Networking Reception and Interviews

Well, the original FIMBA cohort made it through the first semester. We managed to take over the Devos C study area with our diagrams regarding the production process and conversations focused on reorder points and safety stock. We finished up our Basics of Integrated Business Processes on Monday and turned our full attention to the interviews with the corporate partners.

But I’ve skipped ahead. The week before that we had the networking reception—aka: speed networking. This is a lot like speed dating complete with a bell when the time is up, but minus the dating part and add in 12 mini interviews. Regardless of how much we made fun of the “speed dating” night—I think we all really enjoyed it and it definitely made us a lot more comfortable in the interviews of the past week as well as gave us a better idea of what companies we would like to be a part of.

After the networking reception, we turned in our lists of our top six companies and the companies turned in their top six candidates (seriously, the comparisons to speed dating cannot be ignored). Grand Valley then matched us up with five or six interviews each.

We interviewed with some of Grand Rapids’ elite companies last week. That experience alone was amazing—let alone having the privilege to be the fellow for one for 11 months. The companies included: Almond Products, American Seating, Amway, Consumers Energy, Fifth Third Bank, Mercantile Bank, Mill Steel, Priority Health, Steelcase and X-rite. Six interviews in three days sounds like a lot. But most of us were shocked by the amount of free time we had. It was a welcome break. However, this weekend the topic that is at the forefront of every FIMBA members’ thoughts will be the debriefing that we have on Monday morning, when (hopefully) we find out where we will be for the next 11 months!

A Change in Course

Well, this is the start of week four of GVSU’s first FIMBA outing (week six, if you count orientation and the business prep academy). After two solid weeks of heavy academics, last week was a jumpstart in career services and planning, focusing predominately on resume building, cover letters, and interviewing. Today interview questions (both from interviewer and interviewee) was the topic of discussion, and we’re all in the process of scheduling mock interviews with the career services office to see what we do right and wrong.

The career focus is pertinent, as our networking reception is this Wednesday. For those of you who are new to the program (which is all of us), Wednesday is the night when we have a chance to better know the potential employers, and hopefully make a good impression. I’m honestly not partial to networking events; I have my own opinions on them, and I’ll choose not to share them at this point. But even I can’t help but be excited about this: after three weeks of having my nose in a book (nothing wrong with that), this is our chance to get up, move around, and hopefully stretch a little. The career focus, especially in preparation for Wednesday, is a welcome change of pace, something I think we all needed after the first two weeks. Is it a chance to breathe? Nope. But when you’re diving into career opportunities like we are, would you really want one?

That’s all for now, but be sure to leave a comment if you’ve got a question or two.

-Kyle