuss my current internship at the time, talk to him about how my classes were going, get career guidance, or just to simply tell him what I had for dinner that day.
Q: Tell us about some of your other experiential opportunities.
A: While getting my MBA, I also took on part-time internships to build my resume, network, and explore different career options. I interned with a sports start-up, LRT Sports, for half of my first year focusing on business development initiatives. My second year, I interned for the Boston Celtics on its corporate partnership activations team as well PUMA NA on its footwear ecommerce merchandising team. The skills I learned from these roles as well as my corporate residency have enabled me to build my personal brand, expand my network, and gain clarity on my career aspirations.
Q: What do you do now? Tell us about your current job.
A: I started a technology consulting job with Accenture at the end of October 2020. I am loving it so far!
Q: Reflecting back on your time at D'Amore-McKim, what moment sticks out the most and why?
A: While it's not a specific moment, I think the biggest thing that sticks out from my experience is the people. Not only have I learned so much from my classmates and professors business-wise, but I have also made lifelong friends in the process.
Q: How did D'Amore-McKim prepare you for the future?
A: The Graduate Career Center was a huge resource I leaned on to assist with expanding my network and building my personal brand. Additionally, the curriculum I was exposed to really allowed me the opportunity to gain insights and knowledge that I never would have had previously. Many classes turned into open discussions which allowed me to learn from not only the professors, but other classmates as well. The international field study I experienced in Thailand and Vietnam gave me the opportunity to learn about different traditions and become more culturally agile. Overall, the professors, my classmates, the alumni network, and curriculum all contributed to my preparedness entering the workforce post-MBA.
Q: How will you stay connected to the university?
A: As a recent graduate, I still am very connected to the university. I chat with current students about their experiences constantly and love to stay up to date with current happenings via weekly emails. I am excited to start my career post-MBA and pay it forward by hopefully being on a panel or sharing my experiences with current students sometime in the future!
Q: What career advice do you have for current students?
A: The best career advice I can give is to be confident in yourself and your abilities. I remember going into the MBA program and thinking I wouldn't get much from it because I had less previous work experience than others. Once I became more confident, I quickly found myself contributing immensely in the classroom and landing one of the top healthcare internships in the country along with opportunities with huge names in the sports industry. I firmly believe that believing in yourself is the first step to tackling any career aspiration that you have.
Q: What will you be sharing during your takeover this week?
A: I will be sharing all different aspects of my experience at D'Amore McKim, including time spent with my MBA cohort, corporate residency, and current career. I hope you enjoy!
Q: Anything else you'd like to add?
A: Go Huskies!
