Down To Business

Dominican’s student advising, along with a location in one of the world’s most dynamic economies, is paying dividends for members of the Barowsky School of Business (BSB) class of 2019.

“Of BSB undergraduates who received their business degree in May, 100% of the students who were seeking placement after graduation have advanced their careers by securing either full-time jobs or enrolling in graduate school,” says Courtney Budesa, BSB’s Director of Internships and Professional Development.

“BSB students are confident and highly marketable by the time they graduate,” Budesa says.

Of the graduating seniors – including four December 2018 graduates -- 20 have full-time jobs and six others are pursuing their MBA. The Dominican students’ average starting salary is $64,000. According to ZipRecruiter, as of August 29, 2019, the average annual pay for the Business Administration Degree jobs category in California is $54,479 a year.

“The combination of the experience they have gained through multiple internships and the professional development they received starting in their freshmen year creates a fast-track to career success,” Budesa says. “Our students enter the workforce with solid experience, a strong work ethic, a developed professional network, and an understanding of how to be successful in their first job.”

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Members of BSB’s class of 2019 are working throughout the Bay Area and California at Merrill Lynch, BPM, First Republic Bank, Peloton, Apparent, Argonaut Investments, Ballast Investments, TEKsystems, Target, Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation, and Restoration Hardware. Outside California, employers include Alliant Group in Houston, Mosaic Sales Solutions in Toronto, LinkedIn in Chicago, and Maui Brewing Company in Hawaii. In addition, 20% of graduates are pursuing their MBA, many of whom have already entered the workforce.

Jake Quast ’19 is working in Houston with alliantgroup, the nation’s premier provider of specialty tax services. A Business major, who minored in pre-law, Jake came from Oregon to Dominican to play golf, drawn by the prospect of scoring internships and job opportunities.

By his junior year, Jake was the recipient of a Thomas and Joanne Peterson Endowed Scholarship for Dominican Scholars at Oxford. At Oxford, he studied criminal law before returning to BSB.

“Coming out of Dominican’s business program they give you all the resources you need to be successful,” says Jake, who in July was named PacWest Men’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year. “They bring in professionals to the Exploring the World of Business class every Thursday to talk about career placement, resumes, cover letters, and everything else you need to be successful in the business world.”

“I am confident that I am prepared to be able to accomplish my career goals because of the experiences I have gained here,” he says.

Competing in NCAA Division II athletics, studying at the University of Oxford, and landing a job with the LinkedIn Business Leadership Program (BLP) in Chicago fulfilled the Dominican experience for business major Sophia Stetson `19.

“This is more than I expected,” says Sophia who came to Dominican to major in business and play golf for the Penguins after graduating from Redwood High School in Visalia.

“I feel really fortunate that I met a lot of amazing people at Dominican who supported me and helped me get to where I am today.”

Sophia’s Dominican journey started her first year when a business communications course taught by Dr. Christopher Leeds, Professor of Management “launched everything” and solidified Sophia’s decision to major in business.

When it came time to look for an internship, Sophia’s internship director encouraged her to pursue opportunities at LinkedIn, introducing her to alumni mentor Cody Bernstein ’16 for advice. He and his older brother Jake Bernstein ’15 both went to work at LinkedIn immediately after graduating from Dominican. She was impressed with LinkedIn’s mission of helping people find jobs, helping businesses locate, and hiring the right talent.

“I’ve always wanted to work in technology because it’s the way the world is going and I want to be a part of that future,” Sophia says. “Cody told me about all the great things that LinkedIn does, which was when I knew that LinkedIn was the place I wanted to be. It’s a feel good thing to be able to have a career where you are helping people better themselves and further their economic opportunity. That’s rewarding to me.”

Budesa is a full-time staff member who works solely with business students (undergrads and MBAs) to help coach them on their job search, talk with them about career options, help them find internships, and meet regularly with employers hiring in the San Francisco Bay Area. She credits classes such as Business Communications and Exploring the World of Business (EWB), as well as the annual BSB Career Fair, for preparing students for professional communication and life after college.