Talking with… Dennis Grant
Interviews | Oct 25, 2019 | admin
Each “Talking With…” feature helps you learn about a different Gabelli School faculty member, administrator, or staff member. This week, we’re speaking with Dennis Grant, senior director of the Career Development Center at the Gabelli School of Business.
Why is the Career Development Center (CDC) such an important resource for business students?
Because the CDC is the repository of all things career and job search-related, we have a dedicated team of career advisors and recruiting specialists who can assist students through every step of the job search process. This includes career discernment and exploration, resume and social media best practices, networking guidance, and interview prep.
Students can also access cutting-edge technology, including a smart resume building platform and an interactive virtual interview practice platform. The recruiting landscape is extremely competitive. The CDC team interacts with employers every day to inform our programming and advising. Students must be as prepared as possible for the process to be successful.
Your team, including yourself, has real industry-specific experience. How does that experience lend itself to advising Gabelli students on career paths?
To talk the talk, it’s helpful to have walked the walk. The career advising team has collectively over 100 years of industry experience across banking, consumer products, technology, and recruiting, et al., and has been involved in thousands of hiring decisions across multiple geographic regions. In addition to student interactions, experience provides credibility in our work with employers.
What is one of the most memorable student success stories you’ve seen here at Gabelli?
Any time a student lands a job, particularly students who have been working closely with the CDC team, it’s memorable and an occasion to celebrate. There is a “Job Bell” in the CDC office for students to ring for that very purpose. That sound is the favorite tune of the CDC team. We react like Pavlov’s dog’s when we hear that bell.
Fun Questions
Favorite sport to watch/play:
Fly-Fishing. Gets me out in nature and requires full engagement of the mind. Almost meditative, particularly for me because I don’t catch too many fish.
Coffee or tea?
Morning coffee for the kick start and an afternoon Chamomile tea to start moving in the other direction.
Last movie you watched:
Not a big movie person. I generally wait until I can watch from the comforts of home. “Yesterday” was the last movie. Nice story and music for us Beatles fans.
Favorite book:
“Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It’s the account of how Lincoln purposefully put together a cabinet of members with conflicting political viewpoints and personalities, that with his cajoling and pressing, coalesced around a common grand objective. Reads like a novel. Great management lessons.
