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Why Net Impact?
To serve or not to serve? That is a question that will follow us
throughout our careers, whether we choose to work on Wall Street or for a
particular cause, a business person can leverage his or her skills to
benefit the greater good and will have many opportunities to serve. I came
to business school last year after working in the not-for-profit sector for
over ten years. I had paid my dues, gotten some good practical experience
and was ready to hone my skills and pursue a career in the business world.
Good business practices are essential in either setting, but I found that my
need to contribute to something more than the corporate bottom line was too
strong to ignore and thus my search began.
My pursuit started to take shape when I met Professor Michael Santoro,
associate professor at Rutgers Business School. He informed our Business
Ethics class about Net Impact, a network of “more than 10,000 new-generation
leaders.” He told me that if I did nothing else, I must go to the Net Impact
Conference in the fall of 2005. I put that idea on my personal backburner
and started to learn about Net Impact, beginning with becoming a member and
familiarizing myself with their website www.netimpact.org . I attended the
Net Impact conference (see article, The Impact of Net Impact), in part due
to the generosity of the Prudential Center for Business Ethics and Dr. Edwin
Hartman. And now I would like to convey the reasons why you should become a
member, but even more importantly, join me in starting a Rutgers Chapter of
Net Impact.
The term “network” is the b-school buzzword that has made the most lasting
impression on me, perhaps because its value has been proven to me over and
over again. I now use the verb “networking” as the excuse to meet someone
and find out how I can add value to their professional objectives. And that
is where the power of Net Impact is derived. Its mission is to improve the
world by growing and strengthening a network of leaders who use the power of
business to make a positive net social, environmental, and economic impact.
We are all struggling at this point in our lives to craft our professional
futures. We have made the commitment to business school with the expectation
that the outcome will provide us with a stimulating career with plenty of
growth opportunities. Hopefully we will feel the call to give something back
during that process.
So why not start now by learning how you can invest while you are still in
school in a movement to shape the future of business and society? According
to Utne Magazine, “green is the new black. The image of the corporation as a
faceless, heartless black hole is giving way to a happier, greener corporate
image that cares about social responsibility.” You would not be alone, you
would be part of a growing trend! And the benefits are plentiful. In
addition to the obvious networking opportunities, you can:
• Attend local and national events such as speaker series, career panels and
social activities
• Stay on top of relevant news and trends related to socially responsible
business through Net Impact e-publications
• Get involved in your community through their nonprofit business consulting
program
And maybe by expanding your net, you might just land an internship or
meaningful job from the hundreds of job postings made available exclusively
to Net Impact members.
So here is my call to action: Go on the Net Impact website and see for
yourself. Then, contact me at mstracz@aol.com if you are interested in
learning how we can start a Net Impact Chapter at Rutgers. I cannot do it
alone, but I will help. This is my last semester at Rutgers so I need some
first year or part-time business school students to step up to the plate and
join me. I hope to hear from you soon.
- Marilyn Tracz
MBA Candidate, Class of 2006
Rutgers Business School- Newark
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