Graduate Career & Professional Development Office

The Graduate Career & Professional Development Office provides critical coaching and support to the University of Connecticut’s graduate business community.

student meeting with a career development officer

Mission

Serving the University of Connecticut School of Business, the Graduate Career & Professional Development team is a collaborative and equal partner in the educational experience. Helping students reach their desired career outcome, engaging in meaningful support of corporate and recruiting partners, and collaborating with University colleagues, we advance the goals of training and development while facilitating opportunities. Career development and growth is a journey – and the career team provides equitable, inclusive support and partnership in all areas of exploration, management, and professional development.

Values

  • Accountability: our team takes responsibility to educate our students to be accountable for their own career journey while teaching them the skills necessary to thrive in an ever-changing job market.
  • Adaptability: in an ever-changing, global career space, our team works diligently in adjusting to new conditions, acquiring knowledge and new skills, and modeling flexibility.
  • Approachability: dependable, responsible, empathetic, and accessible; our team takes value in being easy to talk to, do business with, and takes great pride in providing inclusive interactions.
  • Collaboration: the career team appreciates working together, aligned towards purposeful and thoughtful coordination and cooperation of goals, supporting positive student experiences and outcomes.
  • Trust: in every interaction with all constituents, we bring responsible, honest, transparent, and reliable engagement; the career team coaches students to represent themselves authentically.
  • Persistence: in coaching and in our daily actions, we assert that only the person who owns their career journey can truly develop the resilience and determination to succeed in the world of work.

Student Services

Individual Career Coaching

The Graduate Career & Professional Development Office at the UConn School of Business is proud to have dedicated career coaches, available to connect individually with students year-round. Career coaching conversations can include strategic goal-setting, discussion of post-graduation plans, and meaningful connections with UConn Alumni and corporate partners.

Development of Application Materials

Application materials, including resumes, cover letters, portfolios, writing samples – and more, are a critical aspect of the internship and job search process. Career coaches at The Graduate Career & Professional Development Office are highly-trained professionals, well-versed in industry standards and employer expectations. From navigating Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to building materials from scratch, coaches are available to help students succeed.

Interview Preparation & Negotiation Techniques

Career coaches at The Graduate Career & Professional Development Office support students daily in the intricate art of interviewing, from negotiating an offer to determining if an organization is an ideal fit. Practice interviews, both in-person and virtually, are offered by coaches, to ensure students feel confident and well-supported.

Securing Internship & Full-Time Opportunities

We acknowledge and support that, for many graduate business students, securing meaningful internships and full-time opportunities is a major goal of continuing education. To that end, career coaches at The Graduate Career & Professional Development Office are readily available to support students in gaining additional industry expertise.

Participating in Corporate Engagements

UConn student talent is highly sought out in today’s market – with graduate business students certainly being no exception. The career team at The Graduate Career & Professional Development Office consistently plan and execute meaningful events and engagements, including employer information sessions, on campus interviews, and much more.

Questions?

Connect with your career coach!

Virtual Resources

Handshake

Handshake UConn Graduate Business Career Development Virtual Resources

Handshake is a web-based recruiting system, available to all University of Connecticut students. By logging in with a NetID and password, students gain access to internship and job postings, on-campus interview opportunities, upcoming University-wide events, and more.

Vault

Vault UConn Graduate Business Career Development Virtual Resources

Researching employers is a critical aspect of career development, and Vault allows students to review company information, gain insight into industry trends, explore necessary skillsets – and more.

HuskyLink

HuskyLink UConn Graduate Business Career Development Virtual Resources

We are excited to announce that the Husky Mentor Network, now called HuskyLink, has moved to a new platform, powered by PeopleGrove. This new platform has additional features making the process of connecting with peers and alumni both easier and more rewarding! Figure out your next step. Find your next job. Share your expertise. Become a mentor. Claim your account in less than 2-minutes and instantly connect with our community.

Shortlister

Big Interview UConn Graduate Business Career Development Virtual Resources

Shortlister – Interviewing is a critical aspect of career development – and practice can increase confidence and self-awareness. Shortlister is a web-based platform, allowing UConn students to record answers to common interview questions, which can then be reviewed, shared with career coaches, and re-recorded for meaningful engagement and preparation.

My Visa Jobs

My Visa Jobs UConn Graduate Business Career Development Virtual Resources

My Visa Jobs – International students bring critical lived experience to the workplace, and are part of why the University of Connecticut is such a successful institution. My Visa Jobs allows international candidates to explore meaningful opportunities with U.S. employers; additionally, it provides an annual H1B Visa Report that shows which employers sponsored, for what positions, and in which cities and states.

O*Net Online

O*Net Online UConn Graduate Business Career Development Virtual Resources

O*Net Online – Maintained and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, the O*Net Online site can be used to explore careers, identify areas of interest, and discover necessary skillsets.

12Twenty

12Twenty UConn Graduate Business Career Development Virtual Resources

12Twenty is a School of Business-exclusive platform, through which you can apply for internships and full-time roles, and add your materials to resume books to be reviewed by corporate partners. To create an account in 12Twenty, email gradcareer.business@uconn.edu


Recruiting UConn Talent

At the University of Connecticut School of Business, we have always focused on academic excellence. As a result, our graduate business programs achieve top honors and special recognition from the nation's most distinguished ranking organizations.

The School of Business features robust graduate programs, including flexible and inclusive MBA offerings and five specialized master’s programs: MS in Accounting, MS in Business Analytics & Project Management, MS in Financial Risk Management, MS in Human Resource Management, and the School’s newest offering, MS in Financial Technology (FinTech). Students may also engage academically with the School of Business in earning graduate certificates; offered in a variety of industry-forward subject matters, including Healthcare Finance and Insurance and Project Management, among more.

In addition to robust virtual offerings, graduate School of Business students are actively engaged academically across the state – in Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury. With over 1,700 current master’s degree candidates, the UConn School of Business has ample opportunity for growing talent pipelines and engaging with the next generation of business professionals.

Engage Student Talent

GenoLeads conference attendees participate in an interactive workshop

  • Sponsor a case competition
  • Partner with us for a capstone project
  • Set up a classroom visit
  • Host an information session

Share Job Opportunities

Closeup of a handshake after a successful business meeting

Getting Started

Recruiting student talent at the UConn School of Business can take a variety of forms; including, but not necessarily limited to: sharing formal internship and full-time opportunities, sponsoring case competitions to gain a glimpse into student talent, providing information sessions to share company information and benefits, partnering with academic programs to engage in classroom visits and sponsor meaningful capstone projects – and more.

To explore how UConn talent can add to your organization, reach out to the team at gradcareer.business@uconn.edu.


Meet the Career Team

Director of Graduate Career Professional Development UConn Business School 

Ana Clara Blesso (she/her)
Director of Graduate Career &
Professional Development
Supporting Marketing, Communications & Media
Connect with Ana Clara

Director of Graduate Career Professional Development UConn Business School 

Ana Clara Blesso (she/her)
Director of Graduate Career & Professional Development
Supporting Marketing, Communications & Media
Connect with Ana Clara

Career Coach - Management, Consulting & Entrepreneurship

Jennifer Grunwald (she/her)
Career Coach - Management, Consulting & Entrepreneurship
Connect with Jenn

Career Coach - Management, Consulting & Entrepreneurship

Jennifer Grunwald
Career Coach - Management, Consulting & Entrepreneurship
Connect with Jenn

Career Coach - Technology & Data and Healthcare & Insurance
Annie George (she/her)
Career Coach - Healthcare & Insurance
Connect with Annie
Career Coach - Technology & Data and Healthcare & Insurance
Annie George (she/her)
Career Coach - Healthcare & Insurance
Connect with Annie
Career Coach - Technology & Data
Paul Gagnon (he/him)
Career Coach - Technology & Data and Government, Nonprofit & Social Impact
Connect with Paul
Career Coach - Technology & Data
Paul Gagnon (he/him)
Career Coach - Technology & Data and Government, Nonprofit & Social Impact
Connect with Paul
Career Coach - Finance & Real Estate
Jason Gorack
Career Coach - Finance & Real Estate
Connect with Jason
Career Coach - Finance & Real Estate
Jason Gorack
Career Coach - Finance & Real Estate
Connect with Jason
Career Coach - Management, Consulting & Entrepreneurship
Kailee Himes (she/her)
Career Coach - Management, Consulting & Entrepreneurship
Connect with Kailee
Career Coach - Management, Consulting & Entrepreneurship
Kailee Himes (she/her)
Career Coach - Management, Consulting & Entrepreneurship
Connect with Kailee
Career Coach - Technology & Data
Kristen Barbaris (she/her)
Career Coach - Technology & Data
Connect with Kristen
Career Coach - Technology & Data
Kristen Barbaris (she/her)
Career Coach - Technology & Data
Connect with Kristen