Third annual Quinlan Career Week opens minds
Aidan Alandy (BBA ’25), coordinator of brand and fan development for the Chicago Bulls, tosses a T-shirt to a student during an in-class discussion during Quinlan Career Week about his work.
By Peter Hulett
October 15, 2026
At the third annual Quinlan Career Week, business students connected with Loyola alumni, visited corporate offices, and networked at career fairs. In doing so, students saw the wide variety of possibilities for their future.
Starting with a buzz
Quinlan Career Week started with a buzzing day of energy, with nearly every Monday undergraduate business class featuring an alumni speaker sharing their career experiences and answering student questions. More than 70 alumni, including 21 C-Suite leaders, were in classrooms connecting with students.
“We're very grateful for so many of our Quinlan alums returning to campus for Career Week,” said Tim Classen, Quinlan’s senior associate dean. “The opportunity for our students to hear from our alumni is tremendous, and it’s wonderful to see how this has developed into such an impactful event for our students, alumni, and Quinlan.”
From the first classes at 8:15 a.m. all the way through the evening, students gained insights into potential careers, learned valuable tips about landing their first job, and built connections with alumni.
“As a senior, I was excited to hear what advice these professionals could offer,” said finance major Elias Tazo (BBA ’27). His class featured Almera Mahmood (BBA ’03), executive director of Venture Club of Indiana. Mahmood shared his career pathway and answered questions on his experiences navigating the real world.
“The speakers I heard gave nuanced perspectives, which helped me expand the way I think about my career,” said Tazo.
That experience was echoed by marketing student Madison Wild (BBA ’29), who appreciated the in-class exposure to corporate life. As she grew up in Galena, Illinois, she is familiar with local tourist-centered businesses but has ambitions to work for a major corporation.
“Corporate careers don’t exactly exist in my hometown because every business is locally owned and operated,” said Wild. “Listening to the speakers’ stories put my mind at ease and made me realize that as long as I act now and stay determined and persistent, everything will work out.”
Making discoveries
Through the class visits, students were able to connect with their studies in a new way. Katherine Sredl, clinical assistant professor of marketing, says the speakers helped to translate knowledge learned in the classroom to tangible skills used by alumni in their jobs.
“It reinforces what we’re learning, and it shows the nitty-gritty of what you’re going to encounter on the job,” said Sredl.
Sredl invited back her former student Jackson Martin (BBA Marketing ’21, MBA ’22), who now works at The Wall Street Journal/Barron’s Group. He and students shared in-depth conversations about his job and what he has learned since graduation. As they chatted, the questions became more nuanced, and students became completely engaged in learning about the industry.
“It filled in the blanks we discuss over the semester, but then it created blanks they didn’t even know existed,” said Sredl. “It helps us understand our expectations of life after graduation.”
Sredl believes that Quinlan Career Week had an inverse effect too, with alumni speakers having a chance to reflect on their education and their careers.
A week of opportunity
Following the alumni class visits, Quinlan Career Week shifted to a focus on career-prep, with interviewing and networking workshops, resume reviews, extended Career Services hours, and alumni panels.
At a mixer for marketing alumni, students, and faculty, attendees mingled and shared on a whiteboard how they made their mark, a play on the Marketing department’s motto “make your mark.”
“It doesn’t have to be ‘I made the iPhone’ or grand something like that,” Sredl said. “It could be something like I helped a client with this, or I helped make that happen. Those things are also important.”
Students also learned how to network over a three-course meal at an etiquette dinner designed to make them comfortable and confident.
Activities also expanded beyond the Schreiber Center. Career Services organized lunch-and-learns with Associated Bank and Tempus, where students met employees at their offices, learned about the organizations, and connected over a meal.
“Everyone has been so helpful, supporting, and kind,” said marketing student Angelina Jankovich (BBA ’29).