By Arial Starks
Vanderbilt Business prides itself on a strong network of faculty, alumni, and peers to support students during and after their time in school. Many students are able to leverage a Nashville-based network to accelerate their career trajectory in the Music City. Burch Wood, Director of Health Care Programs, and Emily Anderson, Senior Director Career Management Center, share some ways Vanderbilt Business helps students build a strong Nashville network while pursuing one of the several degree programs the school offers.
Broader connections build future opportunities
Emily Anderson
Vanderbilt Business equips students with a network of faculty, peers, and alumni during their time at school that they can leverage throughout their careers. While some of these connections may not remain Nashville-based, Anderson says the people in their networks are probably connected to someone in Nashville they can introduce you to.
“It’s beneficial to build a network in Nashville that is not solely job-seeking, but rather just for the sake of building a network, because you never know when you will need those connections,” Anderson said.
She adds that since Vanderbilt Business alumni are located all over the country, it opens several doors of opportunity for students.
Burch Wood
Great internships can lead to fruitful full-time opportunities
Almost every Vanderbilt Business student in the daytime programs will have completed some sort of internship before graduating from their respective programs. Since students are pursuing a degree in Nashville, it is beneficial for them to complete those internships in the city to build as many connections as possible. Internships can often turn into job opportunities, so Wood says the earlier someone is able to build their network, the better.
“When you attend business school in the same city you want to live in, you have the advantage of learning the lay of the land and using internships to understand the culture of some of these companies,” Wood said. “Networking through internships allows you to start building your network before you even need to use your network.”
Networking events attract Nashville professionals
Vanderbilt Business hosts several conferences, symposia, and other networking events each year, providing students the opportunity to network with business professionals right here in Nashville. Wood points to the Healthcare Symposiums the Vanderbilt Business Healthcare Association hosts.
Since Nashville is a healthcare hub of the world, Vanderbilt’s Master of Management in Health Care program encourages healthcare-minded students to place an emphasis on networking and building those connections as soon as possible. Students are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities like the Healthcare Symposium while pursuing a degree in a city among some of the top healthcare professionals of the world.
“In healthcare, it’s best to make those connections early on,” said Wood. “If you’re in the healthcare delivery field, Nashville is likely where you will end up in the long run anyway so it’s a good place to go to school and learn how things are done in this city, that way you can eventually work your way back if you want to.”
To learn more about the Vanderbilt Business network, click here.
