January 21, 2020
Student Spotlight - Tawanda Mararike
During a recent Graduate Power Session(GPS) held at Lenovo – MBA student, Tawanda Mararike met her future employer. She just began working in Human Resources at Lenovo and tells us about her new role, her time in the COB, and why all graduate students should attend a GPS.
Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? Where did you receive your undergraduate degree? What was your major?
I am originally from Zimbabwe but I call Asheville home. I earned my undergraduate degree from ECU in Social Work.
We understand you learned about an HR job available at a GPS at Lenovo this past semester. Tell us about your experience at the GPS.
My experience at the Graduate Power Session was incredible. As soon as I saw the email to network at Lenovo, I signed up because spots were limited. Once I arrived, I connected with one of the hosts (Marybeth Caulfield) who asked me what my career aspirations were. After telling her, she recommended a position that she thought would be perfect for me. That same night, I was scheduled for an interview for the next few days, and the rest is history!
Tell us about your new job at Lenovo and what you will be doing.
I work in the Project Management Office within HR at Lenovo US; I also serve as a Project Assistant for a Lenovo Executive.
How did the College of Business prepare you for this job?
The College of Business has been incredible in preparing me for my role at Lenovo- from emphasizing networking (Employer in the Foyer, Career Fairs, GPS and more) and instilling the “Think, Value, Communicate, Lead” model, inside and outside the classroom. I’ve have had the opportunity to learn so much through each of my professor’s experiences, which translated to projects that gave me real life examples to use during interviews.
Describe your experience at the College of Business.
My experience in the College of Business has been great! My advisor, Paul Russell, has supported me throughout my entire journey and was there to answer every single question that I asked and provided the best advice. I connected with so many great peers through involvement in events, memberships in organizations, such as the Financial Management Association, and was able to grow my network and gain a mentor, Dr. Charmaine Glegg!
Why would you recommend an MBA student take advantage of a GPS?
You never know who you are going to meet! I went to the GPS event with an open mind, a clear sense of direction for my career aspirations, and a recruiting manager recommended the perfect job for me (my current role.) Even if you do not get a job, GPS events allow you to refine your “pitch”, rapport, building skills and see some of your peers that you may not always see (because some students are online.) JUST GO!!
What would be the one thing that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I frequently solo travel and I love it!
- Categories:
- Academic
- career
- Centers
- Graduate Programs