This is Summer Business Program: Part 4

Here’s another one from Frank DeLeo ’14!

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Week four began our quest to obtain a victory on Friday after all the trials and tribulations of the Summer Business Program. The stress and anxiety set in early when trying to perfect our presentation. Every bullet, every sentence, and every movement had to be rehearsed and scripted. The PowerPoint needed to be clear and concise to get our ideas across. Most importantly we needed to look and sound our best in order to be the epitome of a real business presentation: professional.

The week began with a session on career planning. Taught by Pam Ahearn and Amy Murphy, we learned the nuisances of navigating the Holy Cross website and LinkedIn to find alumni not only for internships and jobs, but also for informational interviews.

The Holy Cross network is a phenomenal resource that I will continue to tap into during my last two years at HC, and even after graduation. I still don’t know what I want to do with my life after college, but I have a strategy to piece together my varying interests. By taking advantage of everything Holy Cross has to offer: the academic internship program, study abroad, ELW, SBP, etc, I can gain a better understanding of my likes and dislikes.

During my journey, I know that the network is always there for me to ask questions. The most important take away from the session was that alumni want to help, so I should never hesitate to contact them. After Monday, my two primary summer priorities became networking and setting up my LinkedIn profile.

As the week went on we were taught how to use Microsoft Office tools such as PowerPoint and Excel. Wednesday’s session on PowerPoint and presentation skills with Jessica Blau’08 and Roger Lobo ‘04 provided pertinent information to incorporate into the pitch.

During the session, we learned about tips and tricks for PowerPoint, verbal delivery, and slide content. My team took this new knowledge and touched up our presentation before we asked Ms. Blau to film our first dry run. I always hate watching myself on film, but the team and I discovered a lot from watching ourselves. We were able to see areas in which we could improve and mistakes that needed to be corrected by Friday. Thursday was the day to make those corrections.

When Mr. Correia told us that Thursday meant perfection, he wasn’t kidding. The team had no idea what to expect at 10 a.m. for the start of our meeting in Smith 155. We began with sharing all of the new information we had learned in our sessions, in addition to our perfected PowerPoint. From there, we jumped right into the dry runs. Every movement and sentence was scrutinized. People forgot lines, swayed in place, stepped forward wrong etc. Each time we made a mistake Mr. Correia would say, “Do it again.”

After a few tries, we got the hang of it. All that remained was being able to control our nerves the next morning and remember the transitions. We were confident in the content of our presentation and our ability to pitch the information. We simply needed to execute.

At 2 p.m., Mr. Correia had to go talk to the parents at Gateways. His wife couldn’t make it, so he needed someone from the team to go with him. I volunteered to talk to the parents with the mentality that I’d be sitting on a panel answering questions. Oh how wrong I was. It turned out that I had to speak in front of an almost full ballroom of parents with no preparation. I was terrified, but it was a great public speaking experience. I told my story and explained how the parents should let their children grow up, but still be involved in their lives for support and advice.

After my near heart attack, the team reconvened and decided to go practice separately for tomorrow. We had rehearsed so much that we needed a break to get our heads on straight. Mr. Correia left us to work by our own accord, and trusted us to be ready for game time, 10 a.m. Friday morning.

We were as ready as we’d ever be.

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I can’t wait to find out how they did!  Thanks again, Frank!

As always, don’t forget to “Like” us on FACEBOOK and look for our WIBSBP and ELW groups on LinkedIN!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

Welcome Back & Upcoming Events!

It’s a new year, a new semester and a new blog post!  We hope you all had a nice long winter break.  We’ve got a great spring schedule planned and are looking forward to seeing lots of new faces at our events.  Make sure to check the COES & Prebusiness calendar regularly so you don’t miss out.

Here is a quick look at the 2 speakers we are co-sponsoring with Career Planning next week.

Leadership Careers After Holy Cross:

Hear from Crusaders turned Corporate Executives

Fred Eppinger ’81

President & CEO of The Hanover Insurance Group

Dick Lavey ‘89

Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Distribution Officer

Tuesday, January 31 • 6:00-7:30pm • Hogan Jenks Suite A

Fred Eppinger returns to Holy Cross to speak about The Hanover’s Future Leaders Program, his leadership journey, and the insurance industry.

Space is limited so please RSVP in Crusader Connections by Monday, January 30th. After you log-in, click on the “Workshops/Events” tab. Attire is business casual.

For more information on Fred Eppinger and The Hanover Insurance group, please click on the following links:

Leader’s Edge Magazine “The Wizard of Worcester”

Fred Eppinger Profile – Holy Cross Magazine

“Think Public Relations is About Schmoozing and Spinning?”

Eric Starkman

President and founder of STARKMAN, a New York based public relations agency.

Thursday, Feb. 2 6:30 p.m. Hogan  Suites B & C

Check out this great article about the event!

As always, don’t forget to “Like” us on FACEBOOK and look for our WIB, SBP and ELW groups on LinkedIN!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

Finance Boot Camp – The Beginning

The COES & Prebusiness office has been hard at work all summer and this past month preparing the first ever FINANCE BOOT CAMP.  This highly competitive program is stirring up interest all over campus.  Here’s a quick overview:

  • 4-day immersion in the framework and careers of Wall Street.
  • Interview prep simulating the fast paced, intense environment of a Super Day.
  • Networking opportunity with HC alum working on Wall Street.

We have interviewed 78 extremely qualified candidates for 30 coveted spots.

This program, like all other COES programs, brings successful alumni back to campus to help better prepare HC students for jobs in business, specifically finance in this case.  It’s bound to be an intense and exhausting week and we’ll be blogging each day, so watch for updates.

As always, don’t forget to “Like” us on FACEBOOK and look for our WIB, SBP and ELW groups on LinkedIN!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

Summer Business Program: Week 2 part 1

Our guest blogger, Quinn, is back with more from SBP.  I’ve asked her to share a brief bio this week as well.  ENJOY!

Quinn Korzeniecki is a senior English major with a Pre-Business concentration. She is editor-in-chief of The Advocate, a progressive online publication at Holy Cross, and works as an assistant in the Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Office. As a participant in the Summer Business Program, she hopes to learn more about marketing and advertising aspects of business. Quinn aspires to enter into publishing either in the editorial, marketing, or advertising departments.

On Friday, we learned about something for which my dad would be very proud of me if I could only accomplish it: personal finance, investments, and mutual funds. Professor Anderton taught us all about the similarities and differences between stocks and bonds. He stressed the importance of setting up a financial plan to control spending after graduation. Also, we discussed how profitable long-term investments can be especially if we start at our young age. Because of this workshop, I plan on saving the first significant amount of spare cash that I earn, investing it in stocks, and praying that in 50 years it will amount to 5 million dollars like it did for Susan Smith in the example. Hey, a girl can dream.

Along the same lines of personal finance, Professor Chu lead Monday’s workshop on accounting. We learned more about the individual shareholder’s piece of profit from stocks in the company. In the afternoon we learned about the terminology needed to understand the business world in general: one of the most interesting things I learned was that companies are obliged to report risk factors to the Security Exchange Commission. Therefore, when we had to list the cons of investing in the insulin pump company Insulet we realized that a natural disaster like the tornadoes that recently tore through Massachusetts could demolish the company’s only storage warehouse. Yet, sometimes the future benefits outweigh the present risks, and my group ultimately decided that we would invest in Insulet.

Monday night we enjoyed a banquet-style dinner and discussion with Peter Mondani, VP of Human Resources for General Electric, who taught us about business models, personal branding, and careers. We learned that it is best to “influence without authority” by changing the opinions and viewpoints of others although you’re not in an authority position. Exude confidence but admit to making mistakes and learn from them. Also, apparently we women get red necks during interviews when we get nervous. I guess I’m “investing” in a scarf for my quickly approaching job interviews!

Tuesday afternoon focused on the job/internship search and networking. I found this particularly helpful since I’m entering my senior year and feel helpless in planning for the real world. I learned the best way to reach out to alumni and maintain informal and beneficial relationships. All in all, I’ve learned how to balance my personal finances, invest in stocks and bonds, and plan for attaining my first full-time job.

Wednesday we learn about what it means to work in finance: don’t let the English major fool you, I also enjoy math!

Keep an eye out for Quinn’s posts throughout the month!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

Summer Business Program: Week 1

Quinn Korzeniecki ’12, is our SBP guest blogger.  She’ll be giving you an insider’s view of what SBP is all about!

“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.”-Pope John XXIII

Hi, I’m Quinn Korzeniecki and I am a participant as well as a program assistant for the 2011 Summer Business Program. For the next four weeks, I will be blogging about the fun and interesting goings-on of the program that occur in workshops and among participants during free time.

I didn’t know what to expect upon arrival to Holy Cross, and was shocked to see that the campus was deserted (of course, this was the day after all the seniors graduated, packed, and moved out). I was nervous and excited for the program to start: what would I learn? could I build connections with the speakers? would anyone be able to help me down my career path? will I do well with the tasks assigned to me?

I was more than relieved when we kicked off the program Tuesday night with a brief overview of the next month by Professor Chu, followed by a delicious meal in Hogan. Here we had our first encounter with the two speakers for Wednesday’s kick-off workshop on leadership, Moira Garvey ’78 and Mary Ann Rettig-Zucchi ’76 of the Jupiter Consulting Group. We “broke the ice” by playing games of bingo and making conversation with the help of question cards.

On Wednesday, I learned more about myself and my leadership traits than I ever knew possible. Moira and Mary Ann defined the word leader and explained the best characteristics of a leader, then used our 5 Dynamics personality test to identify the leadership strengths in each of us: I learned that I am effortless in communicating and forming groups as well as executing and carrying out plans. They placed us in groups according to our strengths (I was with the communicating “Excite” group) and gave us a stack of index cards and paper clips, then introduced the competition to see which group could build the tallest free-standing structure. It was really helpful to learn about myself through my interaction with others since a leader must have a keen self-awareness as well as an ability to communicate ideas with other people. It also helped that my group tied with another and won Peanut M&M’s!

We jumped back into action early Thursday morning with a workshop on Faith, Values, and Ethics taught by William Messenger, Executive Editor of the Theology of Work Project, Inc.. Here we learned about our own personal values and how they fit in within the world of business. We acted out some scenarios in which people were trapped in moral dilemmas in the workplace and we brainstormed the best ways to avoid making unethical decisions simply to please others or keep your job (and most times being ethical leads to increases in trustworthiness).

Tomorrow is another day, and I’m looking forward to the next few weeks!

Keep an eye out for Quinn’s posts throughout the month!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

No matter what they tell you, your GPA really does matter

Yes, I realize the timeliness of this post.  And, I am aware that it might even be a little cruel, but after surveying recruiters, it’s undeniable -if you want a job in finance, you have to boost your GPA.  There’s no way around it and unfortunately the minimum keeps climbing.

An alum at JP Morgan gave us the following cold-hard facts:

  • JP Morgan won’t hire anyone below 3.4 (there was an addendum that if you manage to WOW someone in hiring, he’s seen one or two 3.2s sneak in, but it is rare.)
  • The average cumulative GPA of new hires is 3.5
  • Some colleges and universities have long-standing grade inflation practices.  You might have to work harder for your 3.5 than the next girl/guy (and you’ve earned it), but on paper it all looks the same to recruiters.
  • It’s a MYTH that it’s okay to have a rough semester your freshman year. In the world of finance, everything counts. Find a tutor, join a study group, do anything to earn those few extra points – you need it.

So, keep up the hard work and realize there is a reason you are living in Dinand.

COES wishes everyone good luck on their finals!!

Don’t forget to find us on FACEBOOK!

Keep an eye out for our FINANCE BOOT CAMP posters throughout campus and watch for an upcoming post with more info!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

An Update of Updates

Just a few things we really want to point your attention to this week.

First, one of our Executive Leadership Workshop participants is also a Blogger! Ted Cullinane ’14 wrote a fantastic post about his ELW experience over Spring Break.  Be sure to check out Ted’s Post to get a participant’s view of the program.

Tonight, Holy Cross alumni, Ryan Leonard ’09 and Alesandra LaPointe ’09 from Nielsen Company are hosting an event to discuss working in a financial rotational program.  From the Classroom to the Boardroom: Applying What you Learn at Holy Cross in the Real World will be held in Hogan from 6-8 Tonight, 3/31. You don’t want to miss it.

Here’s another even you can’t miss:  The Power of Possibility Sheila Cavanaugh ’81, a Senior Vice President at Fidelity Investments, wraps up our Dinner Speaker Series this semester.  Ms. Cavanaugh always draws a crowd when she comes to campus and is a favorite among the Women in Business conference panelists.  This event is open to a limited number of people so email Prebusiness if you would like to attend. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5.

Hope to see you at any and all of these events!

Just a quick reminder that we are accepting Summer Business Program applications.  The deadline is Friday, April 15.

Be sure to find us on FACEBOOK!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

Summer Business Program – 4 weeks to pave the way for the next 40 years of your life

We had a great turn out at Monday night’s Summer Business Program Info Session, but if you missed it here’s what you should know.

What you can expect to gain from SBP – Our Mission:

•       Leadership development and team building – skills you NEED on your resume

•       Moral values and ethical business practices – how Holy Cross students stand out

•       Functional and personal business skills –  your foot in the door to Wall Street and finance

•       Starting and managing a business – business plans, marketing, & growing your business

•       Team project  – practically applying what you are learning during the program

•       Visit to local business – seeing business in action in central, MA

Program Logistics:

•       Open to approximately 30 students

•       Housing in either Alumni or Carlin residence halls

•       Taught by alumni and some faculty – real world teachers who work in the business everyday

•       Daily interactive classes in the new science building, 9-12, 1-4 PM

•       Weekends free

•       Work on team project outside of class – your teams will meet in your free time

Team Project break down:

•       6 teams @ 5 per team – less or more depending on our applicant pool

•       1 executive mentor per team – a business executive to guide your project

•       Team Exec decides project/role of team – working to real expectations and deadlines set by Exec

•       1 meeting per week with your Team Executive (face-to-face or phone)

•       Dry run June 23

•       Team presentations June 24 – CASH PRIZE to winners

The Benefits of participating in SBP:

•       Comprehensive business education – a business background with your Liberal Arts degree

•       Skill sets: leadership, team, presentation

•       Networking – meet successful HC alum throughout the business world

•       Differentiation – stand out from your peers at HC with this on your resume

What’s this going to cost you:

•       $1,600—room and course materials

•       $1,400—commuter discount

•       Scholarships available

•       We DO NOT provide meals —Cool Beans, Crossroads, off-campus eateries, supermarkets

•       Cars allowed on campus – summer permits provided

How to apply:

•       Deadline: Friday, April 15, 11:59 p.m.

•       Online application, attach cover letter, resume, transcript

•       One recommendation letter

•       Interview

Let us know if you have any questions.  The Summer Business Program is a chance for you to stand-out in your interviews and prepare yourself for a fulfilling career in business.

We’ll see you there!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

From inside the Executive Leadership Workshop

40 students are dressed in business attire, they’ve already sat through an hour and a half of valuation presentations, they are neck deep in the financial data for Kayak and Google — and it’s only 10 a.m. on day 2!

Over the course of the week, these adventurous students (who have opted out of the typical Spring Break vacation) will get an intensive view of how to build, grow, and sustain a company.

Their teachers are Holy Cross alum that coming back to campus to share their stories and introduce important business techniques that will help these students be more prepared for jobs in the business world.

The schedule looks something like this:

Monday: Starting A Company

Tuesday: Valuing and Growing a Company

Wednesday: Business Market Game

Thursday: Managing the Momentum of a Global Enterprise

Friday:  …. is a little different.

On Sunday night, the students were broken into teams and given the task of (over the course of only this week) creating a business geared towards the 30-45 year old demographic.  Each team is responsible for coming up with a new idea, creating a business plan and presenting their business to an executive panel that will pick a winning team at the end of the week.

Friday morning, all 8 teams, will present their plans in hopes of being the victor!

We’ll update you on Friday afternoon with the results!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor

10 Etiquette Tips for the Young Professional

All information provided by Mannersmith

1.       The Hand Shake.

Hands should be placed web to web in a firm grasp.  2-3 shakes (any longer and it gets awkward).

2.       The Art of Conversation.

Be prepared with a few interesting things to add to any conversation (ie. Books you’ve read or an event you’ve recently attended).  Be sure to ask open ended questions to create lasting conversation.

3.       The Compliment.

Make sure to accept compliments with a thank you and a smile.  Avoid attempting to down-play the compliment with a negative response to avoid attention. Accept it, appreciate it, and move on.

4.       The Business Suit – For women

Skirt suits are considered more formal than pants. Make sure to tailor every suit – fit really makes a difference.  Skirts should always fall at the bottom or top of the knee, no higher.  Remember that the person wearing the most clothing holds the power, so plan accordingly with dark tights or long sleeves.

5.       The Business Suit – For men

Pants with cuffs are considered more formal than those without cuffs.  When determining the number of buttons on your jacket, remember that the shorter the V created by the top of the jacket, the shorter you appear. Sleeves should cover your wrist bone, but not much longer (you don’t want them falling mid-hand).  Shirts without buttons on the collars are considered more formal than those with.

6.       The Color Scheme.

Know what the color of your shirt, tie, suit, or accessory is saying about you.

Dark Purple = royalty, power & money

Green = money

Pink = calm

Red = power

Navy = trust

Brown/Orange = friendly

7.        The Early Departure/Late Arrival.

If you are invited to an event and you have to leave early or arrive late, inform the host prior to the event.  This can help the host plan around your schedule and alert other guests as necessary.

8.       The Dietary Restriction.

If you are invited to a dinner and you have any specific dietary restrictions, make sure to inform the host as early as possible so that he or she can plan accordingly. Failing to do so could end in you not eating and a very embarrassed host.

9.       The Active Listener.

When engaging in conversation, make sure to be attentive and responsive.  Eye contact is very important, but be careful not to stare. A well placed nod can go a long way.  Make sure to ask pointed questions to display you are engaged in the conversation.

10.   The Thank You Note.

Never underestimate the value of the handwritten thank you note. While an email may be sufficient, a handwritten letter says you took the time to care.

Enjoy!

Kaithlyn

Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor