Temple University - Fox School Ambassadors

This is it! Farewell TU

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:00:57 -0400

Today marks 12 days until Graduation day! Which means this is my last post as a Fox Ambassador. I’m so happy to have finished four years of college and so sad at the same time that I’ll be leaving Temple University. As usual, I’m looking forward to the new opportunities that come with a college degree. I can’t believe that it’s been four years since my first time here at orientation, and as I take some of my last walks around campus, memories pop into my head. My roommates and I keep reminiscing about the past and chatting excitedly about the future. One thing we can all agree on is that we’ve been through and learned a lot at Temple! I left New Jersey four years ago thinking I would never see any other place as home. Now I’m leaving Temple, seeing how much I’ve grown and realizing that Temple is home too. There’s no doubt I’ll run into fellow Owls wherever I go, because Temple Owls really are everywhere, which is comforting since I don’t want to lose my connection with this place.

Thank you Temple for giving me so much more than a degree, and congratulations to the Class of 2013!

-Ashley <3

One Month Left! Bittersweet Moments

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:11:32 -0400

Greetings future owls!

Today marks the one month mark until the May 2013 graduation. I was so excited yesterday when I went to pick up my cap, gown, tassel and hood, that I took a picture when I got home.

I’ve definitely gained and learned so much from my time at Temple both in and out of the classroom. The last four years went by in a blur. So my advice to those of you about to embark on this journey is to remember that May 2017 will be here before you know it and a lot of you will be where I am right now. The memories you make and life lessons you learn will be just as important as what you learn in the classroom, take all of it in and be present. And a piece of advice that I got and have taken it to heart, “Don’t stress, don’t drive yourself crazy with worry, you’re prepared for what’s coming, you’ll do great.”

If you aren’t already excited to be a Temple Owl, get excited, you’re in for the start of the next chapter of your life, and some great moments all while furthering your education!

-Ashley Thomas

Class of 2013

Stressed with final projects approaching? Use these tips to keep your cool!

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:17:03 -0400

Stressed with final projects approaching? Use these tips to keep your cool!

Congrats TU-AMA!!

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:15:00 -0400

In my four years being part of TU-AM, I attended four conferences!

Its officially hit that I am a senior now that my reign as Vice President is of TU-AMA is over. This past week (into weekend) I was in New Orleans for the AMA International Collegiate Conference. (See more details here: http://www.marketingpower.com/Calendar/Pages/AMA-International-Collegiate-Conference.aspx. Below is a recap of the awards we won and some pictures of my experience.

Temple University American Marketing Association Awards Recap:

(1) Bronze Collegiate Chapter Award (Top 16 chapter internationally!)
(2) 2nd Place in the SABRE Competition
(3) Honorable Mention - Donate Life America Case Study Competition
(4) Honorable Mention - Collegiate Chapter Website Competition
(5) Honorable Mention - Marketing Week Activities
(6) Best Chapter T-Shirt
(7) 5th Place Total Videos for Fall Semester for AMA Saves Lives
(8) 5th Place Total Videos for Spring Semester for AMA Saves Lives
(9) 2nd place in Marketing Strategy Competition
(10) Outstanding Faculty Advisor

Those sleepless nights, intense meetings, and incredibly detailed planning and execution management among 12 executive board members and over 150+ members resulted in these amazing achievements.

The theme for the conference was “Live the Marketing Life.”

Here are photos of the team that went down to New Orleans to represent TU-AMA and the Fox School of Business.

I am so proud of all of my executive board and the work they did to get us recognized 10 times at this year’s conference!! Words cannot express how amazing it felt to be on top one last time. <3

I will forever be #AMAzing.

- Chantell

Spring is Upon Us!

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:18:54 -0400

Spring time is my favorite time of year to be at Temple. After a long winter, the plants start blooming and you see more and more people out and about on campus. Not only is the weather a great part of spring, but there are also many fun events going on at Temple in the spring. A full calendar of all events at Temple University this Spring can be found here.

My personal favorite event of the year on Temple’s campus is Spring Fling. This is a day long event that is held over the entire campus. On Liacouras Walk, different student organizations set up fundraising tables with fun activities such as photo booths, dunk tanks, and other fun games. In the middle of Liacouras Walk outside of 711 and Maxi’s, there is a DJ set up from our student run radio station, WHIP Radio. This is a great event because it showcases the culture of Temple, all of the different interests that students have, and how they blend together to form the melting pot that is Temple University. While this event technically runs from 11am-4pm, students carry the excitement throughout the night.

-Jen Singley

Interviewing Skills

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:27:04 -0500

As a senior at Temple’s Fox School of business, you can bet that I have gone to many interviews, from casual ones to very professional ones. No matter the circumstance for the interview, there are always a few rules you should follow.

1. Dress to Impress

I know, you probably dislike wearing business professional as much as I do, but this is a very important part of creating a good first impression. Dressing business professional to your first interview with an employer shows that you put in effort and really care about the interview. If you show up to an interview and are underdressed compared to the rest of the employees in the office, chances are you will not get the position you are interviewing for. Like Oscar WIlde says, “you can never be overdressed or overeducated.”

2. Do research on the company

In many interviews, the interviewer will ask you what you know about the company or what you like about it. The more facts you know about the company, the more impressed the interviewer will be. They like to know that you are invested enough in the company to do a little research before you even secure a job there.

3. Practice, practice, practice

The one thing that I have found most helpful to do before interviews is to pull up a few possible interview questions and practice my response to each. Interviewers will often ask you to talk about a specific time or circumstance that you used a certain skill set. By practicing answering different interview questions, you will be able to twist many of your answers to fit the questions that the interviewer is asking if they are similar enough to the ones that you have practiced. Here are a few good interview questions to practice:

Tell me about a time when a project you were working on with a group wasn’t going well and you decided to take leadership to make your project successful.
Tell me about a time when you failed at something (this one has stumped me before)
What is the main reason why you want to work here?
What is your biggest accomplishment in life so far?
How will hiring you benefit our company?
Why do you want to work in this field?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Tell me about a time when you had a conflict at work and how did you go about resolving it.
What are you passionate about (outside of school and work)?

These are just a few of many questions that can be asked at an interview. If you ever have the opportunity to go on a mock interview, it is very helpful to prepare you for the real deal. Both Fox’s Center for Student Professional Development and the campus-wide Career Center offer mock interviews. They record these interviews so you can review them afterward as well as provide you with feedback that is very helpful.

4. Ask questions

At the end of almost every interview, the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions for them. A few examples of good questions include:

What is the most rewarding part of working here?
Tell me about a personal success story of you working here?
How can I excel expectation in the position I am applying for?

5. Send a thank you card/e-mail

This is a very important step that many students overlook. No matter what, you should always send a thank you notice to the person you interviewed with. A handwritten and mailed thank you card is always the best way to go because it will impress the employer and make you stand out, but a well- written thank you e-mail works as well.

Interviewing can be a very tough process, but by being prepared it becomes a little less stressful. Good luck!

-Jen Singley

Experience Temple Day

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:29:23 -0500

This past Saturday, Temple hosted Experience Temple Day for admitted students and their families. It began with a campus tour before each school broke off to hear a presentation about the respective school. At the Fox ETD, there were 2 rooms full of people for the presentation. We were live tweeting, answering student and parent questions, and offering a helping hand any way we could. It was a great environment to be a part of and beneficial for any students and parents who were able to attend.

If you have not signed up for an ETD yet, don’t worry because there are two more opportunities: March 23 and April 13. I strongly encourage any admitted students to attend and prepare questions for the student panel. This is an opportunity to ask a person face to face about their experience at Fox. Why wouldn’t you take advantage?

If anything, come and listen to how Fox is amazing (because it is!) and enjoy time in Philadelphia!

Pat

Temple Made LIVE!

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:27:31 -0500

Temple Made LIVE!

What is Temple Made?

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:25:00 -0500

I attended an event last week with AMA hosted by University Communications. They spoke about the Temple Made campaign and how it came about. Do you have what it takes to be Temple Made? Find out below!

”Temple Made is a mindset. It’s a mission. It’s a way to describe the people here at Temple and what we’re doing. If you’re the Temple type, you’re a different breed. You’re self made. You seize the moment, work harder, and your successes are all your own. You’re Philly made. Educated in the real world. Shaped by the city of Philadelphia and its opportunities. You’re going out there every day and putting what you’ve learned into practice. Breakthroughs Made. Challenged Made. Beauty Made. In neighborhoods, across disciplines, and on a global stage, members of the Temple community are making things happen. And that’s what being Temple Made is all about.”

- Taken from the Temple Made website (www.templemade.com)

I am Temple Made.

- Chantell

CSPD Work Your Wardrobe Fashion Show- Ashley Thomas

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:45:50 -0500

Last Wednesday was the fashion show held by the Center for Student Professional Development (CSPD) and Fashion and Business Club (FAB) of Temple University. It was exciting to participate as a student model and answer some of the questions that people have about the difference between business casual and business professional. It was also fun to do something out of the ordinary, how often do you walk down a runway in front of your peers with people take pictures and 6ABC filming it? I’m definitely using my last semester to experience as many new things as possible, and the fashion show was one of them! Below is a picture of all the student models from the event!

CSPD and FAB Business Fashion Show Recap

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:20:48 -0500

Yesterday, the Fox School of Business held its first business professional fashion show. It was awesome! Not only did it include models showing off the appropriate attire for different occasions in the business world (such as an interview, day at work, or meeting), but they also provided students with helpful tips for the interview process.

All students and faculty were invited to this event, but the models were all students from the Fox School. In case you missed the event, here is a photo recap:

The models and volunteers from Temple FAB getting ready backstage.

One of our very own Fox Ambassadors, Saphir, was the DJ at the event.

There was a panel of employers that sponsored the event for a Q&A session. These included Burlington Coat Factory, Target, TJX, and Career Wardrobe.

A special thanks to Press and Release printing for our awesome shirts!

Overall, the fashion show was a great event and I was glad to be a part of it!

-Jen

Spring ’13: Final Semester…of the Fourth Year

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:44:53 -0500

Another semester begins! Unfortunately, I won’t be graduating this semester because I chose to stay an extra in the fall to complete my 150 credits towards the CPA Exam Requirements. But it’s looking to be a good spring!

I have returned to my position at a local tax company to earn a few extra dollars during the semester. It’s busy season right now, but should be slowing down soon. I worked 40 hours last week in addition to taking 18 credits. It’s incredibly tiring, but will be worth it in the long run because of the pay and the experience. I will probably cut down to 15 hours or less within 2 weeks once the rush slows.

As for classes— One I would really like to highlight is an experiential capstone class reserved for honors students this semester. We are working with a group of MBA students in Australia! It’s a project I’m excited to work on. My other classes include: international financial markets, corporate finance, law of contracts, and landscape of American thought. I’m getting into my Finance minor that I declared as a way to get more credits towards the CPA exam, and am finding Finance interesting / useful.

I’ll make sure to update as the semester goes and certainly after the busy tax season ends!

-Dan

Superbowl Smackdown

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:29:00 -0500

In case you live under a rock, I guess it’s our responsibility to let you know that the Superbowl took place last night in New Orleans! Congrats to the Ravens and Temple’s very own Bernard Pierce for their outstanding win. Between Beyonce and the Destiny’s Child reunion and the blackout that darkened the Superdome - last night had to be the funniest Superbowl I have witnessed in at least the last 10 years.

As a marketing major who is obsessed with all things advertising and branding, naturally my favorite part of the night were the highly anticipated commercials!

Here are my hit and miss picks of #BrandBowl2013:

Hit: Jeep - Whole Again
Hit: Budweiser - The Clydesdales: Brotherhood
Hit: Doritos - Fashionista Daddy
Hit: Taco Bell - Viva Young
Hit: M&Ms - Love Ballad
Hit: Beck’s Sapphire - No Diggity
Hit: Wonderful Pistachios - Crackin’ Style
Hit: Best Buy - Asking Amy
Hit: Tide - Miracle Stain

Miss: GoDaddy - Bar Refaeli’s Big Kiss
Miss: GoDaddy - YourBigIdea.CO
Miss: Rav 4 - Wish Granted
Miss: Samsung Mobile USA - The Next Big Thing
Miss: Volkswagen - Get In. Get Happy.
Miss: Kia Forte - Hotbots
Miss: Skechers - Relaxed Fit
Miss: Bud Light - Journey
Miss: BlackBerry - What BlackBerry 10 Can’t Do

What were your favorites?

- Chantell

Ron Ott CMR Blog Draft

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:28:37 -0500

By: Ron Ott

If you have any interest in finance, like I’m sure a lot of you do, then you will have the same reaction to the Capital Markets Room (CMR) I did. When I first saw the CMR I was touring Fox and I instantly knew that I would be spending a lot of time in there. I remember the first time I stepped into the CMR early in the fall semester of my freshmen year. It was a very overwhelming sensation; with the stock ticker on the wall, the 2 TV’s showing various news and finance info, all of the dual screened monitors, and people talking about things I have only ever heard on the news before. When I sat down at an open computer I couldn’t even figure out how to logon, for future reference the username and password are both “simlab”. The people who use the CMR are very friendly and will help you out if you ask them questions. Someone explained to me the different kinds of software and the endless resources and I decided to play around with some of them. I will explain two of the most commonly used ones.

Able to access on every computer in the CMR
Provides Financials, Valuations, Qualitative Date, Global Market Data, News, ability to create screeners and models, and much more.
Essentially similar to Google Finance or Yahoo Finance except about 1,000 times the data.
You can export a lot of the info to Excel to create your own models, which you will learn how to do in your finance classes.
Very useful when you want to research a company and know absolutely every single piece of public knowledge about the company.
You can see more about what Capital IQ has to offer: here

There are 8 terminals in the CMR
Bloomberg is the most comprehensive finance software out there and is used by just about every finance professional out there.
All of the data is real time, which is very helpful when looking at several companies.
Everything that Capital IQ plus more information then you could ever think about.
Can analyze Fixed Income, Equities, Derivatives, Commodities, and Currency just to name a few
There is a Bloomberg community, where you can send messages, IM’s and even post jobs.
Can be overwhelming at first but there are endless tutorials to help you navigate the software.
You do have to put in a lot of time to be able to use the software, every finance professional I have talked to says they still do not know how to use all of the features.
You can complete and “Equity Certification” and a “Fixed Income certification” which look great on a resume and if you’re going into the financial field they are requirements.

Student run hedge fund
In the Spring 2012 semester they are going to start investing Real money.
Hold various workshops to teach you how to use Capital IQ and Bloomberg.
An excellent resource if you are really committed to learning more about the finance field.
They also bring in very high caliber speakers from the finance field, which provides an excellent networking opportunity.
Stock Ticker on the wall of the CMR shows the funds current holdings
To learn more about the Owl Fund visit their website: www.theowlfund.com

Ron, Please renter the photos you used in the word document into this blog, if not they will not show up online.

2013 Fox Spring Connection!

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:52:15 -0500

This semester will be my first semester attending a Spring Connection and I simply cannot wait for February 20th! I’m looking forward to meeting all the employers that will be present there. Even though I have already applied to so many internships for the Summer, I hope that I’ll have opportunities to apply to more thanks to Spring Connection. Or even better, I hope that I can meet someone from a company where I applied for an internship. That way they know what I look like in person and I can connect with them, instead of just being a name on a piece of paper. Also, if I want an internship for next Fall this can be an opportunity to obtain one. If you’re planning to go to Spring Connection, make sure you are prepared. Make sure you are CSPD’d, you have copies of your resume printed out and having business cards is a plus! Remember, don’t be shy, the employers are as interested about you as much as you interested about them, you just have to show them that. If you find a company that you are really interested in, make sure you make a connection with the employer so that they will remember you. I wish you all the best of luck at the Spring Connection!

-Saphir

Take our poll!

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:35:15 -0500

Take our poll!:

Hey prospective students, we want to hear from you! Visit us on Facebook and take our poll.

Eurotrip

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:01:34 -0500

During the Winter break, I ventured away to Europe for about three weeks to go visit some of my family. I packed my suitcase about an hour before I left for the airport and I was actually looking forward to the trip. I love traveling and it had been about half a year since I traveled by plane and about a year and a half since I did a long haul flight. I got to the airport before my flight and I got hungry so I got some McDonald’s before the flight. When I got to the gate, I noticed that there weren’t going to be many people on the flight. It made sense because I was flying from Philadelphia to Manchester in the United Kingdom. When most people fly to the United Kingdom, they usually fly to London. On the plane I had two window seats to myself and it was very comfortable. After an 8 hour overnight flight i was finally in Manchester.

I had been to Manchester three times prior to this trip so there was nothing new. My brother lives there and he’s been there for about 11 years now. An interesting thing about going to the United Kingdom is even at the airport you already feel the effect the different direction. For example, as I was going up the escalator, Usually, the “fast lane” is the left side but here it was the right side. Also, I almost got ran over by a car because I first looked left instead of first looking right when I was crossing the road. After a day though, I got used to it. One thing though is that i was jetlagged for an entire week! The funny thing is, I was up when people in China were up and I slept when they slept, nothing to do with EST timezone or GMT timezone.

i really enjoyed my time in Manchester because I got to spend a lot of time with my brother whom I had not seen in almost two years. I also got to go see a Manchester United game at Old Trafford. By the way, Manchester Untied is my favorite soccer club. The only bad part about this trip was the crappy British weather. It was always either raining or the sky was grey.

I then took a short flight to Brussels, Belgium to go see my uncles and cousins, as well as friends. I had not been in Brussels for two years so it was nice spending a week there. Brussels is like the halfway point for me between the United States and the Congo,which is my home country. There are a lot of Congolese people in Brussels since Belgium colonized the Congo. As a result, I got to eat a lot of dishes from back home and it made me even more homesick. Overall it was a great trip! Europe is very different from the United States so it felt really nice being in a different environment. I mean let’s face it, North Philadelphia gets boring after a while.

Saphir

My Final Semester at Temple University

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:16:10 -0500

I cannot believe how time has flown over the past three and a half years I’ve spent at Temple University. It seems like just yesterday I was moving into the 6th floor of Hardwick Hall and preparing myself for my very first college courses. At the time, everything had seemed so new and intimidating. Now, beginning my 8th semester at college is just a walk in the park. While many students stress during their first week of classes, it is not necessary. Being prepared is key.

Here are a few tips to start a new semester smoothly:

Have your classes picked out by the end of the PREVIOUS semester
Know where your classes are before the day you have them - especially if they are in an unfamiliar building
READ YOUR SYLLABUS
Budget for your books before it comes time to buy them
Be on time to your first class (and all of them)

For my final semester at Temple, I only have four classes left to take. I took 5 and 6 classes all of my other semesters so that I could have some free time my senior year to apply to jobs and prepare myself to enter the “real world.”

While I am very excited to graduate and move on, leaving Temple University will be very hard for me. I have met so many wonderful friends and faculty over these past few years and I will miss being able to see them as often as I do now. All of the experiences I have had at Temple through my classes, student organizations, and outside of school have been priceless and unforgettable.

Here’s to making one last semester worth of memories!

-Jen Singley

Work Your Wardrobe - A Fashion Show for Young Professionals coming soon!

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:21:00 -0500

In February, the Center For Student Professional Development at the Fox School of Business and Temple’s Fashion and Business Club will be presenting Work Your Wardrobe, a fashion show focusing on business casual and business professional attire. All models in the fashion show will be Fox’s very own business students.

Students are invited to attend this event which will aim to accommodate students at every socioeconomic level by providing creative ways to look the part without breaking the bank! Don’t miss this vibrant event which will provide 18 total looks, both male and female, derived directly from consignment/thrift stores, from department stores and students’ own closet’s.

For the official invitation to the fashion show, and more information, click here.

In addition to hosting this event, CSPD and FAB are also holding a professional clothing drive to benefit Menzfit and Career Wardrobe, two local organizations that help provide aspiring professionals with the attire they need for their career. They will be collecting donations in the CSPD office (Alter Hall, Room 134) January 22nd-February 14th.

For more information on the professional clothing drive, click here.

-Jen Singley

Preparing for an Internship Interview

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 14:02:55 -0500

The first thing I do to prepare myself for an interview is research the company. I typically check out Google, the company’s website, their annual report for the previous year, etc. I am looking for any recent news on the company and information on its performance, risk factors, goals, and culture.

After researching the company, I then come up with 3 to 5 good questions about the company or the position for which I am interviewing. I like to have these ready to go for the end of the interview when the interviewer asks ‘Do you have any questions’. This is NEVER a time to say ‘no’ but to show that you are genuinely interested in their company and that particular position by asking educated questions.

One of the first things that an interviewer will say on an interview is ‘tell me about yourself’. Because of this, the third thing I do is create a 30 second spiel that is tailored to the company’s objectives which summarizes who I am and what I am striving for. For the summary portion of this, I touch upon my education, experience, strengths, and personal qualities. The future portion tells what industry and/or company you would like be involved in and the position you would like to have within them.

My favorite part of preparing for an interview is picking out my outfit. This is because, if I feel good in what I’m wearing, I will walk in and remain confident regardless of what they dish out. Remember to always be conservatively dressed in business professional. For me this means a black suit (skirt or pants) with a white button down and black 1” heeled covered-toe shoes. I wear either pearl or gold studs and sometimes a classy but not flashy watch. Do NOT overdo it on jewelry! Being flashy or gaudy in an interview can be distracting and extremely unappealing; less is more in the case of an interview! Also, make sure that your suit is clean and not wrinkly!

Regardless of where the interview is scheduled to take place, it is always a good idea to do a trial run to see how long it takes to get there. It would be most beneficial to conduct this trial run on the same day of the week and during the same hours of the day as your actual interview will take place. If you are driving, make sure parking is available!

The day of my interview I like to wake up early having had at least 8 hours of sleep. I always try to have a nutritious and delicious breakfast in addition to my essential few cups of coffee. It is always important to arrive 20 to 15 minutes early to your interview so that you are waiting for your interviewer, not the other way around!

Whenever I follow these steps, I always arrive prepared, presentable, and confident.

-Jessica Margetich