Upon completion of my senior year at Duke, I was uncertain about my career path. My hope was that Fuqua would help expose me to different industries and broaden my knowledge of the business world.  Education aside, I knew there would be unique connections and career opportunities through my association with Fuqua that would have not been available to me otherwise. With graduation quickly approaching, I can say the opportunity to attend Fuqua was an opportunity of a lifetime, helping me discover my career path for myself.

Accepting New Challenges

One important lesson I have learned at Fuqua is the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone. My undergrad experience did not provide the opportunity to take these types of business classes so I knew what I would experience at Fuqua would be very different.

I remember being extremely nervous after attending my first accounting, statistics, and business communications classes. Public speaking was not something that I had been exposed to previously and was not an area that I enjoyed. In addition, accounting was entirely new to me. I called my parents after my first few days of class and said, “I’m not sure how I am going to be able to do this.”

Not only was I nervous, but I was also putting pressure on myself for not having a job or career path figured out. Needless to say, 10 months later, I could not be more grateful for the lessons learned, the people I have met, and the person that I have grown into—ready to take on the real world with confidence and a fresh set of skills. 

Launching My Career

One piece of advice I have to offer to incoming MMS students is to really use all of Fuqua’s career resources to your advantage while they are available to you. In the fall, I met with a career coach at Fuqua. We worked on my resume and explored different career options. My career coach told me to be patient and that there was no rush in getting a job.

When January came around, I attended a Fuqua career fair at the JB Duke Hotel. At first, I was intimidated by all the companies that were in attendance, but I reminded myself to step out of my comfort zone and be confident. I ended up having a really good conversation with a few employees from AlphaSights. The next day, one of them reached out about a position, setting off a four-week interview process.

After a ton of preparation and hard work, mastering my confidence and learning about the company, I was offered a position. I will be a Client Service Associate at AlphaSights working on the consultant accounts with the big three consultant firms, McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Company.

I believe this opportunity is the perfect fit for me and will give me some experience and exposure to both sales and consulting.  More importantly, I will be working with clients to help fulfill their goals, which I’m most excited about. I could not be more grateful for this opportunity and would not have it without the help of Fuqua’s resources.

Being a part of the MMS program this year, I have made a ton of amazing memories and lifelong friendships. This has been one of the best years of my life, and I am thankful to Fuqua for preparing me for what’s to come!