Canadian Leadership...

In May, I was one of 23 students to attend the Tefler School of Management Canadian Leadership Orientation Program in Montreal and Ottawa, Canada.


Through this program, I met with Canadian business professors, politicians, and corporate executives. This experience provided invaluable, first-hand exposure to Canada's economic, industrial, and financial market structures, and helped me become more informed about North American free trade practices. Aside from business, I had a great time as a tourist in Canada as this trip beat any of my expectations. I spent a week in the country prior to the program enjoying the sights: white water rafting, touring Montreal by bicycle, and receiving a personal tour of the Canadian Parliament building. Canada has so much to offer. This was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend a trip to Canada.

By Kyle Pietila, Illinois MBA Class of 2011

MBA2 Internship Update

Hello everyone!

Many of our students are spending their summer completing their summer internships across the United States and locally. Find out more about their summer internship experiences here.

Matt Lesh – Sales Intern, Cooper Industries

Hey everyone!

I'm working as a sales intern for Cooper Industries – B-Line Division in Highland, Ill. My primary project for the summer is to produce a sales conversion manual for the Cooper sales team. The sales conversion manual will help sales managers accurately identify and execute customer product line conversions from our competitors to Cooper products. As part of my research, I am traveling with Regional Sales Managers throughout the Midwest and Gulf Coast in order to observe and document current sales conversions methods. I am residing in St. Louis for the summer as well. In my free time I have visited many St. Louis attractions including Anheuser-Busch, Busch Stadium, St. Louis Zoo, museums, restaurants, and bars. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall and hope you all have a great summer!

--Matt
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Michael Boryca – Intern, Ford Motor Company

I did a bit of research as far as living arrangements, and found a nice complex out in Euclid,Ohio, which is about a 30-minute drive to and fro, but the plus side is that it’s right on Lake Erie, so I am enjoying the whole “on the water” arrangement.

I’m involved in putting together a preventive maintenance process for the automation tooling used on the press lines, which stamp sheet steel for auto body parts – mostly the Econoline van at this plant. The ultimate goal is to decrease downtime in the long-run due to tooling breakage and set-up. It makes for pretty good work, with the best part being the autonomy I have to go about it as I see fit; while the facet I like least is quite simply the noise of the stamping plant – it wears on a person a bit.

Aside from wandering around a stamping plant during work hours, there’s plenty to do in the area. I’ve found the Warehouse District to be the most entertaining part of Cleveland with a pretty good assortment of restaurants, bars, and the like, so I tend to pass the time relaxing at various locales. One of the most interesting things I’ve done was the 409 and Gasser reunion at the local drag strip. There’s also a 50s-themed diner in Mentor – which isn’t too far from where I live – that makes for a good Saturday morning stop. There is a very good Blues scene in Cleveland, and wherever someone’s playing makes for a good place to grab a drink.

All in all, it’s a slick position, and the most beneficial thing I’ve found outside work is just to get to know the area. There is a lot to do and not enough time to do it all. See you all in the fall!

--Mike
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Anthony Stedillie – Capital Broker

Hello future and present MBA-ers!

This summer I am working as a Capital Broker and raising money for two private firms in Denver, Colo. I’m also working for an animation studio trying to produce a feature-length animation. My bosses are the CEOs of the companies and the producer/director of the film. Each project requires me to collaborate with and advise clients on their business plan, financial analysis, funding and investor strategies, and investor proposals/presentations. My experiences in Illinos Business Consulting (IBC) gave me a solid foundation in how to develop ideas and recommendations and how to present them. I work between home and a shared office space, where meetings and presentations are held. I'm living with my parents to save money and for the peaceful and quiet environment of the country. My favorite thing about this job is that I get to directly advise the CEOs of companies. My least favorite part of the job does not exist, because I like it all.

Because my job allows me so much freedom, some of the most exciting things I have done are traveling across the country and four-wheeling, camping, and cliff-diving in Moab, Utah. My all-time favorite restaurant is 21 Oceanfront and it just happens to be in Newport Beach, Calif., but my favorite Denver restaurant is Tables.

My favorite quote: "Sometimes life's greatest accomplishments happen when you're on the brink of failure." – Anonymous

That’s all for now – enjoy summer, school will be back before you know it!

--Anthony

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Alan Auyeung – Intern, 004 Technologies USA

Hi All! Lucky me – I got an internship in amazing Champaign. I decided to rent a room in a house with other MBA classmates, and we are having a blast!

My summer project covers a lot, including PR/Media, marketing research, and business development. 004 Technologies is a start-up; it's exciting because everything is new. Being in a small office, even though you are an intern, you play a big role in the team. However, the office is a little bit bare bones at the moment – but that will change as the business grows and matures. My favorite parts of the job are the flexibility and the relaxed atmosphere.

When I’m not at the office, the roomies and I like to grill out, and I’ve also taken up salsa dancing. My favorite restaurant in Champaign is the Golden Harbor on Neil St., and I enjoy a cold drink at the Blind Pig Brewery. I haven’t had any crazy experiences this summer – yet. But, since its only June, I am still planning on doing SOMETHING adventurous. I hope you are all having fun this summer and making lots of friends…look forward to meeting you in the fall.

--Alan
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Eric Reside – Project Management Intern, Volition, Inc.

Hey Team MBA! I am working this summer as an intern at Volition in Champaign. The office is above Jim Gould's and Kofusion. I decided to stay in the same off-campus apartment that I live in during the school year – Capstone Quarters.

I am currently working with the Project Management team for an unannounced video game. I handle a variety of tasks including workload balancing, PTO scheduling, and mid-level planning. My team is incredibly laid back and casual. Volition is a very young company with the average age of the employees in the mid-30s. So far my favorite part of the job has been the casual atmosphere and the fact that no one takes them self too seriously.

To be honest, I would have preferred to be in the Chicago area for the summer, but living in Champaign is much less expensive – and there is still a lot to do. When I’m not at work, I mainly hang out with friends that are also down here for the summer. We like to grab drinks at Firehaus and Guido’s, and I have been spending a lot of free time at Farren's (burger joint) and Aroma Café, both located in the vibrant downtown Champaign area.

I spent 10 days in Italy this past May and plan to go skydiving before summer is over. Enjoy your vacation!

--Eric

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Pablo Bonnin – Intern, Studley

Hello everybody! This summer I am in Washington, D.C., working for Studley, a leading national real estate brokerage company. With my background in architecture I decided to try my luck in development and commercial real estate. The internship came last minute, so I scrambled to find housing weeks before my starting date. I currently reside in a George Washington University dorm in Foggy Bottom and have a short commute to work every day.

Everybody in the city seems to be involved in politics and know exactly what is happening around the world day-by-day; just ask any cab driver. I come in to work around 8:30 and collaborate with a team of eight primarily doing research for current and future university housing developments. From there, a teammate and I create proposals and business plans for significant investment deals. After work, which comes around 6:30 in the evening, I’ll enjoy my time at a nearby happy hour or salsa dancing or relaxing to a nice cigar. Weekends in the summer are a fun time to spend at a pool or biking just outside the city.

Now to get back to work . . ..

--Pablo
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John Foley – Strategic Resources Intern, State Farm Insurance

Hi All! I am spending the summer in Champaign working as a Strategic Resources Intern for State Farm Insurance. I am living in the same apartment that I stayed at in school so finding a place to live was not a problem for me!

I am working on two projects this summer. The first is gathering information about each state and producing a report on its current status in a variety of factors: economy, customer base, State Farm Agents, and competitors, etc. Many people within the company use these reports to quickly get up to a speed on the conditions of an area, especially if they are moving or traveling. The second project is part of State Farm’s innovationREADY™ program, and I am leading a team of interns in researching opportunities for State Farm to better use technology to recruit State Farm agents. We are researching the technologies that are available, finding data that indicates how successful implementation of these technologies has been in the past, and determining what could be a good fit for agency recruiting at State Farm.

The atmosphere where I work is relaxed. There are about 60 interns working here in Champaign at State Farm Research and Development Center. I work on a team with four other interns, all undergraduate students, with very different educational backgrounds (i.e. computer science, actuarial science, marketing, MBA). The management at the RDC is doing a very good job in promoting a fun learning and working environment. They have really made an effort getting to know the interns and spending some time with them. My project sponsors at corporate have also been very receptive to interns and done a good job of communicating with us and showing interest in the work we are doing.

The thing I like most about my job is the people that work at State Farm and the perks that they provide for their employees. The only thing that I do not really like about my job is that one of my projects is fairly repetitive and dull while the other is much more organic and creative. At least the projects are keeping me busy!
When I’m not in the office, I play and watch sports, golf, and enjoy my summer vacation. I’ve also had more time to visit home this summer, so spending time with my family has been a definite plus. Also, State Farm has a park for its employees, with a water park, miniature golf course, a lake, and a variety of sports fields and courts. I have spent some time there and really have fun.

Finally, for those new students who need a great restaurant and a nice bar to grab a drink, try Alexander’s Steakhouse and Firehaus – two of my favorites!

See you all in the fall!

--John
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Kristen Lisa – Product Marketing Intern, Advanced Micro Device, Inc. (AMD)

Hey Everyone!

This summer I am in Austin, Tex., working as an Intern on the Product Marketing Launch team at AMD. I have one fairly large project to work on – and it is certainly a challenge! I have been asked to look at the entire marketing organization, as it relates to the launch of a new product, and identify points of cross-functional collaboration and process breakages. Essentially, I will create a “bird’s eye view” of the marketing processes in place to identify pain points, duplications of effort, and areas in need of development. Then I will prioritize the problematic areas and make recommendations for process improvements to drive efficient communication across all marketing teams and consistent work flows throughout the launch process. I have really enjoyed the time I have been able to spend with key stakeholders in each marketing division. Having the chance to spend one-on-one time with senior managers has given me great experience not only in communication but also in building relationships. There isn’t really anything that I don’t like about my gig, however, there have been a few days when the work load seems light and I have extra time to kill – drives me nuts! I like to stay busy and have a lot to do, which makes me feel productive!

In my spare time I have been enjoying all the things that Austin has to offer – great food, live music, beautiful weather, and the lake! I saw Passion Pit at the famous Stubbs BBQ last weekend and have gotten the chance to see a lot of local bands play. The music scene here is amazing and I’m totally taking advantage! I have also taken a deep dive into the amazing cuisine here: everything from gourmet BBQ to sushi to Texas-style cheesesteaks! Everything is so delicious . . . it’s hard to choose just one favorite. But, if I was forced, Madam Mam’s Thai is my favorite restaurant with Hyde Park’s famous French fries as a close second. I have also spent a lot of time outdoors – wave running on Lake Travis, getting the perfect tan at the pool, and running whenever I can (after 8 p.m. when it’s only 85 degrees instead of 100!). Austin is amazing – it will be so hard to leave when my internship is over!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer vacation and looking forward to the fall semester! I can’t wait to meet all the new MBAs and reunite with all my friends!

Best wishes!

--Kristen

My two cents on a job search when hiring is weak...

It has been a hectic two years at the Illinois MBA and with that I have realized a long-cherished dream to earn my MBA. I consider myself fortunate that I landed a job in exactly what I wanted to do after my MBA. My job search has been intense, and I would like to share what I have learned from my experience of successfully completing a job search in this difficult economy, and that too as an international student. Let me go ahead and explain each and every aspect of my job search in detail.

Business Career Services

I would suggest everyone to work very closely with the Career Services team. I kept talking to my career advisor and taking advice on a regular basis. Make sure you know what your advisor expects of you in your career search. They are here to facilitate your career search, but ultimately you need to be in charge of your job search. Both of my internship interviews came through opportunities created by Career Services, and I finally accepted one of the internship offers. Whether you become successful in an interview or not, always share your interview experience with them. They might have some valuable feedback based on how your interview went. In fact, they often have the opportunity to get direct feedback from on-campus recruiters regarding the interviews.

Career Fairs on Campus

The next big resource for a job search is the various career fairs offered on campus. Initially I could not differentiate what strategy I needed for campus job fairs vs. nationwide job fairs like NSHMBA, etc. Both require some amount of planning in terms of how you are going to talk to the company representatives. Consulting companies are highly sought after, and one has to wait for long hours before actually getting to talk to a company executive. I think that the main aspect of a campus job fair is to go ahead and talk to the person from the right department in the organization. Different departments are looking for students of specific interest to them, and it pays off much better to talk to the right person from the area of work you are interested in. After I utilized this strategy, I actually received an interview call for a full-time position thanks to a contact I made at the business career fair.

National Career Fairs (such as NSHMBA)

National career fairs are a great opportunity for a job search, and the NSHMBA (National Society of Hispanic MBAs) Conference was a good experience for me personally. I highly advise that you go to these fairs with a significant amount of preparation. They can be extremely overwhelming because of the sheer number of companies and students attending. One needs to start applying for the jobs at the companies represented at the career fairs well in advance so that you have at least a couple of off-site interview calls when you go. And once you get there, try talking to as many executives as possible from the companies you are interested in. I had an interview with a company for a full time position, and I can’t be certain, but I do attribute it to the fact that I had struck a chord with most of the executives present at the career fair. One of my classmates got her full-time offer from NSHMBA by adopting a similar strategy.

It needs to be mentioned here that the MBA program sponsors up to a certain amount (around $300) for attending such job fairs and conferences. So these conferences are a must-attend for anyone in the program.

Networking – What is it?

From the moment you join the MBA program, you will be asked to network. But what is networking and what is the correct way to go about it? The whole idea of networking can be very difficult to get started with. A good way to start would be to get to know your classmates from different countries. Catch up with them after class and try and talk to them as much as possible. This is a great way to get comfortable talking to strangers and finding ways to find a common connection or interest.

Professors

We have a great faculty team here, and they have great industry connections. Do not shy away from reaching out to your professors for help for your internship and job search. Most of them will be more than happy to help you in your career search. One of my classmates got his internship through the connections of one of our professors. So connecting to our professors is always a good idea, and is something that a lot of my classmates did not consider.

Guest Lectures

Many professors get external speakers from the industry to speak during class hours. One should always look at these opportunities to connect to the speakers and talk to them. Most speakers are usually top executives, and it always helps to connect with them and build a relationship. I had a couple of interviews by networking with organizations of the guest speakers and have accepted a full-time offer from one of them. So never miss out on any opportunity to connect with guest speakers.

LinkedIn

This is a great online resource to get connected to people, especially alumni of the Illinois MBA. Furthermore, most big executives are on LinkedIn and are fairly active. This is a platform where you can actually reach out to anyone of interest. And let me tell you, some people are really very responsive and willing to help. I reached out to many top executives from various companies and even met a couple of them for informational interviews. Some of the top executives are really willing to help and appreciate the fact that you have been proactive in reaching out to them. My suggestion would be to start using LinkedIn early in your MBA and dedicate at least one hour per day to reach out to people.

Websites (online applications)

Most companies you talk to at job fairs suggest to go and apply online. Also, there are a lot of jobs posted online by most companies. I realize many of the applications submitted online usually end up in a black hole, but I have on a number of occasions received emails from HR asking further details about my online application. A few in my class received internship offers from their online applications. So you should not write off online applications. They do work in your favor if you are persistent.

Power of email

Finally, my biggest learning has been to never underestimate the power of your email. Do not hesitate to shoot emails to anyone you think can be of any help to you. The worst that can happen is that you will not get a reply. But always remember one thing – once an email reaches someone’s inbox, no matter how busy that person is, he/she will read it eventually.

These are all based on my experiences and learning during my job search. I think there are many things that I could have done better, but the fact that I kept trying and did not lose hope in the midst of a tough economy is what enabled me to eventually attain a tremendous position. I look forward to utilizing my MBA education as I start my post-MBA career. I hope these ideas will be helpful in your successful job search and that you will realize your dreams for a highly successful career.

Illinois MBA teams up with the Eastern Illinois Foodbank

The Illinois MBA is teaming up with the Eastern Illinois Foodbank to help alleviate hunter. This month-long service project is part of an initiative sponsored by The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) called TeamMBA which was created to celebrate, promote, and publicize the outstanding community and volunteer work that is performed by graduate management programs.

Here's some thoughts from first-year MBA, Kyle Harshbarger, about one of the activities during the month coordinated by the MBA Service Association.

The Illlinois MBA Service Association teamed up with the Eastern Illinois Foodbank this past Saturday to help hungry people in and around Champaign County. After a tour of the facilities, a dozen Illinois MBAs bagged, boxed and stacked six pallets of dry beans which will be shipped to food pantries and soup kitchens. After taking care of one ton of beans, they tackled mixed green can labeling and boxing. Two and three-quarter pallets later, the mixed vegetables were ready for distribution.

Students learned how the foodbank is essentially a not-for-profit distribution center for foods, but also learned about it's financial structure. The bagging and packaging processes gave thema first-hand experience in manufacturing processing, bottlenecks and experience curves. Thanks to the MBA students efforts, Comcast will be donated an estimated $2,500 to the foodbank. Because of their ability to purchase bulk food at discounts, this is equivalent to $25,000 in retail food.

MBAA Spring Picnic

This past weekend the MBA Association hosted a spring picnic at Hessel Park in Champaign. It was an opportunity for everyone to gather and socialize. Not only were the students present at this event, professors also came with their families. Our Associate Dean, Stig Lanesskog, also join in on the festivities helping us barbecue the meats.

People also brought their families and friends and join in on some friendly touch football games. We also took this opportunity to talk about community involvement as the MBA program is currently working to raise money for the Eastern Illinois Foodbank.

Events like this gives us the opportunity to see classmates we don't meet very often. This is especially true for the MBA2s because by the time we are in the second year of the program, we often only see the classmates who have the same degree concentration. It was really great to catch up with some old friends!

Illinois MBA in India

During the winter break seven members from the second year MBA class, including myself, were in India to conduct field research for projects from the course Sustainable Product and Market Development for Subsistence Marketplaces. We visited Chennai, New Delhi, Agra, and Hyderabad. There are four different projects from the class and they focus on sanitation, vision, health, and education. Each team conducted interviews with members from the urban areas and villages in Chennai, New Delhi, and Hyderabad to gather information vital to developing products and business plans. Everyone also had the chance to visit local organizations including the Sulabh International Social Service Organization in New Delhi, Tata Consulting, and Infosys.

It wasn't all work as we got to sample the Indian cuisine and culture. We visited several amazing sites, including the Shore Temple in Chennai, the Red Fort, and the Taj Mahal. We also got to taste the various types of curries from the cities. I really enjoyed the spicy curries from Hyderabad! All of us also went shopping in bazzars and some of us were really amazed by the Bangle Street in Hyderabad.

The trip was short but very rewarding. We were able to gather the information we needed for our projects while sampling India's lively culture. I am certainly looking forward to my next trip!

Net Impact Annual Conference

Net Impact is an international non-profit organization that links corporations from all over the world together to create positive impact on our environment through business. The Illinois MBA has a chapter of Net Impact on campus and strive to implement Net Impact's goals by working with local non-profit and businesses. We provide these businesses the expertise we learn from the MBA program and help them make the positive impact they seek for our community.

Companies that are closely linked with Net Impact includes Intel, Honest Tea, Starbucks, Sodexo, GE, Dell, and many others. Each year, Net Impact hosts an annual conference that brings all of these companies together along with members of both student and professional chapters of Net Impact. This year's conference was held at The Johnson School of Business at Cornell University. The Illinois MBA Net Impact chapter had seven representatives attended the event this year.

The conference ran for two days. It included panels and workshops along with a career expo. One of the panels I attended discussed how Fortune 500 corporations address corporate social responsibility (CSR). The panels were Senior VPs from Intel, Sodexo, and BT America. Each of them spoke about their responsibilities and challenges along with the importance of CSR in day-to-day operations.

I truly enjoyed the two day conference and believe that these type of events and topics are vital as we become leaders. The Illinois MBA program recognizes the importance of addressing CSR and sustainability. The program has a CSR, sustainability, and/or public affairs concentration in place for students who wish to explore and become experts in this area. I feel fortunate to be at a program that acknowledge the importance of these issues, especially in our current economic environment.