Editor: Grace Berlier

Editor: Erin Dickman 

You’ve probably heard it before: "Who you know is more important than what you know."
 
Building secure connections with professionals and non-professionals alike has been emphasized since career oriented conversations began. But why is networking so important? How do you make these "connections" anyway? I was lucky enough to receive some insight from UBWA alumna Sarah Burger, a recent Fisher graduate and current Financial Analyst in the General Motors Finance TRACK program. She was able to help develop a best practice list on how to make these meaningful relationships less intimidating and even more impactful.

1)  Don't let the nerves stop you— prepare!
           If the thought of even attending a networking event is intimidating, you are not alone. Building up the confidence to participate in an event that is outside of your comfort zone can be half the battle. There are a few preparation steps you can take to minimize the stress. Sarah explained, "Before every one-on-one that I did, I wrote a list of questions based on the role that they held and their previous roles that I found on LinkedIn. There are also a couple of questions that you can ask to anyone that you can always have in your back pocket (i.e., tell me about your career path, what advice do you have for someone starting their career, what's the best part about your current job and what's the most frustrating part)." Being able to pull from a few conversation points will help calm the nerves and guide the conversation in a meaningful way.

2)  Communicate your purpose in a genuine way 
           Often, the idea of making connections can feel overbearing or forced. But networking is a two-way street; it's about building a meaningful relationship, and the best way to begin is by being honest. Sarah says, "If you're trying to get an internship, make sure you tell the recruiter that you're interested in the internship and why you're interested. If you're in a full-time job and are looking to move to another area of the company, tell the person you're networking with that you're interested in their area and ask questions around the area." Being able to communicate your intentions will help the recruiter or professional understand the best way to direct you to the resources you need and guide the conversation. 
Head into a networking event with a concise, memorable elevator pitch that showcases your background, experiences, and presents your professional goals. It does not have to be as forward as asking for what you want. Sarah recommends to, "Go to a recruiter's office hours or reach out to set up a time to talk about their career and most of the time that will turn into a discussion of how they can help you in your career."

3)  Enthusiasm 
           Smile! Being able to communicate your eagerness in a meaningful, warm way will make the conversation even more memorable. Sarah emphasizes the importance of interest. "Be nice, be personable, and be genuine. If you are enjoyable to talk to, it makes networking so much easier." Asking questions about professional experiences and empathetic listening will go a long way in showing a recruiter that you are truly interested in creating a relationship with them and their company. 

4)  Keep in touch & follow up! 
           Networking is where the conversation begins, not ends. If you've had a great exchange, ask your conversation partner what the best way to stay in contact is and reach out a second time within the next 48 hours. Sarah provided a great example of how networking through your freshman to junior year of undergrad can help significantly in the professional job hunt if the relationships are maintained. "If you take an internship that you don't end up liking but have maintained those connections from junior year, it's a lot easier to find a full-time job your senior year."

5)  Confidence is Key 
           Being confident in what you are trying to communicate can be just as impactful as what you are saying. As the saying goes, "fake it 'til you make it." Head into the experience with some outlined goals. Determining the outcomes ahead of time in a positive light will boost your confidence and help you focus. Body language also says a lot; shoulders back, head high! 
 
Approaching networking with these tips will hopefully help you shake the nerves of networking and make the connections that will boost your professional development beyond Ohio State! If you have any specific questions about networking or would just like to chat further about the topic of this blog post, feel free to reach out to me at perrin.83@osu.edu. If you want to learn further about me or our featured alumna in this post, click on the Blog Committee button and the Featured Alumnae button on the blog's webpage! I would like to also thank Sarah Burger for the incredible insight!

Investing in your future can be a bit overwhelming... we understand! 
Whether you’re a first-year business student at Fisher who’s just learning about all of the amazing resources and opportunities Ohio State has to offer, or a third or fourth-year student who is feeling a little stressed about landing that perfect internship or full time position, trying to stand out and set yourself apart from your peers can feel overwhelming. Being one amongst many business students can sometimes make you feel incredibly small, aside from the fact that you are also attending one of the largest universities in the country. It is easy to feel a bit buried by the pressure of maintaining your grades, staying involved in clubs (inside and outside of Fisher), keeping an impressive resume, staying sharp on your interviewing skills, applying for that internship you’ve really wanted, running for leadership positions, and more. Aside from all of that, just having time to take a breather and to make time for ourselves can sometimes get forgotten in our busy schedules. If you have ever felt a little lost and unsure about your goals or where your time is spent most effectively, you are not alone! In this blog post I hope to break down the phrase “investing in your future” into more bite size segments and to help make the hectic life of an undergrad student a little less overwhelming and more manageable. With the help of some insightful advice from UBWA’s founder, Beth Blue, as well as another valued alumna, Nicole Balkenbusch, I hope to make investing in your future sound less intimidating, more approachable, and even a little fun! 

Setting Personal and Professional Goals for Yourself, One Step at a Time 
To begin, goal setting is probably something you do every day, and something that comes naturally to you. No matter your major, we all had to set goals and work hard to be accepted as a student at Ohio State. Today, we all work hard to stay on top of our grades, gain leadership positions, and stay involved. You probably set goals for yourself all the time, without even thinking about it! Whether these goals are small, such as making sure you attend the weekly UBWA meetings each Wednesday, or as big as preparing for an interview for your dream internship, setting personal goals for yourself each week is a big part of investing in yourself. Have you ever been asked to write down three goals that you have for yourself at a club meeting or in class? Sometimes it can be a little confusing to articulate exactly what those goals are, especially if they are long term, such as getting that job you’ve been wanting or making the Dean’s List. An easy way to break down your goals is to look at them on a smaller scale. For example, at the beginning of each week write down three things that you want to accomplish. This can be getting an A on a paper, making sure you catch up with a friend, or getting to the gym that week. When you’re feeling overwhelmed about your goals, think of them like this: First, think about what you are most passionate about and where you want to spend most of your time and energy. Next, execute a plan to reach the goal that you are aiming for, break your goal into a step-by-step process, and go from there. For instance, let’s say you have a big interview coming up. Your first step could be to research the company, then you could practice your interviewing skills (using many of Fisher’s great resources for this), and lastly you could practice in the mirror and come up with some questions to ask your interviewer. Breaking up a large goal, such as landing a job or internship, into smaller steps can make this task feel less daunting and overwhelming. 

I was lucky enough to gain some advice on goal setting from one of our valued UBWA alumnae, Nicole Balkenbusch. Nicole served as Secretary, VP of Alumni Relations, and President of UBWA during her time at Fisher. She now works as the “America’s Customer Service Operations Finance leader” at Amazon, after spending more than 11 years at Procter & Gamble. Nicole explained that time management and prioritization are two very important aspects when goal setting for yourself. Using time management skills to decide what tasks need to have the most time dedicated to them or using prioritization to get the most important jobs done first is crucial to reaching your goals in both college and in your professional life. Nicole shared that, “Learning time management and prioritization is the only way to succeed in the business world without working 24/7 (which is not healthy or sustainable!). I had a mentor tell me once ‘we know a person is ready for promotion when it looks like they are handling their current workload with ease. The person working 60+ hours weekly to get their base scope done likely can’t cut it at the next level, when there is more work/pressure.’” Nicole’s advice is very useful when determining what goals you want to focus on and making sure to not put too much on your plate at once. Learning how to prioritize a healthy amount of work and getting it done in a timely manner is key to making sure you reach your goals and don’t spread yourself too thin. 

Nicole also mentions that when you are setting goals, it is important to know yourself and what you need to gain out of working towards your goal. Nicole said, “As a strong female, you likely will have multiple options come your way throughout life and it’s important to be clear about what you want and what you don’t want – clear, consistent, communication is the only way to make sure your needs are met and you don’t just jump at the first opportunity offered to you.” Make sure you are pursuing goals that are authentic to who you are as an individual and a professional. Making sure to set goals that are true to your personal values and not just because of how they look on your resume is important, as it keeps us aiming high and being passionate about what we are working towards. 

Life Will Sometimes Throw You Curveballs and That’s Okay! 
Sometimes, no matter how much you prioritize or plan for your goals, there can be bumps in the road where things don’t happen exactly as you planned for them to. Although planning and setting goals for yourself is an important part to investing in yourself and staying on track throughout your undergrad years, sometimes things don’t go exactly as you thought they would. It is important to be flexible when obstacles occur, both in your college experience and in your professional life after graduation. While gathering information for this blog post, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to gain some insightful advice from UBWA’s founder, Beth Blue. Beth has worked at Cardinal Health here in Columbus since 2012 and has had an impressive six different roles in her time there! Beth currently works as the VP of Finance at Cardinal Health. I thought it would be important to incorporate the story that Beth shared with 
me regarding how UBWA was founded in the section pertaining to goal setting, and why sometimes you might have to turn failure or disappointment into an opportunity. Beth reminisced about founding UBWA by sharing this story: 

“During my Sophomore year I was in the honorary, “Mirrors,” and late in the year I applied for a Junior year honorary. I didn’t get in! I was hurt and angry for a couple days, but then admitted to myself that I was overly confident and hadn’t taken the application seriously…and maybe I didn’t have enough content for that application. So, I accepted that failure as feedback and thought, well, if I’m not cut out for that organization…I’ll start my own! And that’s where UBWA began…in my dorm room, after some tears and frustration evolved into energy. I was going to prove that group wrong, do something big, fill a need at the business school, and create an inclusive environment for anyone to benefit and learn. No applications necessary! And to think, if I had gotten into that honorary, I would have been focused on my exclusive little club, would have patted myself on the back, and wouldn’t have realized how much more I had to grow and how much harder I had to work.” 

Setting big and small goals for yourself throughout your undergrad is important to your success and staying on top of your schedule. However, sometimes no matter how much you plan and prepare, setbacks happen and things don’t always go as planned. Keeping a “big picture” frame of mind will help you to remember that some failures or a change of plans can end up leading to an amazing accomplishment, such as Beth’s. While setting goals for yourself, remember to let things play out organically and when you aim for a goal, but sometimes don’t succeed, use this as an opportunity to re-group and better yourself! 

How to Stand Out as an Undergrad and Set Yourself Apart to an Employer 
At a university the size of OSU (there aren't many larger!) it can be difficult to set yourself apart and market yourself to an employer or an organization. Much like goal setting, sometimes it can be confusing to decide what organizations to join or what leadership roles to run for to set yourself apart from the other 50,000 some undergrads at Ohio State. The best way to market yourself amongst so many other students is to stay true to yourself and to put your time and energy into things that you are passionate about. Beth shared some advice on setting yourself apart and she explained that it is important to show a variety of skill sets and to have diverse experiences while you’re in college. Beth states, “Think about the type of work you want to be doing when you graduate and try to identify experiences at Ohio State that will help you to develop and showcase the skills you need to be successful in that role. For me, I was able to demonstrate that I am innovative, thrive in a diverse and collaborative environment, and have senior leadership potential. UBWA was able to help me with things. But it was also important to me to show that I am balanced, have a variety of skill sets, and can be successful in a whole host of situations. So I made sure to have diverse experiences on campus, too, and participated in a number of activities outside of the Business school.” While staying active in Fisher is definitely impressive, also try to explore the endless opportunities that OSU offers outside of Fisher. Having a multitude of skills and being able to work with a diverse group of people who problem solve and think differently than you is a great asset to have when preparing for your professional life. Being able to work with groups of people who have different backgrounds, values, and experiences than you is a great skill that will help to showcase how you work with others and tackle problems that you may not be familiar with. 

Another tip on setting yourself apart is to get involved! Since we are all members of UBWA, I am sure that most of us understand how important it is to be involved on campus outside of your academics. I wanted to touch on a point regarding this that Nicole mentioned about being involved on campus. Nicole said, “You do not have to be involved in every student org – just a couple and show you have an impact. A company would rather see someone who is very involved in fewer orgs than a student who attends lots of meetings across campus but does not actively participate or take a leadership role.” It is important to remember that an employer would rather see you take on more difficult and time consuming leadership roles, to show your dedication to a couple of organizations, rather than to just be involved as a general member in multiple. 

Both Beth and Nicole also touched on how strong communication and networking skills will set you apart and are essential to success in both your professional and personal life. Being able to explain to an employer, colleague, or peer what you are thinking is crucial to being successful in almost any setting. When you walk into an interview, an employer will be able to tell right away whether you can easily communicate your skills to them or not. Excellent communication and being able to advocate for yourself is crucial to landing a job. Once you have the job, communication skills will help you to maintain good standings in your workplace or it may even help you explain to your supervisors why you deserve that promotion or bigger role. Making sure you can communicate clearly and concisely is one of the best skills that you can have to stand out among others. Nicole explained how vital good communication is by giving a couple examples of where communication skills may come into play. She advised to, “Learn how to say hi to someone who you don’t know (even if it feels awkward) and when a mentor or company asks you what you want to do over the summer or why you are interested in their company, have a clear, concise answer (make sure you are specific about why you want to work for that particular company / industry – do not make it generic!)” 

Beth also explained how utterly important being able to communicate and network in both professional and everyday settings is. She stated, “There is no off switch, every interaction is practice and every interaction can be an interview for something, and every interaction affects another person.” I think this is a very important bit of advice that we all could use to practice confident communication skills in our everyday life. Just the way that we interact with our friends, professors, peers, or strangers can help prepare us for an interview. Being able to market yourself and confidently network with those around you is a sure way to set yourself apart. Remember that you can never make another first impression! 

Remember to Take Time Out of Your Busy Schedule to Recharge and Take Care of Yourself 
I know the advice above can be a lot to take in at times and can sometimes feel overwhelming. While we all try to balance our busy schedules with school, work, and staying involved, it is just as important to make time to recharge and relax throughout our busy weeks. It can sometimes feel impossible to cut this time out of your schedule as you’re trying to balance exams, extracurriculars, projects, and a social life. However, it is just as crucial to spend time doing things that you enjoy and to take time to relax. Everyone’s version of this is different! Personally, I need to make time in my week to read a book that I enjoy or cut out time to get to the gym. Whether your definition of “recharging” means going on a run, watching Netflix, or hanging out with friends, we all need to make time for self-care and inflection in order to perform better when it is time to work hard. When I asked Nicole how she is able to find time to practice self-care throughout her busy week, she said, “I really enjoy working out, as it’s typically my only ‘me time’ throughout the day where no one bothers me. I can choose to read a book, listen to whatever music I want, read a magazine, stretch, etc. and it’s my 45 minutes. The other thing I like to do is take off early on a Friday for “me time” – I find that while the girls are still at daycare and my husband at work, I can relax a bit more – meet a friend for coffee, do my nails, take a bath, sit on the couch and watch a bit of TV. It relaxes me heading into the weekend when I go from being a professional business woman to being full on Mom.” I think her advice is crucial to us as full-time students, as it is just as important to unwind and destress for a little, in order to stay on top of our game when we need to.

Beth also gave insightful advice on taking a little time out of our schedules for relaxing and recharging. She touched on all of the opportunities that we have as college students to do so. Beth explained that, “Things become a lot more routine after college, so you really need to focus on carving out the time for life outside of work. Taking a walk, joining a young professional group, heading to a yoga studio, volunteering with a non-profit, etc. Find those things that make you, you. Everyone is multifaceted, so whether in your university life or your future professional life…diversify your interests and experiences, invest in yourself and others, take life a little less seriously, and lay off the cell phone.” 


In conclusion, marketing yourself is more than just having an impressive resume. It is being able to find what you’re passionate about, setting goals for yourself, creating a plan to reach those goals, and being able to articulate your ideas to an employer or even just to a peer. Setting long and short term goals help you to get started in a certain direction, even if your goals change along the way. As long as you stay motivated and passionate about what you are doing, you will be able to differentiate yourself and reach the goals that you have been working so hard for! 

Thanks for reading this blog post! If you have any specific questions about investing in yourself and your future or would just like to chat further about the topic of this blog post, feel free to reach out to me at jadrych.2@osu.edu. If you want to learn further about me or our featured alumnae in this post, click on the Blog Committee button and the Featured Alumnae button on the blog's webpage! I would like to thank both Beth Blue and Nicole Balkenbusch for their amazing insight and I look forward to writing further blog posts for you all in the future!

College, for many young people, comes with facing a plethora of new things. A new
environment and a new sense of financial responsibility can be daunting when you are away
from the safety of your parent’s wallet for the first time. According to LendEDU’s 2016 study,
there is an extreme lack of financial literacy in the United States that is negatively affecting
college students. The study found that forty-three percent of college students do not track
monthly spending at all, fifty-eight percent indicated that they are not saving anything, and forty-
three percent of students cannot name a single difference between a credit card and a debit card.
Managing one’s day-to-day finances requires more than a little financial knowledge.

​While most college students have a primary goal of ensuring that they will have a stable
job after they graduate, many do not consider how the choices that they make in college will
impact their future finances. Many college students rack up thousands of dollars in credit card or
student loan debt because they are spending more money than they can afford. Others simply fail
to plan for the future at all. Here are several tips that all students should follow to ensure that
they are financially responsible and that they leave college in the best financial condition
possible.

Create a Budget
Most college students and young adults neglect the importance of establishing a budget.
Listing your expenses and tracking your spending helps to separate needs from wants. Budgets
also help to eliminate both stress and overspending.

Utilize Online Resources
Taking advantage of online financial services via apps or websites makes money
management easy and convenient. Apps, such as Mint, enable users to upload bank account and
expense information so that you can handle all of your accounts in one place. This helps you
avoid missed payments and penalties, as well as easily access all of your account balances.
Online banking and banking service apps are another type of resource and they allow you to
easily transfer money and make mobile deposits.

Take Advantage of your Student ID
In addition to free entertainment options, many colleges offer advantages for students
through their ID cards. Hundreds of brands and retailers offer discounts for students as well.
Taking advantage of these discounts is likely to save you money on things that you already buy.

Choose and Use a Credit Card Wisely
There are certain situations where a credit card can be extremely convenient. A strong credit
score can also make you eligible for loans that you may need or want during or after college.
However, it is vital to do your research before applying for any credit card because different
cards offer a variety of different perks and/or drawbacks. Using your credit card wisely and
avoiding debt can positively impact your financial future.

Learn to Save
College is the perfect time for young people to begin to understand the value of saving
for a large purchase or unexpected emergency. Learning to save money now will lead to a
lifetime of increased financial security.

College is loaded with new experiences, and while it is important to get involved with
activities, meet new people, learn, and have fun, it does not have to involve extravagant
spending. By being responsible, logical, and using your financial knowledge, you can learn to
take a hold of your finances early and it will benefit your financial future. With practice and
time, students in college can learn the vital money management skills that they will carry with
them throughout their lives.

Communication and interview skills are a common area of focus when it comes to your college career. Most internships, jobs, and leadership positions require an interview. Many times, students do not understand that an interview can make or break an application process. By the time that you have a scheduled interview, the interviewer has already read your resume which means that they know your GPA, involvements, work experience, etc. What they are now looking for is how you present yourself and what sort of interpersonal and communication skills you have. Many bosses have said that if an applicant can demonstrate strong communication skills and a passion for their field of interest during an interview, a lower GPA does not play a huge role in their decision making. This is a common misconception among college students as many assume that employers are focused strongly on GPA. Your grades are very important, but how you present and sell yourself in an interview can get you the internship and the job of your dreams!

How to Have a Successful Interview Mindset
​When it comes down to going out into the world and finding internships and careers, employers are not just looking for people who are book smart with a 4.0. Interviews are a time to showcase your skills that do not get conveyed on your resume. Even if you have all the requirements and accomplishments on paper, if you don't have the personality and the communication skills that they are looking for, you won’t get the position. They can see your accomplishments on a resume, but they can’t tell what kind of person you are and how you interact with others. Even for positions where you mostly work alone, at some point you will have to collaborate with others. Employers need to know that you have had experience with leadership, solving problems, and successfully communicating and collaborating with others.

Tips to Ace Any Interview
Here are some beneficial tips to help you ace an interview:

• Taking on any leadership position in a club or program at OSU will help you better understand how to be a part of a team. When you are put in charge of making decisions that affect other students, you will learn a lot about yourself and how to successfully communicate and work with others. To explore all of the different opportunities within Ohio State’s student organizations, click here.
• Going to career/internship fairs and meeting with your professors can also help better your communication skills because it puts you in situations dealing with employers and professionals.
• Make sure to dress appropriately for the interview. This is not a fashion contest; however, it is very important that you are dressed professionally to make a good impression. 
• Make sure that you research about the company and that you prepare yourself for different questions that may be asked, so that you are not unprepared for any topic that may come up. Some great questions to look over can be found here.
• If you feel that you need extra help, you can apply to the program called QUIC right here at the Fisher College of Business that focuses on interview preparation. This program allows you to have the opportunity to dress up and go through the motions as if you were at an actual interview and it is a great tool to use if you are nervous or unsure of exactly what to say and how to act during an interview. For information about QUIC, click here.

​
Overall, it is important to understand that having good interview and communication skills will take you a long way. These skills are just as important as your grades and involvement. When going into an interview, be confident and be yourself. You want the employer to see who you genuinely are, what you stand for, and what kind of impact you would have on their company. Don't play the part of someone else, show them the real you. If you really want to make an impact on employers, never underestimate the power of an interview.