Well, it's been a steady 70-80 degrees this winter in LA. As a native NorCal girl who made the move to the east coast, this is definitely something I'm not used to, and has come as a pleasant surprise! And apparently, it's not global warming - this is a typical LA winter. After the stress and full course load of Fall quarter, it's great that people are relaxing more and actually enjoying school and extracurriculars this quarter. From multiple beach days, to hikes, to brunch on rooftops, it's been a fun quarter. On top of that, the professors we have this quarter are stellar. I've never seen anyone so excited about Operations as Professor Roels, and Professor Sood has not disappointed as being one of the favorite Marketing professors year after year. I feel like I've really had the time to absorb what I'm learning in class and can see how what we're doing actually applies in the real world. On top of that, it's been a good quarter so far for many of my classmates on the job front. While the majority of people find their jobs in the spring quarter, many finance, consulting and marketing focused students have found summer internships with top notch companies such as Goldman, Bain, McKinsey, Nestle and General Mills, just to name a few. Everyday brings more good news, and I think it's safe to say that everyone gets very excited for their classmates and friends! And last but certainly not least, ADays... Continue reading

After a fun (class trip to Breckenridge) and relaxing (making up for 10 weeks of lost sleep) three week vacation, we are back in the full swing of things at Anderson. Like in Fall quarter, the first week wasn't really a rampup/introduction to the classes - we already have group projects due next week! Also, recruiting is on top of mind for people in marketing, banking and consulting. As part of the recruiting process, we are often asked "why brand management" and "why X company." I thought I'd use this post to reflect on what I wish I knew before I came to school so that it can be of some help to all you potential admits out there as you think about the application process and beyond. As a career switcher from consulting to marketing, I think if there is one thing I could go back and do better is really take the time to think about my value proposition. A big part of recruiting is being able to communicate what your transferable skills are and why you want to make the switch. It's super important to figure out what it was in your old job that you loved and what was missing, and how this new career is going to fill the gap. Most importantly, you have to figure out the logical connection between old and new, and what you will do to get you to the place where you can do your new job with confidence and... Continue reading

I don't know about you, but I love field trips. There's nothing better than getting off campus for a while and learning about something in a fun and unique setting. Needless to say, I was pretty happy to find out that the fieldtrips don't end in business school. Last Tuesday, 20 people had the chance to go with a few representatives from General Mills to the Yoplait plant in Carson. We heard the plant supervisor speak about the yogurt making process, how the different types of yogurt are made, and how the flavors are added. We toured the plant and got to see it all in action, and even went home with some goodie bags of Yoplait. Before we left though, one of the Marketing Managers at General Mills walked us through various advertisements and we analyzed them as a group. It was interesting to hear firsthand what General Mills looks for, who its targeting, and how it produces effective advertisements. On Friday, a big group of us got to go to Mattel for a Day on the Job (DOJ) event. For DOJs, you usually apply directly to the company and they choose a certain number of students to come visit their campus and listen to representatives talk about their jobs and life at the company. In my case, I was there for marketing, but there was also corporate strategy and HR represented, just to name a few. We got to hear a panel of marketers speak about their jobs,... Continue reading

With the stress of midterms over, it was time to get back into the swing of things career-wise. The Marketing Association (MA) wasted no time by hosting several events this week. During lunch on Monday, Henkel representatives were on deck to tell us more about their company. It was great to learn more about a company that I was not as familiar with. Like, did you know that Henkel is one of the few large family-owned and operated companies? I didn't either. That night was the Warner Bros presentation. As a huge Harry Potter fan, I just had to attend. Warner Bros was mainly recruiting for its Strategy roles, but it was still interesting to hear about the different areas of the company. We got to learn more about what WB looks for in its candidates and what the roles & responsibilities of its summer interns are. On Tuesday was a mandatory norms meeting for the MA so that we can attend the Career Night on Monday. It was the standard rules of what not to wear (thanks to Stacy & Clinton I don't forsee a problem with that) and how to conduct yourself professionally. That night was the annual "So You Want to Be A Marketer Event" put on by some stellar 2nd years. It was incredibly informative. We received a thick packet of everything we need to know to be successful - from typical interview questions, mini cases, and even a spreadsheet of where the 2nd years had... Continue reading