McKenzie Decker, B.B.A.’16—#Broncos4Broncos

With an introduction from her professor, Decker (middle) connected with Erin Wood (left), B.B.A.’07, client success team manager, and  Dave Moore, B.S.’86, president of VP Demand Creation Services. The connection helped her land an internship followed by a full-time position.

By Jenna Giragosian

Finding an internship can be a daunting task for many business students, but that was not the case for McKenzie Decker, B.B.A.’16. Decker took the phrase, “it’s all about who you know,” and revised it to “it’s all about who you know AND who they know,” to launch her career.

Decker secured an internship and eventually a full-time position with VP Demand Creation Services in Traverse City, Michigan, after her relationship with a professor led her to the right people.

It began in her marketing research class taught by Dr. JoAnn Atkin, associate professor of marketing. Decker consistently spoke to Atkin before and after class about marketing careers and opportunities.

“I immediately knew that Dr. Atkin would play a significant role in my marketing education and career,” Decker says of her former professor. “Knowing that she was truly interested in helping her students be successful, I decided to reach out to see if she had a network in Traverse City that could help me find an internship. That’s when she introduced me to Erin Wood, B.B.A.’07, client success team manager for VP Demand Services and a Bronco alumna.”

Decker then requested to connect with Wood on LinkedIn. “I don’t typically approve everyone who asks to connect,” says Wood. “But after I reviewed her page and saw she was a Bronco at the college of business and we both had Dr. J as a connection, I figured that she recommended reaching out to me to talk about opportunities in Traverse City in the advertising and marketing field. I reached out to her via a LinkedIn message to ask if there was anything I could to do help a fellow Bronco with advice on opportunities in northern Michigan.”

Decker’s smart, prompt response outlining what she was looking for was impressive to Wood. It showed her that she wasn’t just requesting connections for the sake of having a larger network; she cared about what Wood had to say. The two continued to exchange messages on LinkedIn, and the rest is history.

The connection Decker built with her professor played a critical role in their success story. “Establishing connections and building relationships is a critical aspect in all personal and professional contexts,” says Atkin. “Any opportunity a student has to build a network, especially professionally while in school, is so important. McKenzie’s situation is a great testament to the strength of our alumni connections.”

Alumni are an amazing resource for current students, and many professors are willing to introduce connections. Atkin actively builds relationships with her students and helps them succeed outside of the classroom as often as she can. She maintains a strong alumni network and works to connect them with their alma mater and current students.

VP Demand Creation Services President Dave Moore, B.S.’86, strongly believes in hiring team members based on connections. Moore says that all of his company’s interns were hired based on professional networks. “Having an established connection to get in the door proves the candidate’s credibility to employers,” says Moore. “If the mutual connection is confident in the candidate, then the hiring team should be as well.”

“Had I not contacted Dr. Atkin about networking and connecting with Erin Wood and Dave Moore, I truly do not believe I would be sitting in my chair right now as a marketing manager with VP Demand Creation Services,” says Decker. “It is incredible what studying at a well-respected university and being a Bronco can do for you.”