“What I Would Tell My Freshman Self”

By: Brianna Jackson, MBA student- Finance

I know sometimes many of us wish we could go back in time and do things a little differently. When it comes to school, I catch myself thinking about the things I could have done early on that would have helped me now. Mostly, I wish I could tell my freshman self what to expect and to do things that will benefit me in the future.

After I graduated high school, I had no idea what I wanted to study in college because I had absolutely no clue about what I wanted to be when I “grew up”- thank goodness for prerequisites! So, I took my time with my classes and attended the local NMSU branch in Alamogordo; I wasn’t ready to venture off to a new city quite yet. Looking back on it now, I would go back and tell myself to just go for it and move away to have the “real” college experience. Then I think about how all of my classmates who did move away to go to NMSU or UNM ended up coming back to Alamogordo after just one semester. I remember telling myself back then that I had made the right decision to stay at home for a while. And maybe I was right, maybe I would have come back just like the rest of them. But, I would definitely tell myself not to be afraid of taking risks because I’ve learned that sometimes the scariest things are also the most rewarding.

So, I eventually moved to Albuquerque because my dad got a job at Kirtland and I decided to move with my family because the Alamogordo was no longer for me and I didn’t want to be stuck there. I had also already been at the local branch for a year and pretty soon they would no longer be able to offer the classes I needed for a 4 year degree. I was very happy to move because Albuquerque seemed so exciting coming from a small town. However, I did not attend UNM right away; I took online classes for one year through NMSU because we had moved so suddenly. But, I would go back and tell myself to start at UNM right away because this eventually put me behind on the credits I needed to graduate on time. Ultimately, I needed to get out of my comfort zone and venture out into the world.

As a freshman, I don’t think most of us really see how things all fit together from the time you start college until you graduate. At least for me, I always felt like graduation was too far off and I didn’t realize everything it would take to find a job. It is important to start thinking about that right away and get involved with organizations on campus and get to know people; all of that pays off when it comes time to find a job. I was a junior at Anderson by the time I figured out I needed to get involved and do more than just school. So, I joined student organizations and really got to know people who have helped me along the way.

It is weird looking back on my whole college experience and see where I am today. Now, I am already almost done with my first semester as an MBA student and I have a job at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney as a Client Service Associate. I love it and I am learning a lot about the finance world. I’m excited for what else is coming my way after I am completely done with school. It is coming up fast, but I’m ready!

What You SHOULD Be Doing During Your Summer Break

By: Frankie Gonzales, BBA Finance

 

During the summer most students, myself included, usually check-out of school. They just had yet another difficult semester and any talk of school and the upcoming Fall semester usually returns a stop-talking face. However, let me tell you there can be a significant benefit to thinking about your career path. By investing some time into your personal career development you are making a direct investment in yourself.

Fall is a big recruiting season for most firms across the country. Many will be traveling to campuses and will be hosting information sessions about their companies. Also many application deadlines for top-notch summer internships are due towards the end of the fall semester. This means that if you want to be competitive for the recruiting season and land your dream job/internship you should spend some time over the summer getting prepared.  One of the best things is that it doesn’t require any calculus, statistics, accounting or anything that brings up impressions of work. Everyone’s fall semester is busier than they expected during the summer and you don’t want to get caught the night before an application is due trying to throw together a resume and practicing your interview skills.

How should you get started? Well let me tell you… head on over to the Anderson Career Services Office and make an appointment! Kate Williams, the career services advisor, will take care of you and help you setup your personal professional development plan. Come with questions, ideas, and any drafts you have. Don’t worry if you don’t have anything at all, there is no better time to start than now! Some things to think about are what do you want to be doing in the future? Kate has many ideas and lots of helpful advice to help you start your path of professional development.

I had the opportunity to work with the Anderson Career Services Office this past summer and it was an all-around great experience. Kate helped me to setup my resume by showing me how to better use my experience and my skills to my advantage on paper. We talked about everything from how to get my resume noticed by a recruiter to how to introduce myself at an interview. Everything that we went over made me much more confident going into all of the “Brand You” Events and the Career Fair in the fall. So trust me taking time to work on your professional development really pays off in the end.

Summer is such a huge opportunity for Anderson Students to set themselves up for success at all of the career services events over the course of the year and remember that one of the best ways to get a job that you love is to prepare ahead of time. Anderson provides many resources for their students and it’s up to you to take advantage of them, trust me they truly help! If you have any questions at all please contact me at fgonza03@unm.edu.

Life Happens: But Don’t Let it Ruin Your Credibility

By: Emily McGowan – MBA Student

Oh, that event sounds great, and that one too! Oh, that’s my favorite event of the year; of course I’ll be going. It’s a common occurrence for people to hear the description of an event, think it sounds great and sign up without even considering the timing. Then the event approaches and they realize they have to work, class or another commitment and decide not to show.

As a former President of a student organization, let me tell you the easiest way to lose the respect of your peers is for you to sign up for an event and not show. Now we all know “life happens” and things do come up. However, it’s all about how you deal with it. The simple act of letting the person in charge know you can’t make it is all you need to do. If it’s a onetime thing, it won’t be a problem. On the other hand, if you have what I call “trigger finger” where you consistently sign up for things and don’t show, you will forever lose your credibility with others.

What people often don’t realize is the effects on others when they choose not to come to an event. In some instances it creates more work for everyone else by your absence. In other instances money was spent on you or you could be taking the spot of another individual at the event. Something I used to have to continually stress to my members is that we understand you can’t make it to everything, and we don’t expect you to. We would much rather you not sign up, then not show up.

Some of you may be thinking, why would anyone do this? There are a lot of reasons, however a common one I’ve encountered is overscheduling. This is especially common with students because we want to do it all and simply just don’t have the time. I’ve fallen victim to overscheduling myself many times, where you think about everything that has to get done and realize something will have to be cut. It’s all about priorities and planning. By planning ahead, if something really needs to be cut at least it can be done in advance. This is an important lesson for us all to learn before we enter the workforce as no one wants to be the unreliable employee.

When I realized My Major Wasn't for me

By: Melina Chavez BBA International Management Student

It is said that about 50% of college students who declare a major end up changing it. Some change it multiple times throughout their college years. I definitely fell victim to that statistic during the fall of my sophomore year here at UNM. For years I had set my mind to being a nurse. I used to watch all the ER shows such as, House and Mystery Diagnosis on TLC, I even volunteered at MD Urgent care for a few months. My doubts about being a nurse didn’t quite become clear to me until I actually started working at Urgent Care and began to shadow the nurses. This is when I started to realize that I didn’t think I would make a good nurse because I couldn’t stand some of the situations I had the opportunity to be able to observe. I remember one time a little boy about 4 years old had to get a vaccine and after about thirty minutes of kicking and screaming the doctor was finally able to inject the vaccine. This scenario not only broke my heart seeing the kid in tears, but it also opened my eyes to the patience that medical professionals need to have to endure situations such as this one and often times, even worse.

 That semester I was signed up for Chemistry 101 and I dropped the class after the first day because of the assessment test. I took one look at the test and remembered my experience at MD Urgent Care and all of the sudden I realized nursing was not for me. I then went to the Sub dropped out of my Chem 101 class and signed up for macroeconomics. I figured even though medicine was interesting to me, I would do much better on the business side of healthcare than I would actually caring for patients at a hospital. Changing your major requires a lot of planning especially if you want to stick to getting your degree in four years. After signing up for macroeconomics, I went to the advisement center and took one of the Anderson prerequisite sheets so I knew what to plan for next. From that semester on, I took a summer and intersession class every year so I could meet my graduation deadline for 2013.

When deciding whether to change your major networking can be very helpful. By networking you can find a job in the area that you are interested in to make sure that that is the field you will want to pursue. This allows you to have hands on experience in that field. Also, it is important that you take advantage of the advisement centers here at UNM because they advise you on certain classes you need to take and what opportunities are available to you based on the career path you decide to take. Another tip that will help with switching majors is recognizing when certain classes are given ie. fall, spring or summer. This will allow you to plan out your semesters in advice so that you don’t fall back a semester having to wait to take a particular course. It is crucial that you stay on top of the graduation requirements for both your college and your program to ensure thorough completion of all the courses necessary to graduate. Changing majors is common and can often happen multiple times to an individual but it is important that organization and preparation are included in that transition to guarantee success moving forward. Luckily, UNM is full of resources to guide you with your endeavors. For more information or questions feel free to contact me at mc91@unm.edu.

The Importance of Networking

By: Alyssa Hendry BBA Accounting and Operations Student

 

            Networking is not simply attending one of the great networking events put on by Anderson Career Services. Although those are a great start and place to meet people, there is more to networking than this. Why would someone want to network? What is the point of networking and how can it help you build a lifelong career? I see networking as the skill of being able to establish and maintain professional relationships throughout your life. These professional relationships can be with speakers you meet at seminars, professionals you may interview for class, or even with those you meet at Anderson Career Services. These relationships can benefit you when you are building your career, making a career change or obtaining advice from someone that has more or different experiences than you. Networking is all about expanding and reaching out to people that you could possibly help or receive help from, now or in the future.  

            Living here in Albuquerque my whole life has made me realize, even more so, the importance of networking. For example, there is always someone who knows someone that could possibly get you a foot in the door for job opportunities. I have seen from personal experience that companies are more likely to do business with others that were recommended to them from someone within their network; as well as, hire someone that has been recommended by someone they know and trust. So, when you expand your network you are essentially expanding the number of opportunities available to you that are supported by a trusted mutual professional. These connections cannot only benefit you while living here in New Mexico, but also wherever you career may take you. Networking is a web of connections that grows with every relationship you make, because one network connection exposes you to their network of professionals, which can only help you as young professionals starting to build careers.

            During my time here at Anderson there have been three impacting networking experiences that have allowed me to grow my network and polish my networking skills. The first was during my second semester at Anderson. I knew that I had to start somewhere in order to secure an internship or job and build my resume before graduation. So I decided to sign up for a networking workshop with Anderson Career Services. I was terrified when I saw the Jackson Student Center full of suits. I was greeted by a bubbly personality and told, “Just grab a drink and start introducing yourself!” When I looked at her probably in shock she reassured me with a “you can do it!” So, slowly but surely with each person I approached, I learned what to say in my introduction, how to keep the conversation going and end with something along the lines of “I would love to say in touch and get to know more about what you do, can we exchange business cards?” After that afternoon I knew that learning how to successfully network would be the key to my success. The second networking event I attended was industry specific and just as nerve-racking as the first. This experience taught me some of the “lingo” of the industry and what they were looking for in college graduates. Lastly, it was the meet the firms event put on by Beta Alpha Psi that brought both of my past two experiences together. Talking with each firm representative was like an artful dance in that you had to politely “cut-in” with other students speaking with them; gracefully guide them to seeing you know what you are talking about, and finally making them intrigued with your experience as you bow and exchange business cards. It might sound silly, but no one wants to get his or her toes stepped on and leave the conversation, or dance, feeling awkward. All it takes is a little practice and some support.

            These experiences have taught me how to meet and network with professionals at charity events, graduate open houses and recruitment days, and even graduate and job interviews. Specifically, I was able to confidently walk into a room full of strangers – students, professors, industry professionals and program directors – at the University of Washington, and convince them that I was a student that they needed to have in their Masters of Hospital Administration program out of 250 other applicants. Five months later I was honored with an acceptance letter to the program. I could not have done it though without gaining the experiences and confidence to walk up to peers or professionals, establish that connection and sell my qualifications. Networking is not industry specific, it is a skill that one can use to establish relationships to grow their career and achieve personal goals. As an ambassador to Anderson Career Services I am always here to help, so feel free to email me at adhendry@unm.edu.

 

Confessions of a Hiring Manager

By: Elisha Allen, EMBA Student

The cover letter ends like many others: “I am confident that my background, skills and abilities make me the perfect match for this position and your organization.” It is not that this statement is necessarily wrong, or that projecting confidence in an application and interview is not important. The problem, in so many cases, is that the applicant has either not fully understood the nature of the job they are applying for when making this statement, or has not documented in his or her resume and application materials how, specifically, he or she is uniquely suited for the position. An assertion without evidence falls flat.

In the course of my job, I have served on many hiring committees, and have learned more about applying for jobs through the lens of a hiring officer, than I ever did through application processes. Today, I will share some of the most common issues I see to help you in your own job search. Most of the issues are easily corrected with some effort and attention to detail, and will help you to find a position that is the right match.

The first step to a successful application is to step into the shoes of a hiring official. Competitive organizations must find employees who have unique talents that complement the skills of the existing workforce, believe in the mission of the organization and, and are committed to its success. Failure to match candidates on these three levels wastes time and money for both the organization and the employee. As you prepare your application, think about how the position creates a positive synergy between your goals and those of the organization, and then take the time to make this explicit. The first place to do this is in the cover letter.

Hiring officials are taking time out of very busy days to review the materials you submit, and you have a very short amount of time to convince the official that your application deserves more thorough consideration. There is no easier place to do this than in the cover letter. The cover letter should be professionally formatted, with attention to spelling and grammar. As basic as this seems, many cover letters lack this attention to detail, and hiring officials do notice this as a symptom of the level of professionalism they can expect when you are hired into the position.

In terms of content, make the letter is relevant to the position, showcase your strengths, and project your enthusiasm for the position and the company. Be sincere! Officials can tell if your enthusiasm is more about having a job than having the job that is posted, and will favor individuals that seem like they will be committed to the organization. This takes more time and effort than submission of a generic cover letter, but the effort is worth it if the position is important to you. In today’s job climate, hiring officials have multiple qualified candidates to choose from. Anything that gives you an edge is worth doing.

Over the years, I have seen letters that focus on experience that is irrelevant to the posted position, are addressed to the wrong hiring official or department, or state ambitions that will not be satisfied with the posted position. For example, a cover letter or resume that has a stated objective of obtaining a position in marketing is not attractive to the official looking for a candidate to fill a technical support job. Hiring officials are giving you their time when they review your application. Make them want to learn more about you by showing that you understand that, appreciate it, and have taken the time to research and respond to their needs.

In the process, do not forget the job search process is one of mutual evaluation. While companies are evaluating you for how your involvement may benefit them, you should also be making the same evaluation. How would this job, or involvement with this organization, fit into your long-term strategic plan? Does the position leverage your competitive advantages? Provide for the kind of lifestyle flexibility you are looking for? Offer you an opportunity for aspirational growth? Taking the time to define these for yourself will help you define which opportunities are important to you and clarify to prospective employers how you are a fit for the position and the organization.

BREAKING NEWS: The Job Market Isn’t As Bleak As You Think

By: Nathaniel Tarantino, BBA Finance Student

Myself and My Fellow Intel Interns

If you’re anything like me, you can’t even count how many times you have read an article or watched the news where “experts” claim that the job market for recent college graduates is bleak. Well I have news for you, I don’t believe them one bit and you shouldn’t either. While there is not a surplus of jobs as seen in the late 1990’s or mid 2000’s, I have observed that there are many students at Anderson who have had tremendous internships and/or have jobs waiting for them after they graduate.

Now, allow me to let you in on a few little secrets: the students who excel in the classroom AND take full advantage of the Career Service office and the many networking opportunities they offer are the ones who are having such great success. What the “experts” are failing to tell you is that it is no longer enough to just get good grades and have a degree in order to get a job. There needs to be a conscious shift of understanding that the new standard for landing that big job is not just a competitive GPA but also a refined set of professional skills (e.g. resume, interview and networking strategies) that will complement the GPA. Individually, these skills are important, but they are more powerful together and are exactly what you need to get any job you want.

Here’s another secret: the greatest of talent will be lost if it never becomes visible. From industry networking series, etiquette dinners and informational sessions, there are so many opportunities at Anderson to make oneself visible to a variety of employers across many different industries. If you want the harsh reality, students who are not attending these events and are not positioning themselves to be visible to these employers are doing themselves and their degree a huge disservice. Just like any sport, musical or artistic talent, if you never show it off, no one will ever know you have it.

The last secret: once you have completed the last two steps and are ready for some experience outside of the classroom, get yourself an internship. Internships are the new interviews for employers. In fact, 86% of surveyed companies claim they use internships to recruit college students for full-time employment. In addition, employers state they extended full-time job offers to 70% of their interns. I can personally attest to this statistic as I was not only given a full-time offer after my internship with Intel Corporation during the summer of my Junior year, but was also offered a full-year part time internship during my Senior year as I finish my degree. While my financial acumen and competitive GPA helped me land the internship, it was my professionalism and interpersonal skills that convinced Intel to add me as a part of their company.

We all still have so much more to learn and can always be more refined professionally, myself included. But from one Anderson student to another, we truly are blessed to be a part of such a highly regarded business school which truly strives to set us up for success. All you have to do is: ignore the depressing “experts”, get good grades, make yourself visible and show employers why you deserve a job after you graduate. Go Lobos!!

If you have any questions, please email me at ntaran01@unm.edu