Tag: Information Systems

September’s Business Career Fair

September’s Business Career Fair

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Only a week ago during work did I realize that I never wrote a blog about the Business Career Fair that I attended back at the end of September. Even though it was almost a month ago, I still think it is important that I write about it to emphasize the importance of going to these fairs.

I can truly say that this Career Fair was worth going to because whether it opens doors to job or internship opportunities or not, it is a necessary experience to get a small glance into what is to come in your near future. I met many different employers dealing with a range of different business occupations, collected a lot of pamphlets of information and passed out over half of my resumes. For several companies that grabbed my attention, I also managed to speak with a representative, which in a way felt like a miniature interview. I treated it as my first impression with the company and used it as practice for what I would say in a real interview.

Because I am an Information Systems major, the companies that had Information Systems in their target majors on RamblerLink were the ones I focused on approaching. These included WMS Gaming, Discover, Reyes Holdings, and Robert Bosch Tool Corporation. These four were some of my favorite companies that I spoke with and they caught my attention most. I got most in depth with these companies and they will be some of my top choices to research and apply to in the next month or so.

I was at the Career Fair for at least an hour and a half, which is about the perfect amount of time to attend and really get the most out of your visit. It should give you plenty of time to speak with several people, take a look at all the companies you want check out and hand out your resume to some of those companies.

As a side note, before going to the Career Fair, I made a note of all the companies that were related to my major so that I wasn’t walking around aimlessly; this helped incredibly when I was there because I knew exactly who I needed to talk to so I didn’t waste time talking to companies that had nothing to do with my major.

Overall, I really enjoyed going to the Career Fair because it gave me a good starting base for job-hunting, which I began a few days ago. I went onto RamblerLink and knew exactly who I wanted to look up first, something that wouldn’t have happened had I not attended the fair. I am now slowly beginning to apply to more and more places every day, and I’m glad the Career Fair gave me my kick-start.

Finals are Finished!

Finals are Finished!

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Summer vacation is finally here, and this blog is long overdue. Finals are over, and the week was a rough one, so I’m really happy that they’re done. I had four tests and two papers due, and thankfully, the semester didn’t end poorly.

On the first day of finals I had two night finals back-to-back. They were tough, but my final grades in the classes reflect that I did well enough on them. The next morning at 9:00AM, I had my Information Systems final, which is the class and final that I am most proud of. I had to get at least a 95% on the final to get an A in the class, and I didn’t think that there was a chance I would be able to manage, but I succeeded, and it was the highlight of my finals week.

That same night, I had my first paper due, and once I submitted that, I was two-thirds through my finals. My biggest struggle was my Thursday night final, and I studied as hard as I could to try and do well in the class. I didn’t quite get the grade that I wanted in the class, but I’m not upset with the final result either. It was a tough course that I’m at least happy I got through.

Thursday night was when I had my last exam, but the semester wasn’t over until I submitted my final paper on Friday morning. It was a group paper for my Marketing class, one that we had been working on since the beginning of the semester. We were all nervous to submit it because we had hit several bumps along the road getting it done, but we did it and that submission concluded my junior year.

The weather may be chilly outside today, but the summer before my senior year of college has officially begun. I plan on working a lot, and getting myself back in tiptop shape because the weeks leading up to finals week led me off track. Other than that, my summer is not yet planned because I want to see what it has in store for me. It’s my last college summer before I step into the work force next year, so I hope that it’s an awesome one. I hope to blog at least occasionally this summer, so keep your eyes open for the next post!

PS: Congratulations to graduating seniors, you guys did it!

Busy Loyola Days

Busy Loyola Days

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It’s just the beginning of a new week, the middle of another Tuesday, but it feels like the days are rolling from one to the next with no breaks or ends. I was happy to have Friday and Saturday as my weekend, but I spent a lot of them doing homework and catching up on my work.

I began my new job at XSport Fitness about a week and a half ago, since then my days have been busy, busy, busy. It’s taken some getting used to, but I’m really enjoying the extra workload because it’s kept me on my feet, and has kept me from slacking off and being lazy. So far, I haven’t fallen behind on anything, I hope to keep this up.

This upcoming weekend is Easter Break, and I’m really looking forward to Friday; I’m going to a concert with my best friend who I haven’t seen in over a month. I’m excited to do some dancing and let go of any stress-filled energy that I have.

In store for this week is an Information Systems quiz that I took an hour ago, and plenty of work hours. Because of Easter Break, two of my night classes have been cancelled, so I decided to take an extra work shift at my new job. It’s going to be a heavy few days, so I’m looking at the concert on Friday as my reward for braving through them.

I also wanted to post some pictures from when I was in Mexico even though some time has past, so here they are:

(Those are people hanging upside down doing a performance around that blue pole- crazy cool!)

 

(That outfit must have been so hot to walk around in all day)

 

(This tree’s shape was so different from anything I’ve ever seen in the States, so I had to climb it)

 

(Starbucks– In Mexico? Not my cup of tea, no pun intended)

Happy Tuesday!

Informations Systems, Here I Come

Informations Systems, Here I Come

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Welcome to the middle of Week Four everyone! Week Three was a good one, even with the weather changes. Though it’s cold once again, I highly enjoyed breaking out my fall jacket last Tuesday for at least a few hours.

This week’s Tuesday was a chilly one, as has been the rest of the week, and right now there is snow all over the ground (not to mention slush). If it doesn’t all melt by Saturday, I’m hoping to go sledding with my best friend this weekend.

Last week, I didn’t post any blogs, so I’ll dedicate this blog to cover Week Three:

The most interesting moment of last week that stands out in my head is last Thursday when my INFS 247 class had a guest speaker come in. She was an Information Systems major when she graduated from Loyola, and she spoke to us about where she is in her career now and what brought her there, etc.

After hearing her speak, I did some research on the IS major and a career path after graduation, and I am beginning to seriously consider becoming an Information Systems major because it is not too late for me to change. Several general things I liked from what she said and realizations I came to are:

  1. She gets to travel with her job- I’ve always wanted to have the opportunity to travel, especially during my young years when I’m not settled down yet, but officially an adult at the same time. Having the opportunity to temporarily live in other states yet know my home is still Chicago would be amazing.
  2. My current job in the Undergraduate Admissions Office is direct work experience with Information Systems. Any work experience is always a plus, but my current job is very applicable to my potential future IS career because I have an equal balance of dealing with Information Technology and entering data into a database, and interacting with people such as visitors.
  3. Most importantly, the more I learn about Information Systems, the more the pieces seem to come together in my mind. I enjoy reading my class chapters and doing my Excel assignments, I’m a good problem solver, and I like being logical and using math; according to what my professor, Professor Nenad Jukic, said on Tuesday in class, having these kinds of passions are not only what make IS majors successful in the field, but happy in it as well.

My next steps now are to research some companies looking to hire workers and interns, and to attend the Spring Career Fair on Tuesday, February 26. I’m so excited that I’m finally putting together a plan for my future!