Summer Fun on the Cape and Revere Beach

Week 5 (July 11-17)

Week five at my corporate residency is consumed with a major international proposal I'm working on for the F414 engine line and in the middle of this hectic environment I'm finally getting some tasks of my own. During a five-day meeting that lasts more than 10 hours each day I am in charge of managing the proposal's action item matrix, I get to interface with international GE employees who have traveled to Lynn to help prepare the bid and even hob-knob with executives from our Aviation headquarters in Evendale, Ohio.  

As if the excitement of this large-scale sales effort wasn't enough to keep my attention, I also manage to squeeze in a few tours of our various manufacturing plants at Lynn. It's so neat to see all of the different engine lines I've been helping to sell in various stages of assembly and testing. It also helps me place visuals with part names and better understand the make-up of this highly technical product. 

In between plant tours and proposals I’ve been tasked with writing up an executive summary for an international marketing license application (known as a DSP-5) that would allow us to speak to potential clients about our engines in sales pitches and bids. While it’s a small job, I’m happy to have some autonomy over an aspect of this large operation.

Also this week I get a chance to meet up with my Executive mentor at The Fours near North Station. This is the first time I’ve seen him since returning from my travels overseas and starting my corporate residency so we have much to catch up on. He is, as always, very attentive and interested in helping me digest my new role and plan for the future (including the looming full-time career fair in September!).  He even informs me that he will be a guest speaker during an MBA class this Fall. I jokingly tell him I will find a way to sneak into the class and ask him tough questions.

After my crazy week logging major overtime I’m rewarded with a weekend visit from my best friend and roommate from college. I haven’t seen her since orientation when I was consumed with my hectic schedule so I’m looking forward to relaxing and enjoying my time with her.  I meet her at Back Bay Station after work and we immediately set about getting some drinks at Parish Café on the corner of my block.

Provincetown, MA

We spend Saturday in Provincetown at the very tip of the Cape. We take the 90-minute high-speed ferry at 8:00 am and enjoy a day of great food at Cafe Heaven, shopping in upscale boutiques and stunning beach views.

Sunday we’re up early for a tour of the Harpoon Brewery. For those of you who read this blog regularly you may remember I went to the Sam Adams Brewery Tour back in October. The Harpoon Brewery tour proved far superior. Guests are pretty much allowed unlimited beer in any flavor variety they so desire; all for only $5.

Admittedly a bit tipsy before noon my friend and I follow up our tour by heading to the North End for lobster tails and cannolis at Mike’s Pastry. Delish! This is, of course, just the precursor to our lunch at the newly opened Five Napkin Burger (arguably the best burger in town) and Newbury Street shopping. That night it’s a showing of the final installment of the Harry Potter series (yes, I am that nerdy).

 WEEK 6 (July 18-24)

This week is all about small wins. First, I begin setting up my work pipeline. For instance, I will be involved in coordinating and obtaining developmental TAA licenses which will allow GE Aviation to provide technical insight and support to customers.  To do this I will have to coordinate with some governmental authorities. These licenses are crucial in transferring GE’s technical knowledge to our clients.

Another small win was that I learned how to maneuver our complicated calendar system as I scheduled meetings, reserved some coveted conference room space and coordinated attendees. Plus, I did this to help save a team member some time as he was swamped with work for the international proposal. Finally I’m feeling useful!

I also began to work autonomously.  I was in charge of updating our proposal action item list that was then sent out to all team members, I checked in which each action item owner to verify the status of their task, help them gather necessary information and made sure everyone was on track for a timely proposal submittal.

I also was able to flex some of my Journalism muscles, being charged with the task of editing a descriptive engine write-up and coordinating the corresponding meeting to discuss said revisions.

On the school front our class received notification of the Full-Time MBA Career Fair on September 13^th. I can’t believe how soon that is! This required event in on a Tuesday so I’ll have to miss work. Each student is required to have their most recent resumes uploaded to the eRecruiting website by August 12^th for distribution to employers in a resume book. I hope I have enough substantial work experience by then to really stand out. I feel like I’ve just stared at GE! Jobs for the Career Fair will be posted on August 23^rd.

I’ve also been assigned my peer mentor and I'm so excited to meet her! I really hope that I can be as good of a mentor to her as mine was to me. I initiate our first dialogue and offer to meet up for coffee whenever she gets into Boston.

My week rounds out with a weekend of some major sunbathing at Revere Beach.  My friend and I take in the nearby sandy shores before stopping for lunch at Kelly’s Roast Beef and Kell’s Kreme for ice cream. Yum! It’s really starting to feel like summer now.