Zachary Risseeuw, a senior studying business analytics, worked with the Office of Career Services within the Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University to prepare for the accounting firm’s exhaustive interview process.
It was during his sophomore year, when he began his more advanced classes, that Zachary Risseeuw decided to switch his concentration from management to business analytics. “One of the reasons I like business analytics is because it applies to every aspect of business: marketing, HR, sales, and all other functions,” he says. From there he started to find his path, which led to him accepting a position as a business technology solutions analyst at Deloitte, set to begin following his graduation in spring of 2024. To secure the analyst position he utilized the resources available to him through the Costello College of Business Office of Career Services.
One day during his BUS 303 class, the course’s instructor Corey Robinson, assistant dean of undergraduate programs, invited career services to present to the students. As a senior, Risseeuw already knew he had to put himself out there more, attending career fairs and speaking to professionals about their own careers. The presentation given by Kelly Coughlan, senior career manager of career services, highlighted valuable resources for the next phase of his career search. She gave an overview of how her office can help students with resumes, cover letters, Handshake, LinkedIn, interviewing (including access to company-specific questions), and job search strategies. “Resumes are just part of the process,” she says. “Networking your way into an interview and practicing for the interview are crucial.” She encouraged students to reach out with issues or questions. A few weeks later when Risseeuw had interviews to prepare for, he remembered he had Coughlan’s business card and reached out to her. Coughlan and her team provided him with Deloitte-specific questions to help him prepare as well as questions he could ask the interviewer and ways that he could destress.
It was through Handshake, Mason’s job search platform, that a recruiter had invited Risseeuw to apply for the position at Deloitte. He then advanced to the interview stage, a three-day process that included various types of interviews with different Deloitte employees. “It was managed really well by the recruiter, and there was time for questions after each interview,” he says. “I feel like I learned information on what I was curious about.” Shortly after he was extended an offer from Deloitte, he was also contacted by an employee and Mason alumna. “I messaged with her, and then we ended up talking on the phone,” he says. “She told me that when you begin there are two main paths to finding your first project. One is networking: talking to people you meet, hearing about what they do and finding out if there are any available spots they might know of. The other path is if you have somewhat of an established niche.” His internship the previous summer with the Department of the Navy has prepared him for a potential niche in federal defense contracting, so his natural fit is the government and public services practice. “My understanding is that the general type of project I'll be working on will involve systems or software migration and modernization,” he says.
Though everything has worked out for the best in getting hired, Risseeuw sees a lot of value in working with the Office of Career Services early and often. “Go to career services earlier rather than later,” he says. “It’s never too late, but that’s what I think I would share with other people—to start career preparation as early as possible, giving yourself enough time and opportunity.”