Graduate Credits Her Professional Success
to Networking and Relationship Building

Rhonda Oehler

Rhonda Oehler, an accountant in the Global Finance Department at MasterCard International credits her professional connections in helping her land her a new job so quickly after graduating with her master's degree.

She bumped into classmate Kent Young at graduation this year and the rest is history.

With a master's of science in finance and a bachelor's of science in accounting from Webster, Oehler and Young were both in the last class of the M.S. in finance degree, Financial Strategies, with Professor Debbie Psihountas.

"I am standing in line at the graduation ceremony, waiting to process into the hall, and I see Rhonda," said Young. "We begin talking about how much we enjoyed it and all, and then she mentions that now that she is graduating she wants to branch out and look for more challenging work. I told her that I always thought her comments in class were intelligent and well thought out, and that if she was interested, she would be a good fit at MasterCard, so we scrounge up a pen as they are hurrying us out of the waiting room hall for the ceremony, I give her my email address and tell her to forward her resume. She follows through a couple of days later, and within a month's time she was hired in the accounting department at MasterCard!"

"Kent Young was a powerful influence for me at MasterCard International," said Oehler. "With significant companies, like MasterCard International, numerous resumes and applications are submitted on a daily basis and personal referrals are always highly respected. With Kent's help, I had someone with associations on my side. He was able to get in touch with the ones in charge of hiring directly, as I was unable to. Without Kent on my side..."

Oehler was a credit analyst for government- associated customers at Popular Leasing, a subsidiary of Banco (BPNA). She researched and analyzed financial information as well as background information on government entities that were interested in leasing equipment and to assess their level of risk for default. "I had worked at Popular Leasing for over five years, starting in the Accounting Department as Accounts Payable, subsequently transferring to the Credit Department as a Credit Analyst for Commercial customers, followed by advancement into the Government sector. In both my first and last positions, I was the only one in the department accountable for my particular responsibilities," explained Oehler.

"Upon graduation from Webster with my master's degree, I had finally completed the majority of the requirements to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Exam," Oehler said. "All I needed was my one year of experience in accounting under a licensed CPA, so I was in search of a position that met these provisions. And it was at graduation when I was speaking with Kent about what we were pursuing upon graduation and he mentioned he thought I would be a perfect candidate for a position his employer was hiring for. The rest is history."

Oehler went on to answer some questions about how to effectively work your education:

NB: What kind of professional networking advice would you give recent graduates just beginning their careers?

RO: For recent graduates just beginning their careers, I would recommend keeping the following rules in mind, to network effectively.

• Networking takes persistence and is a learned skill.
• Believe in the process. Up to 85% of all jobs are found through networking.
• Be strategic. Successful networking involves a strategy, an action plan, and a clear vision of your goals. A well-diversified plan will allow you to explore all of your options accessible to you.
• Network with courtesy and be giving. Make a habit of asking people on how you can help them, and mean it when you say it.  
• Think creatively and become innovative. Networking is about being resourceful about who to contact, how to approach them, and how to build the relationship.  
• Show integrity, reliability, and maintain a winning attitude. You will be judged on how honest, ethical, punctual, and reliable you are.  
• Know yourself, what you want, and your achievements.

An essential foundation for all networking exchanges is taking stock in who you are, so that you may clearly convey to others what makes you uniquely you.

NB: What suggestions do you have for professional relationship building for incoming freshmen so, by the time they graduate, they have some established avenues in which to seek the kind of employment they desire?

RO: Incoming freshmen should keep in mind that it is never too early to begin mapping out their future. Grow your marketability with every year of experience, so you can uncover and be ready to market your full range of assets and transferable skills.

To have established avenues in which to seek employment after graduation, I would suggest incoming freshmen to do their homework. Networking can take place during one to one meetings; with networking groups, in conferences and conventions, career job fairs, as well as professional associations; with your classmates, instructors and guest speakers; as well as in social settings. These include the office waiting rooms for doctors, dentists, accountants, lawyers, and other professionals; real estate offices, planes, the health club, etc.

NB: Tell us how networking helped you acquire the job you have at MasterCard?

RO: Serendipity. Networking by means of casual conversation helped me acquire my job at MasterCard. Every now and then networking just happens. Stay open and alert to the unexpected; always show work commitment, act with integrity, and demonstrate adaptability; as well as continuously striving to develop oneself.

NB: Why did you choose Webster?

RO: I chose Webster due to their reputation in the community. Flexible schedules were an added feature in which I benefited from as I was employed and attended classes full-time my entire college career.

NB: What was one of your most satisfying academic accomplishments?

RO: One of my most satisfying academic accomplishments was accomplishing my Masters of Science Degree in Finance.

NB: Who has been your most important mentor, and why?

RO: I did not have a mentor, though I wish I would have. I made myself into what I wanted to be. I was dedicated to becoming the best in everything I do through continuous growth, development, improvement, recognition, and leadership. It is imperative to ingrain success in your brain as your expectations affect your actions and your results.  

NB: What campus activities and/or clubs did you participate in at Webster, and what kinds of projects or activities did you contribute to or participate in directly that were your favorites?

RO: I did not participate in any of the campus activities and/or clubs at Webster, though looking back I wish I would have been able to take advantage of the resources made available by Webster.

NB: What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing today's graduates who are seeking employment and how can they better achieve success?

RO: I feel that the biggest challenge facing today's graduates is competition. For graduates to better achieve success, I would recommend the following:

1. Seek support from Webster's available resources, fellow students, and professors.
2. Find yourself a mentor. A mentor can be anyone you respect.
3. Build your knowledge continuously.
4. Persistence and diligence in your own development will payoff.
5. Have an action plan.
6. Project a positive attitude to everyone.
7. Be willing to experiment and determinedly try new things. In the long-run your successes will matter more than your failures.

NB: Briefly describe your student/faculty experiences and relationships at Webster.

RO: During my time at Webster, the faculty provided me with leadership, direction, motivation, and development of oneself. These professional relationships provided me with learning experiences as well as growth opportunities that have prepared me to be successful in all my adventures I will encounter throughout my career.

NB: If you had your four undergraduate years to do all over again, what (if anything) would you focus more on and/or get involved in at Webster to polish your resume and professional credentials even more?

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