Lunch & Learn: Student Intern Panel Recap

On Wednesday, November 13th, the Niblock Student Center hosted our last Lunch & Learn of the Fall 2019 semester! Belk College of Business Alumna, Kassie Mangano, moderated a panel of current Belk College of Business Students to discuss their internship experiences. These panelists included: 

• Ria Mahajan, Business Analytics and Computer Science double major, interned at Nike
• Erick Koeun, Finance major, interned at Grant Thorton
• Meaghan Sempowich, Marketing major, interned at Grund America and Wells Fargo
• Makayla Craig, Marketing major, interned at The English Studio and Andritz Hydro Corp

Throughout the Lunch & Learn, panelists discussed their internship process, interview strategies, tips for first day on the job, as well as things they would have done differently. Panelists also touched on the value of sending “thank you” notes and follow up emails to recruiters/interviewers to show appreciation for their time. 

Thank you to our moderator and panelists for joining us for this Lunch & Learn! We appreciate having you and learning about your internship experience! 

Keep a look out next semester for even more Lunch & Learns at the Niblock Student Center! 

Top Reasons to Engage in Professional Development Early

Professional development is the process of improving and increasing personal capabilities in order to achieve career goals. Throughout an individuals’ career, they may enter into a position with certain skills, but with the ever changing market, it is important to constantly expand these skills and perfect them as much as possible. With professional development, people are given the opportunity to not only grow their skills, but also acquire new ones, making it an extremely important aspect of professional life. Keep reading to see why it is important to engage in Professional Development early! 

1. Building your Brand

Your network starts with you - if you start building it early, chances are it will be at a good place when you are on a job/internship search. Going to networking events, talking to new people, and maintaining relationships is a great start to professional development - and the earlier you do it, the better!

2. Achieve Career Goals

As a college student, you may already have an idea of what your goal is of a future career. By engaging in professional development, you are gaining an insight as to what the skills are that you need in this ideal career, and building those skills increases your chances of getting your dream job. 

3. Keep Current

The market is always changing, and with this, the need for new skills come about. Gaining new skills makes you more attractive to employers, while simultaneously enriching yourself as a professional!

4. Knowledge is Power

The more you know, the better off you are. If you start acquiring professional development skills early, you are more likely to gain useful skills that will help you as you climb your way up the ladder. 

5. Practice makes Perfect

In practicing professional development, individuals will be more comfortable with the idea of it. Fortunately, the Niblock Student Center provides great opportunities for students to gain professional development skills via Lunch & Learns and Professional Development Meet Ups. Be on the lookout for these events next semester so you can start your Professional Development journey today! 

Studying Abroad in Italy: By Zena Ali

Lunch & Learn: Student Intern Panel

Join us for our final Lunch & Learn of the semester on Wednesday, November 13th at 2:30pm! Alumna Kassie Mangano will moderate a panel of current Belk College of Business students who will share about their internship experiences. This is a great opportunity to ask questions about the internship search process and to network! Lunch is provided. Please see below for information regarding the panelists: 

Ria Mahajan, Business Analytics and Computer Science double major, interned at Nike

Erick Koeun, Finance major, interned at Grant Thorton

Meaghan Sempowich, Marketing major, interned at Grund America and Wells Fargo

Makayla Craig, Marketing major, interned at The English Studio and Andritz Hydro Corp

Please register in advance: Click here to register.

Digging Deep: 5 Benefits of Studying Abroad

I have always had a love for traveling.  Traveling allows me to develop an appreciation for culture, religion, art, language and an array of diversity.  Although I have traveled for leisure in the past, I decided that I need to pair my love for travel with my love for learning.  Upon persuing various travel abroad programs offered by UNC Charlotte, I found a mesmerizing destination.  Israel. Although I had visited Israel many years ago, I went as a tourist.  This time, I wanted to go as an archaeologist! 

I spent countless hours in the city of Jerusalem and was a part of an official excavation.  We found beautiful relics and priceless historical objects on the “dig” site.  It was rewarding for me; I knew that I was one of the first people to literally touch history. 

There are so many different benefits to studying abroad. These are five of my benefits:

It teaches you to adapt to your surroundings. 

Going abroad allowed me to explore Jerusalem to the fullest. While living in the city for three weeks, I knew shortcuts through the city, the best places to eat, and the most exciting attractions.

It allows you to learn about another culture. 

After studying abroad in Israel and listening to the stories and lives of both Jews and Palestinians, I have a newfound appreciation and understanding of these unique and diverse people.

It forces you to try new things and potentially find new interests. 

I had never eaten falafel or shawarma before this trip. I can now confidently say that I love both falafel and shawarma.

It gives you the chance to make everlasting connections. 

Our group dug together, ate together, and explored together. Spending day in and day out with everyone brought us very close together, and by the end, we had become a little study abroad family.

It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

The Mount Zion dig site was hands down the most memorable and unique experience of my life so far. I will never forget the first coin I dug up or the hundreds of pieces of pottery unearthed.

If you ever get the opportunity to study abroad -- do it. When beginning your search for a study abroad program, have an open mind, don’t be afraid to ask questions and remember that the experience is what you make of it. You may have to dig deep to find a program that works best for you, but once you find the right one, it will make all the difference in your study abroad and overall college experience.

- Miles Shen, Business Analytics, Economics and Finance, 2022

Read more about Miles's study abroad trip!

The CIA will be on Campus this Thursday

The CIA will be on campus Thursday, November 7th, 10:30am -2:00pm at the Prospector Walkup under the Career Center Tent.

The CIA is an independent agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior US policymakers.  The Central Intelligence Agency's mission: We are the eyes and the ears of the nation and, at times, its hidden hand.  We accomplish the mission by:  collecting intelligence that matters; providing relevant, timely, and objective all-source analysis; conducting covert action at the direction of the President to preempt threats or achieve United States policy objectives.

Applicants must have US citizenship and the ability to successfully complete medical examinations and security procedures including a polygraph interview.  Applicants must apply on website (www.cia.gov) in order to be considered for any position.

PD Meet Up: Hot Topics in Business

This Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 2:30pm in Friday 302, the Niblock Student Center will be having a Professional Development Meet Up regarding Hot Topics in Business! The topics discussed during this Meet Up will be: 

• Entrepreneurship
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Consumer Personalization

During this Meet Up, we will discuss how these topics play a role in the corporate world today. In addition, students will learn the importance of these topics and how they can gain more insight about each of these as they are navigating through their job/internship search.

Be sure to come out on Wednesday at 2:30pm! No sign up required! Can’t make it out to this Meet Up? Check out our last one for the semester on 11/20 at 11:30am in Friday 302 about succeeding in teams!