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Finding a new family at Kelley

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Siafa Hage
MBA Candidate | Class of 2021 | CGSM

The Kelley Consortium
Attending the Kelley School of Business Full-Time MBA Program is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Being taught by eager and world-class faculty and having the support of Graduate Career Services are two reasons why. But nothing has been more enriching than my membership into the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM) family. There are definite admission awards specific to being a Kelley School CGSM member: a full academic scholarship, free health care during your two years of study, and dedicated faculty-led study sessions during the Core semester, to name a few. The admissions package is the outcome of not only gaining admission to Kelley but also successfully completing an independent Consortium admissions process. It represents Kelley’s commitment to eliminating the barriers that prevent many underrepresented minorities from seeking an MBA degree.

We are Family
But there is an even greater benefit that I gained through Kelley Consortium membership – family. Even before my CGSM ’21 cohort started our first class, we had bonded. We spent the summer before school preparing for and attending the Consortium Orientation Program, which gave us early recruiting access to some of the most sought-after companies. When we finally arrived on campus, we were welcomed by the CGSM class of ’20, who hosted small group dinners for us at their homes. They also planned community service activities, a Thanksgiving potluck to show off our culinary skills (or lack thereof), and a white elephant Christmas party (can you believe someone gift wrapped bacon?!). But most of all, it’s the marathon study sessions in the Kelley MBA Lounge and impromptu get-togethers at each other’s homes that I cherish the most. These were the moments where we fretted, struggled, and laughed until we cried. These were the moments when we strengthened already unbreakable bonds.

Leadership at Kelley
While we are a close-knit group, we are equally proud to be members of the overall Kelley community. This is demonstrated by our collective leadership. Of the 31 official clubs for MBA students, a third are led by Consortium members: Innovators Club, Food Club, Beer Club, Marketing Club, Luxury Marketing Club, Out@Kelley, Diversity Champions, Latino MBA Association, and Black MBA Association. The student body president is also a CGSM member and the president of the Partners Club is the spouse of a Consortium student. Additionally, we serve as graduate assistants in many areas, including two of us serving on the Admissions Committee. Proudly, we are integrated into the fabric of the Kelley community in diverse ways.

Join Us!
The 2021 and 2022 Consortium cohorts self-identify as Black, white, Latino, and Asian. We are citizens of 3 different countries. Our professional experiences, reasons for attending business school, and post-Kelley career goals vary widely. But what we have in common is a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Specifically, we are committed to the mission of the Consortium, which is to increase the representation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in business schools, corporate America, the non-profit sector, government, and entrepreneurship. All U.S. citizens and permanent residents committed to this mission are encouraged to apply to Kelley through the Consortium. As a Consortium Liaison for the 2020-2021 academic year, I look forward to welcoming you into the Kelley Consortium family.

Summer in Bloom

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By Cait Hickey, MBA’21

When the Class of 2021 kicked off our business school experience last fall, we knew that we would be pursuing internships that would disperse us all over the country the following summer. With that said, we made the most of every fall tailgate, Bluebird concert, and opportunity to Sink the Biz. We rented the 10th and College clubhouse for game nights, bussed to Columbus for a beer festival, and threw every themed party. In case Eric Johnson or Kyle Cattani is reading this, we also found time to network and study diligently!

But as the spring semester came to a close and the world went virtual, we found ourselves in the one place we never thought we would be this summer: Bloomington, IN. And we fell in love with Bloomington all-new (physically distant) ways.

I bought a bike and explored the B-Line. We went camping and introduced some of our international classmates to smores. We played pickleball at Switchyard Park and tennis at Bryant Park. The veterans led a virtual workout that we started doing every Monday and Wednesday morning outside of City Hall (try it here). We ordered BBQ nachos from Big Woods, picked up coffee from Hopscotch and too many pastries from Two Sticks, and have tested our share of DaVinci pizzas.

Whenever I am asked how my summer was, I always say it was a summer in Bloom! We got to experience a quiet Bloomington summer and spend more time with our classmates. We are so excited that the first-years are making their way to campus and already look forward to the first time we get to come back to Bloomington to recruit the next generation of Kelleys!

What I Love About Bloomington

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By Danielle VeZolles

As you’re exploring business schools and determining where to apply, I encourage you to take a closer look at Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Sure, I could tell you about the Core curriculum, our amazing professors, or experiential learning through our Academies. But I’d like to provide you with a perspective on another aspect of the Kelley School of Business experience: living in Bloomington, Indiana. Bloomington is a quintessential college town. It’s full of eclectic restaurants, classic college bars, and independent boutiques. But what I’ve found most compelling about the B-town experience has been the beautiful campus, the recreational areas, and the slower pace of life.

Beautiful Campus Indiana University was founded in 1820 and just celebrated its 200th birthday this year. The nearly 2,000-acre campus is full of historic buildings, including some that date back to the late 19th century. Most of the buildings are constructed of beautiful locally quarried Indiana Limestone. You’ll also find ample greenspace throughout campus where students can be found stretched out in hammocks or catching up with friends and catching some rays. While you’re trekking through campus, you’re bound to encounter some of the most famed residents – the countless friendly squirrels that call our campus home. It’s easy to spend your entire day at Kelley, but there’s no better way to end a long day of class than with a leisurely stroll through campus.

Recreational Areas If you love being active, you’ll find plenty of outdoor venues to enjoy in Bloomington and the surrounding areas. Lake Monroe and Griffy Lake are two favorites that are just a short drive away where you can hike or rent watercraft like pontoons, canoes, or kayaks. Beyond Bloomington, there is Nashville, Indiana, an artist colony nestled among the wooded rolling hills. It’s also home to Brown County State Park where there are numerous hiking trails and scenic views – especially during the fall months. My favorite locale for walking, running, and biking in Bloomington is the B-Line Trail. This paved multi-use trail stretches 3.1 miles and is the perfect place to unwind solo or with a friend.

Slower Pace of Life It’s no secret that Bloomington is not located in a major city. Many students who pursue their MBA come from bustling metropolitan areas and the contrast of a college town can be quite stark. However, if you are looking to slow down and truly immerse yourself in your MBA program, you’ll find Bloomington to be an ideal fit. Living in Bloomington provides the grounds to immediately feel a deep sense of community, fostered by the connections made in Me, Inc. and in the Core. In Bloomington, you’ll have access to everything you need – without the distraction or cost of living of a major city. However, if you’re itching for city amenities or a change of scenery, Indianapolis is a quick one-hour drive away.

Bloomington is a wonderful place to call home for two years and enjoying life outside of Kelley makes the MBA experience even richer.

MBA Momentum Podcast: How to build a recession-proof career in supply chain management and decision science

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Join us for our second episode of the MBA Momentum Podcast – a new offering that enables listeners to hear from Kelley professors and alums on various topics of interest. In this episode, IU Kelley MBA Professor of Operations Management Kyle Cattani discusses how companies are eager to hire supply chain-focused MBA students and what industries are hot versus not for decision science and supply chain management careers.

Building and Maintaining Relationships at Kelley

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Ashley Scott
MBA’21 | Consortium Fellow

When I accepted my internship at E&J Gallo Winery, I had imagined spending my summer working in California and exploring everything that it had to offer (vineyards, Lake Tahoe, vineyards, Yosemite, and did I mention vineyards?) Because of COVID-19, I decided to stay in Bloomington, IN and honestly think that this is the best choice I made for me given the circumstances. I saved money and most importantly, I get to further build relationships with my other classmates who also chose to remain in Bloomington, IN. If there is anything that I’ve learned at Kelley, it is the power of building relationships.

 

In the last week of August, I remember when my class and I first started the Core and mid-through the week we attended Kelley Roundtables. Kelley Roundtables was the first networking event for the year hosted by GCS. We had the opportunity to network with companies. But, what made this networking night unique was at each company table there was a Kelley alumnus. My first interaction with E&J Gallo Winery was with two alumni. E&J Gallo Winery normally recruits on campus for Marketing Interns, but I had expressed interest in Supply Chain. I was immediately connected with people at E&J Gallo Winery, and I used those people’s connections to be connected with others. At the end of September, I received an offer to interview with Gallo at the National Black MBA Conference not only because of my work history but because of the networking I did beforehand. The National Black MBA Conference is an annual conference for networking and recruiting for internships and full-time offers. It is an inclusive event and not only for people of color. The networking didn’t just stop after National Black and my interview, I made sure to remain connected and follow up with the people who I made connections with.

When people say Kelley is like a family, it’s true. When I received the offer from Gallo, a few of the E&J Gallo alumni reached out to me to ensure they can answer any and all questions for me to say “yes” to the offer. Don’t be mistaken, the relationship between alum is similar no matter what company they’re at. A Kelley is always willing to go the extra mile to help another Kelley.

For the remainder of the summer, I will continue to foster the Kelley spirit of networking at my internship at Gallo, and for the rest of my career.

Pivoting as an MBA Community

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Nick Chominski, MBA’21

As I think back on the past month-plus, I cannot help but think about the incredible Kelley community. It was unimaginable months ago, just as it was across the world, to think that we would have our lives turned upside down. Yet, as I have realized, the worst of times help you appreciate the best parts of everything else.

In April, I had my original summer internship at a management consulting firm rescinded due to COVID-19. Like others around the country who have also lost their internships, or worse, full-time jobs, I was stunned. We all feel invincible until we don’t. My first reaction was to tell the second-year MBAs that had helped train and coach me to get that internship. As always, they were incredibly supportive. Next, I reached out to my academy director and career coach in Graduate Career Services and I will never forget their reactions. It was essentially this: “Don’t worry, no problem, we have your back.” Instantly, a sense of calm washed over me. I knew that it, in fact, would not be a problem and that I would rebound. Afterward, I reached out to the rest of my network on LinkedIn and other recent Kelley alumni that I knew. It would be an understatement to say that I received incredibly supportive messages of encouragement from everyone. I now felt even more supported and empowered after hearing from people across my network. After a couple interviews over roughly 3 weeks, I had landed two more offers for the summer and finally accepted a new, 10-week, internship starting June 1st*. There were certainly moments of doubt over that time, but I always had the supportive Kelley community to rely on for words of wisdom and additional help.

Once the semester ended, though, I was stuck. As in, literally stuck in Bloomington since it was not feasible to go home to the east coast and my internship would be remote. So, over the last few weeks, I have, again, relied on the Kelley friendships and overall community for support. Most of my first-year friends have stayed local as well so it has been a chance to get to know them even better. As the weather has warmed up that has included long, socially distanced, walks down the B-line or numerous rounds of golf (and thus searching for golf balls) at the local course. The best moments of all though have come at the local park, The Mill, near where most of us live that has become the unofficial MBA summer picnic spot. So far, we have celebrated at least three birthdays there and, I expect, will do so for more throughout the summer. It has been the highlight of my time off before my internship and I expect it will be so the rest of the summer weekends.

Now though, as coffee shops and restaurants in Bloomington continue to reopen, a sense of normalcy is returning to all our lives. It won’t be like it was before, but I know that, along with the rest of the MBA community, it will be pretty darn close and that’s good enough for me.

*Nick will be interning with AthenaHealth in their customer success/business transformation team. 

MBA Life During COVID-19: Bringing Out the Best in Us

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By Jake Frego, MBA’21

Life within the Kelley MBA program has changed over the past few months, just as it has for the rest of the world. Since the conclusion of spring break, all classes have been conducted over Zoom, many of my classmates have returned home, and exams have been completed online. This is a time of uncertainty, during which end-of-the-year celebrations have been virtualized and internship plans have been subject to change or cancellation.

Yet, what I have found, and what I am sure many of my classmates would assert, is that this time of isolation has been an opportunity as well. Specifically, it has encouraged me to count and appreciate my blessings as a member of the Kelley MBA program. Distance does, in fact, make the heart fonder; I find that I am increasingly missing the casual conversations that occur in the hallways after class, the opportunity for my four roommates and I to host class gatherings at our house, and the ability to see my professors in-person. I know that my return to campus, when it does occur, will be sweet because it will be a joyous re-gathering of the Kelley community.

Kelleys rise to the occasion when presented with a challenge. Since March, this has been particularly evident across the Kelley community, as exhibited by students, faculty, and staff. With regard to students, I have witnessed my classmates collaborate to deliver exceptional outcomes, despite the inability to meet in-person. I was a member of a team that was scheduled to travel to Thailand for a GLOBASE trip over spring break. The trip was canceled, but, undeterred, my team members and I continued weekly calls with our Thai client. We delivered a pricing model that will improve the client’s ability to negotiate, and his feedback was, “Despite the best part of GLOBASE being canceled, you guys stuck with me and really went over and beyond to deliver something that will no doubt bring so much value as we move into this new side of the business. I can’t say enough how appreciative I am of you guys! I’ll say again, please come visit Thailand, especially Chiang Mai.”

Next, our faculty have been nothing short of excellent in their patience, availability, and competency. I have to admit, I was apprehensive about learning exclusively on-line. I have learned as much in this environment, however, as I did in-person, if not more. There have been many class sessions during which professors have handled technology snafus with grace and have graciously answered questions from the Zoom chatbox. And, finally, the Kelley staff has been noticeably proactive in their efforts to ensure that we feel supported and connected. For example, Executive Director Gale Gold Nichols hosted a cookie baking Zoom session on a weekend afternoon, which was attended by a mix of my first- and second-year peers.

While this semester has not transpired as expected, I can nonetheless say that it has been a good one. I look forward to the summer opportunities ahead and to more days in Bloomington in the future!

Introducing our new podcast: MBA Momentum

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The Kelley School of Business‘s motto is “Go from Moment to Momentum.” And the Kelley MBA Program is committed to increasing that momentum for its students and alumni. Our alumni are Kelleys for life, and it was in that spirit that I was asked to help build a new resource for Kelleys. MBA Momentum—a podcast for Kelleys to get informed about new research and insights coming from campus. We wanted to build something that would be readily accessible to graduates. Something that would help them stay connected to campus, be informed of what is new and changing in the business world and stay sharp in their careers. We also wanted something that would be shareable, so you can showcase what is great about Kelley with others.

This podcast is the result of current student efforts, and we hope to build something that will stand out for years to come. If you have any feedback, questions, or requests for future conversations please reach out to us at mbagrad@indiana.edu. Every 3 weeks we will be posting a conversation with faculty, staff, or an alumnus to help you build your career momentum. Our first episode is a short introduction from me about how Kelley Momentum came to be, and what it is. In the coming weeks look for conversations with Jonlee Andrews, Neil Morgan, Scott Maloney, and others. I sincerely hope you find this interesting and valuable and stay tuned for more.

Dustin Roberts
Kelley MBA Class of 2020
Producer – Kelley Momentum Podcast

Trekking out West: Kelley Career Treks

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Matt Tesmond, MBA’21

Kelley provides ample opportunity for us students to get up close and personal with a wide variety of companies. From networking nights to academy week trips, to case competitions and sponsored tailgates, we have a ton of opportunity to explore different career paths and company types through both the formal and informal events. One of the most impactful experiences for me was our student-led West Coast Trek. Treks are student-led excursions, locations not normally visited, that center around a certain business type or theme. Myself and two others designed the Tech Trek to straddle Seattle and San Francisco, focusing on not just the tech giants you might expect, but also on the high growth start-ups that could well be tomorrow’s tech giants. (more…)

How to Prepare for an Unknown Future Economy

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By: Terri Cramer, Associate Director with Kelley Graduate Career Services

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote, “Change is the only constant in life.” It’s a potent quote to apply to your work life these days as a growing percentage of the workforce suffers job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it’s the market, your responsibilities, the tools you use to do your job (e.g. working from home), satisfaction with your boss, your stakeholders’ expectations, or the organization itself, you are constantly going to be in a position where you will need to decide whether it is time for you to create change, or if it is time for you to react to a changing situation. In order to be ready when change happens and action is needed, you need to have an exit strategy.

What is an exit strategy? It’s the combination of activities you can engage in now to equip you to make a job change on short notice. We are all seeing the daily headlines illustrating the dynamism of the economy—companies who are implementing layoffs and others who need to ramp up their hiring at a jaw-dropping pace.

If you find that you need to change jobs, you do not want to start your search from the ground up. Most searches can take three to six months, even if you are staying in the same function, in the same industry, and in the same city. Landing a new job will take even longer if you are trying to move to a new city, and/or if you are trying to pivot to a new industry or function. So even if you have job stability now, be proactive, so that if you do need to switch, you can shorten the timing.

What does an exit strategy look like? Preparation in these three areas can ensure you will be ready for change: 1) Make networking a habit; 2) Keep your resume current and stay active on LinkedIn; and 3) Stay open to new possibilities; stay connected to the outside world.

1. Make networking a habit. No doubt about it, people get new jobs through networking. If you find yourself cringing at the idea of networking, then you should broaden your definition. Most people don’t like networking because they feel like they are asking other people for help or asking people to give them things that they otherwise have not earned. That’s not networking. Networking is about building strong relationships that create mutual value over time.
Think about connecting with people who are in jobs that you want to have, or who work for companies that you are interested in. Broaden your thinking to include alumni from all the institutions you’ve attended, vendors you work with, colleagues who have moved on, friends-of-friends and people in your various communities. You likely have a lot of people in your network already that you may just not be thinking about.

2. Keep your resume and LinkedIn profile up to date. It’s so much harder to recall the results of your performance after time has passed. Make your resume a living document that contains a running master list of your achievements, outcomes, and deliverables, updated as they happen.

You can avoid worrying about whether being active on LinkedIn signals your company that you are seeking a new job by always being active. Follow thought leaders, “like” the posts that your connections put out there, share articles and quotes that you think people in your network might want to read, or that really resonate with you. If you are knowledgeable about a topic, write an article and share it. You might be surprised at just how many people are interested in what you do. These activities are a great way to build your reputation in the open marketplace and to get noticed by recruiters.

3. Stay open to new possibilities; stay connected to the outside world. It is important to know what your market value is. Stay connected to the world outside of your organization. LinkedIn is a great way to learn what is going on in an industry, to learn about training opportunities, to learn about and understand your competition, and to stay in touch with your professional colleagues.

Terri Cramer is an Associate Director with Kelley Graduate Career Services. She helps alums figure out their next big thing by providing help with search strategies, feedback on resumes, and practice with interviewing and negotiating skills. For a listing of career services resources available to alumni and details for setting up an appointment to talk with Terri, send an email to tlcramer@iu.edu.

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