Alumni Spotlight

This week, we got to learn a little bit about what Nicole Haffield has been up to since her time with the OERG. Nicole worked with us from 2015 until she graduated in 2017 from Mankato’s I/O master’s program. She knew after grad school that she wanted to go into people-related consulting of some kind. “I liked the idea of working in a fast-paced environment and the opportunity to gain a breadth of experience across client projects”, Nicole said. “I figured that experience would help me figure out what I wanted to do long term.” She currently works at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as a Workforce Transformation Manager, where she?partners with clients to help them unlock business value through their people. Nicole?leads teams through project execution and coaches team members based on their developmental goals.?

Reflecting on her time in graduate school, Nicole thought the most useful thing she gained from the program was the combination of studying empirical research and applying that knowledge to projects. Her favorite memory from the program was her class trip to Ireland during her second year, and as for her favorite class, she is torn between Dr. Sachau’s motivation class or Dr. Campana’s?selection course! Nicole’s one piece of advice to current students is to “focus on building relationships with your classmates, professors, and the broader MNSU alumni network.” In the long run, they will be more useful than your textbooks!?

Nicole’s story is a great example of a path our alumni take after leaving the OERG, and her’s is one of many. We can’t wait to share more alumni spotlights with you over the coming weeks!?