Becca McCourt ’14 successfully balances the equestrian team with her killer skill-building business experiences. Find out how she does it–and what it can mean for you!
What got you interested in business and finance?
I came to Skidmore not totally certain about what I wanted to study. I took MB107 my first semester, thinking business was broad enough to be a good place to start. I instantly found myself loving the material. Analyzing companies that we all recognize from our daily lives was really interesting to me. Continuing the business major track, I found myself more and more interested in the accounting, finance, and economics classes. I have always been logic- and numbers-driven; in high school, math was probably my favorite subject. So I continued to choose the quantitative-type classes offered by the department.
You’ve been an MB107 Student Coordinator since fall 2012. What are your responsibilities and what do you like about it?
The two MB107 Student Coordinators serve as part of the MB107 Leadership Team. We start out the semester by creating the teams and assigning coaches. We take a number of factors into consideration while forming each team, so assigning all 125 students and 40 coaches usually takes up to 8 hours. Halfway through the semester we lead the Dry Run presentations, where students present their work-in-progress to members of the business faculty and senior business students. We also facilitate the final Executive Presentation Day at the Holiday Inn or the Marriott by organizing the conference rooms, directing students where they need to be, and schmoozing with the executives. Throughout the semester we provide additional help to teams by hosting workshops, holding office hours, watching practice presentations, mediating conflicts and more.
I really enjoy being a leader of the MB107 program and getting to know potential business majors. I like being able to serve in a mentor-type role. The position also gives me the opportunity to get to know more members of the business faculty and to network with some very impressive volunteer executives. Having taken MB107 in the fall of my freshman year and now completing my senior year, it is also a nice way to bring my Skidmore career full circle!
You’re the Lead Career Coach in the Skidmore Career Development Center. What do you wish students knew about the Center? What services do you provide?
The CDC has a number of Career Counselors and Career Coaches to serve students and alumni in numerous ways. Counselors are staff members educated in the area of career counseling, and advise students through half-hour appointments on big-picture topics. For example, deciding on a major, determining what internships to pursue, and answering the all-important “What am I going to do with my life?” question. Career Coaches are students trained in the areas of resume review, cover letter review, networking, and interviewing. We offer 15-minute drop-in appointments in the office and in the library. We also provide electronic review of documents via email.
In additional to these daily services, the CDC also hosts a multitude of events, programs, and workshops throughout the year. Last year, we sponsored 108 events in total. These can include workshops on resume writing or creating and utilizing a LinkedIn profile, as well as large networking events like Career Jam on campus and the Evening of Transition and Transformation in New York City.
I definitely wish students knew more about what we offer and the value we can provide! Most of the students that come in to the office for an appointment or a drop-in return for a second visit. Due to the multitude of events, programs, and opportunities advertised on campus, it is easy for our efforts to get the word out to be missed. Checking with the CDC in now and then to see what we have going on is a great idea.
What was it like consulting a Saratoga business? Did it teach you anything you didn’t expect?
It was definitely stressful. Our clients are trying to make a living with their businesses and are counting on our advice to remain successful and sustainable. I remember sitting my first client meeting thinking “I’m a 20-year-old undergrad! I’m not qualified for this!” But eventually that fear wears off as I realized that I really can provide value to the client. We have had clients come back to us a few months after completing the consultancy and tell us how important our work was for their success.
It taught me a lot more about interpersonal and communication skills than I was expecting. In our business classes, we read cases about businesses and provide our recommendations very frequently. This is the first instance where the case talks back to us. We have had clients yell at us, lie to us, and hide information from us. Interacting with these clients and providing recommendations is a careful process that has definitely taught me new methods of communication and persuasion.
In addition to all your on-campus jobs, you’re on the equestrian team. What’s the secret to your epic time management skills?
I rely on my Outlook calendar and my iPhone immensely. As soon as a meeting is scheduled, a class is cancelled, or a practice is moved I update my calendar. This makes it so I don’t need to hold a million things in my head at once, and I can avoid forgetting a commitment. I also try to prioritize my assignments and multitask when I can. Of course, procrastination can prey on anyone, so when I do fall victim to it, I try to procrastinate productively. I’ll take a break to make dinner with the Daily Show in the background, or fold a load of laundry in front of Netflix. This way I don’t feel too guilty about stepping away from my work, but I do get a break. Plus, folding laundry and cooking dinner are tasks that can be completed in a determinate amount of time, so as soon as I’m done with dinner or my laundry is all put away, I know I need to get back to work. It’s a safer way to procrastinate without getting suckered into browsing Buzzfeed for hours without realizing how fast time is going by.
You’ve landed three successful summer internships: one in marketing, one in professional services, and another in finance. What advice do you have for students applying for internships?
My best advice would be network, network, network. One stat we really like in the CDC is that 80% of jobs are attained through networking. Seeking out alums on LinkedIn, meeting your parents’ friends, and attending networking events thrown by the CDC are great ways to meet people that can help get your foot in the door. When you first start out, you’ll probably hate it. Walking up to a complete stranger and starting a conversation about your future career is stressful and awkward. But, the only way to get more comfortable is to do it!
[pagebreak]
Your last internship—as a financial intern at Liberty Mutual Insurance—led to a post-grad job offer! What will you be doing for Liberty Mutual in the coming year?
I was hired for the Product Management Development Program in Liberty’s Commercial Insurance business unit. Basically, the Product Management department examines the different products that Liberty offers to other businesses, like Workers Compensation or General Liability Insurance. The group analyzes which are most profitable, which are underperforming, which are more successful in certain industries or certain parts of the country, etc. My role is a part of a rotational program, so I will move through different products and industries. The position is a great fit for my strengths in analysis and number-crunching.
Do you have any advice for others interested in working in finance?
Especially at Skidmore where the big name firms in finance aren’t coming out to us to recruit, networking is even more critical. I would also recommend pursing internships in financial or corporate roles as early as possible. In today’s job market, internships and other experiences are arguably more important than your degree or where you went to school. Getting out from the Liberal Arts umbrella can be challenging considering how strict and conservative the world of finance can be. In order to convince Liberty Mutual that a Skidmore Management and Business major knew anything about finance, I had to compare my transcript to the required courses for Finance or Accounting majors at other institutions. So, it may be frustrating, but it can be done!
Which Skidmore courses do you think have been the most valuable to you so far?
I am definitely glad I took MB107, and I would recommend it to non-business majors. Unless you are planning to start your own business after graduation, you are likely going to be working in a team environment as you start your career. You’ll also likely need to present your work to the company’s higher-ups. This course is great for getting that real-world experience. It’s definitely tough, but I definitely learned a lot.
I also would recommend the introductory computer science course, CS106. The world is becoming more and more technologically dependent. Every company will value computer skills; it doesn’t mean you need to be a master programmer with the intent to write code for the rest of your career. Many interview questions I have been asked relate to attention to detail or problem solving skills. I can always use my experience from CS106 as examples for these questions. The CS department at Skidmore is also fairly small, so professors are able to give students a lot of personal attention. I always have felt that they really want every student to succeed.