Seniors Alex Hall (left) and Patrick Climie credit strong guidance in the School of Business for successes they have achieved.
GENESEO, N.Y. – SUNY Geneseo School of Business seniors Patrick Climie and Alex Hall found their niche at Geneseo in a nontraditional way that has allowed them to excel in the business world.
“As a former college dropout I didn’t feel like a number at Geneseo,” said Climie, an accounting major. “Professors actually sat down to talk to me; Geneseo felt comfortable for me.”
After leaving his first college, Climie embarked on a 12-year journey in hospitality in what he thought was going to be his career path. He was promoted to restaurant manager and things were looking up for him.
As a manager, however, he knew he needed the know-how to advance.
“My knowledge of financial statements to run a business was limited; I had hit a ceiling,” recalls Climie. “I knew I had to go back to school; I was ready.”
After returning to community college and discovering a passion for accounting, Climie chose to attend Geneseo after considering other options. He credits the wide range of support that he received at Geneseo to think on “a bigger scale.”
Climie’s resume was reviewed close to 12 times by School of Business Lecturer and Internship Director Robert Boyd.
“He crossed everything out on my resume the first time,” said Climie. “He really got me to rethink how I present myself.”
Climie credits his personal relationship with Boyd along with Professors Harry Howe, Mark Mitschow, and School of Business Dean Denise Rotondo with really expanding his horizons.
“The support in the School of Business is unbelievable” he said.
The resume of business administration major Alex Hall resume also was crossed out with red ink and amended close to 20 times by Boyd.
“He took the time to really understand me and to point me to the right direction,” said Hall.
Hall transferred colleges four times (University of Connecticut, SUNY Cortland, and Alfred University) to finally find what he was looking for.
“I am particular, and I knew Geneseo was finally it,” he said “Geneseo is my place.”
Hall went on to design a seven-step system to the job application process. He applied to more than 108 internships during the last recruitment cycle.
His efforts paid off.
Hall was the first Geneseo student to complete a rigorous Pfizer internship in San Diego, Calif., where just 10 percent of applicants were accepted. While there, he implemented some of the skills he picked up at Geneseo to design a new data collection system with more than 1,500 inputs for Pfizer’s clinical trials.
Hall returned to Geneseo this semester and has made it his mission to impress upon others the importance of career readiness.
“I am motivated every day by helping others, I want to give back,” he said.
As for Climie, he recently accepted an assurance position at accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in Rochester after receiving four full-time offers and 17 interviews.
“How I look at it, I am the coach, and Alex and Patrick are the players,” said Boyd. “They have to go out and execute the plan. When the going got tough, they didn’t stop; they gave 200 percent. It’s as simple as that.”
Feature written by College Communications intern Kitrick McCoy ’19.