SPECIAL STUDENT FEATURE: Julie Godfrey and Cal Petrey, RBS '14

Julie Godfrey
Marketing
VP Alumni Relations, Rutgers Women in Business

Cal Petrey
Supply Chain Management
RBS Social Chair

What makes this student feature so special?  Oh, just the fact that Julie and Cal are married.  And from the south. And super stars.  Prospective and current students alike can learn from this fabulous twosome, who are both MBA Candidates in the full-time program.  See what they had to say about their journey from Nashville to Newark...

Where were you before you came to RBS? Why are you here now?

We had been working in Knoxville, TN for a few years Cal was working for US Bank and Julie was working for Lancôme. Cal had completed his bachelor's in Organizational Psychology and Julie Completed her MFA in Fine Art. We felt like we had maxed out our growth. The exciting thing about being 2 Full-time MBA's in the same program is that we have to not only plan for the team but also plan for our individual contributions. We applied to a number of business schools but Rutgers offered all of the things we wanted for our future. The New York area was one of the only places where we could both have a successful career in our respective fields. 

Where do you see yourself in 15 years? Why?

One reason we get along so well is that we have similar long-term goals. Our future as we see it will be in corporate for a few years and then onto startups and long-term equity building. We want to get the experience and training in the corporate world but we are very creative and have a passion for disruptive technology. In the long-run we will be happiest as entrepreneurs.

What is your favorite thing about being an RBS student? Why?

We aren't worried. The job placement is great, the cost is great! With 2 MBAS in one house we have to think about those things. We love the location because we can really use Newark to its full potential! We can get to New York, Philly, Boston, or the shore whenever we want. The small class size is nice because it allows most of the class to have a leadership role of some type. We all work as a class team, sure, there is competition, but really, the entire class is cheering for you to get a good internship or a job.

What did you think business school was going to be like? What is it actually like? 

We were surprised about the openness of the professors to accommodate your schedule for looking for jobs. Also, the attentiveness of the RBS Staff. They actually get involved in your well-being. Student Services and the OCM office care about your challenges and your goals,

Who is your favorite professor and why?

Cal: Don Klock Procurement because he is truly an expert in his field and he brings real world experience to the Classroom

Julie: Aggregate Economics with Farrokh Langdana bar none. Coming out of a Fine Art background economics Seemed like a complete mystery but Langdana Made macro fun...yes... fun. Even though I am a marketing concentration, this is a "must take" class.

What is the best advice you can give candidates looking to apply to RBS?

Apply to the right program: Part time is for people who are happy with their current career trajectory, Full time is for career switchers and people who want the boost to the next level. They have different requirements in terms of commitments and different pay-offs. Be sure to think carefully about your choice and understand, from admissions, which one will be best for you.

Go to RBS recruiting events and open houses.

Make sure what the school focuses what you want to do career- wize in terms of industry and concentrations.

Be ready to hit the ground running if you get in. It will be a whirlwind from day 1 of orientation.

Know that you might end up a completely different place than when you began.

Classes are important, but your career is the priority.

STUDENT FEATURE: John Huntsman, MBA '14

John Huntsman

Marketing & Strategy

Treasurer, Toastmasters   

John is a full-time MBA candidate, with concentrations in Marketing and Strategy.  This Jersey native's professional interests include product management and the healthcare industry, but his portfolio of expertise also includes travel, sports, music, beard-growing, and cooking (well...eating). 

Where were you before you came to RBS? 

I was born and raised on the Jersey Shore where I grew up playing basketball and sailing competitively. I completed my bachelor degree at The University of Vermont in which I had concentrations in finance…and skiing. My graduation was timed perfectly to coincide with the financial collapse, so I decided to shift away from a career in finance and took my first job at a market research company called KL Communications. There I got a lot of great small business experience while working with fortune 500 clients, but at some point during my first 3 years I got the travel bug and was somehow able to convince the company president to let me work remotely. I proceeded to fly down to South America for 5 months and continued working while living in Argentina and Chile. I eventually returned to Jersey and immediately applied for my MBA at Rutgers, and here I am today.  

John's Non-OCM Approved beard (just one of
the many perks of working remotely).

Where do you see yourself in 15 years? 

Wow…15 years ahead? It’s tough for me to think that far ahead, so how about we aim for a more manageable five. In five years I can see myself as a product manager at a health care company that has global reach. My goal is to be at that intersection between the R&D and sales teams to ensure that new products resonate with customers in a compelling way. With that said, that’s just one possibility and who knows what opportunities may come my way…

What is your favorite thing about being an RBS student?

For me it’s the camaraderie with my fellow classmates. Whether it’s getting to know people through a group project or grabbing a drink across the street at Martini’s, I’ve been constantly impressed with the caliber of student at RBS, both in terms of ability and just being genuinely nice people. I can see myself keeping in touch with several of my colleagues throughout my career and this is something that’s hard to emulate without going through a program like this.     

What do you do for fun?

Hanging with friends and family, cooking (but mostly eating), live music, playing guitar, running, skiing, sports of all kinds, watching my sports teams (Giants and Knicks), and traveling.

What would you do differently if you could repeat your first semester all over again?

I would’ve interviewed with more companies. I was lucky to get an offer relatively early and accepted soon after. If I could do it again I would’ve tried to interview at another 2-3 companies for a few reasons. First, it’s good to get exposure to different companies early on in your MBA to get a feel for what works for you and what doesn’t. Second, building your network with recruiters is something that can give you more options in your second year. Third, interviewing is a skill and repetition will only make you better.

STUDENT FEATURE: Ethan White, MBA '14

Ethan White

Marketing & Global Business

VP of Education, Toastmasters

Ethan White is a second-year MBA Candidate in the full-time program, with concentrations in Marketing and Global Business.  He is also a talk show radio host, professional sports announcer, and stand-up comedian (wait, what?).  

What’s your deal?

What’s my deal? So abrasive. I did my undergrad in international business at the University of Miami (The U!) and graduated in 2009. I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I did what anyone would do when faced with such a decision, I ran away. I spent two years teaching English in Korea and the better part of another year traveling the world. Both are experiences I would never trade for anything, despite potentially putting me at a disadvantage in terms of career experience. Living in Korea where education is emphasized like I had never seen inspired me to come back to school and finish my formal education before really starting my career.

Where do you see yourself in 15 years? Why?

Nope. Skip. You cannot make me consider this.

What is your favorite thing about being an RBS student?

The best thing about being an RBS student is the opportunities afforded to me here. During my undergrad in Miami I didn’t take advantage of the full complement of opportunities for students so I am making amends for that now. I am the VP of Education for Toastmasters which has allowed me to spread my love of public speaking to my fellow classmates who may enjoy it less. Last year we held a competition aimed at improving presentation skills regardless of the actual speech content and I felt it was a big success. In addition, through a series of coincidences I can’t even entirely recount, I co-created and currently co-host Rutgers Newark’s only sports talk radio program. It’s become a

Ethan interviewing Mayor of Newark, Cory Booker

passion and has led to me announcing baseball games for a professional baseball team (all right the Newark Bears, but still) as well as the chance to sit down and interview Cory Booker, which was an incredible experience. I anticipated business school being very boring and straightforward, but it has wildly exceeded those expectations.

What do you do for fun?

So in addition to the sports radio show, my first passion is stand up comedy. While an MBA and stand up don’t seem to have much in common on the surface, both have been monumental in helping the other. I started doing comedy in Miami back in 2007 and I had no idea what I wanted to do with it. I just knew I liked getting on stage and making people laugh. I had no idea how much it would help me in terms of classroom presentations. At my internship this summer, I saw how important handling an audience comfortably could be. On the comedy side, my self-promotion has improved greatly via tools I’ve learned in my marketing classes. I should be famous any day now.

How did you land your summer internship?

I give all the credit to OCM. I was struggling to find an internship and they had sent out a resume book to LifeCell that included my resume. Both LifeCell and OCM contacted me and told me that they wanted to interview me and I got to the internship. I had been applying to all sorts of jobs, but I got one I didn’t even apply for.

What would you do differently if you could repeat your first semester all over again?

Just trust OCM. Seriously. You don’t have to love them, but they know what they’re doing and all the harassment is for your own benefit. Take advantage of the corporate presentations and any connections OCM can provide and get to work early. Having to scramble for an internship in April is a hassle you don’t want.

Check out Ethan’s radio, The Extra Point, every Tuesday and Thursday at 4pm. Stay up to date by following at www.facebook.com/WRNUSports or on Twitter @TheExtraPointRU

Like to laugh? Follow @EthanComedy on twitter or www.facebook.com/EthanWhiteComedy for jokes and upcoming shows and watch videos at www.funnyordie.com/ethanwhite