Alumni Spotlight: Kellstadt’s Will Campbell MBA ’11 (Plus Some Advice on Changing Careers)
The Kellstadt Graduate School of Business recently highlighted on their website the achievements of Will Campbell, an alumni of the school’s MBA program in 2011.
Like many individuals who pursue an MBA, Campbell made the decision to go back to school full-time. After working in several different industries, Campbell — a former chemical engineer — realized his true passion was not on the operations side of business, but on the corporate side. Campbell also had an interest working in human resources.
To achieve his goals, he put his career on pause and enrolled in DePaul University’s full-time cohort MBA program with a concentration in human resources. Campbell, who is a husband and father of three, knew both the rewards and risks of quitting his job to go back to school, saying:
“It was an enormous decision, but it was something that I knew I had to do. We made sacrifices, but I remained focused on the end result.”
Today, Campbell works at Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial real estate company, where he was recently promoted to director of learning and development.
“I had a feeling that I made the right decision to go back to school the instant I submitted my application,” Campbell said. “I knew what type of job I wanted and entered the program with that end goal in mind and a sense of excitement. I made the most out of every opportunity, whether it was in class, with the Kellstadt Career Center, or the many networking opportunities.”
Like Campbell, lots of people decide to pursue an MBA once they determine it’s time to make a change in the careers.
According to Marty Martin, an associate professor of management at DePaul:
“As we grow older, we assume more responsibility ranging from home ownership to family accountabilities. As such, it is much more difficult to make a change and the risk is much higher if the change does not work out. But the reward of finding career fulfillment can make it worth the risk.”
Martin outlined a few strategies for landing a full-time position after deciding to make a career change:
- Widen your networking circle in your new field by joining different associations, volunteering for committees in these associations and making contributions to LinkedIn discussion groups.
- Conduct informational interviews to learn about the industry and ask for feedback on your resume.
- Consider earning a badge, certificate or degree in your new field. If you intend to earn these credentials at a university, be sure to fully leverage its career management office to connect with students from your desired industry.
- Try to get projects or assignments at work or by volunteering in your future career field to add achievements and accomplishments on your resume.
About the Author
Max Pulcini
Max Pulcini is a Philadelphia-based writer and reporter. He has an affinity for Philly sports teams, Super Smash Bros. and cured meats and cheeses. Max has written for Philadelphia-based publications such as Spirit News, Philadelphia City Paper, and Billy Penn, as well as national news outlets like The Daily Beast.
