Roxanna Maldonado (MBA '00) points to the huge opportunity for rapid career advancement as a leading factor in her decision to pursue e-commerce. "What used to take two years is now being done in four to six months. There is more experience to be gained in a shorter period of time because everything is changing literally overnight."

But there can be a price to pay for working in such a rapidly changing industry. "With the recent capital crunch, Internet-related companies have increased pressure to be profitable. Firms without solid business models have begun to lay off staff," says Jason Young (MBA '00). "That's why having Notre Dame alumni connections in this emerging field can be very important."

Christopher Day ('99), vice president of business development for BayBuilder.com, worked at a bank in Manhattan before joining the ranks of ND's Internet insiders. Day gives Notre Dame credit for helping him get started. "Not only did Notre Dame provide me with a solid foundation of business practices and principles, but it also taught me to think out of the box, which is what has given me an edge."

Day's company, BayBuilder, uses online "reverse auctions" to consolidate purchasing and procurement processes into competitive bidding events by bringing suppliers together electronically to compete against one another. BayBuilder has saved its clients, which include Fortune 500 companies, up to 63 percent of annual purchasing costs.