Anastasia Plank: ‘Many of my internship opportunities have been made possible through networking and relationships I have made with recruiters and professionals.’
3) Importance of soft skills
“Before beginning my undergraduate studies, I thought being a successful business major was all about book smarts. While that is certainly an aspect of it, I was surprised to find that the most crucial aspect of business is soft skills. Many of my internship opportunities have been made possible through networking and relationships I have made with recruiters and professionals. Soft skills were especially crucial during my second internship with Deloitte where I was able to talk to professionals and recruiters within the company to receive an interview for a different full-time position that was of more interest to me.” – Anastasia Plank, Seton Hall University (Stillman)
4) Entrepreneurship is a lot like improv
“In improv, there are no predefined labels or preconceived notions to adhere to. Improv fundamentals teach how to navigate unexpected outcomes while making sure not to lose the audience along the way. When it occurred to me that there is more than one way to become successful, that surprised me the most! I came into business school with many preconceived notions about entrepreneurship and goals to start my own business upon graduation, but these goals have changed, and I took a different path.” – Zachary Benetatos, Hult International Business School
5) Finding the confidence within
Carolyn Zedalis: ‘By simply stepping out of my comfort zone, I actually became more comfortable and more confident in all those skills without even realizing it until I was offered my full-time position.’
“What was most surprising to me about majoring in business is the confidence that you build without even realizing it. When I first came to Pitt, I wanted to be “a small fish in a big sea.” Public speaking made me anxious, so I did not like presentations. Small talk made me uncomfortable. I came to get my degree, and that’s what I was going to do. But as time went on, I became more than my degree. I became involved in student organizations. I attended career fairs. I chose to obtain two certificates, both of which included interacting with and presenting to clients. I applied to and interviewed for multiple positions – some successful, others not. In other words, by simply stepping out of my comfort zone, I actually became more comfortable and more confident in all those skills without even realizing it until I was offered my full-time position. It is a really humbling process, but also extremely rewarding.” – Carolyn Zedalis, University of Pittsburgh
6) Everything is connected
“Specifically, in supply chain, there are so many departments that depend on each other to function properly. Moreover, one decision in one department will have consequences (good or bad) on the surrounding departments. Looking back as a senior supply chain major, of course this makes sense. However, I really saw this play out in my first internship at Ingersoll Rand as an Operations Intern. I helped oversee the receiving dock for the Club Car manufacturing facility. When the dock was overflowing with materials, I had to connect with the planning, purchasing, logistics, and assembly departments to get to the root cause and alleviate the strain. This was just one example of how the strain in one department (and the alleviation of it) could impact others in the business.” – Julia Renee Lower, Michigan State University (Broad)
“What surprised me the most about majoring in business is how interconnected business-related fields are. When I first started studying business, my initial interest was mostly in my major of marketing. But as I became more familiar with other fields such as supply chain and finance, it only worked to increase my understanding of marketing. I realized that even though many professionals specialize in a single discipline, it takes a comprehensive understanding of the many functions of a business to truly become a master in your field.” – Chike Okonkwo, University of Minnesota (Carlson)
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