Q: Did you participate in any student clubs, such as 360 Huntington Fund, or IDEA? If so, could you please tell us about your experience and how it added value for you?
A: Yes, I was a member of the Northeastern Supply Chain Management Club. I found it to be an enlightening experience. Being a part of this club gave me access to contacts, networking events, meetings, and presentations from speakers who were working professionals, recruiters, managers, and executives from companies such as Bose, TJX, Raytheon, and Li & Fung. These meetings were the place to be—they acted as ice breakers and put us directly in contact with people in charge in these huge companies. What we can do with such a resource is limitless.
Q: What's your most interesting memory from your time at Northeastern?
A: Something really interesting happened on my last day. It was our final project submission day. I had spent weeks working on this project with my team, and I was the last speaker and so I had to pace myself on a very broad topic. We presented an insight into the failure of a company that led to its bankruptcy and came up with an out-of-the-box solution that could have saved the company $1 Billion dollars in supply chain related operational losses. At the end of it, there was huge applause followed by compliments and handshakes from our intrigued peers and the professor. The time our team clocked in researching the topic and working on the project was totally worth it and it left a lasting impression on our peers. We pushed the cognitive boundaries of every single person in the room that day with our work and realizing that was a delightful feeling. It will always remain one of my cherished memories.
Q: What is your current profession and what led you there?
A: I was a Supply Demand Planner for medical devices at Techsol Corporation. The learning experience at Northeastern was instrumental in my decision to work in a technical role in the Supply Chain industry. As an experienced operations/project manager in supply chain and logistics, I would have probably still remained in the silo of logistics, if not for my learning experience at D'Amore-McKim. I was also surrounded by family that motivated me and driven peers who encouraged me to earn a project management professional (PMP) Certification. I am currently pursuing my Masters's in Project Management at the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University. I am certain that the skills and credentials I have built and am continuing to build at Northeastern will propel me into a future full of opportunities.
Q: How did D'Amore-McKim prepare you for this career in the global business world?
A: I had the opportunity to be mentored by professors with vast real-world experience all over the globe. Their knowledge of how supply chains work domestically in the United States, as well as other parts of the globe, made all the difference in the world. Our professors also invited speakers from large companies for seminars which allowed us to discuss and collaborate on supply chain topics of various industries from food and beverages to oil and gas. This was great for people with no real-world experience as well, and they were often the ones that came up with great questions. These were the golden nuggets that we waited for every quarter. I ended up using a lot of what I learned in class on my job and even some of my peers reached out asking me to share class PPTs for their jobs. It is a combination of highly relevant education, training, and our own research time that builds and prepares us for a career in the business world.
Q: What would you say to a prospective student considering D'Amore-McKim for their business degree?
A: Prospective students (especially international students) considering the D'Amore-McKim School of Business for the Graduate Certificate in Operations & Supply Chain Management program should be excited for what is awaiting them here on campus. This is a unique opportunity to meet and interact with students from all over the world, and a unique learning and networking experience. It may be difficult at times, but it will surely be delightful all through the course. I will definitely recommend that students planning on utilizing their post-completion OPT to be prepared to attain a professional certification like the one I'm getting in Project Management. You will do great, just remember to “Stay Aware, Plan Ahead, and Be Prepared!”
Q: How has D'Amore-McKim helped you become more?
A: Our face-time with professors was mostly brainstorming and group discussions but little in the way of lectures so we were pushed to study companies' supply chains, learn new topics, concepts, and processes by ourselves to be prepared for discussions. This stuck with me and later became the sole reason why I was able to go on to attain a fairly difficult professional certification in project management (PMP). The graduate certificate program at D'Amore-McKim School of Business has not only allowed me to join the tightly knit Northeastern alumni network but also gave me the opportunity to work in the United States. I was able to apply my credits from my Graduate Certificate into my Master's program in Project Management at the College of Professional Studies.