Rutgers MBA leveraged alumni network to secure dream job at Merck

MBA student Abha Mehta knows how powerful the Rutgers Business School alumni network can be. She has a full-time job offer at one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies to prove it.

After working as a pharmacy technician and then as an insurance specialist for AbbVie, Mehta decided to pursue a Full-Time MBA at Rutgers in hopes of playing a larger role in shaping the future of healthcare. 

During one of the first corporate recruiting presentations she attended, Mehta said four Rutgers Business School alumni employed at Merck spoke to students about their roles at the company. They answered questions from the MBAs, mostly first years like Mehta, with summer internships and careers on their minds.

“I was sure if I was going to apply to a big pharmaceutical company, it would definitely be Merck,” Mehta said.

Inspired by the presentation, Mehta began tapping into the Rutgers alumni network at Merck. “The alumni I met at Merck went out of their way to help me,” she said. “It proved invaluable in shaping my career path.

Rutgers Business School has more than 80,000 alumni around the world working in a wide variety of industries, from accounting and logistics to marketing and quantitative finance. Alumni have a strong presence in New Jersey-based companies like Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Prudential. 

Dean Vera, director of the Rutgers MBA Office of Career Management, said the Rutgers alumni network is known for its commitment to student success. “Rutgers alumni frequently return as recruiters, mentors and coaches, playing key roles in helping students succeed,” he said.

 Andrew DeVivo, associate director of financial evaluation and analysis at Merck, was among the Rutgers alumni who met Mehta last fall during a corporate presentation. “My first impression of Abha was that she was very genuine and motivated,” DeVivo said.

 “She left an impression on the team that she would show up unafraid to take on any challenges to achieve her goals,” said DeVivo, who graduated with his Rutgers MBA in 2020.

Mehta was offered a summer internship at Merck where she joined the Animal Health Division. As part of the Master Data Management team, she worked on streamlining the financial data between different ERP systems used by the Animal Health Division.

“The project not only enhanced my technical and analytical skills but also gave me valuable insights into cross organizational collaboration and the importance of efficient data management,” she said.

During the summer internship with Merck, Mehta said she connected with nearly 60 Rutgers alumni working across the company. In coffee meetings and networking lunches, she had conversations that helped her learn more about the work of the company’s different business units and about possible career paths.

“Not a single person denied my request for a meeting or refused to answer my questions,” Mehta said. “Everyone was eager to help.” 

DeVivo said Mehta took the time to get to know her business partners while she was working on projects during her internship.  “Abha’s outgoing personality helped her build an extensive Rutgers network at Merck in a short period of time,” he said. “She built relationships across the organization.”

In July, Mehta will begin a full-time role at Merck in a rotational program that will give her a chance to work in multiple areas of the company.

Mehta said she was only able to achieve her goal with the help of the Rutgers community.

“The guidance and support I’ve received from the alumni network has been instrumental in helping me achieve my goals,” she said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the connections I’ve built and excited to contribute to Merck’s mission while I grow.”