We asked W. P. Carey Alumni: How did you go about selecting your major and what advice would you give a current W. P. Carey student?
Here is the advice they shared:
- Review Potential Career Paths Thoughtfully
- Invest in Your Future by Gaining Fundamental and Transferable Skills
- Prioritize the Importance of Caring for Our Planet
- Pick Something You’re Interested in Getting More Knowledge in
- Work With Your Advisor to Find Something Where Your Passion and Skills Intersect
- Get a Hands-on Experience First
- Leverage Very Early Exposure to Corporate America
- Get a Degree That Allows You to Reach Your Goals
Review Potential Career Paths Thoughtfully
I found myself at a crossroads in my career because I knew I wanted to do something different. Given my large network, I interviewed several mentors, colleagues, and peers to learn about their career paths and what degrees they needed to get to their perfect position. This led me to get an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU and 13 years later, I can say I have my perfect job.
Jenn Allen, MBA Marketing, Indeed, Inc
Invest in Your Future by Gaining Fundamental and Transferable Skills
When deciding on my major for graduate school, I quickly landed on an MBA. I knew it would help me gain fundamental skills such as leadership, communication, and critical thinking and analytical skills that would be transferable to any field or industry. Looking back, I am surprised at how much the experience taught me about teamwork and leading teams.
Not only can an MBA increase your earning potential over your career, but it can also give you access to an extensive network of colleagues and alumni worldwide, which I found to be priceless. I know I always answer a call from a fellow alum. Also, W. P. Carey’s MBA programs offered a number of flexible options and modalities. This was key for me as I was working full-time during my studies.
Grace O’Sullivan, MBA ‘10, Arizona State University
Prioritize the Importance of Caring for Our Planet
What immediately attracted me to Arizona State University was the School of Sustainability. It’s the first of its kind in the US. I knew I wanted to pursue a career that enabled me to have a positive impact on the world. I picked degrees in Marketing and Sustainability to gain the skills needed to communicate the importance of caring for our planet. Companies are powerful and impact not only the world today but also what future generations will face. Throughout my career, I’ve made it a point to work for companies committed to doing good.
I’m grateful for my time at W. P. Carey and for the incredible classmates and professors I met along the way. The curriculum, including the Barrett Honors Thesis, prepared me well for my career and my MBA.
Sydney Mamus, BS Marketing & BA Business Sustainability ‘18, Appian
Pick Something You’re Interested in Getting More Knowledge in
I think when it comes to selecting your major, you should pick something you’re interested in expanding your knowledge in as well as something you already have somewhat of an interest or passion in. Going straight to ASU after high school, I knew that I enjoyed journalistic writing. I wrote for my high school newspaper, and I loved it. After some research, I chose to major in Business Communication because I realized it could guide me to a job that involves writing, while also expanding my knowledge in business in general. Fast forward to my junior year, I chose to add a concurrent degree in Marketing. My advisor at W. P. Carey helped me figure out how to major in both, and I was able to learn more about consumer behavior—which makes me an even better communications professional today.
Maddie Hayes, BS Marketing & BA Business Communication ‘18, Avnet
Work With Your Advisor to Find Something Where Your Passion and Skills Intersect
I ultimately settled on my major late in my freshman year. After dabbling in Political Science (to become a lawyer) and Philosophy (to become I don’t know what) as my first two majors, I realized what appealed to me about these two was the mix of the art and science around how people think and behave.
To select what became my final major, I spent a lot of time reflecting on where my passion and skill intersected and I ultimately worked with my advisor to create a major that didn’t exist at the time in my college – Public Relations. It was a hybrid of business and communications courses and set me up well for the career I had ahead of me. I ended up with a double major in Public Relations and Communications.
Beth Veen, MBA Marketing, Visible
Get a Hands-on Experience First
I started at ASU looking to get a degree in Special Events Management. I knew I had the skill set to stay organized and loved the hustle of project management. I started to enjoy it initially, but my sister recommended I look into Marketing. I had no idea if that was the right decision at the time, but I took my first consumer behavior class and was instantly intrigued. I then started researching volunteer opportunities, relevant extracurriculars, and internships to dive deeper into the industry.
I loved learning the psychological component of decision-making and how people think/react to marketing efforts. From gaining workforce experience during my college career, I knew the Marketing world was for me, and I ended up majoring in Marketing and receiving a minor in events management.
The best advice I can give anyone is to get an internship immediately or get introductory experience any way you can. That way, you can better picture what you see yourself doing in the future.
Mia Karandreas, BS Marketing ‘19, ACBJ
Leverage Very Early Exposure to Corporate America
My father worked for TWA and exposed us to worldwide travel and what the corporate world of 1970 had to offer. It seemed like unlimited potential to me as I witnessed various marketing efforts and the resulting consumer behavior. This inspired me to envision how I might fit into this world.
My original major started out as psychology and transitioned into Business-Marketing. ASU was a perfect fit for me to prepare for my forty-plus year career in cause-and-effect marketing.
Jim Austin, BS Marketing ‘81, Austin Integrated Marketing
Get a Degree that Allows You to Reach Your Goals
I have always loved software development starting with my first programming class in High School. After getting my Bachelor of Science in IT from the University of Phoenix, I entered the workforce and found some success as a developer, but I realized I wanted to be more than just a coder. I wanted to be involved in designing business solutions.
To accomplish this I knew I needed more business knowledge and a more respected degree. I went back to school and graduated in 2008 from the W. P. Carey MBA dual degree program. This gave me the added benefit of a Master of Engineering which eliminated any doubt that I was qualified to both design and build top-tier business software solutions.
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