Two days ago, I decided to take the initiative of attending the first general meeting of the National Organization of Business and Engineering (NOBE) at the University of Illinois. I had see them around on Quad day, though I did not sign up for their mailing list nor do I really have any interest in business and engineering. I'm quite sure (for now at least) that after my senior year I'd want to go on to do research at a graduate school, so in terms of the essence of NOBE, there is not a lot of relevance for me at this stage. NOBE, more than anything, provides the bridge between student and big corporations - they help you find jobs and internships.
So why did I go?
A common proverb in the English language is "it's never too late to do _____." Personally, I think that this phrase overused, and find that the alternative "it's never too early to do ______" is a much better as well as much healthier attitude. One day, inevitably, I will have to find a job. I might as well start preparing today. But more than anything, I believe that NOBE is the key to a vast network of not only prestigious multi-national corporations, but also a highly-motivated, ambitious and foresighted group of individuals who have also taken the initiative of joining NOBE with the aim of improving their prospects of a successful career. Surely this is a network I would like to be part of, and more importantly, contribute to.
The first general meeting was simultaneously a presentation/workshop entitled "The Ins-and-Outs of Internship." Here, several seniors and graduate students shared their experiences of internship, the stories, the challenges, as well as sound advice on how to do well. I personally found the stories very amusing in addition to informative. However, this small entertainment was trumped by the greatest delight of the night; instead of the standard delivery pizza (which I have begun to grow ridiculously sick of), fried chicken was served! Over a piece of chicken and French dressing, I briefly conversed with some of the other people who turned up, and some of the guest speakers. I then approached one of the officers of the group, Kevin Daley, and I inquired into the specifics of the events that NOBE was hosting.
At that time, several disjointed strands of information tied together; NOBE would be hosting a “Casino Night” with several big-name corporations, but space was limited and priority would be given to paid members of NOBE. Annual membership fees were 15$. Perks of membership include discounts at eateries (of special interest to me were 10% off at IHOP and Mandarin Wok), but I would find a night gambling and a dollar discount on one of the few occasions that I do eat off campus difficult to justify the 15$ payment. However, at the start of the meeting, the president had announced that they were still looking for junior officers and that the application deadline was that same evening. To be appointed a junior officer, one had to first be a paid member. Possibility knocked on the door.
We started talking more about what the responsibilities of a junior board member would entail, the magnitude of time commitment as well as the qualifications and traits that they were looking for in such an applicant. I found that the description, for the most part, matched my capabilities. Kevin Daley was in charge of the Professional Development committee, and he talked about the details of what junior officers in his committee would be doing, and what he expected from each of them. I was sure that I could handle the responsibilities, though he encouraged me to explore other committees as well. Overall, he seemed like a very agreeable person, and I hope to work with him and learn from him in the future.
I paid the membership fee on the spot, went home and submitted my application, and now I’m just waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I downloaded a free Yahoo! game called “Governor of Poker” to practice my Texas Hold ‘em skills. You may disagree with me, but I call this real initiative.
Cheers,
First, I just want to say that I really like your writing style.
ReplyDeleteNOBE wounds like a great opportunity. What exactly do you hope to gain by joining this group? I think that having a specific set of goals in mind will help you to further yourself even more than to just join the group and hope for the best. You may already have done this, but I just want to make sure because your blog didn't have anything specific in this respect.
You said that you learned about the responsibilities of being a junior officer. Could you give me an idea of what those would be like?
Also, what kind of companies does NOBE host? I would like to learn more about them because there's a chance that what they do lies within my areas of interest. I need to branch out more in my networking efforts, and NOBE may be the way to go for me.
I have to agree with what Matt said in his response to your blog, you have a extremly well developed sense of writing.
ReplyDeleteYou say multiple times throughout your blog post that NOBE has many events which invlove "Big-name corporations." Could you elaborate on that and possibly give a few examples of these "big-name corporations"?
Also you stated that you wanted to do graduate research at a university after you graduate, do you know which university at which you would like to study? or what you would like to study?
I understand your enthusiasum for taking a position of power in a group such as NOBE and the benefits that can come from such a title. However do you know what you truly want to get out of your time as a member (and possibly junior board member) at NOBE? do you wish to simply put this on your application to a graduate university program or could you be possibly using it to get an internship?
Overall i really enjoyed reading your initiative blog post and I want to wish you the best as you hear the verdict from your junior board application.
Hey Charlie,
ReplyDeleteNOBE sounds like an awesome group. I completely agree with your reasons for joining. That type of thinking will take you far. I also like how you are approaching NOBE as a network, as I am sure this will provide you with a number of critical contacts. You said that you have no interest in business and that you plan to go into graduate research. Is there any chance that your experience with NOBE will change your mind and lead you into business-related career?
You said that the NOBE meeting was about the "ins and outs of internships." I am actually very interested in internship opportunities. What did you learn from this presentation? Are there any immediate internship opportunities for you to pursue?
I admire the courage and initiative it took for you to apply as a junior board member for NOBE. What are your motivations for pursing this leadership role? Also, what do you hope to gain from this experience?
I wish you the best in regards to your junior board member application. You have great things ahead of you.
Thanks for the kind comments.
ReplyDeleteJohn: I can only quote two companies that NOBE has close ties with, these are IMC Chicago and Pepsi Co.. I am sure there are others, but I can't recite any right now. The Casino Night actually involved IMC exculsively; we really got to know four IMC recruiters well. NOBE is hosting an information session with Pepsi Co. next Tuesday in 163 Everitt, 6PM. From what I hear we're pretty popular with Pepsi Co., so you ought to check it out.
My goal is to achieve a Masters in Electrical Engineering. I don't know yet where I want to do that though, or what concentration I'll favour.
Being a Junior Officer on the NOBE Board will indeed look good on any resume (I made it by the way!) but it's not the title that matters; its the sense of taking extraordinary responsibilities and additional initiative - what we talked about in class - that matters. One day, I will inevitably be looking for a job, and what you put on your resume does the talking for an internship, but previous performance in the workplace speaks volumes more when applying for a full-time job. (I believe.) Therefore, how I behave in a workplace setting will translate into letters of recommendation, which will be far more influential than the set of numbers and letters that forms my transcript. By entering leadership positions early, I hope to learn how to excel in a professional environment early, and stand out from the crowd. Truly, I would encourage you to do the same. What I invest in is the long run; it is how the experience forever changes me that matters, not the extra line on my resume.
Matt: I hope I answered your first and last question in my last response to John. You raised valid points.
As a Junior officer, we learn from and support one of the Executive Board Officers. Each Exec Board Officer has a specific function e.g. marketing, event planning, etc., and as most of the Exec Board are seniors, our aim right now is to prepare ourselves to step into their positions of leadership upon their graduation. The Junior Board performs the same tasks that the Exec Board Officer performs, but as a group and under the guidance of the Exec Board, so in Professional Development, we would initiate contact with new companies, but no one of us would be burdened with all of the responsibilities and Kevin will be there to provide advice and support in the process.
Jake: For your first question: Yes. I'm sailing into a sea of possibility.
It is difficult for me to sum up an hour of first hand storytelling from four fantastically talented and yet incredibly divergent speakers. In short though, write a resume, get it reviewed by ECS, go to all the career fairs, and smile.
Unfortunately, I didn't get my act together in time for the Career Fair or the Engineering Expo, and I haven't gotten any interviews, let alone internships. However, speaking with recruiters hinted that most of the summer internship opportunities are consolidated in the spring, which is what most of them told me to wait for.
"I'm sorry, but we currently don't have any internship positions for freshmen - do come back in the spring though."
"Don't forget my name, because you'll be seeing me again."
When I look at your blog there is a lot of information, but it is really well organized so I think that you already have extremely strong writing skills. It seems like you learned a lot of information at NOBE. You said that you weren't interested in business and engineering, then why did you go the informational meeting?
ReplyDeleteYou talk about how you are developing a relationship with one of the leaders of the organization. You seem to be getting a lot of information and your decision to run as a junior board member seems more than justified. I think your example shows the clear value of taking initiative because you found out about the opportunities and decided to do something you were not initially interested in. What benefits do you foresee from the relationship you are building. Will the NOBE club help you with getting job opportunities and internships?
I also saw how you related talking about simple things like poker to taking initiative, It showed that you are pretty tactful in building a relationship with a person.
In addition I also want to find out about internships and I am interested in participating in one. When does the NOBE organization meet and do you know where I could go to find more information about internships?
thanks