Today started off with an intellectual discussion with Rebecca Rhoades, who is an Associate Director, FYE and Career Programming (CBA Career Services). Becky discussed opportunities with the Pitt School of Business, ranging from global opportunities to specialized certificates. What stood out to me was that those students who obtain a certificate, tend to have a higher chance of job placements at the time of graduation, compared to students who chose not to. My interest was piqued with the Sports Business Academy Co-Curricular opportunity, as Sports Management is a field which I am interested in pursuing down the line. We ended with taking a small tour of the Tafel Center for Student Success, and I believe I found some new study spots for this upcoming fall semester. I am excited to further look into and invest in these amazing opportunities and connect with Becky in the very near future!
The same morning, we had the opportunity to have a lunch meeting with Kathleen Foody-Malus, who is an Executive-In-Residence with a passion and specialization in Finance. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations held and the light-hearted environment. What I took away from our meeting with Kathy was that I should get myself involved as early as possible. We discussed opportunities on (and off) campus, ranging from student organizations, internships, and career counseling. What I look forward to throughout orientation week is browsing all of the exciting opportunities, and being able to connect with different student leaders to gain an insight into what to expect in years to come. I hope to join an investment/finance club and be able to connect with professionals to help propel my career in this sector.
Later in the day, we met with Michael Kijowski, who is an Assistant Director of Advising. We worked with Mike to assess our results from CliftonStrengths Assessment (on Gallup), which focuses on our top five individual strengths. The CliftonStrengths Assessment is a survey of sorts to essentially narrow in on key strengths dependent upon (but not limited to) personality, work ethic, observation skills, critical thinking, communication, and focus. My top strength is Analytical, which prompted me to learn about myself better in the ways I analyze and dissect different focus areas. I think it is interesting how each and every person in the room had a different top strength. Whereas I pay attention to the finer details, some have a natural tendency to empathize, while others exemplify creativity. Through a group exercise, I learnt that I fit the roles of Devils Advocate/Task Manager and Note Taker, which are enhanced by my key characteristics of rationality, logic, and precision.I can utilize my strength throughout my project for marketing by narrowing into details others may neglect to notice, delve deep into problems and solutions, and create a thorough and thought out marketing campaign.
