Tag: jobs

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Volvo Group Seeks Students Interested in International Business for Management Consultant Development Program

Recruiters (including Eric J. Brown ’02) from Volvo Group’s management consulting unit, Business Transformation Services (BTS), visited campus for an information session in Union 209 on Tuesday, Sept. 17.  BTS provides targeted decision support and analysis products to executive-level stakeholders across Volvo’s divisions and business areas.

Volvo’s global headquarters are in Gothenburg, Sweden, and its American headquarters are nearby in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Volvo is a multinational company, selling products in 190 countries with production facilities in twenty of those.  This year Volvo ranked number 227 on the Fortune Global 500 as a company with a large presence and successful products.  Volvo owns a few truck brands in the United States, India and China.  They also sell construction equipment, buses and engines for maritime use.  Their Finance and Business sector works within the company to maximize profits and handle finances.

Brown emphasized some advantages of working in internal consulting versus external consulting, although he claims that both have benefits and that he enjoyed previous work in external consulting for the federal government.  Brown pointed out to the students that internal consulting typically demands a 45-50 hour work week while external consulting typically demands a 65-70 hour work week.  He also said that external consultants often focus on sales, while internal consultants focus on delivery and making sure that the company works as well as possible.

Once accepted, the new hire will have a “trial by fire” opportunity to learn management consulting.  The consultant will immediately work in the field while receiving extensive training and coaching from a mentor and other consultants at the company.  The job starts out with a five-month program which begins in Gothenburg, Sweden (all expenses paid with a stipend and a per diem) and moves into an initial consulting project, which could be anywhere in the world.  The consultant will work in the Greensboro, NC office following the completion of this project.

Volvo BTS is only recruiting from three top-tier colleges and universities and is seeking Davidson students who have a minimum GPA of 3.3 and strong problem-solving abilities and who can perform well in case interviews.  The prospective hire must also be a team player, have a strong interest in international business and be excited about living and working overseas.

Interested students must apply on WildcatLink by Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. The first round of interviews will be at Davidson on October 7.  The second round of interviews will be at the Greensboro campus on November 21.  Davidson candidates may contact class of 2013 alum Elise Breda (elise.breda@volvo.com) to hear more about her experience in this role.

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Get “Linked In” With Your Future

By Paul Van Peursem, Career Services Ambassador

LinkedIn has always been somewhat of an enigma within the adolescent and young adult groups, typically seen as the “other” social networking tool or only for “grown-ups.” However, you shouldn’t brush this networking tool off as either irrelevant or daunting. Although it cannot guarantee a job offer, LinkedIn can help facilitate the job search through group discussions & forums, connections with co-workers and peers, and  provide a positive web presence.

Groups
Whether based around a company, university, interest or location, groups provide a forum for participants to share news and, most importantly, job references. By joining groups, you give yourself the advantage of hearing about jobs – either in your group’s industry, location, or at your school! Instead of fostering a competitive atmosphere between job seekers, all of the LinkedIn groups I have been a part of were a place for employed members to help out the job searchers. Especially if a group is connected by a common interest or location, members want to see other fellow members succeed in their job career.

Co-worker Connections
If you have the chance, “link-in” (connect) with your fellow co-workers. Although they may not be potential employers, they can send job opportunities your way, grow your network of friends, and provide recommendations. LinkedIn allows people to “recommend” your work; so those you have worked with, or for, can comment on one of your positions with praise for your character, work ethic, etc. They are the ones who actually know your job skills and can provide a legitimate reference when future employers are checking your job history. If you have a close relationship with your boss, be sure to ask for a recommendation – even a sentence or two of praise could go a long way. Also, as you gain more and more connections, you are more easily searchable within the LinkedIn database.

Web Presence
Most importantly, with the proliferation of Facebook and Twitter, it is essential that young adults have a positive image projected on the web. I have heard countless stories of employers ‘googling’ potential hires and what better place to steer them than LinkedIn (and away from Facebook!) Keeping your page updated and professional, although similar to your resume, illustrates that you care about your professional success and that you are able to present yourself well. Using the recommendation tool and filling your profile with responsibilities or skills lets you go beyond what could otherwise fit on a one-page resume.

I was highly skeptical when I first joined LinkedIn, but the help it’s provided in job searching and networking with senior executives has convinced me that it is essential for any college student looking to join the professional world.

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Managing F.E.A.R.


By Damian White, Career Services Ambassador

Throughout my undergraduate experience, I have found that some of the most interesting and powerful lessons are learned outside of the classroom.  On September 18th, I had the opportunity to attend a talk given by Hill Harper at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.  Hill Harper, an alumnus of Harvard Law School, is an author, activist, and actor who is most recently known for his role in CSI: NY.

After the hustle and bustle of the crowd settled, Hill Harper asked the audience: “What do you think is the number one obstacle the keeps young people from achieving their dreams?” Silence overcame the crowd, and he answered, “F.E.A.R.” Not a “scared of the dark” type of fear, but Hill asserted a “False Evidence Appearing Real” type of fear.  His point was that students often constrain and restrict their dreams by succumbing, consciously and unconsciously, to outside factors that set limits on their potential.

In the beginning of his talk, Hill told students to write down their dreams. After captivating the audience through the use of his metaphor of being an “Active Architect of our Dreams,” Hill asked the students to double their dreams. At this point, students were supposed to write down dreams twice as big as the ones they had written in the beginning of the program. The fact that so many students could double their dreams was proof that F.E.A.R. had already impacted the way they think about their goals and dreams.

So, how do we combat F.E.A.R.?
As the “Active Architects of our Dreams,” we must have a strong foundation.  Hill Harper says that education and money are the foundation that we need in order to begin to build our “dream.”  He asserts that while neither education nor money promise success, they both often lead to options that help as we navigate the often non-linear paths to our dreams.

Next, we need a framework.  This framework is found in the support systems that allow our foundations to remain stable, such as family, friends, and mentors.

Beginning to see our structure develop, we need walls. He says that these walls are made up of the choices that we make.  These choices become very influential in the way that we prepare for the metaphorical “weather” (hardships and obstacles) that we will face along the way.

Finally, Hill says that we need a door.  This door serves to let people in and out of our structure.  By regulating this door, we begin to take control of who has access to our dreams.

Davidson…I think it is time to close the door on F.E.A.R. and open it back up for our dreams.

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Iris Leung, Class of ’12, Talks About Her Internships and Job Search

Iris Leung
Major: History    Minor: Chinese
Davidson Class: May 2012

What internships have you had while you have been at Davidson?
During my freshman summer, I interned at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, assisting the museum’s Education Department in creating and leading interactive tours for summer camp visitors. I also translated their “Journey to the Stars” planetarium show from English to Chinese.  The following summer I taught English in Xian, China to kindergarteners using bilingual classroom exercises, drama performances, and songs.  During my junior summer, I interned with Emanate PR, a public relations firm that specializes in consumer, healthcare, and business communications. Not only did I create a business pitch proposal for a mock client, I also assisted in a product launch, blogged for the company website, and helped facilitate a social media contest for one of our products.

What are your plans after graduating this May?
After graduating in May, I will begin my first job as an Account Associate at Emanate PR—the public relations firm where I interned during my junior summer.

How did you find your internship?
To find my internship my junior year, I talked with my career counselor who suggested I use a variety of measures for seeking opportunities, such as LinkedIn and Alenda Links (our Davidson alumni networking system), as well as word of mouth.  She explained that by proactively demonstrating interest and seeking advice from alumni, professors, and even family friends, they could provide me with great tips on finding an internship. I connected with an alumna who recognized my great interest in the PR field and recommended me to the HR Director of the firm as an intern candidate, where I landed the internship and ultimately my full-time job.

What resources in Career Services have helped you the most?
Two resources that were helpful to me in Career Services were, first, the one-on-one sessions with career counselors who showed a genuine interest in helping students find not only jobs, but careers that match their passions and strengths. I did not know what I wanted to pursue when I first started my search, but after I listed my interests and  described my ideal workplace, my counselor helped me narrow down a list that allowed me to realize my dream job.

Second, the annual Etiquette Dinner was extremely useful. Since all Davidson students will undoubtedly have meetings or job interviews over meals in the future, this experience really helped me sharpen my table etiquette as well as the necessary communication skills for such stressful situations.

What other resource has helped you with internship searches?
A resource that helped me learn about opportunities is, surprisingly, Google. While students may know what they are capable of and interested in doing, many do not know what is available. When I wanted an internship that allowed me to interact with many people while constantly learning, I ran Internet searches seeking names of museums to get me started. I would never have been able to work at my favorite museum where it not for Google.

What advice do you have for fellow students?
If you know what you want, don’t be afraid to search online for something related, but more exciting. We’re Davidson students—the world is our oyster!

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Allied Health Field: Over 200 Careers to Choose From

The term Allied Health describes a group of health professions made up of as many as 200 health careers. There are 5 million allied health care providers in the U.S., who work in more than 80 different professions and represent approximately 60% of all health care provider.  This is just a drop in the bucket in terms of how many allied health care workers are needed to meet current and future healthcare needs in America.

When you work in allied health, you are involved (directly or indirectly) with patient health, and you are regarded as an expert in your field. Some allied health professionals practice independently; others work as part of a health care team, providing continual evaluation and assessment of patient needs. They also play a major role in informing the attending clinician of the patient’s progress and response to treatment.

The allied health professions fall into two broad categories: technicians (assistants) and therapists/technologists. Technicians are trained to perform procedures, and their education lasts less than two years. They are required to work under the supervision of technologists or therapists. This part of the allied health field includes physical therapy assistants, medical laboratory technicians, radiological technicians, occupational therapy assistants, recreation therapy assistants, and respiratory therapy technicians.

The educational process for therapists or technologists is more intensive and includes acquiring procedural skills. In addition, students of therapy/technology learn to evaluate patients, diagnose conditions, develop treatment plans, and understand the rationale behind various treatments in order to judge their appropriateness and potential side effects. Educational curricula teach students to evaluate patients’ responses to therapy and make appropriate decisions about continued treatment or modification of treatment plans.

For more information about Allied Health, see the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions Website. The U.S. Department of Labor has a whole section on allied health professions on its Career Voyages Website.  The Health Professions Network (HPN) publishes a feature on the “Allied Health Profession of the Month. Another online newsletter called  MinorityNurse.com includes “A Day in the Life” of professionals in various allied health careers.

To find an accredited allied health program, see the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs Website— which lists most, but not all, of the allied health fields. Some allied health programs are credentialed by another accrediting body. The American Association of Community Colleges also provides a list of schools that train students for allied health careers.

Additional Resources:
Check out the Health Professions Network (HPN) Facebook pageFacebook to stay up-to-date on trends in health care careers.

KevinMD.com offers good articles and commentary on healthcare, and is one of the top social media websites.

Source: Allied Health Group

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Etiquette Dinner on Monday, April 2nd: Seats Still Available!

My home was never one where we used the fine china or crystal or the good silver all the time. The closest we came to using fine china, in my opinion, was at cookouts when my dad and his friends came in with duck or quail after a day of hunting. The women would prep and cook them on the grill, and then put them on the long buffet table, along with the other food. We’d line up, and go down the table, putting food on our hard-as-cardboard, plain white paper plates, adding baked beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, slaw and rolls, completing what we thought to be a delicious southern meal.

I always liked those hard paper plates. The flimsy ones were not only too little, but had to be held with two hands, which meant you had to set it down at your spot, and then run back to get your desert.  You had to work fast when you had those flimsy paper plates in order to make it to the desert table in time.  If you got there too late, the best brownie was gone, the one in the middle that always was the chewiest.  Hard paper plates could make a difference in how the whole day ended up.  So to me, they were fine china.

Although we didn’t use our fine china for eating our everyday meals, we did learn the correct and proper way to conduct ourselves. Which is why I find it exciting to plan these Etiquette Dinners here at Davidson. Our next one is this Monday, April 2nd at 5:45pm, in the Lilly Gallery. Ms. Savannah Shaw will be our speaker, and will present tips on everything from using the correct fork, how to conduct a conversation at the dinner table in a business setting, to the appropriate way to use finger bowls.  Attire is business casual, but come anyway if for some reason that’s not possible for you.

You’ll need to register in the Career Services office in 414 Union, bringing $10 (cash or check) to hold your seat.  (The $10 will be returned to those attending the dinner.)  Registration will continue right up to April 2nd.

Bring your friends or members of your organization for a fun evening, and an informative one. I promise there won’t be any flimsy white paper plates, and you’ll get the best brownie there.