Kelley Indianapolis Guest Bloggers

From Kelley Indianapolis' Kyle Hickey, Marketing, Supply Chain and International Studies - Class of 2012

Surprisingly, over the past four years I have never really thought about what the last day of my undergraduate degree would look like. However, the past few months I have had many thoughts about this coming day and what it will most likely look like. One thing I do know is there will be many emotions wrapped up on commencement day.

Putting on my cap and gown the day of commencement will be the beginning to a very special day. I picture commencement day where my family, best friends, and Kelley staff and faculty will be there to celebrate with me. I know there will be many “thank yous” passed out from my side for all the people who have helped me get to where I am now and who I know will help me in the future.

I also look forward to being with my friends and seeing them walk across the stage. These friends have been my closest for the last four years, and it makes me really happy to be graduating with them. When studying got hard, when writing didn’t come, when relaxing was needed, when laughing was a must, and when lecturing got dry – my friends were always there for me.

My family, who I know is so proud of me, also will be there to celebrate with me. It truly humbles me to think of what my parents have sacrificed and done to help me complete these four years. I know that they are really proud, and it means the world that they will be there to congratulate me. Walking across the stage will signify one very important phase of life coming to a close and the beginning of a new, exciting phase of life. Commencement day will be one of the happiest days of my life.

From Kelley Indianapolis' Kyle Hickey, Marketing, Supply Chain and International Studies - Class of 2012

This semester has come to a close as will my undergraduate experience here at Kelley. Thoughts have been racing through my mind such as: registering for classes, buying a parking permit, finding the best deal on books, and seeing which friends are going to be in my classes. However, there is not going to be another semester. I graduate in a couple of days. It is a strange, bizarre, yet exciting realization all at the same time. Reflecting over the past four years has been limited due to taking 17 credit hours, working a part-time job, working as an intern, and juggling friends. Now that it is all over, I want to reflect on some of the most memorable and valuable experiences I have had at Kelley Indianapolis.

Because IUPUI is a commuter school, some students don’t make new friends and connections. Some are satisfied with their existing high school friends. Others simply come to school to get a degree. A degree, to me, is much more than just a sheet of paper saying I have completed something–it has a much deeper and lasting importance.

I-Core was my first Kelley experience about which I was really excited and proud to be a Kelley student. Through this experience I was able to connect with my three group members in a way that is unexplainable. Each of us had a distinct personality, along with special skills, that enabled us to work together and come up with the best possible plan for the organization we worked with. These group members are like family now and I would do anything for them.

Yes, I know all of you have had group members that do not contribute their parts, but for the ones you really do connect with, hold on to and never let them go. You are going to be out in the real world very soon working with a group of people, make the most of it and hear their input and recommendations. If you listen to them, they will listen to you. I have learned so much respect for others throughout my four years at Kelley by being in so many group settings.

As college students, we see Kelley professors and staff as people we can’t relate to. We think they live completely different from us. This is how I saw them for my first year or so. However, I realized they are people who understand college students the best, and they can relate to me in so many ways. Once I was struck by this realization, I began to actually build relationships with my professors and staff by talking and listening to their advice. Now that graduation has come around, I am so thankful for the relationships and connections that have been built with so many Kelley professors and staff. They only want the best for each of you, so take time to talk and relate to them. They will be there for you after your days at Kelley are over.

From Kelley Indianapolis' Kyle Hickey, Marketing, Supply Chain and International Studies - Class of 2012

Most college students have been hounded by someone asking, “Do you have an internship?” If your answer is no, then keep looking until you find one.  You will learn countless things that are not listed in traditional job descriptions. Before college even began, I knew that I wanted to complete an internship before graduation, and I have. Here are three tips to make your internship experience valuable and productive.

At the beginning of my junior year, I started my internship search. I devoted most of my Christmas break to interviewing and developing a list of 200 working professionals with whom I could network. I also studied for my insurance license because I thought I would be working in that field. I started the second week of January with an entire week of insurance training. The training went great, and I was all pumped up to go sell some insurance. The staff was always excited, and it seemed like the environment was a great fit for me. However, after three weeks, I realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. What I am trying to communicate is you will never know until you try it. Take a chance on something, open the door to new experiences, and determine your place in the company.

Not long after my short-lived internship in insurance, I was told about a different internship opportunity. This internship turned out to be the right one for me. During my interning experience I have come to realize that flexibility is probably one of the most important things I have learned. Throughout my yearlong internship, I dabbled in marketing research, special event coordination, photography, and videography. Working with the professionals in each of these areas has allowed me to gain skills that I never thought possible if I would have solely been a photography intern. No matter where you are, you have the ability to learn new things and try things outside what you are used to.

My last tip: Do not treat your internship like a job, but like an extra class. You are there to learn from those around you and gain an understanding of what it is like to work in a professional job setting. If you develop relationships during your internship, these professionals will help you succeed in the future. They will offer career advice, résumé critique, recommendations, or connections they have. To conclude, be open, friendly, trainable, and excited about the internship you have. It could change your future forever. I know it did mine.

 

Submitted by Kelley Indianapolis' Melissa Seibert, 2007 Marketing and HR Alumna.
If you would like to share your Super Bowl Experience please take a moment and fill out our simple form.

While I am a volunteer for Super Bowl XLVI, I also want to experience the excitement as a guest. So, since last Friday, I've taken in Super Bowl Village twice and the NFL Experience.

In my first view of Super Bowl Village, I struggled to express all the emotions I was feeling. I'm a life-long Hoosier and a thirty-year resident of Indianapolis. I was and am so proud of my city and state and the way we have transformed into a true Super Bowl city.

The energy downtown is palpable. Everyone is smiling, having a good time, and who cares about the crowds and weather? Doesn't matter because our Hoosier hospitality is addictive and spreads fast.

Attached are a couple of pictures. I'm the one on the left in front of the NFL logo, a 2007 Kelley graduate. I was hanging with my sister, niece and friend.

The other picture is the JW Marriott. No matter how many times I see this image on the building, I smile, and want to take pictures. This really could remain a permanent display, in my opinion.

Have a "super" day!

From Kelley Indianapolis' Marc Lane, JD/MBA student

As the turn of the year presents me with new resolutions, career ambitions, and life challenges, I look ahead to the mountainous range of lofty ambitions I’ve set with promise, vigor, and even a bit of reserved apprehension. My journey these first few weeks begins, as past year’s journeys have, seemingly productive and positive, with the freshness of youthful purpose. But, each step towards a mountain presents a new perspective, a closer look; each goal becomes a bit more daunting and the mountain a bit taller. I’ve faced this realization in the past, and have come to know it well. Each year, its passion meets with demoralizing demise where reachable hill tops have become the Himalayan Summit.

While this illustration might seem embellished, I ask you to consider carefully the expectations and goals you’ve set for yourself, your significant others, and those within your reach at work. Personally, I’ve gained much through carefully considering my own abilities and managing expectations. However, I do not wish to quell the human spirit, to tread on the dreams of those passionate enough to challenge the mountains, the lofty goals we dream of achieving. My goal is only to provide an alternative perspective.

In my youth, my career goals often emulated the depiction presented above. Through experience I’ve gained a great appreciation for the value of meeting small goals, and an understanding that lofty ambitions always require a thousand steps in between departure and reaching the summit. Why do we so often overlook the small successes we achieve? These successes are like footholds in the mountainside; they are the foundations upon which we stand to take the next step towards the peak, towards our ultimate ends. Without recognizing and appreciating these small gains and the realization of progress in the midst of various struggles and minor defeats we lose perspective of where we’ve come from. We focus only on the distance between our current position and the lofty goals we’ve set. And, in time the negatives begin to weigh upon us; breaking us down.

Whether your goal is to become a CEO, president, the top sales person on your team, a better husband/wife, a better father/mother, a better friend, or even a better you, this practice remains equally invaluable. Dismantle lofty goals into logical, rational and reachable stepping stones. Develop an understanding of why each step is important, and celebrate the successes of reaching smaller mountain tops. I promise, you’ll come to find the road less daunting and in the end you’ll look back upon your journey with a greater appreciation for what you’ve accomplished.

Recommended reading: The Progress Principle; Leadership and Self-Deception; The Leadership Challenge; Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

• U.S. manufacturing posts solid growth
  The manufacturing sector is demonstrating remarkable strength as the broader U.S. economy struggles to get back on its feet. In every month since October 2009, manufacturers have been planning to expand their payroll rather than shrink it, according to the Institute for Supply Management. That represents the longest continuous period of planned hiring in manufacturing since 1972. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (05 Jan.), South Bend Tribune (Ind.)/The Associated Press (05 Jan.)
• U.S. corporate dividends are on track to set a record in 2012
  U.S. companies are likely to raise dividends to a record of more than $252 billion this year, according to Standard & Poor's. Firms included in the S&P 500 index paid $240.6 billion in dividends in 2011, the most since 2008. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (10 Jan.)

From Kelley Indianapolis' Jonathan Jerden, Faculty and Graduate Program Coordinator

Six months. The typical career search in today’s job market takes six months. Factors that make it longer include you jumping to another industry, to another geography, and changing your functional area (e.g. from engineering to finance), needing H 1-B visa sponsorship, and lack of preparation.

Here are seven steps to finding a great job while avoiding the latter:

1. Get yourself packaged so that you tell a compelling story complete with all the essential information by upgrading your resume to 21st century standards, pulling together five outstanding references, memorizing your elevator speech, articulating three strengths and one weakness, and building a captivating professional portfolio.
2. Reassess all your skills, interests, leadership and management aptitude, and even your entrepreneurial and personality preferences. Hundreds of valid assessment are available on line and many are free.
3. Get fluid in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging… and then add content to each to broaden your story and add credibility to your job search. For example, the Recommendations app within LinkedIn may be the most powerful insight that prospective employers have to your character and integrity. Social media is a large part of your marketing campaign. The campaign that sells you.
4. Be ready to match your skills and experience line for line with each job description during the first interview. Do this by setting up a two-column Word document and for every duty, responsibility, requirement and expectation, type in your response and take it with you in the interview. It is not enough to be a good fit in the eyes of the employer – you must ‘blow the competition away’ by exceeding expectations. This is one way to do it.
5. Read books. Anything. Inventory them all via the Amazon app in LinkedIn and then talk about it during the interview. It shows, among others, that you are current and fresh.
6. Network like crazy. Over the course of six months plan on communicating with 150 people about you and your career.
7. Hone your skills on interviewing and negotiating a job offer. In the interviews ask as many questions of them as they fire at you, discuss salary upfront, and converse as if you are potential shoulder-to-shoulder partners. You are. Remember that the typical salaried job offer leaves $20,000 on the table. 48 hours following the job offer, plan on a rapid-fire 15-minute negotiation with your future boss, where you walk away with the job in hand, a happier boss pleased with your win-win style, and extra money in your pocket.

From Kelley Indianapolis' Glen A. Larsen, Professor of Finance

As bad as it may seem, the U.S. economy is providing a bit of holiday cheer this season. According to The Conference Board, consumer confidence increased 37 percent from October to November and posted the highest reading since July. More impressively, the November point increase was the biggest monthly jump since April 2003 and the sixth largest on record. 

Early shopping results from Thanksgiving weekend suggested many consumers remain confident in the U.S. economy. Even though the housing market remains mired in a protracted slump with the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Index of home prices falling 0.6 percent in September and posting an increase in only one month in the past year, lower home prices combined with low mortgage rates are keeping housing affordability near all-time highs. The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index (LEI) increased 0.9 percent in October, following a 0.1 percent increase in September, and a 0.3percent  increase in August. 

According to The Conference Board, the LEI is pointing to continued growth this winter, possibly even gaining a little momentum by spring. The lack of confidence has been the biggest obstacle in generating forward momentum, domestically or globally. Therefore, the big jump in consumer confidence in November suggests this obstacle, while not eliminated, is at least putting up much less resistance. In summary the U.S. economy has continued to plod forward despite the economic problems in Europe. U.S. consumers are becoming more confident about the economy and early results from the holiday shopping season are promising. If signs continue to emerge that consumers are boosting their spending, this could help blunt some of the negative impact of a slowdown in Europe and provide support for continued economic growth in the U.S. 

So, in a year where negative headlines may have been written by the Grinch, there are signs that the future may be marked by a shining star.