Undergraduate Business Internships

When I started the Kelley MBA program two and a half years ago, I wanted to make sure that I didn’t repeat the same mistakes I made when I graduated from undergraduate school when it was almost impossible for me to find a job.  As I enter into my final semester as an MBA student, I find myself in a much better position than I was when I was entering my final semester as an undergrad.  For starters, I actually have a job, but even more important, I used the experience that I gained from all those failed interviews to structure my MBA experience.  While the degree is essential, it is important to have substance to bring with it, which is something that I lacked as a new college graduate.  All of the internships, volunteer experience, and extracurricular activities that I had during my undergraduate career gave me the opportunity to interview, but I didn’t have what it took to close the deal.  I was more focused on adding to the list of things I have done, than taking the time to really think about and express what those experiences taught me and how they can relate to the job market. 

While this was a tough lesson to learn at the time, it was something that stayed in my mind even after I found a job.  That is why, throughout my time in the MBA program, I have continually asked myself “what can I talk about in a job interview?”  Potential employers are going to look at my resume and see an MBA from the Kelley School of Business, one of the best business schools in the country, and be impressed enough to take the time to interview me.  However, what am I going to say in the interview that will give me an upper hand? What can I say about my time at Kelley that will close the deal?  An interviewer is not going to want to hear about what specifically I learned in class, or the formulas that I have memorized, they are going to want to hear about my experiences and, more importantly, how I can apply these to the job.  Simply following the class schedule required to get the MBA credential and completing the degree as quickly as possible really wasn’t going to provide me with the story I want to tell.  Instead I looked for opportunities to give me something I could talk about…”interview fodder”, if you will. 

For instance, I took the opportunity to participate in DIVE, the entrepreneurship enterprise.  DIVE was a valuable learning experience, and the type of “outside of the classroom” learning I was looking for.  In addition, my DIVE project is a perfect example of something I did in business school that would be interesting to talk about in a job interview, something that a potential employer would like to hear about.  The same can be said about why I joined the Student Advisory Board (formerly the Evening MBA Association).  Not only do these things add to the list, but they will be what will lead my conversation about getting an MBA.

The Kelley School of Business provides countless opportunities to enhance a students experience in the program, from the enterprises, to overseas study opportunities, to mentoring and facilitation sessions.  It is important to take advantage of these and begin to create interesting stories to tell in a job interview. Simply following the schedule to get the degree will only provide a credential that opens a door; it is the experiences you create and can relate that will give you the ability to land the job.  

Students looking for undergraduate business internships, one of the best bits of advice or recruiter memes is "If you want to be interesting, be interested." 

Meaning that if you're really passionate about something you'll likely be learning more about it or be actively involved in it. This is HUGE for recruiters, passion really dazzles in an interview. The new trend in recruiting is hire for attitude, train for skills. Companies can hire endless amounts of average workers, they're really searching for interesting and talented people that are good at a lot of little things. So do your homework on the company you're contacting or interviewing with, odds are they have something about the culture of their company on their website. If you make an effort to be interested in them, they might reciprocate. 

If that whole reciprocation thing doesn't happen make sure to not end the relationship on bad note, because that recruiter might be keeping you in consideration for a future position or might suggest you to another recruiter. Odds are that they'll say something about your background starting with experiental education, something that the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis excels at. A little tip that recruiters find thoughtful is to send a handwritten letter after the interview to thank them for the opportunity.

Kelley Indianapolis students have a unique opportunity to network with recruiters because all of the professors have strong ties in business the community, they know all the right people to connect with. Tip #2 is to chat with your professors and dare I say engage in class.  

So remember "If you want to be interesting, be interested." Do your company culture/identity homework. Network your face off. Be confident in yourself and your abilities. Showoff your passions. Never stop learning. If you can manage to do all those things some sparks should fly in your internship search. 

If any inspiration came from these little thoughts of mine...tell me via twitter @jckilgore. 

I expected to use the skills I've acquired through four years of study in a new job. I hadn't expected these very skills to be so critical in the application process.

Three months ago, I applied for a job with Robert Bosch, LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of the German manufacturing giant. I first discovered the job on the Kelley Careers website, an incredible resource of job, internship, and interview postings open to all Kelley students. The job, very nearly my dream job, is a 24-month rotational finance development program called the Professional Development Program. Through four six-month rotations, the position allows the trainee to experience different functional roles in finance (cost accounting, product forecasting, internal auditing, etc.) while working in different regions and with different teams. I saw the job as an amazing opportunity to gain exposure to different functional roles before finding the optimal fit as well as a chance to see more of the country. With the resume and cover letter I'd created with help from the Career Placement office, I applied for the position. Like applying to a "reach" school, I had hope but little confidence.

A few weeks later, I was contacted by Bosch to set up an initial telephone interview. In addition to standard background questions, the interview was primarily behavioral-based. For those unfamiliar with the concept, behavioral-based interviewing seeks to understand the applicant by asking for examples from work and school of specific events and qualities. I had thought Kelley's insistence on practicing and role-playing answers to behavioral-based questions to be a tad excessive. I'm very glad that I was wrong. I answered maybe a half-dozen questions constructed as: "Tell me about a time that you did [something]" or "Tell me about a time you demonstrated [a quality]." The time spent in class practicing answers to questions very similar to this was immeasurably valuable.  

A few days later, I was invited to complete the next phase of the interview process: a finance case study. This is truly where I appreciated my education at Kelley Indianapolis. In I-Core, the integrative core classes when students take Finance, Operations, and Marketing together, I completed what seemed, at the time, to be an endless series of financial case studies. I lived and breathed in Excel for months, and I resented it. Now, serving as the gatekeeper to my dream job, I found myself staring down a case very similar to those my team and I had completed in the introductory financial management class. Scenario testing and cash flow analysis, concepts I had never even heard of prior to college, were the basis of my deliverable. So much of what we do in higher-level courses at Kelley is case-based. Not only does it allow us to learn from the real world, the skills we gain are incredibly applicable.

I met with my financial management professor and shared what I'd prepared. He made suggestions and provided the kind of mentorship and faculty insights that I've come to value from my Kelley instructors. Then, I submitted the case and waited.

A few weeks later, I received word that I'd made it to the final round. Bosch would be flying me out to Farmington Hills, Michigan to interview and present my case. The PowerPoint presentation skills I'd developed in many of my Kelley classes would be a major factor in whether I was able to attain the job I so dearly wanted.

The flexibility of my professors was invaluable in making preparations to fly to Michigan. Falling as it did the week before exams, the interview conflicted with a number of assignments and presentations in my courses. With enough notice and flexibility, however, all of my instructors were willing to work with me to ensure that I could both complete my assignments and make it to Michigan. Without their support, I would never have been able to get the job.

My time in Farmington Hills is nearly a blur. I was impressed by the quality of the other applicants, both undergraduates and MBA candidates, but working with the bright and talented students at Kelley had prepared me and I did not feel overly intimidated. A series of interviews preceded the presentation of my case study. I believe it was my case study presentation which truly set me apart. Rather than focusing strictly on academic concerns, finance education at Kelley mixes theory and practical application. My ability to focus on pragmatic concerns was appealing to the working professionals evaluating my work.

The final aspect of the interview process was a smaller case study, but built as a group assignment. Two other candidates and I had twenty-five minutes to read and present a mini-case.  Five or six company representatives, in HR, finance, and other disciplines, watched and evaluated both how we worked together and what we ultimately presented. I've heard students complain that too many classes at Kelley Indianapolis involve group work. As I sat down with two strangers to read and present the finance case, I silently thanked every single one of my past group members for the experiences I'd had.

I returned to Indianapolis excited and hopeful, but set thoughts of Bosch aside as I entered final exams. A week later, I received the call. I'd gotten the job.

It's so easy to take for granted everything we learn through our years at Kelley Indianapolis. Attending one of the top 10 business schools is a privilege, but it's more than a sense of honor and accomplishment. The education I've received at Kelly has prepared me in ways I never realized for what I hope and expect to be a bright and exciting future.

As a Kelley senior in my final semester, there is one thing weighing on my mind: locating and landing a job. I am finding it massively stressful. On top of keeping up with classes, having two part-time jobs and an internship I am also trying to research prospective employers, build my portfolio, and get my resume circulating. That’s a lot on my plate. On Saturday though, I attended a workshop for women that at least helped me to get one aspect of job search under my belt, and that is my personal brand.

My personal brand is essentially how people perceive me. When someone says- “Oh you know Carly, she’s _____ “. What goes in that blank? Do I come off as a determined, passionate, hard-worker? That’s the way I see myself, but how does everyone else? I had never given much thought about the fact that I have complete control of what people say in that fill-in-the-blank.

The workshop helped me to determine the values that I find most important and use them as the background for what I want my personal brand to be. This then allowed me to create an elevator speech: a brief, 30-second introduction of myself that attacks the question “So-Carly, what do you do?” I now have a go-to response that I can use anytime that I get asked this, which we all know can happen at any time or place. So without further ado, here is what I created on Saturday: “I am a senior in the Kelley School of Business at IUPUI, majoring in Marketing. I am working part time for T-Mobile as a sales associate as well as Emmis Communications as part of their promotions staff. I am also taking on an internship for the External Affairs office at the Kelley School of Business. I love planning Kelley events and getting undergraduate students more involved. My newest adventure is searching for a full-time Marketing position within the greater Indianapolis area.”

What do you think? I think this elevator pitch lets people know that I like to work hard and love to stay busy, which is how I want to be seen. And the best part is- you can tweak your pitches to work in any given situation- whether you are networking, on an interview, or just talking to a new friend.

The personal branding workshop was great. We talked about other things, including the facilitator’s favorite book, Kounds and Posner’s The Leadership Challenge. I am excited to start reading it. There was even discussion about having more workshops that cover other aspects of your personal brand, like your image. But the best takeaway I received was how to create this effective pitch. I had a wonderful time and met some very great women, and now I am one step closer to finding my post-graduation job.

Carly Griffin
Kelley Indianapolis Senior

 Yesterday, I started a new undergraduate internship at Delta Faucet company located in Carmel, Indiana.  I walked into my new internship with an open mind and ready to learn.  I signed my name about 50 times and then I was ready to take on the day! The new facility was a shock to me coming from a one floor building with 20 employees to a three story building with many different departments. I walked to my new cubicle, and thought to myself, "This is way different, but I'm excited to see what it brings." 

I decided on this new internship to learn more about the profit side of business. After learning a lot about non-profits through my old internship at the GEO Foundation, I decided to use the resources I had to find a new internship.  The resource I used was Kelley Careers, simple and easy to use.  If anyone is looking for an internship this is a good path to use. I am greatful that as a Kelley student I have access to this site and employers can find me. 

Finding your niche can be challenging whether you’re a student or an alum. I can recall being a student at  Kelley School of Business Indianapolis and wondering where I fit in.  It wasn’t until my senior year while working at my undergraduate business internship that I began  to feel close to the answer.  I felt like I was on this never ending quest to figure out exactly who I would be as a young professional.  No worries, it wasn’t a deep quest where I meditated for hours while fasting and backpacking through mountainous regions.  It was more like reflecting on encounters with people I met along the way.  One thing that stood out to me was how the memorable people have been the ones who took the time to simply spark a conversation, have lunch, tell a joke, and, of course, have a venting session.

If you’re still on that job hunt or not exactly where you want to be yet, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that it could always be worse.  One of the best things to do is to remember to have a sense of humor and take the time to reach out to others. Who doesn’t love a good laugh?  I can recall during the Kelley School of Business Back to Business Week at the end of our Snack Attack we were cleaning up and putting away the boxes.  Instead of breaking apart the boxes like a normal person I decided that everyone should karate chop them.  I wish I could say I had the best karate chopping skills, but the other volunteers were much better.  The point is that we had good laughs and made a normally insignificant moment, such as cleaning up, into a fun and memorable experience.

As an alum you continue to try to figure out where you can be most effective and how you can make the greatest impact.  The main thing to remember is that most of the time it doesn’t take much to make a meaningful impact on someone.  It might sound cliché, but it’s certainly true that one act of kindness can go a long way.  You don’t need to save someone out of a burning building, we have firefighters for that, but just take the time to listen.   Life can get pretty tough out there so remember to keep that sense of humor and make the best out of the encounters you have with people. 

 

Time is something you can never have too much of and as an alum you find out that it only gets more hectic.  Work life balance is hard to accomplish without trial and error.  There will be times when you have an “Oops was that today?” moment, even though you had already put in your schedule with several different reminders.  This may happen more frequently than you expected it to.  It almost feels like that time you had the crazy idea of taking six difficult classes in one semester. 

As a new alum life can feel a bit chaotic when it comes to balancing work, social life, family life, and more.   You might start to feel like you’re being pulled in multiple directions at once, but your time is truly valuable.  The best thing to do is take a step back and remember all the times someone took the time to do something for you or managed to fit something into their crazy schedule.  As a new alum your popularity instantly increases because you are needed at many events.  It’s important not to view these invites as another thing to add to your list, but opportunities to enjoy being around the people that helped you become the outstanding person you are today.  There is nothing better than reuniting with your Kelley School of Business team to do something fun for the community.

The 3^rd annual IUPUI Regatta is a great example of how much fun it is to participate in community events. The first two years of the IUPUI Regatta I was a student and it felt even better to come back as a Kelley School of Business alum, especially since the first year I didn’t know what a Regatta was.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I had to ask what a Regatta was because I knew I wasn’t the only one guilty of that “duh” moment.   Thanks to my undergraduate business internship I had a chance to find out what the Regatta was by participating in it, and of course my good buddy Google to make sure I knew what I had to prepare for.  

I’m not quite as brave as the faculty, students, and fellow alumni who race on the waters of the canal on a canoe, but I did get a chance to enjoy hosting the tent games.  This year was even more fun because Robert, a fellow member of the Kelley IndianapolisYoung Alumni Council, joined me to help make our clown toss game the most exciting and entertaining game ever.  Robert put his head against the clown toss board with a comical smile and conveniently caught bean sacks to help out those who might have missed.

It was quite a funny sight because sometimes Robert got hit with the bean sacks and other times there were other Kelley School of Business casualties getting hit from a poorly aimed toss.  We had two year-olds slam dunking bean sacks and adults challenging each other to the best toss.  Children were lining up to show the adults how to get it done. The Deans and faculty members were showing off their tossing skills.  Even the IUPUI mascot got in on the fun!  People of all ages enjoyed our game because we had so much energy and wanted to make sure everyone had a good time. At the end of my shift I had basically lost my voice from all the excitement of the game and the race.  

All in all, the time that I spent that Saturday was definitely worth it.  Yes, life can get extremely busy but it is always worth it to invest time in people.  I had a great time taking pictures with Alumni, supporting the teams, clown tossing, and most of all engaging in the community with my Kelley School of Business family.

Undergraduate Business Internships, pretty much a necessity. With these internships comes interviews.  I have learned this past week that there are many types of interviews. There are very informal interviews where your potential boss tries to find out who you are and how you could benefit the company, not asking very many probing questions. Then you have the interview that you can never be prepared for. Exploring the website and reading articles seem mute in these interviews.

I had one of these interviews this past week. I talked with 3 different people, the first 2, a breeze. Then the head honcho comes in and I think, "Well I just blew it." I had studied the website and thought I knew enough to get by.  I was wrong. He kept asking very hard questions that were tough to answer. Those questions where you just want to get up and walk out because you just don't know how to answer them. The interview ended and I went to class, thinking all day how to become a better interviewee. I came to the conclusion that it just takes practice. 

I read a fascinating article in the Financial Times today (on.ft.com/n1vjS8) about Ted Weschler, a hedge fund manager who spent $5 million in charity auctions to secure lunch with Warren Buffet.  On Monday, Berkshire Hathaway announced that Mr. Weschler will be brought into the company next year in a management role.  More impressively, Mr. Weschler will be one of the two or three people who will manage the firm's more than $66 billion equity and debt portfolio after Mr. Buffett, who is now over 80, leaves the company.

$5 million for lunch seems like an extraordinary amount of money for lunch.  Heck, it IS an extraordinary amount of money for lunch...but compared with the earnings potential of a Berkshire Hathaway executive, it's a drop in the diamond-studded platinum bucket.

What, one might ask, does any of this have to do with us -- members of the Kelley community who likely don't have $5 million, or a track record of managing billions of dollars in assets, to bring to a lunch with the world's most famous investor?

Whether it's a $5 million lunch or a five minute conversation at "Meet the Recruiter," opportunities for networking rely on the same principles: be prepared, be enthusiastic, and, when opportunities don't present themselves, make them.

Be prepared.  Have your "elevator pitch" ready.  If you meet someone at a campus networking event who works in the industry you want to enter, what are you going to say? If you had five minutes with a recruiter for your dream job, what would you tell her?  As one of the top 10 business schools, Kelley provides regular opportunities to interact with industry.  You could meet the CEO of a local company at the annual golf scramble; don't let that be the first time you've thought about what to say.

Be enthusiastic.  You are your greatest champion.  You don't have to be a raging narcissist to enjoy talking about yourself.  Focus on the things that excite you.  Networking gives you the opportunity to speak to someone in a related field about your passions.  That's pretty amazing, so enjoy it.

Make opportunities where you need them.  The Kelley community is vast and represents many nations, states, industries, sectors, companies, and positions.  If no formal networking event matches your interests, leverage the reach of the Kelley brand.  Speak to your professors about their colleagues, their past work experience, and their contacts.  Kelley places many students each semester in undergraduate business internships; has someone on campus done an internship at a company where you'd like to meet someone? Make that connection, and you can forge your own contacts with the organization.   Our faculty have worked in a myriad of industries and positions; has a lecturer worked at the firm you'd like to join?  Make an appointment to have an informational interview with them. 

Every day at Kelley, we meet people - recruiters, speakers, visiting lecturers, fellow students, and more.  Every meeting is an opportunity to build our brand, to prostleytize, to lay the foundation for future reward (personal, professional, financial, etc.).  Whether you're pursuing an undergraduate finance degree or a supply chain MBA, opportunities to network are everywhere on campus.

Even without a million dollar lunch.

You finally made it to the other side! Your days of jammed packed schedules, juggling crazy jobs, and trying to squeeze in a few hours of sleep are over. You’re finally done with group projects, research, homework, undergraduate business internships, taking exams and the obligations of college. Then you realize that you still have to do all that stuff you were obligated to do anyways. Ironic isn’t it? No worries, life as an alum is so much more than what you did as a student, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and focus on the first step to entering your new life as an alum.

You’re officially an alum when you graduate. I completed my coursework at Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, an accredited business school, in December 2010. My transition as an alum was slightly different than a May graduate due to the wait for the graduation ceremony. It was weird to have completed all of the requirements, but be in graduation limbo.

I’m not going to lie, I wanted to do back flips at the end of my last semester, but it still didn’t feel real to me. It didn’t begin to sink in until March when I got an email prompting me to order a cap and gown, and congratulating me on my degree completion. One of the most important emails a December graduate will receive lets you know your diploma is ready to be picked up. I was very excited to have proof of my hard work in hand, and ready to put it in my hall of fame (a.k.a. a frame in my living room).

I was so thrilled I could hardly wait to wear my cap and gown. It may have been the only time I didn’t mind looking like a penguin with a platter on my head. Parking was almost impossible to find and Commencement was crazy with multiple graduations and ceremonies simultaneously starting and ending while you look for your spot. The great part is you get to see everyone again.

All of the graduates are nervous, excited, and soon to be very hungry by the time you get to that moment. Yes, the moment you walk across the stage and get your diploma case. If you want the full experience of getting your name announced you had to go to your school ceremony right after. This is where the real reunion takes place and the Facebook graduation pictures are taken. You finally hear your name and get that rolled up paper symbolizing a diploma and a weight lifts off of you. The moment finally arrives when you say “Yes, I did it!”

 Tuesday was Kelley's Accounting Meet the Recruiter event in the Campus Center.  As the offical kick-off of the recruiting season, Meet the Recruiter brings employers and students together in an informal, information-oriented event.  For students pursuing an accounting degree, Meet the Recruiter is the best opportunity to make initial contact with accounting firms and other interested companies.  

More than just making contact with recruiters, though, Meet the Recruiter brings Kelley alumni back campus with their employers.  It was a thrill to see friends from the past few years come share their experience and enthusiasm with current accounting students.

One of the great advantages of attending one of the top 10 business schools is the strong connections Kelley enjoys with employers.  Not only does the Kelley name on our resumes go a long way in opening doors, it actually attacts employers to us.  The Meet the Recruiter event is a wonderful opportunity to begin "building our brand" and preparing for the first round of interviews.

As I walked into the Campus Center this afternoon, I realized how lucky I was as a Kelley student to have the full support of the Career Placement Office.  They had prepared me in so many ways for this event and for the job search process.  Undergraduate business internships helped flesh out my resume and make me a more attractive candidate.  Resume and cover letter workshops, mock interviews, and degree-specific information sessions have all helped me feel confident as I rode the escalator up to the waiting recruiters.

It is so easy to take for granted all the small things that make Kelley more than just an accredited business school.  My experience today helped remind me to be thankful, not just for the education I've received in the classroom, but all the other support that Kelley provides to its students every day.

To my fellow students pursuing an accounting degree: do not miss the Meet the Recruiter event.  It truly is the very best start to what promises to be an exciting and challenging season.

Sometimes I rush to finish projects that are extremely exciting or I spend more time on them than I should due to that high interest. Right now, it feels like I'm getting ready to reach that crossroad with school and life, in the first week of my internship I'm totally in love. I mean who wouldn't love freedom to perform, a highly contagious culture, and sheer trust that you are more than capable to take on anything that is thrown at you. All of those things were conveyed to me in the first week of Slingshot SEO's bootcamp experience. It was made clear that Slingshot will completely expect me to fully utilize the experiential education that Kelley Indianapolis provides me, which is definitely exciting. So to recap, my internship is going to be awesome!

For those of you that know me well, the silver lining of the first day of school is that my birthday typically falls on it. Exciting stuff, right?! My final semester at Kelley School of Business is going to be challenging with four marketing classes, the analysis of business decisions capstone class, and history of 70's and 80's rock online (It can't be all of about the business right :) ).

I'm definitely up for the challenge of juggling all of these classes and an undergraduate business internship.

I was recently told to "keep my enthusiasm high" by someone that I feel will be one of the best business professors I'll have ever had. I really feel that positivity and enthusiasm are thoughts that are highly contagious and keys to great starts.

As always follow me on twitter to track my daily thoughts and to follow my journey @jckilgore 

To be honest, I'm not really ready to go back to school. I feel though I've barely had a summer, and I've actually felt "burnt out" as of lately. I've spent most of the day with friends talking about how I don't want to go back and wishing summer was just a little bit longer.

Not that this summer wasn't great and wasn't a break, but it just went so fast with my undergraduate business internship and online classes. My brain didn't get a chance to take a real break where I could just vegetate, but I guess that's also not really my personality either. Regardless, I'm left thinking... when's fall break getting here?

Does anyone feel like summer wasn't long enough?

The start of a new semester is a lot like fruit. When it starts it tastes crisp, juicy, and ripe. But as the semester rolls on it starts to dry out and become less appealing. Because this is my last semester, my goal is to keep it fresh all semester. Go out steam-rolling.

I've started my internship with the marketing gang in External Affairs. I have been looking forward to working with this group since I found out late last semester I would have the opportunity to do so. There is a professional sitting at each chair in that office. I'm determined to soak up everything I can from them. My role will be to research the competition surrounding the Kelley School of Business. How do schools in the metro-area that offer undergraduate and graduate programs recruit students? What graduate programs do they offer? What makes them unique? What types of media are they using? Once all of these questions are answered the team will be able to better understand how they should mold and deliver their message to students.

All in all, this semester will be a huge learning experience and I intend to do my best at taking in the drops of knowledge that will be handed to me.

Keep it fresh! -d