April 9, 2004

Executives and CBA students: perfect mix

by Mary Anders, A'05, intern in the Offices of Public Affairs and Publications

Many college students do not focus on their career goals until they are upperclassmen, but the College of Business Administration is encouraging earlier involvement. To give all freshman business students the opportunity to network with local professionals and determine their career path, the CBA recently hosted its first executive-student mixer as part of a new executive mentor program incorporated into required business classes. The intent of the mixer was to help give freshman business school students self-confidence in meeting New Orleans business leaders and to develop an understanding of how the careers of successful business leaders evolve, according to Michelle Johnston, Ph.D, assistant professor of management and director of the executive mentoring program.

The mixer brought approximately 150 students together with 35 representatives from local New Orleans businesses to create contacts for both the students and the executives. The event began with brief introductions from each executive about his/her background including information on his/her education, previous jobs, and their current employment. The students were then given a chance to network with those professionals in their fields of interest. "This event was a golden opportunity for Loyola business school students to establish their own, very valuable job network," J. Patrick O'Brien, dean of the College of Business Administration, says. One of the goals of the mixer was to "teach students how to mix and mingle and sell themselves in a social setting," Johnston explains.

O'Brien and Johnston collaborated on this program, which is now a required part of the Introduction to Business and Business Communications courses. Nothing was removed from the classes, but this component was added to "help students determine what career they want to go into," O'Brien says. Johnston conducted student focus groups, assigned teams to benchmark other university mentoring programs, and met with executives to shape the program. It began as more of an academic program, but after meeting with more executives, it evolved into a mentor program where students interacted and learned more about the background of executives and the behaviors that contributed to their successfor example, time management skills, study skills, networking skills, and goal-setting, according to Johnston.

Teams of students are matched with an executive for the duration of their freshman year. However, students had the opportunity to meet all of the executives at the mixer. "I like the program a lot, and I've learned so much from my mentor already," Natalie LaGroue, a finance major from Birmingham, Ala., explains. "I thought the mixer was a good experience because you got to meet executives in your field."

The business executives also benefit from this program and enjoyed the event. "I think this program is such a great idea, and I have been so impressed with the group of students at Loyola," Carla Morphy, the director of marketing at The Shops at Canal Place, says. "This program will help the students make future contacts" and if the graduates stay in New Orleans "this should help me find potential employees in four years," Morphy explains.

This is the pilot year of the program, and if the mixer is an indication, it has already proven to be a success. "Our charter," Johnston says, "is to help each member of the business school's freshman class determine the right career path and succeed while in college. We want to graduate the best business students we can, and this program is helping us do that."