Career

SBCC Team Visits ESPN

Posted on by Claire Hall

Kelly Kennedy and the team from the School of Business Career Center, including Assistant Dean Jim Lowe and staff Meg Warren, Robert Volle, Kathy Hendrickson and Lorraine Liswell, had the pleasure of touring ESPN this week in order to gain better insight on what types of roles School of Business students would be engaged in if hired at ESPN’s Bristol campus. Although ESPN recruits from a few dozen schools, they hire from as many as 100 colleges nationwide, and the company has made a strong commitment to increase the number of hires from the University of Connecticut. The SBCC team (shown in photo, right, in 1 of 9 studios at ESPN’s Bristol, Connecticut location) was provided with an overview of the key elements of ESPN’s college recruiting season, with an emphasis on learning the critical information that will help students customize their resume and gain a competitive edge when submitting an application to ESPN.

One highlight of the day was hearing from Joe Franco, ESPN’s Head of College Recruitment. He shared many stories about ESPN’s humble beginnings and his personal history as a key member of their core team of employees who opened the doors in 1979. Joe took the time to talk candidly about the key skills that are necessary for someone to be part of the ESPN team. He explained that, “During the job interview, students need to demonstrate exactly how they will not just meet expectations on the job, but exceed them.” He stressed how employees at ESPN are expected to go above and beyond their defined roles. Having this passion for working at ESPN made it evident that ESPN is not just a team, it is a family. Joe Franco and a team of ESPN’s line managers will be on campus to recruit UConn students on November 7, at 6:00 p.m. in Room 106. This event is open to all majors. The Career Center strongly recommends that anyone interested in working at ESPN attend this information session.

SBCC Senior Night Kicks Off Fall 2012 Recruiting Season

Posted on by Claire Hall

On Wednesday, September 12th, Lecture Hall 106 was filled with School of Business Seniors who are embarking on their full-time career search.

Kathy Hendrickson and the team from the School of Business Career Center welcomed students back to campus and kicked off the Fall 2012 recruiting season. Presenters at the event included Jim Lowe, Assistant Dean of External Relations, Margaret Sweeney, Accounting Internships Program Manager, and Lorraine Liswell and Kelly Kennedy, Program Managers from the Business Career Center. Special guests included Mark Gelinas, Director of College Relations at The Hartford Financial Services, and Jessica Hitt, UConn MBA Candidate and Hartford Financial Services Intern.

The students were provided with an overview of the recruiting season with an emphasis on critical timelines to help them get their job search started. One highlight of the evening was the Employer Tips section, which provided interviewing tips specific to key target companies such as ESPN, RBS, Liberty Mutual, McKesson and The Hartford, to mention a few. Mark Gelinas took the time to talk candidly with students about the career search process as a whole and offered advice to navigate the field of job search.

Students left the event armed with dates, knowledge of employer trends and an unexpected early graduation gift from The Hartford Financial Services Group. As we work with students to prepare them for success beyond UConn, the SBCC was able to partner with The Hartford in the creation of the UConn School of Business Backpack to Briefcase – Making a Successful Transition to the Workplace book.

(Pictured, Left to Right: Mark Gelinas, Director of College Relations at The Hartford Financial Services, Kathy Hendrickson, Undergraduate Program Manager, Jim Lowe, Assistant Dean of External Relations)

UConn Business Career Center Presents at Annual NCDA Conference

Posted on by Claire Hall

In June, the National Association of Career Development (NCDA) hosted their annual Global Career Development Conference in Atlanta, with the theme of “Building on the Dream.” The annual event is designed for Career Services Professionals to share experiences with their peers from Higher Education, and includes training programs in areas such as technology, career assessments, ethics, and career information.

Kelly W. Kennedy, Program Manager at the University of Connecticut School of Business Career Center (SBCC) led the training session: “Making Connections with Purpose, Passion, and Possibility.” Kelly shared the SBCC’s successful best practices using a marketing plan to accelerate the careers of young professionals. She discussed the innovative and interactive career development program at the business school, which teaches students to remain competitive in the workplace through networking skill building programs and events, and guides them to take a strategic and long-term approach when thinking about their careers.

The session was well received by Kennedy’s peers in career development, with comments such as “Thanks so much for your presentation at NCDA! I really enjoyed learning about your marketing plan for students and took a lot away from the experience.” “Your presentation at NCDA drew an enthusiastic crowd and I appreciate the time you spent with me afterward.”

The UConn School of Business Career Center provides a wide range of career development and recruiting services to both employers and students, and encourages students to start their job search as early as freshman year for undergrads, or first semester for graduate students. Career development professionals at the SBCC can be reached at (860) 486-5136.

UConn Graduates Travelers EDGE Scholars

Posted on by Claire Hall

The University of Connecticut proudly celebrates the graduation of the 2011 Travelers EDGE Scholars. Travelers EDGE (Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment), is a partnership with  Travelers, the University of Connecticut, Central Connecticut State University and Capital Community College.  The goal of the EDGE initiative is to improve access to and success in post-secondary education for undeserved communities and to build awareness of insurance and finance careers in this population. UConn’s EDGE initiative has three components: financial assistance, academic support services and activities for undergraduate students as well as outreach programming for middle and high school students.  Since its inception, 58 deserving students (including some who transferred from the EDGE program at Capital Community College) have been awarded Travelers  EDGE scholarships.

Through Travelers EDGE, the graduates participated in a wide variety of activities including resume critiques, mock interviews and improving their personal finance, project management and computer skills. Additionally, Travelers employees took part in the development of the students; in fact, since the program’s 2007 launch, approximately 200 employees have supported scholars as mentors and managers.

“Travelers is committed to removing barriers to education and career success faced by underrepresented students,” said Marlene Ibsen, Vice President of Community Relations. “Through our relationships with local colleges and universities, we are able to provide hands-on work experience in our industry as well as financial assistance to students who, when given the opportunity, are able to excel.”

Program Director, Seanice Austin says, “we are pleased with the partnership with Travelers and the opportunity EDGE affords our students. Students in this program are better prepared academically as well as professionally.  As employees, our graduates will be able to contribute immediately to Travelers and any other organization they work for”.

This year’s graduation celebrates the graduates from the three EDGE partner institutions; University of Connecticut, Capital Community College and Central Connecticut State University.  The UConn graduates are  Omar Cassells, Business & Technology; Teresa Frausto, Accounting; Sandie Gong, Math & Economics; Eric Jain, Accounting; Elliot King, Accounting; David Macklem, Actuarial Science; Emily McDonnell, Management & French; Xiomara Ortiz, Business & Technology; Christian Osorio, Electrical Engineering; Sneha Parikh, Communication Disorders; Daniel Ratner, Management; Jayna Velez, Management; Prasant Venimadhavan, Accounting & Mathematics; Rex Winful, Business & Technology; Tracy Wright, Business & Technology.

At the graduation, held at the Hartford Marriott Downtown, Travelers EDGE scholar Sandie Gong talked about her experience as a Travelers intern. In addition to representatives from Travelers, CCSU President Jack Miller, Capital Community College President Wilfredo Nieves, and UCONN Business School Dean Dr. P. Christopher Earley also attended the event.

Pictured (left to right): Omar Cassells, Teresa Frausto, Sandie Gong, Emily McDonnell, Elliott King, Xiomara Ortiz, Rex Winful, Sneha Parikh, Jayna Velez, Tracy Wright, Seanice Austin