Dave Deiters and Larry Faskowitz are two people who know what it’s like to warm chairs on both sides of the metaphorical career table.
They’re key members of the Jones MBA Career Center at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. Dave Deiters, executive director of the Center, and Larry Faskowitz, MBA career coach and corporate relations manager, have a lot of experience at that table – one that seats employers and potential employees across from each other in a search to find the right person for the right job.
“I have a little bit of a unique perspective among people who work in career services,” said Deiters. “Most of my career, I was on the other side of the table. I've hired lots of Scheller MBA grads so I can tell you why we hired them and why we focused on Scheller versus other MBA programs. We certainly hired from lots of programs, but none more than Scheller.”
Faskowitz spent over 30 years in corporate marketing and sales where he managed and hired many MBAs. He knew then what kinds of candidates his company was looking for. Today, he takes this knowledge and pairs it with his passion for helping students develop and reach their career goals.
As they interface with some of the biggest names in tech, consulting, finance, and CPG, Deiters has seen how Scheller MBAs make their job easy. He and Faskowitz educate companies on who their students are and “everything takes care of itself.”
Put simply, Deiters said, “They just get great roles and they sell themselves.”
Why Scheller MBAs?
But Deiters and Faskowitz know success doesn’t come easy. The talent and effort of Scheller MBA students coupled with the exceptional faculty instruction and well-honed support of a top-notch career center they receive brings employers to the table. When it’s time, Scheller MBAs take it from there, seated confidently on the other side.
Deiters, Faskowitz, and Melissa Davis, strategy campus inclusion and diversity lead at Accenture, weigh in on seven key attributes Scheller MBAs bring to the table.
1. Focused
Davis from Accenture is familiar with the MBA hiring process. She is specifically familiar with Scheller MBA students and the things that set them apart from their peers.
“Scheller students always show a genuine interest in strategy,” Davis said, “specifically in the Accenture Strategy Consultant Development Program (ASCDP).” Davis has noted that where there is genuine interest, there is focused interest and eventual expertise.
2. Hardworking
Faskowitz observed that you won’t find any prima donnas among Scheller MBAs, who are waiting for opportunities to fall into their laps. Instead, employers have noticed that “Georgia Tech students are just as bright as their Ivy League counterparts, and they roll their sleeves up and are ready to work hard.”
3. Lifelong Learners
Davis noted that Scheller MBAs “understand there is always more to learn. They are eager to ramp up in various industries and contribute in a meaningful way.”
4. Problem Solvers
Scheller MBAs have a knack for complex problem solving. Deiters explained that Scheller MBAs know how to “leverage technology or analytics to simplify problems and break them down into something solvable.”
5. Tech-Savvy
Faskowitz recalled a time when employers in Silicon Valley were surprised to learn that Georgia Tech was more than just a school for engineers.
“They were surprised we had a business school,” Faskowitz stated. “When I shared with them the fact that a significant number of our MBA students come from a STEM background, their eyes lit up, because that’s something they don’t always get and something they value.” Now, tech companies in Silicon Valley like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft look to Scheller MBAs for a unique set of business and tech skills.
6. Team Players
Both Davis and Deiters remarked how Scheller MBAs know how to collaborate. Davis said, “They have learned how to collaborate effectively through business school. I’m impressed with how Scheller has encouraged its students to work together on projects and social events. The students there genuinely enjoy each other and want to make sure everyone wins!”
Deiters notes that collaboration is a part of Scheller’s culture. “This is a program that is based on collaboration and working together to get things done. In the business world, collaboration means you can respectfully disagree, and you can work together with stakeholders and peers and colleagues to come to a common solution that serves everybody. Scheller students know how to navigate through disagreement, and they do it because so much of the work that gets done at Scheller is on small teams.”
7. Client-Ready
Faskowitz stated that employers know Scheller MBAs will come to them client-ready. They are confident in their analytical smarts and real-world experience, so they are ready to deliver for their clients when it matters most.