EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW: PART 2

To contiune the segment I started last week, I have three more questions that people curious about SBI wanted answered. Again, reach out if there is something you’d like to know, but hopefully these questions answer some of yours.

1. What is the best way to study for any of the classes?

Just like your in year classes- it’s a person by person case with regards to the best way to study. However, most students during SBI reached out to other students and worked on homework and studied together. You are all covering the same material and some people might grasp the material differently than you did. So it is often really beneficial to help one another during those ten weeks.

2. Is it helpful to have any background in business?

It might be helpful, but by no means is it necessary. Quite a few people in my class had taken Econ in high school or were even Econ majors. So they definitely had a deeper knowledge base than I did coming in (I couldn’t tell you the difference between Macro and Micro economics at the beginning of SBI). With the other classes, many people hadn’t had exposure to the material. Again, if you do have previous exposure, it would probably help a bit, but you won’t, by any means, be behind if you don’t know anything.

3. Do teachers offer any extra help?

Absolutely. Every professor offered office hours everyday for students to attend for extra help. They were often available before and after class so that students had plenty of access to extra help. The program also offers FMR tutoring on some nights for extra help and practice. The program is really geared towards making sure people know the material and that they know it well.

Joke of the Day:

Q:What’s Brown and sticky?

A: A stick

TED Talk Thursday

Happy Thursday!!

Continuing the music theme from Monday, I found this TED talk this week and I thought it was pretty cool. It’s about Jeb Banner’s take on how all the necessary skills he feels you need to know in order to be successful in business, he learned from being in a band. He shares some pretty interesting insights into leadership, marketing, team work, creativity, negotiation. Watch and enjoy!

Who You Could be Without a Business Degree

By this point, you (hopefully) have a good understanding that you really don’t need a business degree to make it big in the business world. Programs like SBI give students a well rounded view of the business world so that they are competent professional who have, helping them supplement their degree. Today, I wanted to shed light on some super talented professional who didn’t major in anything buisness-y related in their undergrad degree (just like you).

1. Michael Eisner, former Dinsey CEO  of twenty years, who was a English and Theater major.

2. Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs  was a government major.

3. Anne Mulcahy, former CEO and chairwomen of Xerox studied English and journalism.

4. Brian Moynihan serves as the director, president and CEO of Bank of America and was a history major.

5. Andrea Jung is the former CEO of Avon and studied English literature.

So- where will your major lead you?

Joke of the Day:

How do you fix a broken pumpkin?

With a pumpkin patch

To read more about professionals who weren’t business majors, http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-liberal-arts-majors-2012-12?op=1

Top Three Reasons Why You Really Should Have a Business Minor: Part One

By now you probably have a good idea about my love obsession for all things SBI. A little back story of how I personally came to enroll in the program this past summer- for starters I am possibly the most indecisive person in the world. I am not kidding when I say that I have changed my major five times at this part in my college career and I am only a second semester sophomore. I can barely make a decision on what to have for breakfast, much less decide what I want to do for the rest of my life. Second semester freshman year, I decided that no matter what major I went with, a background in some business might be helpful. Confession- at that point, I also would not have been able to tell you thedifference between debit and credit. I know, it’s sad. So I decided, for the sake of my future, it’d probably be the move to know some business, even if that really was just the difference between credits and debits.

In the process of writing this post, rather than just giving you my opinion of why you should do SBI, I did some research to see what the pros of having a minor in business were. So what’s about to hit you is scientifically backed up. We are talking some legit stuff right here- so get pumped. But rather than bombarding you with all of these reason right now- I’ll build the anticipation and only give you one a week. Are you stoked? Because you should be.

Number 1: Filling those Knowledge Holes

By this point, you probably know that SBI is for non-business majors. Therefore, all of the students who enroll in the program are from majors across all of the colleges. And while we have extensive knowledge in our own fields, we all lack in the field of business. Which is an issue, because the odds of you working at  or running a business some point in your life are really, really high. According to an article in Bloomberg Newsweek,  recruiters are “open to hiring grads with non-business backgrounds because they come with many useful skills.” They recognize, though, that they had to teach these recruits business basics after hiring. But for the super cool people with business minors, they didn’t have to do the extra teaching, making them more attractive in the hiring process. Basically, recruiters, even in the business world, look for diverse backgrounds and that business minor is another huge plus.

To read more, see The Major Attraction of a Business Minor at Bloomberg Businessweek. 

Joke of the day:

What do you call a cow with no legs?

Ground Beef

Recipe for Success in SBI

It’s no secret that SBI is a rigorous ten week program. Being on the other side of the tunnel, I am here to say that it is not only survivable, but also fun ten weeks. You might be questioning my sanity currently, but it truly is fun. You are learning some pretty interesting things about this business world and regardless of your major, its going to be helpful and applicable information down the road. While you might be currently deliberating if you have what it takes to SBI, I have created a recipe for success in the program because I A) want to share the things that helped me get through and B) love cooking (another fun fact). So if you are on the fence, hopefully this recipe helps encourage you to not only do SBI, but kick butt while doing it.

Recipe for Success in SBI

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of excitement. The classes that you will be talking are awesome and there will definitely be something that you are  interested in-so get pumped. The faculty are amazing and 100% there to help you and make sure you succeeded. The program itself will get you introduced to the business world and will teach you how to be a successful professional upon completion. You’ll learn all the business basics that will universally advance you in your respective field, regardless of what that may be.

1/2 cup of dedication. You signed on to do ten intensive, rewarding weeks of business classes. You just finished what was probably a brutal, typical college semester and rather than hitting the beach like your friends, you have to hit the books again. You aren’t a business major, so the topics might not come innately to you, so you best be ready hit those books and hit them hard during those ten weeks. So dedicate yourself to the program, to the classes and to #investing in your future. For best results, add more than suggested dedication.

2 pinches of teamwork. You are going to be spending a pretty decent portion of the summer in your groups for Competitive Effectiveness. In order to make that time as fun as it can be, be a team player. Show up to meetings prepared, take on an equal amount of work, and bring your a-game to the table. With any group of smart, opinionated college students from all different backgrounds, there are definite chances for a collusion of those ideas. So while putting in the pinches of teamwork, sprinkle in some cooperation while you’re at it.

3/4 cup of ideas and creativity. Your final project is going to be a doozey. Regardless of the company you are making the business plan for, you are going to need to make a unique, stand-out presentation to impress them. The more creative the better because that will make you stand out from the competition.

2 spoonfuls of positivity. In fact heap this stuff on because you can do this. You are at Villanova for a reason and you are doing SBI for that same reason: you are one smart cookie. If you put in the time and effort in to all of your classes, you will be successful.

Joke of the day:

What do you call the heavy breathing someone makes while trying to hold their downward facing dog pose?

Yoga pants.

Words of Advice: The CE Presentation

After weeks of work, your CE experience boils down to one final assignment; you and your team presenting and justifying your plan to your peers, your professors, and your clients. Check out these words of advice from SBI alumni to make sure you’ll be ready when the time comes. 

“Practice, practice, practice! Look for feedback from other team members and your professors before the big day.” – Janine Perri, English, History, and Honors Triple Major, SBI 2012

“Time is limited so it’s important to create a good presentation from the start.” – Ashley Reed, Mathematics Major, SBI 2013

“We started with just a run through, then began to time it and cut stuff out. Focus on the important things as early as possible to make editing much easier.” – Dan Suskevich, Computer Science Major, SBI 2013

“Half the battle of the presentation is choosing the right people to speak and doing it well. The other half (which is almost MORE important) is using numbers to back up your points. Companies LOVE to see numbers, ROI, and visual projections of how much money each proposal you have will make them.” – Liz Tyhacz, Mechanical Engineering Major, SBI 2013

“Don’t be afraid to inject some humor into your presentation. It will win over your audience and put your mind at ease as the presenter.” – Nick Holden, History Major, SBI 2013

“I was a presenter for my group, so I went over my script several times, I even practiced in the mirror to make sure my delivery was impeccable. Before my presentation, I took three deep breaths, and then just spoke like I was having a conversation with the entire room, which was very helpful.” – Domenico Cricchio, Political Science and Italian Double Major, SBI 2012

“I was one of our two presenters, so I received the “script” well in advance and looked it over frequently. Along with that, those that were not presenting gathered informative notes on our company in various areas and put those together for the presenters. We read those over multiple times and just became familiar with the company, its competitors, and the industry as a whole.” – Joe Lenz, Economics Major, 2013

“Practice; practice anything that can go wrong and any question that can be asked.” – Joe Steadman, Political Science and French Double Major, SBI 2013

CE and FMR: A Value Proposition

CE and FMR; two short acronyms that define a large chunk of the typical SBI student’s summer (not to mention the typical VSB student’s sophomore year). As much hard work and as many sleepless nights as these courses involve, we’ve found that both  are popular with SBI alumni. Here are some quotes from alumni explaining why.

FMR: 

“It was logical and the grade was proportional to the amount of time I put in.” – Ginny Lee, Civil Engineering Major, SBI 2013 

“(Accounting) was challenging but it felt like solving a puzzle everyday, which I loved.” – Ellie Frymire, Mathematics Major, SBI 2012

“The class taught be a lot that I will be using very soon when I start paying off my student loans, car, credit card, and in the future a mortgage.” – Nathan Swain, Chemical Engineering Major, SBI 2012 

” I felt like this course gave me the most solid background in understanding more about the corporate world, and led me to pursue an additional minor in finance.”- Porter Strickler, Economics and Spanish Double Major, SBI 2012

CE

“I loved this class because of the hands on opportunity that it presented. Working to develop a new marketing plan for the Knoll furniture company was probably the best and fastest way to learn skills in both marketing and management.” – Nathan Droba, Communications Major, SBI 2013

“It challenged me to solve a problem without a necessarily correct answer, but a really good one.” – Dan Suskevich, Computer Science Major, SBI 2013

“I enjoyed working in teams and using our creativity to solve problems.” – Stephanie Molina, Civil Engineering  Major, SBI 2013

“The hands on experience we gained from working with real executives. The presentation alone helped me with job interviews since I felt much more comfortable with public speaking.” – Dave Lander, Economics Major, SBI 2012

“I loved the professors and felt the material I learned in that class helped me better understand the type of business I want to eventually work in, marketing.” – Danielle Car, Communications Major, SBI 2013

 

Words of Advice: Effective Meetings

In many ways, meetings are a necessary evil; you need them to make sure your whole team is on the same page, but they tend to be a major time sink if you don’t manage them carefully. Here’s some advice on effective meeting management from some SBIers who have done it before. 

“We set meeting times well in advance to minimize the number of no-shows and late arrivals.” – Ginny Lee, Civil Engineering Major, 2013

“Determine an agenda beforehand so you can stay on track. If you have a clear sense of what you want to accomplish in the meeting, it will be a lot faster.” – Janine Perri, English, History, and Honors Triple Major, SBI 2012

“We made a list of things we wanted to get done at each meeting, and scheduled our meetings for times that we only had a set period of availability for. That way, we knew we had to get everything done.” – Joe Lenz, Economics Major, SBI 2013

“Keep each other in check. Last night could have been really fun, but leave the stories for your FB status, because procrastination is not for meetings!” – Christine Fossaseca, Computer Engineering Major, SBI 2013

“Google Docs and similar programs are great for organization.” – Nick Holden, History Major, SBI 2013

“Delegate the work among your partners. No team wants to be the last one done or the group who did a bad job.” – Joe Steadman, Political Science and French Double Major, SBI 2013

“We would take mini-breaks in between our meetings, just to make sure we didn’t get too bogged down and our ideas stayed fresh throughout the meeting.” – Domenico Cricchio, Political Science and Italian Double Major, SBI 2012

Words of Advice: Getting to Know Your Team

You’ll soon learn in Competitive Effectiveness that there are four stages to the life cycle of any team; forming, norming, storming, and performing. This post will focus on the first stage. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your teammates over the next month, and your ability to form a strong working relationship with them is a crucial part of your success in competitive effectiveness. Our panel of SBI veterans has some advice to offer on how to form your team. 

“Encourage group time outside of work time. An example would be my team’s trip to Panera or even just having lunch with each other.” – Liz Tyhacz, Mechanical Engineering Major, SBI 2013

“Hang out with them outside of class. Understand your role and do it well.” – Nathan Swain, Chemical Engineering Major, SBI 2012

 “Take the classroom activities seriously because they are good simulations for group work situations.” – Nick Holden, History Major, SBI 2013

“Take the time to get to know each team member individually. It is also important to keep an open mind when working with a diverse group of students.” – Ashley Reed, Mathematics Major, SBI 2013 

“Compliment each other and focus on strengths.” – Christine Fossaseca, Computer Engineering Major, SBI 2013

“We found our common interests and tried to connect to our work so that we wouldn’t diverge too much from the assignments.” – Ginny Lee, Civil Engineering Major, SBI 2013

“It was not done immediately, it took time and trust to show that our group could easily gel together. Having these things, plus a relaxed, focused mentality will help your team achieve your goals.” – Domenico Cricchio, Political Science and Italian Double Major, SBI 2012

Words of Advice: The Informational Interview

The professional success informational interview is more than just a homework assignment; it’s an outstanding opportunity to learn more about a career that interests you. Here are some words of advice from SBI alumni on how to make the most of the experience. 

“I picked someone who works in a field I was interested in but didn’t necessarily know a lot about. The interview helped me to learn more about the field, and also helped to show me what I liked and/or didn’t like about that career path.” – Joe Lenz, SBI 2013, Economics Major 

“Tailor your interview towards something you are passionate about, it will make the assignment both fun and effective.” – Nick Holden, SBI 2013, History Major

“I shot for the moon and got an interview with a software engineer at Google. Really look for someone interesting to talk to, and do it early. That way you increase the odds that both of you have time to chat.” – Dan Suskevich, SBI 2013, Computer Science Major

“Go into the interview with a plan. If you have 7-10 questions prepared, you won’t run out of things to talk about. If you’re nervous, having a plan will help calm your nerves.” – Nathan Swain, SBI 2012, Chemical Engineering Major

“Do not be afraid to veer from the structured interview. I found that the more personal the interview, the more you get out of it and thus, the more you can write about it.” – Liz Tyhacz, SBI 2013, Mechanical Engineering Major

“Listen. I went to Starbucks and a 30 minute interview ended up going for an hour because the professional just wanted to keep telling me everything he knew. It was awesome!” – Vera Shaw, SBI 2013, Nursing Major 

“Stay in contact with the people you interview beyond SBI, they can be great resources down the line.” – Caitlin Butala, SBI 2012, Mechanical Engineering Major