A Tough Economy Means Opportunity for College of Management Grads
A core group of nine recent graduates and summer interns has been hard at work this summer launching a new company, Graduates on Call.
The company is “a group of business management specialists who have joined together to offer affordable expertise to businesses on a short-term, project-oriented basis,” explains Andrew Reynolds, director of Graduates on Call. Reynolds graduated in May ’09 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
The business was started this summer with the help of Ed Weems, a strategy and marketing instructor in the NC State College of Management and owner of the consulting firm Venture Management, Inc., based in Raleigh, N.C.
“I was teaching a business strategies class this past spring and, as the semester went along, my students were finding they couldn’t get jobs,” Weems said. “I figured it’s a lot easier to find work than to find a job, so we developed an idea to do projects for companies that need work done but can’t hire staff. I sent an e-mail message to students who might be interested and set up the initial meeting, providing guidance at first. Then the students took over.”
“We got together because the economy was tough,” says Reynolds, “but we saw it as an opportunity to push forward. It was a classic example of making lemonade when life hands you lemons.”
The sour economy is a driving force behind the creation of Graduates on Call, but it also is the reason that businesses need the entrepreneurs’ services, Reynolds said. “Companies have had to lay off employees and lighten their budgets, but they still need projects done. That’s where we come in,” he said.
Graduates on Call has 14 recent graduates on board. Their specializations include marketing and public relations, supply chain and operations, accounting and finance, IT development, and business development – a collection of skills that enable them to handle virtually any kind of project a company may need to have done. They bring a fresh perspective and, despite their young age, a range of real world experience, including creating companies and consulting for industry giants such as Chevron and Bank of America.
“We can even help take a company global,” says Reynolds. “Our company includes six international members and we speak at least seven languages between us. We have connections in Europe and India, and are pursuing networks in the Middle East, China, and Hong Kong.”
For a full list of the company’s staff and areas of expertise, view the Graduates on Call website.
Photo cutline
Graduates on Call’s leadership team, gathering for a photo after a recent planning meeting, are, from the left: Doug Shiveler, vice president of sales; James Rastit, engineer; Steven Alvarado, supply chain specialist; Lilndsey Schiefer, finance specialist; Justin Hyde, supply chain specialist/sales; Andrew Reynolds, Graduates on Call director and marketing specialist; Grant Allison; Sabrina Mortuza. Not available for the photo was Marisa Gremigni. Rastit and Gremigni are working as summer interns with the new company as part of their academic requirements for the NC State College of Management’s Master of Global Innovation Management program.
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