Last Thursday I attended the Marketing/Management career fair at the IMU's (Indiana Memorial Union) Alumni Hall. It was raining fairly heavily as I walked over in my suit, which is never a fun element to deal with when meeting potential employers. As I walked into the union building, instead of heading straight for the fair, I had to first find paper towels to dry off my legs and shoes. (I had mainly used my umbrella to cover my hair and purse full of resumes.) Luckily, I had success in finding paper towels to dry off with, and my umbrella worked in preventing my resumes from getting wet.
The fair had dozens of companies visiting, and I tried to talk with as many as I could. There was a large spread of organizations in attendance, which was very exciting. I came to the fair familiar with a few of the companies, and I also spoke with several others that had opportunities which sounded interesting.
Every recruiter was very nice and on their game. I first would ask them all about their full-time positions, and I received a very complete answer from every firm (even if they had been repeating the same thing hundreds of times that day to potential recruits). I also offered over my resume, and I spoke to each recruiter about my own experiences and what I could bring to their organization. Then we would talk about how I would go about applying for their positions, which always involved either applying on the company's website or "dropping my resume" to be preferenced for an interview on the UCSO (undergradate career services office) website.
Overall, I felt I learned a lot about the different companies recruiting at IU by attending the career fair this year. I look forward to building the relationships more with the recruiters I spoke with in order to find the best post-graduation full-time position for me.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
What You Should Know About Honors I-Core
I have had several juniors in the Business Honors program (who are friends of mine) approach me over the past few weeks with dozens of questions about Honors I-Core. I hope I haven't scared them too much with how intense it sounds to the naked ear, but I promise my experiences sound worse in stories than they actually were. Granted, Honors I-Core is a LOT of hard work over the course of an entire semester, and it is not for the faint of heart.
Honors I-Core defined: I-Core stands for the "integrative core" at IU taken during one's junior year. It is a block of four honors classes (marketing, finance, strategy, and operations) taken all at once during the same semester. There are three blocks of time when Honors I-Core meets, and each honors student is assigned to one block. I was assigned to the 2:30 block, so I only had class from 2:30-5:15 every Monday-Thursday and then a Career Perspectives class every Friday morning. On Mondays and Wednesdays I would have Operations from 2:30 - 3:45 and Finance from 4 - 5:15. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I would have Strategy from 2:30 - 3:45 and Marketing from 4 - 5:15. The professors who teach Honors I-Core are some of the best in the Kelley school, and my strategy professor from last fall was promoted this year to the position of Undergraduate Dean of Kelley. It is considered very prestigious to be part of Honors I-Core, and every member from my year had a GPA of 3.7 or higher upon acceptance.
When I took Honors I-Core last fall, the program had undergone a lot of change over the previous summer. While I was a sophomore, I heard from older friends that Honors I-Core "was easier than regular I-Core" - as did many other 2010 students in the program. However, when we came to school in September 2008, we found the program had added many new group projects to the total work load to combat the "easy" rumor, thus creating the need to develop extreme time management skills. Every other member of my group (you are assigned to the same group throughout the entire semester, spanning every class in Honors I-Core) had outside activities and classes that they were also juggling. In order to feel more organized, I volunteered to maintain the entire group's schedules throughout the semester, and I would input group meetings into any free block of time I could find.
Along with learning how to manage your time as well as work around four or five group member's schedules during Honors I-Core, you have many assignments to tackle throughout the semester along with quizzes and midterms. In Operations, you are given a group project where you digitally simulate a manufacturing process. In Marketing, your group chooses a company with a current marketing problem and you then perform a market research analysis in order to write up/present a marketing plan for the organization based on your findings. In Finance, there are four individual quizzes throughout the semester that cover your readings and class lectures. Finally, in Strategy, your group is given the assignment to write up an industry analysis using the analysis techniques you learn during class. (Strategy class consisted entirely of lectures about industry analysis models and then discussions of case studies from the Harvard Business Review.) The career class on Fridays taught by the UCSO would involve listening to guest speakers and/or the development of personal resumes, cover letters, potential employer research, and mock interview sessions.
I hope this gave a brief but informative overview of Honors I-Core in the Kelley School. If you have a further question about the program or want my opinion about a certain aspect of an Honors I-Core class, feel free to ask. I've already answered five current honors juniors' questions, and I don't mind answering more!
P.S. I have nothing but nice things to say about the two honors advisers at the Kelley School - Gary Raad and Alyson Kvetko. They are both very good at their jobs, and have been extremely helpful to me throughout my career in the Business Honors program. Gary was very influential in helping me figure out how I could study abroad, double-major, and still graduate in four years, and I am very lucky to have him as an asset. I promise I don't work for them - what I just said is sincere.
Honors I-Core defined: I-Core stands for the "integrative core" at IU taken during one's junior year. It is a block of four honors classes (marketing, finance, strategy, and operations) taken all at once during the same semester. There are three blocks of time when Honors I-Core meets, and each honors student is assigned to one block. I was assigned to the 2:30 block, so I only had class from 2:30-5:15 every Monday-Thursday and then a Career Perspectives class every Friday morning. On Mondays and Wednesdays I would have Operations from 2:30 - 3:45 and Finance from 4 - 5:15. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I would have Strategy from 2:30 - 3:45 and Marketing from 4 - 5:15. The professors who teach Honors I-Core are some of the best in the Kelley school, and my strategy professor from last fall was promoted this year to the position of Undergraduate Dean of Kelley. It is considered very prestigious to be part of Honors I-Core, and every member from my year had a GPA of 3.7 or higher upon acceptance.
When I took Honors I-Core last fall, the program had undergone a lot of change over the previous summer. While I was a sophomore, I heard from older friends that Honors I-Core "was easier than regular I-Core" - as did many other 2010 students in the program. However, when we came to school in September 2008, we found the program had added many new group projects to the total work load to combat the "easy" rumor, thus creating the need to develop extreme time management skills. Every other member of my group (you are assigned to the same group throughout the entire semester, spanning every class in Honors I-Core) had outside activities and classes that they were also juggling. In order to feel more organized, I volunteered to maintain the entire group's schedules throughout the semester, and I would input group meetings into any free block of time I could find.
Along with learning how to manage your time as well as work around four or five group member's schedules during Honors I-Core, you have many assignments to tackle throughout the semester along with quizzes and midterms. In Operations, you are given a group project where you digitally simulate a manufacturing process. In Marketing, your group chooses a company with a current marketing problem and you then perform a market research analysis in order to write up/present a marketing plan for the organization based on your findings. In Finance, there are four individual quizzes throughout the semester that cover your readings and class lectures. Finally, in Strategy, your group is given the assignment to write up an industry analysis using the analysis techniques you learn during class. (Strategy class consisted entirely of lectures about industry analysis models and then discussions of case studies from the Harvard Business Review.) The career class on Fridays taught by the UCSO would involve listening to guest speakers and/or the development of personal resumes, cover letters, potential employer research, and mock interview sessions.
I hope this gave a brief but informative overview of Honors I-Core in the Kelley School. If you have a further question about the program or want my opinion about a certain aspect of an Honors I-Core class, feel free to ask. I've already answered five current honors juniors' questions, and I don't mind answering more!
P.S. I have nothing but nice things to say about the two honors advisers at the Kelley School - Gary Raad and Alyson Kvetko. They are both very good at their jobs, and have been extremely helpful to me throughout my career in the Business Honors program. Gary was very influential in helping me figure out how I could study abroad, double-major, and still graduate in four years, and I am very lucky to have him as an asset. I promise I don't work for them - what I just said is sincere.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
My Revew of the New Computer Lab at the IMU
The front page story of the IDS yesterday was about the re-opening of the computer lab in the Student Union! My Theta sisters and I were all very excited about this, because the Union is much closer of a walk than any other computer lab if you need to print out your homework or class PowerPoint slides really fast. Since I had two computer projects that were due today, I decided to go check out the new lab last night.
(This photo was taken from http://www.idsnews.com/: http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=70070&search=computer%20lab§ion=search)First, I'd like to mention the positives of the lab and say that it looks incredibly more modern. The design is very nice and aesthetically pleasing.
However, I do have some complaints. For starters, there needs to be a large sign pointing to where the computers are, which is the main reason why anyone would go to a computer lab. The computers are completely hidden from view to anyone first walking through the entrance. Once through the entrance, there is a row of computers to the left in the first room, which is where I decided to work. I sat down at the computer at the end of the row next to the windows. However, when the sun started to set, it cast a bit of a glare on my eyeballs, and I had to keep re-adjusting my sitting position so that I wouldn't have to squint. Also, the row of computers that I was at is right next to a sitting area. I'm glad there is a waiting area so you do not need to stand in that awful line down the hallway anymore, but it is somewhat distracting to have everyone talking behind you while you work. Instead of couches and chairs for students to sit and wait, the Union could perhaps have instead put another row of computers in. That completes my list of initial criticisms of the new lab.
Reader, I hope you don't take my list of complaints as reasons not to visit or use this lab. In actuality, it is probably the best computer lab on campus. Also, the best perk about this lab (in my opinion) is that it is super close to the Starbucks in the union...which came in handy when I needed a pick-me-up as I was working. I highly recommend visiting the new lab and forming your own opinion about its merit. Also, I'd love to know how anyone's printing experiences go - since I did not need to print anything there yesterday but may need to in the future!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Whitney King Golf Outing
Today I volunteered for 5.5 hours at the Whitney King Golf Outing at Eagle Pointe Golf Resort by Lake Monroe. The golf outing was in honor of my Theta pledge sister Whitney, who was severely injured in a car accident near the resort in early August. From what I hear, the golf outing was really successful in raising money for her recovery fund!
One of the great perks about being Greek at IU (other than the terrific networking opportunities), is that you always have an entire house to support you, along with an entire Greek system. I feel my chapter has really come together to support Whitney's long-term recovery. Every woman in my chapter volunteered for the golf outing in some way. Also, members from other greek chapters at IU as well as other Theta chapters at different universities have contacted our chapter with condolences for Whitney or attended her golf outing today. Last weekend I drove up to Indianapolis with another of my pledge sisters and my boyfriend to visit Whitney in her rehab hospital, and she already had seven other visitors there with her! Currently, there are also about 95,000 hits on the recovery blog that her family updates daily about her progress. It's amazing to see the number of people that can come together to support the recovery of one beloved Theta from IU.
One of the great perks about being Greek at IU (other than the terrific networking opportunities), is that you always have an entire house to support you, along with an entire Greek system. I feel my chapter has really come together to support Whitney's long-term recovery. Every woman in my chapter volunteered for the golf outing in some way. Also, members from other greek chapters at IU as well as other Theta chapters at different universities have contacted our chapter with condolences for Whitney or attended her golf outing today. Last weekend I drove up to Indianapolis with another of my pledge sisters and my boyfriend to visit Whitney in her rehab hospital, and she already had seven other visitors there with her! Currently, there are also about 95,000 hits on the recovery blog that her family updates daily about her progress. It's amazing to see the number of people that can come together to support the recovery of one beloved Theta from IU.
Monday, September 7, 2009
My M-344 Reading Assignment
In conjunction with my online reading assignment for M-344 (Creativity and Communication), I had to take "the color quiz" (colorquiz.com) and decide if I agree with the results I get. Here is what my results were:
Elizabeth's Existing Situation
Sensuous. Inclined to luxuriate in the things which give gratification to the senses, but rejects anything tasteless, vulgar, or coarse.
Elizabeth's Stress Sources
Wishes to be independent, unhampered, and free from any limitation or restriction, other than those which she imposes of herself or by her own choice and decision.
Elizabeth's Restrained Characteristics
Feels cut off and unhappy because of the difficulty in achieving the essential degree of cooperation and harmony which she desires.
The situation is preventing her from establishing herself, but she feels she must make the best of things as they are.
Elizabeth's Desired Objective
Needs a way of escape from all that oppresses her and is clinging to vague and illusory hopes.
Elizabeth's Actual Problem
Feels restricted and prevented from progressing; seeking a solution which will remove these limitations.
Elizabeth's Existing Situation
Sensuous. Inclined to luxuriate in the things which give gratification to the senses, but rejects anything tasteless, vulgar, or coarse.
Elizabeth's Stress Sources
Wishes to be independent, unhampered, and free from any limitation or restriction, other than those which she imposes of herself or by her own choice and decision.
Elizabeth's Restrained Characteristics
Feels cut off and unhappy because of the difficulty in achieving the essential degree of cooperation and harmony which she desires.
The situation is preventing her from establishing herself, but she feels she must make the best of things as they are.
Elizabeth's Desired Objective
Needs a way of escape from all that oppresses her and is clinging to vague and illusory hopes.
Elizabeth's Actual Problem
Feels restricted and prevented from progressing; seeking a solution which will remove these limitations.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Today In M-342
Today I went to the first meeting of my marketing statistics class, M-342. I thought the teacher gave us some good advice about "how to have success in corporate America."
He said there are three things that are the most important. In order of importance:
1.) Exposure
2.) Perception
3.) Performance
He was saying this because he wanted to encourage all of us to network as much as we can while looking for jobs and internships. He is concerned about the tough economic climate, and wanted to mention that if we network and have others perceive us as pro-active or talented, then it wont matter AS much about how well we've done at Kelley. It really resonated with me, because I have been working so hard to get my grades up, but I have not be utilizing all possible resources to meet people who may want to employ me in the future. It's more that I've been very now-oriented, instead of future-oriented. In my senior year, I am going to try to meet many people in corporate America, so that way I can prove that my academic success is relevant to my capability of being an outstanding candidate for employers. Wish me luck, because I'll need it!
He said there are three things that are the most important. In order of importance:
1.) Exposure
2.) Perception
3.) Performance
He was saying this because he wanted to encourage all of us to network as much as we can while looking for jobs and internships. He is concerned about the tough economic climate, and wanted to mention that if we network and have others perceive us as pro-active or talented, then it wont matter AS much about how well we've done at Kelley. It really resonated with me, because I have been working so hard to get my grades up, but I have not be utilizing all possible resources to meet people who may want to employ me in the future. It's more that I've been very now-oriented, instead of future-oriented. In my senior year, I am going to try to meet many people in corporate America, so that way I can prove that my academic success is relevant to my capability of being an outstanding candidate for employers. Wish me luck, because I'll need it!
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