Tag: career success

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Parent corner: Starting the college search 

There’s so much to consider as you and your student get ready for the big move to college! The process of finding the best program for your student can sometimes seem like a Herculean task. You would not, assuredly, be the first to feel overwhelmed!

With so many complex questions, it’s important to understand the needs of your student and your family. Is cost the most important factor? Is academic rigor and accreditation? Is the opportunity to study abroad without adding extra time to graduation? What about a hands-on learning experience, like an internship?

However, we are here to help. To find the right fit for your student, it’s important for both you and your student to do the homework and compare the schools, and we recommend sticking to the fundamentals. We’ll give you some basic questions to get started:

  1. What can my student expect during their first year?
    Find out about the opportunities available for your student. Will they get hands-on business experience? Will they receive support from faculty and peers? What about advising support?
  2. What majors are available?
    There are a lot of business majors and options available. When you begin your search, take the time to compare different majors and options for each school and check the accreditation for each program. The full list of business programs at Oregon State University can be found here.
  3. Will my student emerge ready for the career world?
    It’s important for students to build their confidence and establish a strong network of professionals. They can do this by connecting with industry professionals, alumni and faculty. Ask about internships, career placement rates and professional development opportunities. When students take the time to network, engage and meet with future employers, they emerge prepared for their career.

Answering these basic questions for each college will help you understand the strengths of each. And like any big project, give yourself time. Start the process early, consider the values of each school and weigh all the pros and cons. We know that as a parent, you want only the best for your student, so take the time to figure out what “best” means.

Take the time to visit campuses, talk to faculty, and research the additional opportunities and experiences your student will receive.

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Women in Leadership Spring Break Trip

Touring the “Grate Room” at Tillamook Creamery’s Portland location, the Tillamook Outpost.

 

Women in Leadership trip opens secret Nike labs, “grate” room at Tillamook, and connects students with business leaders

The 2019 Women in Leadership Spring Break Trip, co-hosted by the Women in Leadership (WiL) student organization and the OSU Center for the Advancement of Women in Leadership, took 22 OSU student leaders representing six different colleges (and numerous student clubs) on an overnight visit to Portland. The trip included meeting and networking with women leaders at companies big and small, and attending the National Diversity Council’s Women in Leadership Symposium, an event sponsored by Lane Powell, featuring Portland women business leaders.

WiL student chapter president Lily Beck had a leadership role in planning the trip. “Since it was over spring break, not everyone was centrally located on campus. Some people were at home in Portland or around Corvallis, and we even had an online student fly in from Idaho. I had a lot of help to make sure all the logistics were lined up,” Beck said.

 

Tillamook, Nike and Green Zebra

Among the visits, the group toured Tillamook Creamery’s Portland location, the Tillamook Outpost, and sat for a workplace culture discussion with Sheila Murty, Tillamook’s executive vice president of people and culture, and Sibel Candemir, their vice president of categories.

Sarah Busmire, the Ecampus student from the College of Agriculture who flew in for the event, felt that the diversity discussions were the most valuable to her. “I learned a lot, and the question-and-answer session was awesome,” Busmire said. “I realized that many women face the same challenges in various times of life-from college students all the way to CEOs. It is important as a society that we begin to recognize those challenges and create workplaces where they don’t occur.”

Up next the group headed to Nike, paused to sign non-disclosure agreements and then embarked on an exclusive visit to Nike’s top secret, innovation-focused Valiant Labs. The discussion was led by Nike’s Shaherose Charania, senior director at Valiant Labs, and Liz Freuler, their director of brand and consumer marketing. Many suggested it was a highlight – but did not say much more!

The group then visited Green Zebra, a women-owned grocery chain that features local and organic food in communities that lack larger food retailers. Evelyn Murphy, Green Zebra’s chief people and operations officer, met the students and discussed their philosophy for the small local grocer as a community focal point.

“Green Zebra was really impressive in the fact that they wanted to make sure people in Portland had access to food in a healthy sustainable way,” said Beck. “They mentioned that they wanted people to be able to walk or bike in 20 minutes or less to be able to get to a grocery store. This desire to serve people was also evident in the environment they created among their workers as open and engaging people who were extremely inviting to our group.”

 

Networking and symposium

An evening networking mixer construed into a “flash mentoring” session allowed trip attendees to circulate through various tables for prompted discussions. Each station would seat two Portland professionals, and about six students taking on the topics.

“We structured the conversations so that students could learn about the challenges women face in the workplace, how to navigate those challenges and how to lead and create change,” said Audrey Iffert-Saleem, center director.

“I learned a so much about the incredible work being done by women in industry to empower other women and make a difference in the organizations they work in,” said College of Engineering student Umayal Annamalai. “I also had the chance to meet so many amazing women from OSU with a variety of backgrounds and aspirations.”

The following morning the group attended the National Diversity Council’s Women in Leadership Symposium at The Nines hotel in downtown Portland, joined by panelists from Bank of the Pacific, Tonkon Torp, Lane Powell, Portland Trail Blazers as well as College of Business Dean Mitzi Montoya. Attendees discussed topics such as building up the women around you, defeating gender-based harassment, the imposter syndrome and using technology for work-life integration.

Following the event, the group engaged in additional discussion over lunch with Portland business women, including members of the panel.

“We were all able to benefit from the connections we made, and the people we talked to. It was an amazing experience for me to be able to plan this kind of trip, and I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Beck said.

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College of Business 2018 Sales Academy to Launch with Strong Corporate Partners

Students across OSU will have the opportunity to enhance their professional sales skills, thanks to a newly launching initiative in the College of Business. The Sales Academy comes to OSU in the 2018-19 academic year with the backing of numerous regional and global corporate partners.

The Sales Academy combines both academic and extracurricular activities, giving students interested in developing or improving their knowledge of professional sales tactics and strategies.

The Sales Academy is centered on a series of learning modules that culminate with a resume-building certificate from the College of Business Sales Academy. An annual sales competition will pit area universities’ best sales teams in a real-world scenario to test their skills.

The Sales Academy extends from a corporate partnership wherein sponsoring businesses, those with a stake in cultivating a talented pool of sales employees, get involved as mentors, teachers and backers of the academy’s multiple learning opportunities.

Pacific Office Automation, title sponsor of the Sales Academy, is an office management and office information technology solutions provider with locations throughout the Pacific Northwest and Southwest United States.

POA President Doug Pitassi says that the topic of access to trained sales professionals is a common discussion point among his network of small- to medium-sized businesses owners and executives. These businesses all seek the same solution – a better supply of trained workers.

Pitassi also seeks to create a deeper understanding of the negotiating, relationship-building skills, and expertise of a sales professional. He seeks to elevate the value and sophistication of sales skills as a professional skill set.

“A big objective for me is to connect with students and convey that there’s a great deal of security in sales, and this is about an investment in your ability to conquer a great skill, whatever product or service you’re selling.”

Danelle Kronmiller, director of strategic partnerships at the College of Business, says that the POA title sponsorship is just one of the many ways that businesses can turn thought leadership on a solution that benefits an industry in particular or the economy of Oregon.

“POA has helped us address one area of concern that sales-driven business models face,” Kronmiller said. “We have room for more partners in the Sales Academy. But ultimately we are ready to execute on the next great idea that will support our students and contribute to the economy of Oregon.”

Paint manufacturer, distributor and seller paint coatings and related products Sherwin-Williams, is a bronze sponsor of the 2018 Sales Academy, and Modesto, Calif.-based E. & J. Gallo Winery, the largest winery in the world, also is a bronze sponsor.

 

 

 

Contact:

Danelle Kronmiller
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Oregon State University College of Business
Tel.: 541-737-6648

Email: danelle.kronmiller@oregonstate.edu
business.oregonstate.edu

 

About the OSU College of Business: The College of Business educates students for success in managing and developing sustainable, innovative enterprises in a dynamic economy. With strong graduate and undergraduate programs, internationally recognized scholarly research, and an emphasis on experiential learning, the college helps students and businesses succeed.

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Aspiring to be a leader who inspires

Taylor Norby.
Taylor Norby will go to work for Kroger as an assistant buyer.

Taylor Norby wants to drive change by becoming a leader and inspiring others toward leadership too.

With a job offer from Kroger in hand, she’s in position to do those things.

To get there, Norby established herself has a hard-working student, and ambitious Fred Meyer intern, and leveraged all the Career Success Center had to offer.

“I attended a resume workshop class that helped me understand what employers are looking for and how to make sure my resume was noticed,” the senior in marketing said. “I never would have known what Beaver Careers was without the CSC telling me about it, and that is eventually how I got my internship, which led to the full-time offer I received. Without help on my resume, I never would have been selected for an interview.”

Norby grew up in Keizer, where she was “heavily involved in music and sports.” She graduated from McNary High School, where her grades were so high she earned two free years at Chemeketa Community College, then transferred to the College of Business.

“I became interested in a degree for business because of others telling me it would open my doors to many different options for my future,” she said. “What led me to making my focus on marketing was my love for working with people and having a desire to increase my creative abilities along with learning how to be strategic with the work that I do.”

Norby spent the summer after her junior year as a store management intern for Fred Meyer, whose parent corporation is grocery-chain giant Kroger.

“Every so often we would go up to the main office to collaborate with the Kroger interns, and through that experience I became intrigued by the potential career path through corporate,” Norby said. “I knew that I would have to go out of my way to get noticed because I was competing with the main office interns while I was working in the store. I contacted the VP of merchandising and she gave me the names of her direct reports that I later set up informational interviews with so they could become familiar with me and also understand their jobs. I also set up job shadows with various buyers and planners in the main office. By taking the initiative, it showed dedication as well as gave me experience and information to talk about during my interview.

“After going through my internship, Fred Meyer hoped that I would pursue management within their stores and work my way to a store director,” she continued. “I told my supervisor early on what my goal was for the end of my internship, and although she really wanted to see me pursue the store route, she gave me all the necessary tools to become prepared for an interview with the corporate office. The VP of merchandising and her direct reports were heavily involved in the decision-making process and the decisions were based on our intern evaluations, project, interview, and overall mesh with the rest of the team. I truly believe that my efforts to reach out to those in the main office helped me tremendously when it came down to receiving a job offer.”

Kroger offered Norby an assistant buyer position. She’ll spend 12 weeks in the company’s general merchandise buyer/planner training program, then 18 months as an assistant buyer and another 18 months as an assistant planner. At the end of those three years, she can choose either the buying or planning route.

“I would like to work my way to a leadership role where I can make a difference and inspire others to work their way to a leadership role as well,” Norby said. “Within Kroger, I can work my way up to divisional merchandise manager and then to a general merchandise manager, which I have set my career goals as something I would like to achieve.”

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Making the most of opportunities

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Jeff Lulay fires up the Reser Stadium crowd.

 

 

 

Jeff Lulay arrived at the College of Business four years ago with a mission to make the most out of his college experience and take advantage of opportunities to get work experience and build his resume.

Lulay’s efforts paid off last summer with an internship with Nike Football, where his talents and work ethic led to the offer of a full-time job as a brand marketing specialist when he graduates with a marketing degree in June.

“My main job is the brand,” Lulay said, “how our brand is represented on players on the field.”

Lulay was one of 48,000 applicants for the handful of Nike Football internships last summer, and he arrived with a wealth of sports and apparel expertise to offer, though. He was a football player, baseball player and wrestler at Wilsonville High School, and at Oregon State, he’s interned with the athletic department – he’s the “mic guy” who fires up the football crowd at Reser Stadium – and served as president of the Beaver Dam, the student fan organization. He’s also done marketing for the prestigious 16-team Les Schwab Tires Invitational high school basketball tournament in Hillsboro.

As Beaver Dam president, Lulay has cultivated relationships with basketball coach Wayne Tinkle and football coach Gary Andersen. His people skills with high-profile figures came in handy during the two-month Nike Football internship, where he interacted with NFL stars such as Richard Sherman, Luke Kuechly, and Ndamukong Suh.

“I knew I couldn’t ask for photographs or autographs,” Lulay said. “I love the NFL, but I knew I had to keep my composure.

“I excelled at everything they gave me,” he said. “I’m good with events and love sports, so it was easy to be passionate about what I was doing.”

Lulay’s primary internship responsibility was being in charge of the equipment room at the Top 150, a July camp at the Nike campus in Beaverton for the best high school seniors-to-be in the country. Lulay oversaw more than $1 million worth of football gear.

Lulay was also on one of 24 eight-person intern teams who competed in a challenge to revamp Nike’s onboarding procedures. His team took the creative approach of presenting its suggestions in the form of a SportsCenter segment.

“When we were done, the judges applauded,” said Lulay, whose team won the competition and earned the right to present to present to Nike CEO Mark Parker.

Lulay urges his fellow business students, especially the younger ones, to start using the Career Success Center early, especially for help with resume writing and lining up internships.

“I tell freshmen, use what the College of Business has to offer,” he said. “The college brings all these things to the table. Take advantage of them. A degree by itself isn’t enough. You need to get that work experience to set yourself apart.”

 

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Students learn to ‘Land the Job’

Every student received a resume starter kit.

Every student received a resume starter kit.
Every student received a resume starter kit.

Lindsay Vanek had always found writing a cover letter to be sort of “intimidating.”

But after attending the Oct. 20 “Land the Job” event at Austin Hall’s Stirek Auditorium, the Oregon State marketing student feels a lot more comfortable about that part of the employment search process.

Presenter Gala Jackson told Vanek and the other students in attendance to use their cover letter as a means of elaborating on the information in their resume – to go into detail about their background and qualifications so the letter builds on the resume rather than repeats what’s already there.

“You don’t just want to copy and paste,” Vanek said. “That shows you haven’t put in the time and effort.”

Vanek also noted that Jackson shared techniques for making a resume appear as rich and complete as possible, which is especially important for college students and new graduates who may feel as if they don’t have much to put on a resume. Volunteer service counts, for example, as do class projects in line with what a job would entail.

Jackson describes herself as a “millennial career expert and career coach” and travels the country as the national spokesman for the Land the Job campaign, sponsored by Neenah Paper, Inc. The sponsor provides “resume starter kits” featuring Southworth by Neenah products to all students attending a Land the Job workshop.

Rene Reitsma, professor of business information systems, was on hand for the OSU workshop as well.

“I think it was a useful event,” he said. “Good attendance, and an hour-long opportunity for students to reflect on how they present themselves on resumes and job fairs.” in 1972; he’s updated it annually ever since.

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Executives offer career tips

Elise McClure, left, and Eileen Frack, center, listen as Angelina Lusetti addresses the audience.
Elise McClure, left, and Eileen Frack, center, listen as Angelina Lusetti addresses the audience.

A trio of executives, all College of Business graduates, spent an hour Monday afternoon fielding questions and offering career tips to about 40 students during a panel discussion in the Austin Hall Events Room.

The panel included Angelina Lusetti, a human resources business partner with Target; tax attorney and retired Starbucks vice president Elise McClure, and Eileen Frack, director of executive management development for Daimler Trucks North America.

The session started with suggestions for applying and interviewing:

  • Find a way to make your interview answers stand out from everyone else’s.
  • Be aware that prospective employers are looking at the entire resume, not just grade-point average.
  • Research the organization you’re interviewing with before you go in for the interview.
  • Say you really want the job and why you’d be great at it.
  • Hone your face-to-face communication skills and writing skills, both of which can suffer from too heavy a day-to-day reliance on text messaging.
  • Take pains to come across as a good, friendly person, since many organizations have a strict no-jerks hiring policy.

The talk then shifted to how to establish yourself in your career and move it forward, and the array of tips centered around one key theme: “Manage your own career and compensation,” said McClure, meaning it’s up to you to try to make things happen regarding advancement and raises, because if you don’t, likely no one will.

Other thoughts from McClure:

  • “Don’t be afraid to move.”
  • “Understand the culture of your company.”
  • “Be willing and able to ask questions.”
  • “Be open to what comes,” as in, don’t become hidebound by the career plan you’ve mapped out.

Frack stressed the importance of learning how to say no and trying hard not to work for bosses you don’t like or respect. She also urged students to “find what feeds your soul” and to establish a healthy work/life balance, including serving on boards of volunteer groups, both for community benefit and to develop leadership skills.

Lusetti emphasized balance too, noting that she puts personal activities on her calendar as a means of holding herself accountable to actually doing them. She also told students to be willing to step outside of their comfort zones as a path toward learning and growth.

The Career Success Center organized Monday’s event. For more career advice, drop by the center, Austin Hall 102, and follow it on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/OSUBIZJOBS.

About 40 students attended the panel discussion.
About 40 students attended the panel discussion.

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Opportunity beyond investing for OSIG

As a student-led organization that actively manages a $1.6 million equity portfolio, the Oregon State Investment Group (OSIG) has a substantial undertaking that provides an unprecedented experiential learning opportunity. In addition to the value of hands-on experience, members of OSIG now have more accolades to add to their already-impressive resumes.

Blake Hendricks accepts a check from D.A. Davidson & Co.'s Rich Fisher for OSIG's first place win in the Portfolio Competition.
Blake Hendricks accepts a check from D.A. Davidson & Co.’s Rich Fisher for OSIG’s first place win in the Portfolio Competition.

OSIG took first place in the annual D.A. Davidson & Co. Student Investment Program competition that ran from Sept. 1, 2013 –Aug. 31, 2014. Student teams were provided with $50,000 to invest, and the top-performing teams received a check on behalf of their college. With a gain of 38% and ending portfolio value of $69,014.35, OSIG finished above the 20 other university teams competing. In a ceremony that took place in Austin Hall Friday, Oct. 3, OSIG was awarded more than $8,000 from D.A. Davidson & Co.

On September 5, 2014, 10 members of OSIG, accompanied by Assistant Professor of Finance Inga Chira, went to Wall Street in New York City  and were directly immersed in the world of finance.

 

“The annual New York trip is one of the most valuable experiences for the students in OSIG. The opportunity to witness firsthand the environment and culture of the Wall Street firms is something that cannot simply be taught in the classroom,” said Blake Hendricks, DADCO Portfolio Manager.

OSIG in New York City Wall Street
Members of OSIG in NYC include Jessica Kim
Katie Merrill, Arun Varghese, Majed Abdelrasul, Jake Roselli,
Chase Norlin and Alex Markgraff
Van Wong
Chris Koenig
Blake Hendricks

The group learned the value of networking, and spent time with OSU alumni at influential firms such as PIMCO, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, BIDS and Fortress. Among those they met was Wesley Edens, a College of Business graduate. Edens is co-chairman of the board of directors of Fortress, and co-owner of the Milwaukie Bucks.

“Because of this trip, I was able to gain several in-person interviews for a summer internship which ultimately led to a summer internship with PIMCO and a full time position after graduation,” said Jessica Kim, OSIG President. “I believe very strongly that none of this would have been achievable without the Annual New York trip.”

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Q and A with Academic Adviser Jayne Andersen

Oregon State University College of Business Academic Advisor Jayne Anderson

Students and faculty in the College of Business have come to know Academic Adviser Jayne Andersen for her hard work, passion, and dedication to helping students fulfill their academic potential. In fact, Andersen was the recipient of the Outstanding Professional Faculty and Staff Service Award at the 2014 Celebration of Achievement.

Get to know a little more about Jayne through this Q and A.

What was your first job?

My first job out of college was as a Landscape Architect for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The best part of that job was doing research for the Great River Road program. We had to travel to many small towns in Minnesota that were on the Mississippi river.  This included starting at Lake Itasca which is the head of the Mississippi River.  I actually got to stand on both the east and west side of the river at the very same time because it’s only about a foot wide at that location.

What is the best part of your job?

I really enjoy my job as an academic adviser. Assisting students who are in college is very fulfilling and fun. The best part of my job is when I see students expanding their vision of what they can accomplish.  That’s an awesome thing to observe – just seeing the light bulb go off and their level of excitement and interest increase. That’s my favorite part.

In one to three words, how would you describe the College of Business?

Innovative, student-focused and progressive.

What is something about Oregon State University or the College of Business that you wish more people knew?

I’m not sure if students are aware of all the many different activities and opportunities that are available to them here at Oregon State and within the College of Business. I’d encourage students to get involved, ask questions, take advantage of the opportunities and resources that are available on campus.

What’s the one piece of advice that, if followed, would benefit students the most?

Seek out and get involved in activities while in school.  Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and try new things – explore and dream.

Do you have any “secret” talents or hobbies outside of work?

It’s not very secret, but I really enjoy the out of doors – running, hiking, biking etc.  Perhaps less well known is that in the past I was a quilter as well.

What was the first concert you ever attended?

Elton John at Purdue University

What was your favorite childhood movie?

I think Wizard of Oz – even though the tornado and monkeys scared me a little bit.

What do you watch when you just need to laugh? 

I’m more likely to just hang out with friends who I have fun with – friends that just make me laugh!