Spring Conference 2018
On Friday March 30th, 2018, the current full-time MBA students welcomed back the alumni of the Fisher College of Business for the "Spring Conference." The Spring Conference is an annual alumni conference where alumni are invited back to speak to current students about life after the program and to share tangible insights for students heading off to their summer internships.
We welcomed back 13 successful, engaging, and knowledgeable alumni-- all experienced in different aspects of business: finance, marketing, operations, and human resources. They represented well-established organizations such as Nestle, Nationwide, Abbott, NetJets, Ford, Wendy’s, P&G, and others.
The current students began the day with a high-level discussion about Transforming Data into Insights and The First 100 Days. Then, students attended presentations about Taxes, Savings, and Personal Investing, All About Buying a Home, and the informative Managing Up, Down, and Sideways. In this session, students were thoughtfully reminded to be authentic, on time, and present. It is important to present your best self at your workplace; people always notice. Then, students were able to go to a breakout session of their choice where they could earn more about the data and skills used in finance, marketing, and operations. The breakout sessions were one of the most important aspects of the day. One student said, “My favorite part of the day were the breakout sessions. I was able to ask specific questions I had pertaining to operations. I was able to gain clarity and felt more confident as I headed into my internship this summer.” Here, students were also able to ask the alumni about tangible skills used while on the job. Many students found this to be very helpful. We finished the day with all-encompassing presentations about Work/Life Balance 2.0 and The Intern’s Final Presentation. During The Intern’s Final Presentation, the students learned how to communicate recommendations for the company. After running the necessary tests and analyzing the data, what do we think the company should do next? Organizations want to see how each candidate goes beyond the data to deliver solutions and results. This puts our creative minds to the test. What is incredible about this insight is that at Fisher, we are given many opportunities to put this into practice. Through classes and group projects, we are consistently encouraged to go beyond what the data says and effectively find solutions. At Fisher, we not only learn how to sustain a business but propel it.
We ended the day with a delightful happy hour where the students and alumni we able to chat and connect. Here is where meaningful connections were made. Students engaged with alumni in a more informal setting which allowed students to feel comfortable asking more questions. The very kind and humble alumni not only offered their insights and expertise, but their willingness to connect further with the students. As the day was coming to an end, an alumni who currently works in the marketing department at Nationwide shared, “I felt extremely prepared for my position at Nationwide after going through the MBA program at Fisher.”
Students left the conference with new insights and new connections but most importantly, with a confidence that Fisher provides through its unparalleled alumni network and invaluable education.