By: Anna Bruick
Delta Sigma Pi – Kappa Sigma is the only co-ed professional business fraternity on IUPUI’s campus. Our fraternity is comprised of business students who do more than just sponsor and organize professional events. We also have fundraising, community service, and social events to help fund our chapter, give back to the community, and of course have fun! Delta Sigma Pi also offers the opportunity to attend conferences for chapter and personal development, leadership training, and networking.
In October, I had the opportunity to travel to the Detroit LEAD school with four of my brothers: Travis Hamblin, Nick Thompson, La’Nomi Bradford, and Harmeet Kaur. After a long, four-hour drive to Troy, Michigan on Friday night, we had the opportunity to meet and hang out with fellow brothers from different chapters. Networking with brothers from different schools is probably one of my favorite things about the Delta Sigma Pi conferences. Not only can we bond over Delta Sigma Pi and business in general, but there is a certain rapport with fellow brothers that leads to great friendships.
Saturday was an extremely busy day of workshops, networking, chapter apparel and merchandise sales, and general discussion about Delta Sigma Pi and chapter operations. After registration, we enjoyed a brief presentation from Elaina Farnsworth, who is the CEO of Mobile Comply, where she coaches executives and their teams on mobile-related topics in Connected Vehicle and Enterprise Mobility. She has been a successful entrepreneur and leader, and it was clear from her presentation that she is welcoming of those who seek entrepreneurship and a passion to create wealth. She shared stories of her trials and failures while on her path to success. At one point in the presentation, she asked brothers in the audience to share their personal stories of failure and how it has affected them in a positive way. Lastly, Elaina shared some tips on how to find your focus, drive, and perseverance in stressful situations.
Following the presentation, we attended four breakout sessions on various subjects such as chapter development and personal growth. I attended “How Hard Are You Knocking?” with Tim Augustine, “The Pledge Program – Building the Best Deltasigs from the Beginning” with Hannah Hoes, “Recruitment Boot Camp” with Charisse Welborn, and “Guerrilla Job Tactics” with Adam Carroll, whose session was absolutely fantastic.
Adam is an alumni brother, who is a wonderful speaker and a master in networking. His entire session was about how we could actually distinguish ourselves when we graduate. Every year, colleges and universities pump out 4 million or more graduates into an economy where not nearly enough jobs are created for those graduates. How can you get noticed in a plethora of nearly identical résumés and cover letters? The secrets lie in guerrilla tactics. Guerrilla tactics include subtle and creative ways of making yourself known, getting your foot in the door, and receiving the job you want!
So how do you distinguish yourself with only a short amount of time for a first impression and a quick glimpse of a résumé? Order some creative but professional customized business cards just for you. Upon meeting someone, find a way to relate to the employer in a personal way to lighten the mood. Buy your domain name website and create a customized webpage to promote yourself, which you can also put on your résumé and possibly discuss in the meeting.
Although first impressions can make or break a job opportunity, it’s equally important to follow up after a meeting or interview. If you pay attention to the small things that the person mentions, it could go a long way. These notes could be anything from one of their aspirations to their kids’ names, or anything that stands out from the conversation. Imagine the reaction from the reader of a thank you note that mentions a small, otherwise irrelevant detail that you remember from your conversation. This could totally give you an edge to your thank you note, as opposed to the typical thank you note sent from every other student.
One of my absolute favorite aspects to this breakout session was Adam’s discussion on how to use guerrilla tactics on a daily basis. He picked out one student in the audience and asked him, “What is your dream job? If you could work for any company or organization, who would it be?” The student replied that he wants to work for the Cincinnati Bengals. Adam responded by asking if anyone in the entire room knew someone who had a connection with the Cincinnati Bengals. Fate responded when a young man in the back raised his hand and said that the dad of one of his best friends was the team physician for the Bengals. They exchanged contact information, and it is that simple.
I’ll never know what become of the person who strived to work for the Bengals, but the activity showed that it really doesn’t take much to get your foot in the door. Adam went on to explain that mentioning your dream job often is not a bad idea, because you never know who will have a connection to get your foot in the door.
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