For our last day in Pittsburgh, we pitched a detailed business analysis for the second part of the Innovation Blitz project. Overall, our presentation went mostly smoothly. Everyone, including the other groups, definitely improved in their presentation skills. I feel that my ability to present has gotten better, and having the support of a group definitely aided in my confidence to present. By preparing for presentations, I can be more confident in my ability to communicate ideas and thoughts to audience.

I believe pitching skills can also be applied to job interviews. The ability to communicate and sell your ideas, or yourself as an employee, is a vital tool to have in the business world. Pitching is a way to hone different transferable skills, such as confidence, flexibility and adaptability, and communication. These skills can be transferred to my first internship because of their importance in being a new arrival to an already established organization. Communication is key in working in a business settings. I feel that I would be more confident in taking calculated risks after doing research, because I would have background information that would further boost my confidence in my decision making.

After our pitches, Nancy, a colleague of Dr. Lada’s, came in to discuss the details of supply chain management. Although I am not interested in supply chain management, it was interesting to gain some insight from someone who was so proficient in the field. Her perception of process enhancement definitely aided in supporting the ideas that we had discussed earlier in class.

Tomorrow, we leave for Dublin. I am excited for the new atmosphere and cannot wait to dive into the culture for the next two weeks.