I cannot believe how much I have learned in this course over the last 4 months. Coming into this course, I had no idea what to expect. Throughout my career in D’Amore-McKim business school, I have constantly been studying cases and never would I have thought I would have the opportunity to contribute to a case of my own. I got lucky enough to be working in a group that shared similar interests and differentiated skill sets as myself. Through working with them and learning all the different aspects of this course, I have been able to find my true core competencies and develop a vision for myself moving forward in the future. Also, through this synthesis paper, I have been able to put all these things into writing and make a contract for myself to abide by.
Alark / “MO-TRAX: E-Payments and Ride-Sharing Business in Asia” Case
Through the BE-EDGE method, I understood the importance of precisely define a long-term career objective and set steppingstones to make this vision comes true. Having this vision was critical to work on a valuable and interesting thesis project, but also helped me been more accurate when interacting with professionals. Thanks to the BE-EDGE method I have defined my aspirations, linked them to my skills and presented it in a way to connect with a large network of professionals. The method also gave me tools to select the right company and people that align with my career path. I was able to use my skills and knowledge in the best way possible and gain self-confidence to shape my space in the job market.
Alix / “Internationalization of Therapeutic Innovations: Entering a market of Ghana” Case
The capstone course was very meaningful in enabling me to reflect on my skills and abilities and build attainable goals for my professional development. It provided a vehicle for this process and was an opportunity for me to flex my acquired knowledge as well as stretch my abilities in a "real-life" and tangible way. I was free to explore the impacts of business strategy in the music industry; this made the project more personal and meaningful. In my professional career I have leveraged our The Lilypad capstone project in interviews and it has proven a competitive advantage over other applicants and highlighted my strategic thinking skills.
I was thinking about my capstone course at Northeastern University a couple of days ago and thought of you. I really enjoyed your class and I remember mentioning that I wanted to go to Columbia University in my final "personal strategy" assignment. Thank you for making us do this "professional core" exercise and developing a case for GM Développement: Inc. It was an important factor in helping me visualizing getting in Columbia and graduating with my master's in Real Estate Development from there. Thank you again, Dr. Julia!
Josephine / “GM Développement: Inc.: A Partnership of Love and Business” Case
I think it was a wonderful idea of Dr. Ivy to let us choose a consulting case to work on for the master course, especially in biotech. The industry isn’t clear on how someone could move from a site to a corporate position and with an MBA that’s where students really want to be. The professional capital perspective, this case helped me outline my biopharma trajectory. It also helped me improve in my love for solving problems and collaboration to learn different perspectives.
On the social capital investment, I find people’s stories to be fascinating and working with four wonderful people who I would never have had the opportunity to work with otherwise was very interesting. I feel that when working on a project, if you can understand where someone is coming from or how they are looking at the same problem, then we can solve the issues of the problem more efficiently than if we were just strong-arming our own perspective.
What’s next?
I think I’m going to use this case in interviews when I move on from my current role. It covers a variety of situations from the PESTEL model that affect a drug going into market or a company building a facility in a country. Understanding social implications also help when being audited by different regulating countries while being a US manufacturer. Being aware of their values, norms, and beliefs will allow me to not make an error that could be seen as unprofessional.
Jenn / “Novo Nordisk” Consulting Case
AYUDA is an organization I care deeply about. I think it is a necessary resource for diabetes communities who have limited access to knowledge about how to live with the condition and how to manage their life in a healthy way. I really feel strongly about wanting to enact positive change in the world, and I feel as though this organization works to do just that. Working on the case for this organization gave me the opportunity to get an inside look on how nonprofits operate as well as the challenges they face in their work. I learned a lot about the industry they operate in and if I choose to work in the non-profit sphere, this information will be extremely valuable.
What’s next?
I feel that this project was an important part of my journey in becoming a global manager. Having the skills to create a consultancy report such as the one we worked this semester is essential for understanding how to analyze different markets around the world while simultaneously understanding each area’s unique culture and customs. I learned so much about my organization as well as the two markets we studied extensively and will bring this knowledge with me into my future career. I am happy to have learned these various frameworks that I can use to breakdown various organizations and markets, and feel that these elements are some of the most important topics I have learned this entire semester
Hannah / “AYUDA” Consulting Case
The space I envision for myself in the global market is in a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department for a large scale company to make positive, sustainable changes in the large scale. The AYUDA case was an excellent opportunity for me to dive into something that I care about and genuinely try to help an organization that helps others. AYUDA operates in the non-profit space which I am very much interested in. Although healthcare is not a particular field of interest for me, they are contributing to the greater good.
I wanted to really understand the issues that those that are in the company face in order to properly come to a recommendation that would actually be viable. One of the most important aspects of being a consultant and a leader is to also be a listener. In the effort to generate value, I did a deep dive of secondary research into the markets of Argentina and Mexico to see if these would be viable options for AYUDA’s next markets. It was important for me to make sure that I give recommendations that were based on supported logic.
What’s Next?
This project was a perfect example of how I can apply my international business knowledge to organizations that are trying to do work that results in a positive impact on the world. Going forward, I will be able to show potential employers that I have the know-how and skill to be able to do research and recommend strategy backed by this research.
Joshua / “AYUDA” Consulting Case
On the BE-EDGE project investment to my personal capital:
While earning my graduate degree at Northeastern, I applied and expanded on my 5+ years of professional experience and growth within the field of Marketing. A crucial pillar of my learning experience, and what makes me the perfect candidate for my role in advertising can be attributed to a consulting case that myself and a group of colleagues completed for the software product LastPass, a password management and enterprise single-sign on solution. I played a key role in tailoring an international market entry strategy for LastPass, and due to the emphasis that needed to be placed on localizing a historically domestic product in a new foreign country, I am confident that I have the skills to work in a role that allows me to apply this same tenacious and thoughtful approach to advertising campaigns.
Ultimately, this class exceeded my expectations for how I personally wanted to use what I learned to help my career. It helped me become more confident in what I eventually want to do with my career, which is to tailor informed marketing campaigns for different brands and companies domestic or international.
John / “LastPass” Consulting Case
The case making journey was beneficial for me in terms of encouragement and thinking outside the box. I improved my strategic thinking by solving a real-life dilemma as well as by being a consultant to a small retail business. I learned to communicate and convince my client, a business owner, to discuss his business with me. I also learned to make my clients feel comfortable regarding the business information and its confidentiality.
Ishraka / “A Convenience Store’s Dilemma of Growth” Case
Working on the HC consulting case gave me confidence to seek strategic partnerships in my own career. As a commercial real estate agent, I have used the skills learned from the case to form alliances with institutional real estate companies and investors. Working with foreign investors and international companies with an interest in US assets, I have found it very helpful to consider the frameworks discussed in the case when working with my clients.
Ali Choucri / HC Security and Investments” Case
