California was indeed the Golden State when the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) held their 22nd annual conference and career expo in Anaheim October 13-15, 2011. Approximately 25 graduate students and alumni from the College of Business Administration at Florida International University (FIU) were among the more than 5,000 attendees who found the event to be a golden opportunity.
“Hundreds of top companies were present, not just to promote their brand but to actually hire,” said Viviana Lopez (MF ’10). “I landed interviews with Ally Financial, Best Buy, Coca Cola, Dell, Intel, Microsoft and Target. I am following up with these companies.”
Almost 250 corporate, academic, non-profit and government sponsors had booths at the expo; some hosted evening receptions.
Lopez said that the business school’s Career Management Services prepared her well. Director Barry Shiflett and associate directors Elsie Florido (MSHRM ’09) and John Nykolaiszyn were also at the event, assisting FIU job seekers.
“In advance of the conference, I received help on my résumé, interviewing skills, elevator pitch and more,” she said. “They know this event and helped me get the most out of it. I was thrilled.”
“FIU’s presence at the conference increases dramatically every year—as do the benefits,” said Shiflett, who along with Florido sits on the NSHMBA Corporate Advisory Board. “Seven or eight years ago, our students got no interviews there and now there’s success after success.”
Future holds more exciting news for FIU students.
The 2012 NSHMBA Conference & Career Expo will take place in Orlando, Florida with FIU’s College of Business Administration as the lead academic host. To prepare, Assistant Dean Annabelle Rojas (MBA ’98, BBA ’87) and her team from the Department of Advancement, Alumni and Corporate Relations were at the Anaheim event, where they hosted an evening social for alumni and partners.
“This Orlando event will be a huge opportunity for FIU MBA/MS students and alumni, whether Hispanic or not,” Shiflett said.
“I’m already telling all my FIU friends,” Lopez said. “To have hundreds of top employers looking for Hispanic MBA talent in one place? You don’t want to miss that.”
