Fifth Week of Class
(February 6-12)
Monday starts off with some early morning case work on Red Lobster, reading for Innovation and Enterprise Growth (I am, admittedly, a few chapters behind) and a 12:45 pm meeting with my Global Management team to work on a market entry paper and presentation which is due in just a week to a panel of judges!
While working on the content of our project, my Global Management group also finalizes some questions to ask two guest speakers visiting our Global Management course today. The speakers are international business consultants and will help guide us with our project.
Besides rubbing elbows with international business consultants in class, we also discuss a pretty fun case called the 'Ikaros Project' which involves an entrepreneur trying to set up hotel reservation kiosks in Greece. Any time I get to study travel and the tourism industry I'm happy.
In my spare time before Brand & Advertising Management I e-mail my former job references to forewarn them of my impending full-time job search. They all graciously agree to be listed. I also buy some snazzy resume paper to print my updated resumes on for tomorrow's Career Fair.
In Brand & Advertising management we discuss the repositioning of Red Lobster, paying particular attention to whether or not a rebranding strategy to position the restaurant as 'upscale' would even work.
Tuesday morning starts out at work for a few hours but come 11:30 am it's time to get my suite out and resume ready because it's the Career Fair! While decidedly less exciting than last year when I was a first-year undergoing co-op interviews, the event is still a perfect place to reconnect with employers and hand out my resume. It's also a blast because GE Aviation is there so I get to catch up with my old co-workers.
After the fair I head back to work to complete my hours for the day. In between work and Finance I head home, make dinner and send out a plethora of thank you notes to employers I spoke to at the fair.
In Entrepreneurial Finance tonight we get our case follow-up assignments for Marine Supply Company back and I get an A-! Woot! I'm stoked, particularly because I was sure I had messed up my numbers.
Later that evening I also receive an e-mail from my executive mentor introducing me to a friend of his who is considering the Northeastern Full-Time MBA program. I get super excited and offer to answer any questions he has. He also tells me that his friend might be able to make the mentor panel that my mentor and I will be on next Friday.
As has probably become apparent, even on my late start days I'm on campus early. Wednesday morning is no exception as I snag a spot in the grad lounge around 8:45 am and wait for my teammate to arrive to write our New Product Development company proposal. The assignment entails a new product development process audit of a firm. After racking our brains for a while, not satisfied with the access or scope of all the companies we've come up with, I suggest Northeastern University. Why not? They offer many majors and courses (products) and are constantly updating the curriculum, concentrations ,etc. Genius! We both agree this is a perfect company.
After we wrap up I head to a doctors appointment and sneak in some homework before heading back to the grad lounge for the MBA program's ritual second Wednesday pizza party. I love being back on campus and being able to take advantage of these fun, free food opportunities. As usual, the lounge is packed with students, faculty and staff. But this pizza lunch is a bit more lively as first years are all abuzz about their potential co-ops. Many have received offers already from yesterday's Career Fair and are trying to decide which to go with. How exciting! I definitely remember this time last year when my phone was glued to my hand as I anxiously awaited a decision.
After pizza I have Innovation & Enterprise Growth. In class we discuss the strategy of Panera Bread and how it can maintain its success as a mature product.
After class I do what I like to call 'interview reconnaissance work'. I stop by two convenience stores and a Shaw's to take note of the company I'm interviewing with's shelf space, placement, and product line. I even buy two types of their product to try out. When I get home I prepare some more, researching my interviewers, the company, competitive landscape and more.
I end the night with a case study detailing the innovation process of P&G versus Google.
Thursday is my long day. I get to work at 8:30 am and continue my research of competitor schools and the marketing materials they use. We're working on re-designing our Northeastern Full-Time MBA marketing collateral and so I've been tasked with scoping out the competition. It's amazing to see what technology has done for them! One school even has an interactive brochure with embedded videos! Crazy!
After work I have just enough time to scrounge around for food before my New Product Development class where we discuss the crowdsourcing phenomenon of generating innovations from outside the firm. P&G's Connect + Develop site is famous for gathering ideas from around the world and from sources as varied as large companies to individuals.
While I love my Spanish class through NUCalls, I'm glad when I get an e-mail this evening saying it's cancelled for the day. I will definitely use the extra time to work on my market entry scenario for Global Management and prep for my interview tomorrow! Eek!
Friday is the big day! I grab my Zipcar and make the 40-minute drive to my interview at the company's headquarters. I'm nervous, totally excited and more. The interviews last from 9:00 am-1:30 pm and I get to meet with five different people. Everyone is so nice and provides great insights into the company and why they love working there. I'm told to expect a decision next week. Keep you fingers crossed for me!
When I get back to the city around 3:00 pm you'd think I would just want to go to sleep, but alas, this is not in the cards for me. I head straight to campus, business suite and all, for four hours of work on my Global Management group project. We are preparing a report and presentation for Monday. We must determine which of three countries (Hong Kong, France or Spain) a U.S.-based members only online retailer should enter (say that five times fast!).
When I get home that night around 8:00pm all I want to do is eat dinner and plop down in front of Netflix.
Saturday I'm up early to meet a friend for brunch at the Pour House. Apparently most places are only open for brunch on Sunday so our choices were a bit more limited. Luckily, it was awesome and super cheap (like $20 for both of our entrees, sides and drinks cheap). I, of course, opted for the most opulently sugary item they had: pumpkin pie pancakes which were nearly indiscernible beneath a blanket of whipped cream (yes!).
The rest of the day is spent at the library (a 5-hour stint) as I work on that Global Management project and a case write-up on Mountain Dew for my Brand & Advertising Management course.
Sunday is another long day at the library. After forcing myself to learn more about Mountain Dew than I ever thought possible, I reward myself with a little manicure before heading back home for more homework to close out the weekend
*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, its staff or affiliates.
(February 6-12)
Monday starts off with some early morning case work on Red Lobster, reading for Innovation and Enterprise Growth (I am, admittedly, a few chapters behind) and a 12:45 pm meeting with my Global Management team to work on a market entry paper and presentation which is due in just a week to a panel of judges!
While working on the content of our project, my Global Management group also finalizes some questions to ask two guest speakers visiting our Global Management course today. The speakers are international business consultants and will help guide us with our project.
Besides rubbing elbows with international business consultants in class, we also discuss a pretty fun case called the 'Ikaros Project' which involves an entrepreneur trying to set up hotel reservation kiosks in Greece. Any time I get to study travel and the tourism industry I'm happy.
In my spare time before Brand & Advertising Management I e-mail my former job references to forewarn them of my impending full-time job search. They all graciously agree to be listed. I also buy some snazzy resume paper to print my updated resumes on for tomorrow's Career Fair.
In Brand & Advertising management we discuss the repositioning of Red Lobster, paying particular attention to whether or not a rebranding strategy to position the restaurant as 'upscale' would even work.
Tuesday morning starts out at work for a few hours but come 11:30 am it's time to get my suite out and resume ready because it's the Career Fair! While decidedly less exciting than last year when I was a first-year undergoing co-op interviews, the event is still a perfect place to reconnect with employers and hand out my resume. It's also a blast because GE Aviation is there so I get to catch up with my old co-workers.
After the fair I head back to work to complete my hours for the day. In between work and Finance I head home, make dinner and send out a plethora of thank you notes to employers I spoke to at the fair.
In Entrepreneurial Finance tonight we get our case follow-up assignments for Marine Supply Company back and I get an A-! Woot! I'm stoked, particularly because I was sure I had messed up my numbers.
Later that evening I also receive an e-mail from my executive mentor introducing me to a friend of his who is considering the Northeastern Full-Time MBA program. I get super excited and offer to answer any questions he has. He also tells me that his friend might be able to make the mentor panel that my mentor and I will be on next Friday.
As has probably become apparent, even on my late start days I'm on campus early. Wednesday morning is no exception as I snag a spot in the grad lounge around 8:45 am and wait for my teammate to arrive to write our New Product Development company proposal. The assignment entails a new product development process audit of a firm. After racking our brains for a while, not satisfied with the access or scope of all the companies we've come up with, I suggest Northeastern University. Why not? They offer many majors and courses (products) and are constantly updating the curriculum, concentrations ,etc. Genius! We both agree this is a perfect company.
After we wrap up I head to a doctors appointment and sneak in some homework before heading back to the grad lounge for the MBA program's ritual second Wednesday pizza party. I love being back on campus and being able to take advantage of these fun, free food opportunities. As usual, the lounge is packed with students, faculty and staff. But this pizza lunch is a bit more lively as first years are all abuzz about their potential co-ops. Many have received offers already from yesterday's Career Fair and are trying to decide which to go with. How exciting! I definitely remember this time last year when my phone was glued to my hand as I anxiously awaited a decision.
After pizza I have Innovation & Enterprise Growth. In class we discuss the strategy of Panera Bread and how it can maintain its success as a mature product.
After class I do what I like to call 'interview reconnaissance work'. I stop by two convenience stores and a Shaw's to take note of the company I'm interviewing with's shelf space, placement, and product line. I even buy two types of their product to try out. When I get home I prepare some more, researching my interviewers, the company, competitive landscape and more.
I end the night with a case study detailing the innovation process of P&G versus Google.
Thursday is my long day. I get to work at 8:30 am and continue my research of competitor schools and the marketing materials they use. We're working on re-designing our Northeastern Full-Time MBA marketing collateral and so I've been tasked with scoping out the competition. It's amazing to see what technology has done for them! One school even has an interactive brochure with embedded videos! Crazy!
After work I have just enough time to scrounge around for food before my New Product Development class where we discuss the crowdsourcing phenomenon of generating innovations from outside the firm. P&G's Connect + Develop site is famous for gathering ideas from around the world and from sources as varied as large companies to individuals.
While I love my Spanish class through NUCalls, I'm glad when I get an e-mail this evening saying it's cancelled for the day. I will definitely use the extra time to work on my market entry scenario for Global Management and prep for my interview tomorrow! Eek!
Friday is the big day! I grab my Zipcar and make the 40-minute drive to my interview at the company's headquarters. I'm nervous, totally excited and more. The interviews last from 9:00 am-1:30 pm and I get to meet with five different people. Everyone is so nice and provides great insights into the company and why they love working there. I'm told to expect a decision next week. Keep you fingers crossed for me!
When I get back to the city around 3:00 pm you'd think I would just want to go to sleep, but alas, this is not in the cards for me. I head straight to campus, business suite and all, for four hours of work on my Global Management group project. We are preparing a report and presentation for Monday. We must determine which of three countries (Hong Kong, France or Spain) a U.S.-based members only online retailer should enter (say that five times fast!).
When I get home that night around 8:00pm all I want to do is eat dinner and plop down in front of Netflix.
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| Pumpkin Pie Pancakes at the Pour House |
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| One of the Mountain Dew Campaigns I Analyzed |
Sunday is another long day at the library. After forcing myself to learn more about Mountain Dew than I ever thought possible, I reward myself with a little manicure before heading back home for more homework to close out the weekend
*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, its staff or affiliates.
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