Strategic Excellence, a New COBA Experience

Employers looking to hire students after college are looking for a few things when they interview a candidate. One of the major aspects in obtaining a job is providing examples of relevant experience to the interviewer. Some students lack professional experience, and the PSU College of Business Administration is attempting to fill that void. During the COBA Capstone course Strategic Management, students have laid the framework for starting their own consulting business.

Led by Dr. Roxana Wright, the business focuses on providing strategic advice to all types of businesses. Each student has a separate role in the business that relates to his or her major or a potential career path. With each student focusing on an area that they are passionate about, they can gain experience in real business situations with real-world clients.

The student run consulting firm, which has been dubbed Strategic Excellence, will be working with businesses to provide professional advice as well as helping them resolve issues and improve efficiency. The first business to begin collaborating with Strategic Excellence is The Echo Group, a Conway, NH based company who specializes in developing health systems software. The two organizations began working together this fall and aim to continue to grow and build upon their relationship throughout the year.

Strategic Excellence President Kevin Tedesco accepted that the project is challenging, but well worth it for the experience gained. “You get out what you put into this project. Since the start, our team has been dedicated to learning and getting the most out this experience.” By participating in the Strategic Excellence project, students will be able to transfer those skills and apply them during their job search. This capstone project allows students the opportunity to market themselves by showcasing samples of real-world work created for Strategic Excellence.