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Networking Outside of the Classroom

Kellstadt’s MBA Association is a student organization for all Kellstadt students.  They host several events each month that serve as a great opportunity to meet fellow students in a casual setting. Third Thursday and First Friday are excellent examples of some events hosted by the MBA Association. As the names imply, Third Thursday is held on the third Thursday of every month at Exchequer Pub at 9pm and First Friday is held on the first Friday of every month at various locations.

Kellstadt’s MBA Association provides students with many opportunities to meet new people and explore the city. I encourage any prospective students to attend a Third Thursday and see for themselves!

Written by:  Tom Szkwarla, Current Student in the Flexible MBA

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International Students           Share Their Experiences

If you are an international student considering DePaul University for your graduate studies, please take a moment to read this article:

Chinese Students Find Success at DePaul

A current student and an alumna share their reasons for choosing Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.  Learn why they’ve enjoyed their experiences and what the future holds for them.

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The Career Search: It’s Who You Know

Approximately seven months ago, I was in the process of searching for a new job. The Kellstadt Career Management Center was a valuable resource in helping with resume edits and providing general advice. I was able to take advantage of the several networking events staged throughout the quarter. Even afternoon sessions were typically during the average employee’s lunch hour, making them easy to attend.

Experience is the Career Center’s full service online recruiting system for off-campus positions. Full- and part-time job and internship listings are posted daily, ensuring that postings are always up to date. DePaul’s Career Center also provides students with the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills with online tools and tips from alumni mentors during one-on-one meetings.

Generally, I have always been able to meet with an advisor or attend an event. DePaul’s Career Management Center makes a noticeable effort to work around students’ busy schedules.

Written by Tom Szkwarla, MBA

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DePaul Graduate School Open House

You’re invited to learn how DePaul University can help you achieve your personal and professional aspirations. Join us at our Graduate Open House and meet with faculty and staff from ten of our graduate colleges and schools. Arrive early to hear from a panel of graduate admission directors who will answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) and get an insider’s perspective on the application process at DePaul.

Date:  Thursday, May 7, 2015 Graduate Admissions FAQ Panel:  4:00 p.m. Open House:  5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Location:  Lincoln Park Campus, Student Center - 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. Room 120, Chicago, IL 60614

For more information about the Graduate Open House please call 773-325-8312 or email us at gradevents@depaul.edu

To register, visit:  https://admevents.depaul.edu/event.aspx?id=19721#regForm

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The Importance of a Personal Statement

Your personal statement is very important and should be taken seriously because this may be one of the only times you are able to show the admissions board who you are. Once piece of advice that I got when I was writing was to sit down and write the personal statement all at once. Then walk away from it for a day or two.  Come back to it and decide if that is the way you want to portray yourself. Then, of course, take time to send your statement to a friend, colleague, or family member to review it.

Written by Kellstadt Alumna, Kathleen Caron

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The Student/Faculty Connection

All of my professors have made themselves extremely accessible outside of class, to discuss theories and principle that I may have struggled with grasping; how to approach a particular assignment; areas of development to focus on; advice on teaming for case work; and how to align my current and future career goals with the MBA program. I have scheduled meetings with Kellstadt professors I have not met, and they have made time to meet with me.

Each professor I have interacted with has exhibited a high level of engagement and integrity. In each instance, I felt as though the professors wanted to ensure my success by ensuring I understood the tools, techniques, and concepts discussed.

Even after I complete the program, if I ever need to seek advice they would make themselves available to connect with me. For those considering Kellstadt or currently enrolled in the program, my advice is to always reach out to professors for assistance; they are here to help us learn and grow. Just as we build relationships with our peers, building relationships with professors should be an extension of our network.

Author: Tiffany Adams, Current MBA student

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The Value of Involvement

DePaul has a wealth of extracurricular events and organizations that truly add to the student experience.  Without these, I can truthfully say that my experience thus far would not have been as valuable and far more stressful on my day-to-day life.  Whether you are a student or not, some events are available to non-students.  I would recommend attending an event prior to applying to any school in order to get a better understanding of graduate school events and organizations to get a better idea of the additional value they can provide to your academic experience.

I am currently a member of the MBA Association - It has been an amazing group in terms of networking, friendship-building, career development and a great way to release stress from the work/school week (check out the MBA Cup or any of the MBAA events!).  While I have not actively sought out a career change, I can vouch for the fact that I know several other members of the MBAA (along with other business organizations at DePaul) who have successfully gotten jobs through their respective organization involvement.

Author:  Bob Schiller, Current MBA Student

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Journey to Success - One Student’s Decision to Pursue a Full-Time MBA Degree

One of the reasons I got an MBA, rather than another type of Masters Degree, was that I wasn’t sure what type of career path I wanted.  I knew that my time at DePaul was going to be filled with learning and exploration and I wanted to give myself every opportunity to succeed. I felt that in order to accomplish this I had to make school my top priority and attend full time. While the journey has been a successful one it wasn’t without sacrifices.

Selecting the full time program has been the best career decision I have made thus far. Not only was I able to focus on school, set up over a hundred informational interviews, and be active in numerous on campus organizations; I was able to get to know my cohort in a way that wouldn’t be possible part time. The connections and support I have gained through them are just as valuable as the education I received in the classroom. While there was a significant financial sacrifice to my decision it has been a successful endeavor. I am starting a job in my chosen field this summer and have a wonderful group of people that I will keep with me the rest of my life.  

Author:  Haley Van Lahr, member of the Full-Time MBA Cohort

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Working Together as a Team

A current student's perspective on group work in the classroom:

I have worked with a range of talented groups and been asked to get the best out of each. The sheer amount of group work and social interaction forced me to become skilled at not only managing professional groups but also social groups within the same environment, while cranking out the best possible results each time. This has been a tremendously rewarding experience as I've had to take on a leadership role and push for success in every category while being able to  stay friends with a lot of people I've worked with.

Group dynamic issues are always tough but graduate school helps you resolve many of these issues by placing deadlines and talented individuals at your disposal. After a few classes most, if not all students, understand that the most important thing is getting the job done, and maintaining a healthy and happy work environment is an important second. Students with other priorities tend to self select and thus you find that a lot of the successful and happy teams tend to try and work together as often as possible. Things like chemistry and work/fun balance really come to the forefront here and working on this particular skill has been one of my favorite parts of school so far!

Written by Hussain Waseem, Full-Time MBA Cohort student

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Building a Career

Approximately seven months ago, I was in the process of searching for a new job. The Kellstadt Career Management Center was a valuable resource in helping with editing my resume and providing general advice. I was able to take advantage of networking events staged throughout the quarter. Even afternoon sessions were typically during the average employee’s lunch hour, making them easy to attend.

Experience is the Career Center’s full service online recruiting system for off-campus positions. Full- and part-time job and internship listings are posted daily, ensuring that postings are always up to date. The Kellstadt Career Management Center also provides students with the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills with online tools and tips from alumni mentors during one-on-one meetings.

Author:  Tom Szkwarla, MBA

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A Student's Perspective on Marketing 555

MKT 555 (Decisions in Marketing Management – an MBA core course) with Professor Roger Lall, Executive in Residence.

Professor Lall is incredibly engaging, has extensive marketing knowledge and really challenges his students. He encourages discussions that not only add value, but bring clarity to the topics covered.

Current Student, Tiffany Adams, MBA

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A beautiful winter day at DePaul University's Lincoln Park campus. 

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Giving Back to the Community: Misericordia

Happy New Year from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business!

Beginning this academic year, the Full-Time Cohort MBA program is collaborating with a local non-profit organization to provide pro-bono consulting services, allowing our students to give back to the community in a meaningful way and also put into practice everything that they are learning in their classes.  This year, we have partnered with Misericordia, which provides loving support and job training to those with developmental disabilities. 

Back in the fall, our students got to see Misericordia's facilities firsthand during a site visit.  They were lucky enough to interact with so many of the wonderful residents and the hardworking staff that supports them.  The site visit provided valuable context as the students began selecting their projects, ultimately deciding to focus on Misericordia's social media marketing and fundraising strategies; business development for both the bakery and restaurant that are run out of the campus; and human resource strategy.  They will be working hard over the next several months to develop proposals outlining their recommendations on how best to address those organizational challenges, and will make final presentations to Misericordia's CFO and other senior staff at the end of the academic year. 

Just before the holiday break, a group of students and staff was blessed to spend part of a day volunteering in Misericordia's bakery.  The holiday season is their busiest time of year, so the group was able to provide a tremendous amount of help with packaging up bakery orders.  More pictures from the day will follow in a later post, and we couldn't be happier to continue our incredible partnership with Misericordia!

~ The Kellstadt Admissions Team

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How My Classmates Have Become My Network

Six months ago, while I was in the process of searching for a new job, my classmates were some of my main supporters. Each week, I would update them on my progress and any interviews I had attended. There were a few instances where I thought I had had a strong interview and was an excellent fit for a position but ended up not being accepted for the job. My classmates were helpful in lifting my spirits and reminding me that rejection is often part of the process.

In the spring quarter of 2014, a classmate from my FIN 555 class was kind enough to provide me with an employee referral for a position that I had applied for at her company, sending my resume to the top of the recruiter’s list. I attended the interview and was offered the job. In a fortuitous turn of events, I was also offered a position with a different firm (my current employer) and was able to negotiate for better terms. The further I delve into my concentration, the more people I meet with similar job functions and interests. These are undoubtedly the colleagues that may one day help me pursue the next step in my career. 

~ Tom Skzwarla, Part-Time MBA Candidate with a Concentration in Financial Analysis

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Tips for Choosing Recommenders

My reasoning behind choosing the recommenders that I did during the admissions process was a desire to give the selection committee a broad scope of my background. I wanted them to know that I was a good student, a good colleague and a good employee. For this reason I chose to get three letters of recommendation: the first from a professor; the second from a co-worker; and the third from a supervisor.

My co-worker could provide background on what I have been like to work with, how I have been able to help them do their own job better and how I have been a productive part of a successful team. My supervisor could speak to my accountability and my professionalism. A professor could speak to their experience having me as a student and what type of attitude I brought to class.

Asking these people to serve as a reference required either a face-to-face lunch or a phone meeting, so that I could convey to them why I chose them and what experiences came to my mind when I thought of them recommending me. I would say having a good relationship is key to asking for a letter of recommendation. If someone can't think of specific stories that highlight the skills you wish to convey to a selection committee, then you may be missing the mark. It is important to remember that you cannot always get the perfect letter of recommendation, but you should ask a person who has the context to write a recommendation that will push your application in the right direction. 

~ Hussain Waseem, Full-Time MBA Candidate with Concentrations in Finance and Real Estate

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Study Strategies

Let me get one thing straight: graduate school requires a lot of studying, reading, and interaction with classmates outside of the classroom.  It is more than projects and case studies.  I have been known as a solo studier all the way back to high school, largely because I feel that I am a more effective studier when I limit distractions.  To limit distractions, think of the most boring, monotonous location on the planet - the library.  DePaul has two great libraries, one in Lincoln Park and one in the Loop, with a satellite library or two on the suburban campuses.  You must consciously allocate time during the week to studying, or else you will get into the bad habit of waiting to the last second, studying during a meeting, and failing your first graduate exam (personal example? maybe, maybe not).

Alternatively, there are situations where group studying is important. I would highly suggest that you understand what the class structure is prior to the first class.  If it is heavily based on homework and take-home tests, find a group of people who will be able to work on the assignments with you the second class starts.  These are the productive groups and I cannot stress the importance of creating these as soon as you understand the class structure and requirements. 

3 Keys to Studying Success

Understand that you have far less free time than undergrad (especially if you are also working) and that time management is KEY

Do not waste your limited free time studying with friends if they have zero relevance to the homework/studying you are looking to complete.  We are adults now, we don’t need to be scared to go to the library alone anymore

Limit distractions.  If you get easily distracted at home, go to a quiet place with no possible distractions like the library

~ Bob Schiller, Part-Time MBA Candidate with Concentrations in Finance and Economics

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A Word of Advice About the Admissions Process

I encourage all of you who are working on your applications to DePaul to remember that the application is an opportunity to showcase who you are as a person.  While DePaul does look for academic and professional achievement they place significant importance on who a person is outside of that.  A strong commitment to personal growth and integrity is one of the reasons why the DePaul community is such a wonderful group to be a part of.

We are all so much more than the accomplishments that can be represented by numbers and letters. When you are writing your essays or asking for reference letters, be sure that your personality, drive and passion shine through in them. While I wished I had approached my application in that manner from the onset (I would have saved myself a few dozen hours of work), the process itself was reflective of the experience of self-discovery I was about to embark on at DePaul.

If you haven’t done so already, take the time to reflect on what you are passionate about. Think about the future you see for yourself, not just the type of career but the type of person you want to be. I would encourage you to have those close to you read your essays and ask them if they feel that the things that make you special are obvious to the reader. This will not only help with the admissions process but certainly begin to prepare you for the exciting journey that is graduate school. 

~ Haley Van Lahr, Full-Time MBA Candidate with a Concentration in Management Information Systems