Tag: Meet the Firms

At the end of the year, I like to look back at our analytics to see which of our blog posts were the most popular with readers throughout the year. It’s an interesting exercise in reflection—particularly because the 2016-2017 year commemorated our Centennial, which we celebrated this March.

In 2016, we said goodbye to a beloved dean and welcomed a new one, celebrated a #1 ranking and kicked off our Centennial. What did 2017 have in store?

Take a look back at 2017 through our 10 most popular blog posts:

10. Managing the Millennial Wave

As a millennial, the enormous interest in learning about managing millennials (and my favorite, communicating with us—“Millennials, we’re just like you!”) is both fascinating and, I will say, a little amusing. But intergenerational communication and collaboration are important. And because millennials are increasingly entering the workforce, questions about retention, job satisfaction, and what makes us tick are (or should be) important to management.

Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior Andrew Knight presented his research on the topic in August—including some of the misconceptions about the oft-cited “narcissistic” and “entitled” generation.

Laura and Adam Stumpf

9. Stumpy’s Spirits: A grain to glass startup

Adam Stumpf, PMBA ’14, has defined a unique niche within the small-batch spirits category of the distilling industry. The ingredients for his brand, Stumpy’s Spirits, are sourced from the Illinois farm surrounding his craft distillery. And the farm has been in his family for eight generations.

Adam answered some of our questions about his PMBA experience, securing funding for his small-batch spirits venture, and the not-so-glamorous side of entrepreneurship.

8. Lacob Speaker Series opens with Cardinals v. Cubs

The Joseph S. Lacob Business of Sports Speaker Series provides students opportunities to network and interact with sports insiders working at all levels of industry. Kicking off the 2017 series (and Opening Day) was an exciting matchup of owners of baseball rivals the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, Bill DeWitt III and Tom Ricketts.

7. Are you ready to fail? 

Raisaa dutifully chronicled her first year in the United States and as an MBA student at Olin—including the not-so-wonderful parts, in the form of internship and job rejections.

In “Are you ready to fail?” Raisaa perfectly captures the necessary grit and can-do attitude needed to survive a rigorous MBA program—or life, for that matter. As it landed on our list of most popular blog posts of 2017, our readers obviously felt the same.

6. Poets & Quants ranks Olin Undergrad Program #2

This time last year, we were celebrating Olin’s #1 undergraduate ranking in Poets & Quants. In 2017, Poets & Quants ranked Olin’s undergraduate program #2 nationally—second only to Wharton—after the ranking experienced an influx of participating institutions, from 50 in its inaugural year to 82 in 2017.

“We are very proud to be at the top of Poets & Quants’ undergraduate rankings for the second year in a row. It’s a testament to Olin’s academic excellence and student satisfaction, particularly in a much larger field of top business schools,” said Dean Mark Taylor.

5. Our lunch with Warren Buffett

What’s a trip to Omaha without a business lunch with Warren Buffett? A group of 20 students met the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway for lunch and an intimate Q&A session, where Buffett commented on the pressing issues of the day, from nuclear weapons to income inequality.

He also did not shy away from reflecting on his personal life, emphasizing the importance of family and true friendship: “You don’t feel bad about your life if you feel good about your family,” he told students.

4. Gear up for Meet the Firms on 9/13 and 9/19

Meet the Firms, Olin’s largest networking and recruiting event of the year, is always a topic of intense interest for students. The event offers students a chance to rub elbows with representatives from hundreds of national and global companies seeking interns and full-time employees.

Firms that attended this year’s event include Emerson, Equifax, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, RubinBrown LLP, Walmart, and World Wide Technology, among others.

3.  Olin welcomes new faculty

2017 was a record-breaking year for Olin faculty. We welcomed five tenure-track female professors, as well as a female visiting professor in economics from Carnegie Mellon.

In addition, the MBA Class of 2019 reported an uptick in gender equity, with 39 percent women.

Among the newcomers:

• Ashley Hardin, assistant professor of organizational behavioral
• Xing Huang, assistant professor of finance
• Karam Kang, visiting professor of economics
• Zhenyu Liao, postdoc for organizational behavior
• Hannah Perfecto, assistant professor of marketing
• Rachel Ruttan, assistant professor of organizational behavior
• Sydney Scott, assistant professor of marketing

2. Richa’s story: From Bollywood to Olin MBA 

Bollywood star Richa Gangopadhyay is a recent alumna of the Olin Full-Time MBA Program. Richa walked away from fame and a five-year film career in India to pursue a career in business.

Richa shared her exceptional journey from suburban Indo-American girl to A-list actress to Olin with Poets & Quants in March, which we excerpted on the Olin Blog:

“There is something to be said about the Olin community. It’s incredibly close-knit and there’s just this sense of camaraderie among the students and the faculty that really appealed to me. It has a real eclectic blend of students from different backgrounds. It wasn’t just different professional backgrounds, but different thought leaders as well. For me, an appeal was being able to share my unique experiences in a business realm as a film actress. I have a really divergent perspective to share through the practical learning opportunities that I had.”

1. Fashion startup aims to ‘romp up’ men’s fashion

Wherever you land on the issue of rompers for men (and according to your social media feedback, many of you are decidedly against the trend), there was a lot of shared community pride surrounding the fact that Olin alumnus Daniel Webster-Clark, BSBA ’11 and MSF ’11, and three friends were the brains behind the fashion startup that “broke the internet.”

Daniel’s RompHim garnered attention from GQ, Vogue, and Buzzfeed—not to mention a lot of spirited feedback on #RompHim. He spoke to the Olin Blog about how RompHim came to be, making the move from finance to fashion, and life as an entrepreneur.

Throughout the year, hundreds of companies recruit Olin students through on-campus visits. The largest such event is Meet the Firms, where dozens of companies and hundreds of representatives, students, staff, and faculty fill the three floors of Olin’s Bauer and Knight Halls. Meet the Firms provides a unique setting for employers and students to meet, discuss employment opportunities, and network among other company representatives—and it is just around the corner!

The WCC provides a Meet the Firms app which puts all of the information at your fingertips. The app includes participating companies, as well as where they will be located for the event. The app also includes details about the firm’s recruiting focus (for example, whether the company is looking for full-time or internship talent, and so on). It also provides an up-to-the-minute layout and agenda for the day. A few key resources for students to check out:

• Student Best Practices
• Navigating Recruitment Events (Part 1)
• Navigating Recruitment Events (Part 2)
• Successful networking

In addition, Meet the Firms has a new component this year: Recruiting Insights, where attending representatives share best practices. After, some firms attend the MBA Exclusive, in which MBA students and firms can meet and mingle, followed by the Meet the Firms career fair. This is an amazing, energizing, and truly interactive couple of hours.

Below are several of the confirmed firms for the event. Download the Meet the Firms app for the latest list of attending firms. We hope to see you there!

Firms attending September 13

• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Accenture
• Advisory Research
• Aggio
• Analysis Group
• Andersen Tax
• AT&T
• Avascent
• Axiom Consulting Partners
• Bain & Company
• Belvedere Trading
• Bloomingdale’s
• Capital One
• Centene Corporation
• Cognizant
• Crowe Horwath
• Deloitte (Audit/Tax)
• Eastman
• Education Pioneers
• Edward Jones
• EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials
• Express Scripts
• EY
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
• Forsyth Advisors
• General Mills
• HBM Holdings
• Kimberly-Clark
• KPMG LLP
• Lumeris
• Mastercard
• Mercer Consulting
• Monsanto
• Morningstar
• NISA Investment Advisors
• Nomura
• PepsiCo
• The Procter & Gamble Company
• Prudential Capital Group
• PwC
• RGA (Reinsurance Group of America)
• Robert W. Baird
• Sense Corp
• Slalom
• Spectrum Brands
• Susquehanna International Group
• Teach for America
• Travelers Fixed Income Investments
• U.S. Bank
• ZS Associates

Firms attending September 19

• Advanced Technology Group
• Aegis Strategies
• Aggio
• Anheuser-Busch
• Bank of America Merrill Lynch
• Belden
• Carindal Health
• CGN Global
• Citi
• Dimensional Fund Advisors
• Direct Supply
• EisnerAmper
• Eli Lilly and Company
• Emerson
• ePlata
• Equifax
• Essilor
• Executive Financial Group
• Forsyth Advisors
• Goldman Sachs
• Highmark Health
• Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a division of Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Lincoln International
• M&T Bank
• Maryville Technologies
• Microsoft
• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
• Protiviti
• The Resource Group
• RubinBrown LLP
• Varsity Tutors
• Wal-Mart
• Washington University Investment Management Company
• World Wide Technology

Recruiting events are usually large occasions and can be overwhelming if you are not properly prepared. To be successful at such an event, it’s important to prepare ahead of time. Here are a few tips from the WCC about navigating recruitment events. (Be sure to check out Part I.)

Sometimes recruiters won’t accept paper résumés

This doesn’t mean they’re not interested in you; instead, they are adhering to compliance policies and online recruiting procedures. Ask for a business card, and follow up with recruiters after the fair to let them know that you have applied, or plan to apply, online.

First impressions are very important

At recruiting events, employers are not trying to figure out how to screen you in.

Recruiters are looking for things that will screen you out. Your energy level, handshake, dress, and résumé can make you a success or failure in seconds.

Think of talking to the recruiter as an audition

What can you say and do in the first minute of conversation that will make him or her want to grant you an interview? Make sure to smile, have a firm handshake, and look recruiters in the eye.

Keep your energy high, be assertive, and ask engaging questions—especially ones that demonstrate your knowledge of the company.

Ask questions that reflect your research

Do not ask what the company does, what kinds of jobs they have, or what they can do for you. The recruiter will expect you to have done your research and to know these basic facts.

Dress as if you were going to an interview

A common mistake at recruiting events is to dress too casually. Both men and women should wear suits. If you have questions about professional attire, speak with a career advisor.

And last but not least, don’t eat, chew gum, use heavy fragrance, or smoke during a recruiting event.

Collect business cards from recruiters

Also be sure to jot notes about them and the company on the back of the card. Use these cards to send personalized thank-you notes after the event.

Thank recruiters

Write a thank-you note to every recruiter you speak to at the event; save contact information for future networking opportunities and to develop a target list of employers.

If you’re not looking for full-time employment at the time of the event, let the recruiter know.

Recruiting events are valuable—even for students who are not pursuing full-time jobs or internships. They’re a good way to meet recruiters and make early networking contacts. The senior-year job search begins in your freshman year—students who start building networks and identifying potential employers early are the most successful at getting internships and job offers later.

Recruiting events are great opportunities to meet employers from a wide range of industries and potentially obtain job interviews. If you make a favorable impression, you have the best chance of being invited to interview. Time spent at recruiting events can pay off—it’s your chance to see many career opportunities that are open to you, and you may connect with potential employers who can offer you a job. They also provide an opportunity to practice your interview skills in a less formal environment.

Recruiting events are usually large occasions and can be overwhelming if you are not properly prepared. To be successful at such an event, it’s important to prepare ahead of time. Here are some tips from the Weston Career Center:

Get a list of participating companies

Check the hosting organization’s website or looking for printed publications a few days before the event. Usually a list of companies and a map of their locations will be provided for larger events.

Find connections within those companies

If possible, find someone you know who works at a company you’re interested in; alumni are good resources. At the event, you can mention the name of your contact to the recruiter, which can help separate you from the rest of the students.

Research the companies

Employers expect you to know something about their companies before you talk to them. In addition to visiting company websites, you can use annual reports, press releases, and newspaper coverage that can be found on the Internet or in the WCC Resource Area.

Maximize your time

Maximize the brief time you have with recruiters by knowing how your skills and interests match their needs.

Understand the job openings and opportunities

Become familiar with types of career opportunities available at the companies of greatest interest to you (most company websites have this information), and prepare to sell yourself accordingly. You are the product, and employers are the customer.

Prepare your 30-second self-introduction

This should include your name, your education, and your career interests as they relate to the company. In addition, always come prepared with an example of your skills and experiences.

Schedule a mock interview

Set up a mock interview with an advisor to practice your introduction and to discuss your marketing strategy. Practicing will make you more relaxed and confident during the event.

If possible, arrive early

Recruiters may have to leave early, and they can be tired and less attentive at the end of a long day.

If you’re nervous…

Consider approaching a recruiter with a company that is not one of your top choices first as practice.

Choose your top booths ahead of time

It’s important to plan which company booths you want to target, and focus on no more than three to five that are of special interest to you. You can visit more companies if you like, but make sure that your efforts are focused on your top companies first.

Bring several copies of your resume

It is a good idea to have more than one targeted résumé with different career objectives if you are looking at several career options (résumé should be on résumé-quality paper, and you should bring at least one copy for each company you plan to visit).

Stay tuned for part 2!

“Tell me about yourself and your career goals in 60 seconds or less.” That’s the challenge facing students at the annual Meet the Firms events when recruiters come to campus to look for new talent. Representatives from 50 companies were here last week and 900 students lined up to get a chance to pitch themselves. The same scenario will repeat Sept. 20 for the second round of Meet the Firms with 50 different companies lining the three levels of the Atrium.

Here’s what we saw trending at Meet the Firms:

1. Lots of swag! Sunglasses are a popular perk.
2. Black is the new black. EVERYONE was wearing a black suit.
3. Firm banners provide some insight into the company’s culture.
4. Advice: wear comfortable shoes for standing in long lines at popular firm tables.
5. More advice: smile and offer a confident, firm handshake!