Stephanie Manna, BS International Business'19, MS International Management, ‘20

Q: Why did you decide to earn your master's through the PlusOne program?

A:  I knew back in high school that I wanted to study international business and chose Northeastern for my bachelor's degree because it has such a strong program. Not only were the classes excellent, but I also had the chance to gain global work experience. When I was an undergraduate at Northeastern I did an honors project in Northern Ireland, a co-op in Spain, and a semester abroad at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid.

When I was accepted to the PlusOne MS in International Management, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to graduate at 22 years old with both a bachelor's and a master's degree in my field. During my final undergraduate semester, I took graduate-level courses and they counted toward both degrees. My last semester as an undergraduate was also my first semester as a graduate student.

I knew that my global experiences combined with the graduate level expertise in the field would set me apart from my peers.

Q: You've been hired into a highly coveted rotational program. How will this position accelerate your career?

A: My goal is to have a management role in a large international company where I can continue to grow. Beyond that, I've made it a point to keep my career goals wide open, so a rotational program fits perfectly. Rotational programs are highly competitive, but I knew I had both the expertise and experience to stand out because of my professional and personal experience while attending Northeastern.

I've been hired into the rotational program by Prysmian Group, which is a world leader in cable manufacturing and energy solutions. During my first year, I'll be based in the US, where I‘ll rotate through three different divisions of the company—Supply Chain, Sales, and R&D. In the following three years, I'll specialize in the division that suits me best in one of the company's office abroad.

Q: How did your PlusOne MS in International Management prepare you for this position?

A: The coursework offered me an opportunity to build advanced knowledge in my field. I took specialized courses like international finance, supply chain, and workforce metrics.

I developed the skills to be more resilient and creative through my graduate project-based work that allowed me to apply my knowledge right away. In one class I wrote a case study on a business owned by a family friend in Barcelona. She's CEO of a company that builds fire safety systems for companies in 40 countries worldwide. I analyzed whether the company should expand into the South African or U.S. market. At the end of the project, I presented my analysis and recommendations as if I was her consultant. This project wasn't just a hypothetical exercise—it took my education to a whole new level of realness.

Q: How did your classmates fuel your learning?

A: The graduate student body is different from when you're an undergraduate and everyone's the same age. There's so much you can learn from your graduate classmates because they come from many different professional backgrounds. Some of my classmates had 20 years of experience, and when we were doing groupwork it boosted my confidence to learn that I could hold my own and even lead a group of people with much more experience than me. 

At the same time, as a PlusOne student, I entered the program with a small group of select people who were my own age.

Q: How did your Graduate Career Center advisor help you?

A: The Graduate Career Center was a big help when I received a job offer letter late on a Friday afternoon and had only five days to make a decision. Even though it was a Friday evening, I spent more than an hour and a half discussing my concerns and questions with my advisor. He gave me the tools and understanding I needed to successfully negotiate.