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Final Advice for Interns

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Editor’s Note: James Jeffries and Alex Amerling provide some timely advice for interns wrapping up their summer. 

Don’t let your resume look like this:

Sales Intern                                                    Summer 2013

Acme Corporation, Saskatchewan

  • Initiated Friday Social Hour for team of 13
  • Managed workload, even with delayed morning arrivals
  • Executed 15 calls per day to family and friends
  • Um…some major project in sales, but I forget
  • Started 18 performance upgrades; completed 2

Here is Alex’s Advice:

1. Go out with class. This means finish any of those tasks that you just haven’t gotten around to, make sure to clean your work area out, tell your boss where you are on unfinished projects so he/she has the adequate amount of information to finish the project.

2. Write everything you did down. Write down all the new computer programs and equipment you learned to use. And even more importantly write down what you accomplished in detail. Imagine making a presentation of what you accomplished this summer. This allows you to have a great answer in those tough interviews and it will make updating your resume much easier.

3. Thank You’s. Thank everyone who helped you along your way for the summer, both in person and with a thank you card. NEVER underestimate the power of a handwritten thank you card; it can get you a job in the future.

If you have any questions on how to update your resume, write a proper thank you, or anything else to finish up your summer feel free to stop by Career Services or email Scott (crawfors@wabash.edu) or James (jeffriej@wabash.edu).

–Alex Amerling & James Jeffries


Checking the Pulse on Hospital Administration–An Externship

Posted in Externship

I certainly wanted to stay as productive as possible during these past four weeks of winter break.  Thanks to the assistance of Career Services, I had the opportunity to spend three days conducting an externship with Terry Hamilton ’89.  Mr. Hamilton, an economics major in his time at Wabash, is President of St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in suburban Detroit.  My exposure to the world of healthcare prior to this externship was limited to visiting a grandparent in a hospital, going to a check-up, or as a hospital volunteer in high school.  Administration may not be able to be seen from your back in a hospital bed; rather, it is what makes the process as seamless as possible (even though it may not always be all that seamless).

As a morning-time ritual, Mr. Hamilton and I reviewed two important sets of documents.  The first is a daily census of the hospital.  In my time at St. John’s, the hospital was experiencing numbers nearing capacity.  Upon my arrival, there were 22 patients in the emergency room who were going to be admitted to the hospital, but were waiting on a bed.  It’s great news for a hospital administrator when it comes to knowing “business is booming,” but by the same token, one cannot hope for high patient satisfaction ratings when waiting 12 hours or more for a room.  An important number that we looked at when it came to the operations of the emergency room is the LWBS, or left without being seen, number.  In the recent days of heavy patient volume, there were, at times, 10 to 15 patients who had checked-in to the emergency room, but had decided to leave before being seen by a physician.  By using linear regression through Excel, we were able to look at the number of ER visits and how that correlated to the number of LWBS patients.  With the equation you find from that linear regression, the question becomes: what number of ER staff will it take to minimize the LWBS number?

The second document set is a detailed safety report from the previous day.  Another great tool that St. John’s utilizes each morning is a “safety huddle,” where representatives from each department meet to discuss what occurred in the past 24 hours that was unsafe for patients.  This can range from falls to putting the wrong identification wristband to a delay in care.  It’s a great way for staff to constantly ask what can be done to better serve patients, and question what can be learned from situations where something does go wrong.

A side of the healthcare system that I didn’t know about prior to my visit was the role of a hospital president as a liaison between the hospital and physicians.  In the case of St. John’s, physicians at the hospital are not employed by the hospital, but instead choose to practice medicine there and choose to send their patients there.  Hospital administrators are forced to walk a tightrope and hold contract negotiations as though they were the GM of a professional sports franchise.  Essentially, the administrator must keep physicians happy in order to ensure that patients are happy and being treated with the utmost of care.

The experience reminded me, yet again, what great opportunities I’m afforded as a Wabash student.   I want to extend my thanks to Career Services, Mr. Hamilton for his kindness and time taken with me, and the entire staff of St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital for making me feel so welcome and providing such a great environment for me to learn and observe.

 

Patrick Bryant ’16


Behind the Scene in Financial Advising–An Externship

Posted in Externship

Editor’s Note: Brian Beardmore ’14 discusses his recent externship with Greg Charnes ’00.

During my previous two years of enjoying the 4 week long break that the college is so kind to give its non-seniors, I decided to do what I could to ensure that I did nothing productive. I enjoyed my extra time as much as I could before I would get the expected slap in the face given by the ensuing semester. This time, however, I decided to do something that could actually helpful to my future and that was through the participation in an externship.

I spent two days in Newburgh, Indiana (just East of Evansville) shadowing financial advisor Greg Charnes ’00 of Ameriprise Financial. Although the stay was brief, the experience and knowledge that I gained were far more valuable and extensive than I could have hoped for. It gave me a much better idea of what goes on in the day-to-day necessary work, most of it in which clients do not see.

Charnes has quite a bit of clients between his Nashville and Newburgh office locations and frequently meets with his clients to discuss their finances and what to do with them. However, my visit happened to be on a two day period in which he did not have any scheduled meetings. To many people this may sound as if I would not be able to learn much, but he had quite a bit to accomplish despite the lack of meetings.

Much of Charnes’s work comes from the preparation of meetings through research and organizing. The stock value of numerous companies are extensively researched to give Charnes a good idea of where the company is, has been and could look to go in the future. He advises his clients on what stocks to buy and sell, so having quite a bit of knowledge on these companies is crucial. Organizing files for his clients also took up plenty of time. The updating of information was necessary to ensure that surprises are minimized when the meetings happen.

This type of work took up most of the time I was there and I could not be more thankful for what I learned. Not only did I learn a bit more about stocks and how to look at them, I also learned a bit more on how to deal with people. In an economy that has plenty of upward and downward swings, keeping clients at ease and encouraged can be a difficult task. So much of what goes into this job is being able to not only make the clients comfortable, but to build a relationship with them as well. Advisors want their clients to be able to trust them and to not think that they are just trying to make money off of them.

Charnes and his co-workers seem to have the attitude that they are not simply helping people make money; they legitimately enjoy their job and are looking out for others that need financial advice. I am incredibly thankful for the experience that I have and I recommend anyone who might be interested in that field to visit them.

 


Entrepreneurial SEEDs: AJ Sutherlin

Posted in Uncategorized

Editor’s Note: Find out from AJ how he put his SEED Grant to work. SEED Grants are available through the Schroeder Center for Wabash students with entrepreneurial aspirations. Contact us for more details. 

As you may already know, I was recently selected as a recipient for the Wabash College SEED Grant. For those of you who are not familiar with the SEED Grant, it is a grant that is given for student entrepreneurial development. I was selected for the Grant in the spring of 2012.

Over the last several years, I have been attempting to get my lawn care business off the ground. I quickly found that the expenses of running my own business were far from inexpensive. With equipment costs, as well as maintenance costs, there was hardly any cash left over to cover the necessities, such as gas and insurance. As you can tell, I was more than thrilled to learn about the SEED Grant that Wabash College offered to the student body. I was approved for the SEED Grant with the understanding that my Grant would be used for purposes such as insurance, lawn maintenance computer software, and equipment costs. The SEED Grant not only gave me some breathing room in terms of cash flow, but it also allowed me to run my business much more efficiently with the purchase of a rather expensive, yet incredibly beneficial, software program–something I would have never been able to spend the money on otherwise.

This past summer turned out to be a major success (with the exception of the 3-week drought during the month of July), and the business is now stronger than ever thanks to the Wabash College SEED Grant. Attached are some pictures of the equipment and some of the work Sutherlin’s Mowing Service performed over the course of the summer!

 

 


A Fashionable Wabash Man in China

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Editor’s Note: Here is an update from Tian Tian ’11, who has moved to Louis Vuitton China.

I started working in the Public Relations department of Louis Vuitton China (Shanghai) in late May and my life has been nothing short of a whirlwind since.

This is exactly where I wanted to be from the beginning! The sales job at 5th Avenue was wonderful, but I was ready to move in a new direction at the end of the 1-year tenure. So, when I saw this golden opportunity to transfer back to China, I snatched it up as quickly as possible. Now, that isn’t to say that I didn’t have to work for it. It took me four different interviews to get this new position. Thankfully, interviews are not that big of a deal after spending so much time in the Career Services office back at Wabash.

My new position as a PR Assistant is rigorous and challenging. Some of my major job functions have included celebrity relations, media relations, and event planning. Since I started in May, I have been dealing with more than thirty different fashion media representatives, and 1st-tier celebrities on a daily basis. I do a lot of the personal styling for celebrities with Louis Vuitton products during red carpet debuts and other events. On the fashion magazine side, I have also been getting more and more familiar with the editors of GQ, Esquire, Vogue, Elle, and several other big names. I provide content for these media outlets and “feed” them with the newest trends from the brand and work to get us more coverage.

Tian_Magazine Clipping

Tian holding the September issue of “Numero” magazine with 23 pages of editorials coverage on Louis Vuitton, tagged by the pink stick-it notes.


A City of Inspiration — NYC Site Visit Trip

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–Sky King

Over the course of my life New York City has played many roles. It was, at a time, my first taste of freedom, the place where I had my first real job experience, and even a place that I called home. Despite the many hats this city has worn in my life, the one flame that has endured through my many experiences is just how inspiring this place is. I have always felt that man was meant to move mountains. I am not a very religious person and have instead decided to put my faith in the human race. Now I have always known that this is what New York City meant to me, but it took the comment of one of my close friends for me to realize that, it has and always will, mean the same to every dreamer that moves into the “Big Apple.”

While meeting with Ian Campbell a 2001 Wabash College grad, Tyler Griffin said the reason he came on this networking trip, was because he felt like he was in a slump in his life and he needed a bump of inspiration. When he said this it just hit me. Tyler, myself and the millions of immigrants who have migrated to New York City since its creation have done so in search of one thing, inspiration.

Now, neither Tyler nor I needed the Statue of Liberty to guide us, but we each had our own flame lighting the way. At the end of this first day I can already feel the passion and drive to enter back into my system. Having the opportunity to meet with Jay Allen a 1971 graduate and trustee of Wabash College, and see the view of the world from the eyes of one of the biggest corporations in America, was exactly the spark I needed to rekindle the deep burn that has kept me motivated through the ups and downs in my life. After leaving Bank of America we headed to Wasabi Rabbit, a digital marketing firm, where we met with Tim Lyons a 1991 graduate of Wabash College. Wasabi Rabbit was a perfect balance to Bank of America, it was as if on one side, I had my dreams, aspirations, and drive and on the other a portal to the present. Reminding me of what I can accomplish and enjoy right now.

If these two great site visits weren’t enough to reiterate the importance of following your dreams, we ended the night on Broadway, to watch Rock of Ages. Which, for those of you who have never seen it, is the story of two dreamers who found themselves teetering on the edge of losing their dream and in doing so losing themselves..

I couldn’t have written a more poetic ending to correlate so well to the motif of the day and New York City in general. Through all the great contacts I am making and the great knowledge and advice I have received, the beauty of New York City weather, on the stages of Broadway, or the wealth of Wall Street, New York City will forever serve as hope to the hopeless, inspiration to the uninspired, and the place where dreams come true to the dreamers.

 


More than introductions: NYC Site Visits Day One

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Thirteen Wabash students and the Schroeder Center team (Scott and I) got to the heart of our trip today with a solid line-up of site visits. Led by alumni and friendly contacts at diverse organizations, we all got more than just a superficial peak into the organizations.

Jay Allen ’79 and two of his analysts introduced our guys to Bank of America. They were very candid about challenge of banking, especially coming out of the gate in entry-level positions. But they also showed off the opportunities that accrue to those with the intelligence and work ethic to see it through. Several of our guys are looking in this direction.

Tim Lyons ’91 showed off Wasabi Rabbit, a digital marketing agency. Tim helped us understand the distinction between the traditional ad agency and this recent model. Wasabi Rabbit has a strength in social media and web-driven campaigns, and drew out some great questions from our guys. …And how about the chalkboard paint all over the place? Great visuals here.

Then on to Mission Athlete Care. They promoted their innovative business model leveraging professional athletes as business partners to solve the problems faced by athletes. Then some spontaneous fun: we got a demo of a towel that drops 30 degrees after soaking it in water, and stays that way…really quite amazing. Find the “Mission” products on your next trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods. And if you have the next great sports invention, let us get you in touch with them!

Following a sports trend, we headed next to Major League Soccer, hosted by Ian Campbell ’01. After studying Classics and playing soccer at Wabash, Ian returned to his passion for sports in the grand sense (think Greek Olympics) a few years ago. He told our guys about the vision for MLS in the future and how to get started in the industry. And be looking out for MLS more and more in the future–soccer has a huge and growing interest among young athletes.

Thanks to all our hosts today! We’re off to Rock of Ages tonight and more visits tomorrow. Keep up with us in real time on Twitter: #WabashNYC.

–James Jeffries


Trevor Poe ’13 Understanding the Legal Aid Society

Posted in Internships

Working at Legal Aid Society has made for an exciting and enlightening summer.  Legal Aid provides non-profit legal work for the disadvantaged inLouisville,KY(JeffersonCounty) and 14 surrounding counties.  This includes work in such fields of law as foreclosure, divorce, and state benefits.  Growing up in Southern Indiana, I thought of Louisville as some kind of far off metropolis, and getting to move home and work downtown has felt like the realization of a childhood dream.  My internship helps to pull back the curtain on both the Louisville metro area and the mysterious workings of the American legal system.  As a result, my job helps to expand my interest regarding a career in law, and open my eyes to the importance of the legal system in our lives.

During my time here, I have met both lawyers and law students, and my conversations with them serve as an important resource regarding my decision to pursue a career in law.  Our Executive Director, Wabash College Alumnus Jeff Been, serves as an example of Wabash’s ability to prepare men for the workplace.  His career advice and his help acclimating to my new position at Legal Aid prove to be some of the most valuable assets of my internship.

Certain information cannot be found in books, the classroom, or on the internet, and the Small Business Internship Program enables me to learn through workplace experience.  From my close vantage point, I observe the ins and outs of the legal profession.    It did not take long to learn that far more aspects of the legal profession exist than what appears on Law and Order.  An entire office mechanism made of lawyers, paralegals, and administrative assistants, works to assist the wheels of Justice.  During one of my visits to deliver legal documents at the Hall of Justice in Louisville, I saw for myself the expansive size of this judicial apparatus working within the American legal system.  Without the Small Business Internship Fund I might never have learned about this necessary aspect of our society.

However, my experiences have not centered solely on law.  The internship teaches me a great amount about working in an office setting.  This allows me to apply some of my knowledge acquired at Wabash, such as proficiency with Microsoft Excel, towards my work here at Legal Aid.  Just yesterday, I assisted in writing a press release for our upcoming legal clinics during the months of August and July.  I felt proud knowing that my work went to some of the local newspapers and television stations. These kinds of lessons show me that while it is very important to work both well and diligently, it is also important to enjoy the moment.  Also, events, such as our ice cream social, have done a great deal to add to a feeling of enjoyment and camaraderie in the office.

Starting the second half of my internship I have a much better understanding of a career path following my graduation from Wabash.  I know that the rest of my time here at Legal Aid Society will prove to be just as fruitful as my first month.  Monday I will be shadowing a member of our team to eviction court, and I hope to learn a great deal from the experience.  My work at Legal Aid Society pushes me towards pursuing a career in law, as I am about to start my fourth and final year at Wabash College.


Filming on Vocation: Doug Calisch [CS]

Posted in Filming on Vocation

SYNOPSIS: Doctor Calisch delivers tons of insights into the life and development of an artist, a professor, and a campus leader. Watch the whole video for lots of little pieces of advice, and hear about the kind of exemplar who inspires him.

http://youtu.be/ACpPqeHOgCE

SELECTED TRANSCRIPT:

CS: What do you do here?

0:55 Dr. Calisch – So I’ve been at Wabash 32 years, teaching in my 32nd year, I’m in the art department. For about 15 of those years I’ve been the chair of the department, kind of a middle-level administrative position. The heart of the job is the teaching, this is Wabash College, teaching is a priority. I spend a majority of my time either in class or preparing for class. I teach 3D design, I teach sculpture, I teach ceramics, and I teach photography. Occasionally I teach a freshman tutorial or help with C&T, which is not here anymore, but I had a role there for a little while. The piece of being a teacher for me that is the most important is the roll of collaborator. I feel like my job as a teacher is to listen and to work with students on their ideas, so my role is to react to what they present as opposed to telling them what to present. So any give class I present or set up a scenario that pulls students to think creatively, that asks them to think a little bit outside their comfort zone or outside the norm. Then I work with those creative ideas with the students in order to shape projects, shape their final product, and I’ve done that for a long time, I like it. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to know our student body and to see what they’ve got inside, kind of behind the scenes.

CS: How does the administrative work fit in with your life?
6:00 – Yes, it’s extra, but if you are doing it well I think it is an extension. A helpful extension of what you’re already doing. I take this approach of treating these different aspects in my life more holistically, so that they influence one another so something I may be doing in the studio will become a really good teaching lesson in the class, may key into some administrative decision that has to be made. We in the art department are in the process of thinking about restructuring our curriculum just a little bit and so I bring experiences from the classroom, from the studio, from what I know being a professional artist and try to come up with administrative decisions that are helped by those other roles.

CS: Any tips for art students in particular?

11:25 – For art majors, I think it’s really important that they’re willing to be risk takers

CS: Do you have any suggestions for students in general?
13:08 – Too many students come and think that school is just a four-year stop that helps them line up a high-paying job. They do curriculums that they are not particularly interested in because they think it’s the right curriculum to get that job. I tell students follow your passion, and maybe it’s a cliché, maybe that’s what people think all artists say, but I think the four years in college is really important for students to develop and understand who they are, what they like, what they don’t like, what they’re good at, what they’re not good at. All that information together will help inform them about what the next step is.

 


All Aboard: Using Social Media to Advance Your Career

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–Adam Miller ’12

What’s on your mind? Compose new Tweet. Share an update. These simple statements prompt us to share information with our friends, colleagues, and even complete strangers. Although learning how to effectively use social media can be an overwhelming at times, the benefits far outweigh the simple growing pains.  I’ve experienced firsthand how social media can have a tremendous impact on someone’s career aspirations, because Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have all played a role in helping me gain valuable experience which is setting me up for an exciting career path.

My sophomore year was the first time I realized the power of social media. Working for career services as a peer advisor I was given the task of finding a speaker to bring to campus. Having no idea where to begin looking I stumbled upon LinkedIn and began searching for interesting people to connect with.  After a couple days of looking at countless profiles I ran across a person’s profile by the name of Lewis Howes.  Lewis had just written a book about using LinkedIn to find a job, growing a business, and connecting with industry leaders through social media.  Long story short, Lewis eventually came to campus and gave a presentation about the benefits of using social media to aid in career exploration. Ever since that presentation I have kept in contact with Lewis and he has continuously provided priceless advice and mentorship.

This past fall I was browsing Twitter and discovered an author and public speaker named Kelsey Timmerman.  Knowing that I was going to be planning the Wabash College Entrepreneur Summit in a few months, I sent him a direct message and started a conversation about the possibility of him coming speak at the Summit.  Fast forward a few months and Kelsey was presenting in front of over 150 attendees at the 2nd Annual Entrepreneur Summit.  My final experience with social media for career progression actually happened entirely by chance.  While I was studying for my comprehensive examination I took a five minute break and checked my Twitter feed and saw a tweet for the Young Entrepreneur Council for a social media internship. I immediately applied and two days later was interviewed and offered the position.

Social media is jam packed with potential. I know it can be a daunting task to understand the implications of it fully, but if you stick with it and challenge yourself to produce engaging content then the opportunities are endless. I encourage everyone to take the first step and sign up for Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and begin using these services for the sake of career advancement. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone because you fear rejection, just put your fingers to the keys and keep at it. Oh, and don’t forget to follow me: @AdamDeVonMiller.

 


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