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Future Steps Workshop – I’m ready for the next step, are you?

“What are your plans for next year?” – The dreaded question that all college seniors are asked.

It would have been easier to ignore the frightening reality that I am graduating in four months, but with determination I ventured back to campus a few days early to attend the Future Steps workshop over winter break, January 15 & 16, 2015. This COES & Pre-Business workshop, taught by Mimi Doherty ’02 – Founder & President of Future Steps, is geared toward juniors and seniors looking for an internship or a full time job. We were all eager to learn the tools necessary to nail a job interview, write the perfect cover letter and present that 60 second pitch.

What did Mimi teach us?

  1.   How to answer behavioral interview questions
    1. What types of questions can you expect?
    2. Why are the interviewers asking these questions?
  2.  How to construct your resume
    1. Make sure it’s visually appealing
    2. Are your bullet points concise? Do they show what you’re capable of?
  3. How tell a coherent story
    1. Are you making sense? Are you using specific examples to back up your points?
    2. Are you using the three step rule to tell your story?
  4. How to tailor your resume and interview to company specific expectations
    1. Are you qualified? Do you meet their expectations?
    2. What stories do you tell?

Overall, I highly recommend this workshop to rising juniors and seniors. Mimi was incredibly generous in her willingness to help us develop our interview skills, resume and how to market ourselves in the workforce. Attending a liberal arts college has tremendous benefits for the real world.  However, most Holy Cross students lack the proper language to leverage our unique academic background. This workshop will help you choose key vocabulary to enhance your brand and land that first job. I can honestly say I am much more prepared for the job search process.

I’m ready for the next step, are you?

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Thanks to Grace Chmiel ’15 for this honest reflection and review of the new COES Future Steps Workshop taught by Mimi Doherty ’02, Founder & President of Future Steps.  Good luck in the job hunt, Grace – we are confident in your success!

As always – check out the new COES instapage @HCPrebusiness and watch for the next blog post…

Cassie Gevry
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies
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Fullbridge Professional Edge @ HC – January Session

photo (10)Fullbridge Professional Edge @ HC wrapped up the second session on campus last week with the January program.  The first team project (photo) was the Marshmallow Project where students had 18 minutes to create the tallest standing tower, topped with a marshmallow!  Our student writer, Sarah Slipek ‘ 17, was on the winning team! Check out her review of the program:

This past week, forty students participated in the Fullbridge Professional Edge Program hosted by the College of the Holy Cross. The Fullbridge Professional Edge Program is an intensive, 6-day educational workshop that exposes students to a variety of business fundamentals. It utilizes an online platform, with coaches onsite to supplement the materials and offer students immediate feedback. Sessions included balance sheet analysis, business research, and team communication skills. The program culminated with students designing and delivering a presentation where they applied these new skills.

The Fullbridge Professional Edge Program is a requirement of the COES Professional Program, a pre-business program at Holy Cross designed to help students evaluate their career options. Participating in the Fullbridge Program was a great investment of my time, and it will hopefully set me apart from other applicants when I find myself applying for jobs in the future.

If you are interested in applying for the program it will be offered again this upcoming spring, May 14 – 20 (the week between finals and commencement). You can find more information by contacting the COES Pre-Business office at Holy Cross, or by visiting the Fullbridge website at fullbridge.com/holycross

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Thanks to Sarah Slipek ’17 for this review of Fullbridge Professional Edge @ HC – well on her way to completing the COES Professional Program!

Check out the new COES instapage and follow us @HCPrebusiness
Watch for our next blog post…

Cassie Gevry
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies
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A Whole New Line-Up!

COES_topHAVE YOUR HEARD? The Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies is excited to announce a new program structure that rewards students with focused business skills – the COES Professional Program. This structured co-curricular program is designed to complement the excellent Holy Cross liberal arts education by offering you an introduction to business workshop, followed by access to a number of alumni-led, industry specific workshops and advising. The workshops listed below, combined with internship experience, recommended HC courses, student club involvement and required Excel workshop, will enable HC students to connect their education and experience to the marketplace.

 

  • Fullbridge Professional Edge @ Holy Cross, www.fullbridge.com/holycross, is held three times per year (August, January & May) that boasts a simulated work experience to expose students to the basics of business. Fullbridge is a pre-requisite to the following workshops.
  • Finance Boot Camp is a four-day workshop designed as an immersion to guide students who are interested in a finance career. Held over fall break with an overnight trip to NYC, students shadow alumni at various banks including J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, etc.
    • Advertising, Communications/PR, Sales and Marketing held over spring break with a site visit to Boston, this workshop networks students with successful alumni who can offer relevant career advice for the industry. APPLICATIONS DUE TODAY – DECEMBER 4, 2014 – Email cover letter/resume to prebusiness@holycross.edu
  • Entrepreneurship Deep Dive held over winter break works as a motivating and idea-clarifying workshop for fresh ideas to become more concrete. Collaborating with students from local area colleges, students are encouraged to then participate in the spring Shark Tank Competition for a cash prize.
  • Principled Leadership guides students to explore the intellectual, emotional, and moral qualities of successful business leadership. This alumni-led workshop is held right after the conclusion of finals week in May.
    • Future Steps Capstone is a comprehensive workshop over winter break for students who have completed at least two of the above-mentioned workshops and are looking to “build a personal brand” as prep for internship and job interviews. Students work with alumni through a series of exercises to connect their liberal arts education and experiences to the marketplace. APPLICATIONS DUE TODAY – DECEMBER 4, 2014 – Email cover letter/resume to prebusiness@holycross.edu

Thank you for reinforcing your education and future career goals through the many opportunities our office provides.
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Ninth Annual Women in Business Conference

WIB_2014On November 1, 2014, just under 200 alumnae and students attended the 9th annual Women in Business Conference. This year, Keynote Speaker Anne Fink ’85, COO of PepsiCo North America, talked about “Longevity in the Workplace: The Pursuit of Self Discovery.” This year’s Student Organizers were Patricia Feraud ’15, Brooke Levine ’15, Alexandra Schiffman ’15, Lauren Campson ’16, MaryAnn LaShota ’16, Sydney Pugliares ’16, Lauren Biolsi ’17, and Caroline Keane ’17.

Check out what the Student Organizers for this year’s Women in Business conference have to say about the 2014 WIB event on the HOLY CROSS blog – and browse the photo gallery!
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Worcester Entpreneurs Event at Holy Cross: Nov 12 @ 6PM
HCEG_AlumJOIN US tonight (NOV 12) in in HOGAN 406 @ 6PM!
Dinner will be provided 🙂
  • How do you find the right team mix to launch your business?
  • How do you identify the right set of advisors that will guide you?
  • Once you have these advisors, how do you manage them?
April Lukasik P’16 and Carrie O’Donnell ’83 will walk through the following:
  • Ways of finding and managing the right team
  • Dive into what the responsibilities and compensation structure models are for startup team members and advisors
  • Identify the right roles to help you launch your product or service
  • Uncover what some common pitfalls are when building a team as an entrepreneur
ALL STUDENTS WELCOME!
 
Hope to see you there,
HCEG E-Board
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NEW: Advertising & Communications/PR Workshop

AdCommPR WorkshopADVERTISING, COMMUNICATIONS & PR WORKSHOP – New COES Program!

– three-day intensive workshop

– successful alumni presenters

– career advice for the industry
WORKSHOP DATES: mon. – wed., march 2-4, 2015 (spring break)
two days on campus, one day site visit to Boston, MA
ALUMNI
Want to get involved? Email Prof. David Chu at dchu<at>holycross.edu
STUDENTS
APPLICATION DEADLINE: thu., november 6, 2014 @ 11:59pm
email your resume & cover letter to prebusiness<at>holycross.edu
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Arts Transcending Borders: Cultural Entrepreneurship
Pato_DinnerOn Thursday September 25th, Cristina Pato – a Galician bagpiper, pianist, composer and Artist in Residence here at the College of the Holy Cross – held a special dinner lecture titled: “Cultural Entrepreneurship: At the Intersection of Business & the Arts.” Pato has an active professional career devoted to Galician popular and classical music and jazz, and her dual careers have led her to perform on major stages throughout Europe, USA, India, Africa, and China.
The night started with Cristina telling the dinner guests about her story. She was the first female Gaita (Galician bagpipe) player to release a solo album in 1999, and she became a huge pop star in Spain. Since then, she has also collaborated on world stages with Yo-Yo Ma, Arturo O’Farril, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Osvaldo Golijov, to name a few. However, she had no idea that she could become this product: Cristina Pato. She was fortunate enough to have a edge in the music industry as the first female, soloist playing a Galician bagpipe. Yet other artists today do not always have this competitive advantage. Thus, she developed the Galician Connection, an annual festival dedicated to promote intercultural dialogue through music and encouraging cultural entrepreneurs to rise.As the night went on, Cristina got all the dinner participants to interact at their tables and gave each table a scenario to discuss. Scenarios included: Being an artist with no initial funding, being an artist with public funding, etc. The fundamental idea was to come up with a way for the artist to market their product and make a sustainable income. After each table presented their plan of action, Cristina posed the question: “What is holding the artist back? What’s stopping all of us from sculpting, from being a famous singer, from being a renowned pianist?” It seemed like the unanimous answer was that in our modern world, most art has funding through public donations or private investments, and that we believed being an artist would not be able to rake in a steady income.That is exactly why Cristina created the Galician Connection. She is passionate about education, and feels that people need to be educated on how important art is, and they need to have a support system while creating art. Participants in the Galician Connection are able to attend classes and workshops that help them grow as artists, and they have a forum where they can connect and grow together.

So what exactly is cultural entrepreneurship? Everyone had a different definition. But if you ask me, cultural entrepreneurship is being able to acknowledge that the arts are an important part of society, and finding a way to creatively present an art form to other people so that you can make a living off of it, and so that others can appreciate and connect with it as well.

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Thanks to Sophia Jin ’15, for attending and writing this blog post. Great speaker, great dinner and great conversation! As always, don’t forget to “like” us on FACEBOOK and follow us @HCPrebusiness

Cassie Gevry
Associate Director
Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies
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HCEG: Boston Networking Event Summary
HCEG_Allard 61214The Holy Cross Entrepreneurs Group of Boston held its spring networking event at McGladrey on Thursday evening, June 12, 2014.A remarkable number of Boston alumni attended the event, along with the students participating in the Holy Cross Summer Business Program.  This opportunity gave students the opportunity to practice their networking skills and expand their alumni circle in a professional setting. Professor David Chu, Director of the Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies and HC’s Pre-Business Adviser, also attended the event accompanied by several other members of the College administration and the Pre-Business Office.

While the event cultivated that classic Holy Cross spirit, the evening’s host, Bob Allard ’91, proved most energetic of all, with his insights on Servant Entrepreneurship: How to Survive in a Not-Just-for-Profit World. The Managing Partner of ExtensionEngine LLC explained how “Servant Entrepreneurship” is in fact NOT an oxymoron, but rather a strategy that all successful business gurus recognize and utilize.

Allard placed significant focus on the benefits of networking, giving anecdotes and valuable advice that have aided him in the ongoing process of entrepreneurship. He explained how it is often “who you know” along with (and sometimes more important than) “what you know” that will help you succeed in business. However, Allard took this philosophy one step further to note how it is also “who you help” that will lead you to success. He explained how “paying it forward” in the world of networking will come full circle — a sort of entrepreneurial “karma,” per se.

After Allard’s discussion of “Servant Entrepreneurship,” the alumni and students returned to more networking fueled with even more enthusiasm than before, as his insights gave more purpose to the event. Alumni Tom Brennan, CFO of AbilTo, Inc and Ray Jorgensen, Co-Founder & CEO of Priority Management Group, Inc. (PMG), also helped to facilitate discussion regarding these topics of entrepreneurship and networking.

Many thanks to those who helped in organizing this successful event. A big thank you to Bob Allard ’91, Tom Brennan ’86, and Ray Jorgensen ’91 for facilitating such valuable discussion of entrepreneurship during the event.

It is always an honor to host such successful alumni at events that bring together a variety of stories and passions, as each attendee is linked with the same drive of entrepreneurship and Holy Cross identity. The connections made during these events are instrumental in furthering the HCEG mission of creating more entrepreneurial relationships.  Our goal is to foster the Holy Cross community as not only a group of “men and women for others,” but also a community of men and women for each other.

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Thanks AGAIN to Sydney Pugliares ’16 for helping to organize, attending and writing this summary of the event!  Be sure to like us on FACEBOOK and follow us @HCPrebusiness!

Cassie Gevry
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies
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SAVE THE DATE: Women in Business Conference 11/1/2014

Women in Business LOGOOn March 12, students came together to kick off the 2014 Women in Business Conference in the Dinand Browsing Room  with sweet treats and great conversation. The guest speaker for the evening was Sheila Cavanaugh ’81, School of Theology and Ministry, Boston College. Sheila took students through her career path as a member of the Holy Cross community and offered her profound wisdom to attendees.

Sheila has had a very exciting career. She has worked as a banker at The Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, The Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, and the Union Bank of Switzerland in Zurich. Along with additional international experience and volunteer work, she was a Senior Vice President at Fidelity Investments. Currently, Sheila is pursuing a graduate degree in Theology and Ministry at Boston College.

As a Student Organizer for the conference and a graduating senior, Sheila gave inspired advice for my remaining time at Holy Cross. Her perspective on creating a fulfilling life was both motivating and promising, as all students were able to connect to her compassion and optimism.

Key Takeaways

Set goals –First and foremost, have a plan. Sheila had three main goals that she wanted to accomplish before her thirties- go to graduate school, live aboard and move to New York City. She encouraged students to set their minds on something and continue to work toward every day.

Network – With her set goals in mind, Sheila used the Holy Cross network to land an incredible job in New York City. She advised students to form relationships and to take advantage of the purple pride that is fostered at Holy Cross.

Take risks – Sheila inspired students to take a chance and do something that will yield great benefits as a result. By taking opportunities in both Asia and Europe, she was able to pursue her life ambitions and become adaptable to different cultures. In the long run, these risks have contributed to the fulfillment of her personal and professional life.

Everything will work out ­­– Although there are times when things do seem to be going the right way, stay positive and life will work out how it is supposed to.

Thanks for a great guest post from Christie Cannone ’14 – a WIB student organizer! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 9th Annual Women in Business Conference on November 1, 2014! Follow @HCWIB and “Like” WIB on Facebook!

Cassie Gevry
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies

 

 
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For the Love of Buildings

Real Estate_Poster S14

On February 24, Holy Cross alumni who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the commercial real estate business shared their wisdom, advice and experiences in a COES event focused on educating students about careers in real estate.

James Whelan ’00, Senior Vice President at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Colin Blair’00, Account Manager in the Corporate Services Group at Cushman and Wakefield, described some of the opportunities in the industry before introducing keynote speaker John Power ’80, Principal and Co-Founder of Fairley, White.  Four panelists, Matt Harvey ’02, Principal at Cresa Partners ; Sean Duffy ’86, Executive Director, Brokerage, at Cushman and Wakefield; Catherine Britt ‘04, Senior Project Manager at Northstar; and Tim Mulhall ’10 of Colliers International  also offered advice on how to stand out as a potential intern and job candidate.

As someone who has been knocking on the door or real estate companies for the past several months, I was especially interested in hearing their views on what it takes to break into, and succeed in, the industry.  Their response:  passion, persistence and networking.

John Power, who has more than 30 years of experience in the field , sought advice from another Holy Cross alum,  Bill McCall,  and  described how standing in McCall’s office, he became fascinated by the buildings he saw through the window.  He began to imagine the possibilities for the building and knew from that moment that he wanted to be involved in commercial real estate.   “Commercial brokerage is the best profession. It involves no risk, and it offers high rewards. But you must be willing to invest your time,” stated Powell.

 Here are some other insights:

— All majors can apply.  Both Whelan and Blair pointed out that commercial real estate offers opportunities for students of all majors and with a variety of interests, whether it is sales, finance, law, or marketing. Work ethic and personality matter more than major.

— One building, many opportunities. Every building offers a range of transaction/business opportunities:  sales, rentals, leasing, purchasing, financing, management/operations, etc.  This is what makes the industry so dynamic.

— Learn the business first.  Harvey stressed that new recruits should take the time to learn the business and not be frustrated if they aren’t  involved in big deals right away.  Knowledge about the business will help you in future deals.

— Sell, grind and build relationships. Duffy emphasized that every day you need to sell both yourself and the product.  He reminded attendees that relationships matter, always – and that persistence pays off.

— The Holy Cross advantage.  Power pointed out that Holy Cross students have an advantage in the field because of the school’s high reputation in the real estate industry. Mulhall added that his Holy Cross education boosted his confidence and gave him an edge because his writing was stronger than his peers.

The lesson? Holy Cross’ liberal arts curriculum and the reputation of its alum can help open doors to a vast array of career opportunities in commercial real estate.

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Thanks to Kevin Kennedy ’16 for covering this event and to all the alum sharing insights to the real estate industry! As always, don’t forget to “like” us on FACEBOOK and follow us @HCPrebusiness Watch for our next blog post…

Cassie Gevry
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies