If there’s an opportunity to learn about a career while in the Undergraduate Program at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, Kiera Sloan, BS’24, has taken it. A junior majoring in marketing, international business, and Spanish, Kiera is active in several student organizations, she’s currently studying abroad, and she’s completing three internships.
“I’m very blessed to have had three internships in three years. My advice to incoming students is to take advantage of this great opportunity to gain experience, even if it’s finding out what you don’t want to do,” Kiera said. “Kelley sets you up well with a lot of opportunities to learn what you do and don’t want out of a career, and it really put the world at my fingertips.”
Kiera is currently traveling the world this semester as she completes an internship in Sevilla, Spain with international brand management company Qarny. The experience is giving her the opportunity to translate her business and marketing skills into Spanish while gaining a better perspective on international business. Kiera says the Kelley School prepared her to succeed in each internship.
“Kelley is amazing at cultivating an environment for collaboration. I am much more confident in my ability to ask bold but appropriate questions, and I’m comfortable asking for help. I’ve already done that during group projects at Kelley,” Kiera said. “It’s one thing to ask a question at work, it’s another to ask it in Spanish, and I’ve built a lot of confidence around business acumen because of Kelley.”
Originally from Indianapolis, Kiera is among the students who began their college careers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She chose the Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis because it was close to home during the pandemic, it’s affordable, the professors have diverse experiences, and the school has a top-ranked reputation.
“The Kelley name means something. Plus, I had close friends who’d gone through the program, and I felt confident it was a good choice,” Kiera said. “I also enjoy that it’s located on an urban campus. It’s fun living downtown, but it’s also essential for a school like Kelley because the nearby job opportunities are endless. Kelley has perfected the internship-to-job pipeline in Indianapolis. An amazing part of being on an urban campus is that you can get plenty of hands-on experience nearby.”
Kiera has taken advantage of Kelley Indianapolis Career Services (KICS) to attend multiple career fairs to identify internship opportunities. Classes on resume building helped her identify how to appeal to recruiters. Kiera landed a sales internship last year with paint company Renovia, after meeting the company’s vice president of marketing at a career fair. She encourages students to use KelleyCareers Handshake, the KICS database of internships and job postings.
“My one piece of advice is to use Handshake. The KICS counselors set you up for opportunities at multiple companies in the Indianapolis area through that database. It’s how I found marketing internships, including the next one I’m doing this summer at Rolls Royce,” Kiera said. “It’s such an underrated tool because it offers so much, but if you take the time during your freshman year to learn it, you can find something that interests you.”
Between her internships, Kiera is active on campus. She’s in the IUPUI and Kelley Honors programs, a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, recruitment lead for campus sororities through the National Panhellenic Conference, member of the Kelley Dean’s Insight Board, and she’s the vice president of Liberal Arts’ student government. Having entered college remotely during the pandemic, Kiera says she chose student activities by addressing three needs: social, academic, and resume-building. But the most important thing is to put yourself out there.
“Just pick one – if you don’t like it, you can find something else. It’s a great way to connect with people with similar interests who you’ll see throughout your college career,” Kiera said. “Getting involved is a great way to build relationships, build experience for your resume, and help your community. Kelley provides plenty of resources, sponsors, and advisors to get you started – lean into that.”
Kelley professors have been instrumental in guiding Kiera’s journey to a career. In particular, she’s had support from Barb Cutillo, lecturer in management at Kelley. Barb leads an introductory course that helps Kelley freshmen adjust to campus and set themselves up for success.
“Barb is the perfect person to lead an introductory course. She makes clear boundaries and sets you up well for what your Kelley career will look like,” Kiera said. “I’m thankful for her support during that time. She creates such a great first experience for students – I think that’s why Kelley has such a good retention rate. Her classes are hard, but her enthusiasm is so important.”
Kiera was recently named among the IUPUI Top 100 Outstanding Students for academic excellence, campus leadership, and community engagement. As she prepares for her final year at Kelley, she looks forward to continuing to discover where she wants to take her career. No matter where her path leads, Kiera feels prepared.
“I am so thankful that I’ve never thought twice about feeling unprepared for a career,” she said. “What I’ve learned from Kelley and the professors who are willing to network with me is that I have the connections to find a great career. There are so many people at Kelley reaching out with helping hands to support you. I know I’ll find the path that fits me because of what they’ve given me.”
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