During my junior year I took a class that changed the dynamic of my career path: Leadership Strategies for Quality and Productivity. The instructor had a passion for what he was teaching and took the time to learn about each student and their personal motivations. I never thought I’d be the student to ask for more homework, but there I was engaged in an environment where I couldn’t ask my questions fast enough and couldn’t wait for the next discussion. During this course I found a new filter to view the situations around me through, which has enabled me to lead by asking better questions and making improved decisions.

Today I am an executive staff analyst with The Boeing Company on the 787 Wing and Landing Gear team in Everett, Wash. I have the pleasure of working with brilliant and passionate people who gracefully share their knowledge and excitement for airplanes. In September of last year, as we delivered the first 787 Dreamliner, CEO Jim Albaugh ran through a list of historical aviation moments. As he read my face lit up with pride; each of those moments were led by a Boilermaker. Despite having graduated, I am still surrounded everyday by my Boilermaker family as we make a difference in aviation and the world! I hope you will join us.

Boiler up!

Mandy Scott, Class of 2008

Choosing the right university can sometimes be overwhelming. So, I’m here to inform you that the College of Technology is not only a college, but also a home away from home. The people truly care about your well-being and want to see you excel in your interest areas. As I walk down the halls, the doors of my professors’ offices are always open. If I ever have a problem, whether it relates to their class or not, they are always willing to offer me their knowledge and advice.

The classes are fun, too! I thoroughly enjoy my classes because the College of Technology emphasizes “learning by doing.” You learn about theories and concepts in lecture, but then you get to go into the laboratories and practice what you’ve learned. The reiteration really pays off come exam time because not only have you read about something, you’ve actually done it with your own two hands! I’ll never forget when I got to manufacture my own football in my Materials and Processes lab!

I will be spending my summer in Cleveland, Ohio, working as a manufacturing engineer intern for Eaton Corporation. One of my professors gave my name to an Eaton recruiter, and the recruiter invited me to attend the Purdue homecoming football game. After enjoying watching the Boilermakers beat Illinois, he offered me a job on the spot. Our professors are contacted by recruiters all the time. The college has a great reputation for educating great technologists, which means students are highly sought after.

The opportunities are endless here at Purdue University in the College of Technology. I’d like to congratulate you again on your acceptance and wish you the best of luck with your decision-making process.

Boiler Up!

Erika

Purdue offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to receive a top-tier degree. Personally, I have no clue where I would be today without the guidance I received from an amazing team of faculty and advisors.

When the College of Technology promises to be relevant, they are spot on. While seeking out internships, the first thing I noticed was that real companies and industries used the exact same methods and concepts I learned in my classes. There are many opportunities to interact with both large and small companies from all around the world. You can also gain internships or jobs from the career fairs hosted by the College of Technology each semester.

The College of Technology offers a variety of other opportunities for anyone who seeks them. In my case, they opened more doors for me than I ever could have imagined. In my undergraduate career, the college aided me in publishing two academic papers and presenting them at conferences around the world. Working with teams of scholars at Purdue University and the University of Kent in England, I was able to travel to Barcelona, Spain, and Sydney, Australia . Now that I’m in graduate school, they have allowed me to continue my research and further my education.

Being a student in Purdue’s College of Technology has been an amazing experience. I encourage admitted students to seize the opportunity to be a part of this excellent community.

Hail Purdue!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic time bringing in 2012! I’ve been absolutely loving this winter vacation! I went home with my room mate for a week and she lives in Houston, Texas! It’s my second time there but this time was even better because it was 70 degrees in December, whereas it was 20 degrees back home in Chicago! We had a great time at the beach, shopping, and baking lots and lots of cookies!

I partook in community service all throughout the  next week. I have a tuition scholarship that requires I do 40 hours of community service a year. I volunteered at the Hammond Housing Authority, which is the office that deals with the low-income housing in my area. It was so heart-breaking seeing all of the people who came in wanting to apply for housing and knowing that there are so little units available. I pray all those people find a place to stay this winter.

This week I have just been relaxing at home! I’ve been doing the insanity workout videos twice a day though and they are tough! My friends and I have a blast doing them though! The endorphins released while exercising make it worth while, not to mention the results! However, break is almost over! I just read through my Sociology syllabus and noticed that I have an exam on February 1, 2012, which is a month from yesterday, hence this post’s title. Time moves so fast when you’re a college student! I’m going to blink my eyes and be done with my 4th semester (next semester, spring 2012) at Purdue University and that will make my 1/2 way point! Wow! I’m looking forward to my internship with Eaton Corporation this summer though. I am going to be a manufacturing engineer and I’ll be making lots of money! The learning experience I am going to gain excites me!

Well, I have to wake up early  tomorrow for an insanity workout with my best friend! I’ll catch up soon!

Erika

Feels like the semester has gone so fast I can’t believe that next week is the last week of classes before finals begin. My senior year is basically halfway over and while I’m excited to finish school I’m going to miss the college experience. As usual the end of the semester means final projects, papers, and preparing for finals. For myself, I have 1 project, 1 paper, and 2 finals to prepare for so it’s not all that bad. I remember freshmen year having 5 finals within a 3 day period so this semester is definitely not as busy preparing for finals. With the end of this semester also means I’ve only got one more semester to find a job before graduation in May, yikes! The BCM Dept. has our spring career fair in February so that will provide me with another opportunity to find a job and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what the contractors’ mindsets are about jobs in 2012. My last semester is shaping up to be a great one and I look forward to learning more and spending lots of time with friends before we all go our separate ways.

Now onto Purdue Sports! I’m an avid Purdue Sports fan and generally follow most of the sports here. This weekend is going to be a very exciting weekend for our Volleyball team, Men’s Basketball team, and Women’s Basketball team. Volleyball is hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA tourney tonight and tomorrow and I’m going to be there tonight to watch our team take on Moorehead St. Tomorrow our men’s basketball team goes to Cincinnati to face #12 Xavier in non-conference battle, can’t wait to see how our team handles a very good team in a hostile environment. And to round out the weekend the women’s team faces the defending national champions and currently ranked #4 Texas A&M on Sunday. I love watching Purdue sports and rooting for them so this will be a great weekend!

That’s about all I have for now, I’ll post again in 2 weeks when finals are over and Christmas break begins. Have a great holiday season everyone!

BOILER UP!

So sorry about the looong time no talk!! My life has been on the fast track these past few weeks and looking back I don’t even know where the time went!

I’ve been studying really hard in all of my classes this semester because I’m shooting for all As. A 4.0 would be the perfect Christmas gift! I’ve also been debating which internship offer to take. I received an offer from Kimberly Clark Corporation, John Deere & Company, and Eaton Corporation. I’ve decided to go with Eaton Corporation. I don’t have my exact assignment and/or location yet, but I will most likely be working in Cleveland, Ohio as a Manufacturing Engineer! I’m very excited for that, as it is what I want to be ‘when I grow up’.

How was everyone’s Thanksgiving?? I loved the break! I was able to relax and visit with family I haven’t seen in a while. I haven’t been home since school started in August, so it was awesome seeing all of my friends back home. I think I ate enough to last me the week.. lol!

My room mate and I came back to school today so we have all day tomorrow to re-group and prepare for the next few weeks. FINALS WEEK is fast approaching!

Time for some sleep!

Talk to you soon,

Erika

Sorry, I know it’s been awhile since I’ve blogged but I’ve been quite busy these past few weeks. Senior year is going great but it’s going by so fast and I don’t want it to end. I can’t wait to start my career in May wherever that might be but right now I’m trying to live up my senior year at Purdue!

So why have I been so busy? I like to get involved with student organizations and other activities here at Purdue and within the College of Technology. It keeps me busy and I enjoy helping out. I’ve been able to give several tours of Knoy Hall this semester to prospective students and parents. I love giving these tours because I get to meet so many new people. A lot of the students that take these tours aren’t quite sure what major they want to take or if they even want to be in the College of Technology at all. I’m able to give them a little insight on everything and anything that is the College of Technology. So hopefully after the tour they know that CoT is for them.

So what else have I been up to? Last week, a select group of other students and I held our first meeting with the new dean of the college, Dean Bertoline. He took over this summer following Dean Depew. Dean Bertoline has formed a special group of students he calls the Dean’s Advisory Council. We are the eyes and ears for Dean Bertoline among the students. He wants us to spread the word that if any student has a question, comment, or concern about the College that they can make their voice heard. Personally, I want to extend that invitation to every CoT student. Seriously, if you have a concern about a class or something that deals with college, email me and we can meet and discuss what can be done to address your concern. Also, the Dean is holding his first open forum on November 30 at 3:30pm in STEW 206. This forum is open to all students and the dean urges you to come and just talk with him, he wants to know what’s going on with you and your experiences in the college.

deans-forum(print)

And then there is this weekend. Every year since I have been here the Women in Construction Management (WICM) student organization has held their Girl Scout Day. Usually around 100 girl scouts ranging in ages 8-11 come to the construction lab located in the basement of Knoy to earn their Miss Fix It badge. During their time here the girls will learn how to repair drywall, learn about electrical & mechanical construction, learn about the crane in our lab, and other activities throughout the morning. I love volunteering for this event because it really allows me to give back to the community and help spread the word about safe construction work practices.

All of these events and others keep me pretty busy and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Have a great weekend everyone!

-Spence

Today is the start to a very busy week for me and fellow Building Construction Management students. Our fall Career Fair is this Friday in the Purdue Armory. The career fair is a huge deal to me and other BCM students because it is the main way for us to network with industry professionals and to find an internship or full time job. I think attending your respective career fair is very important because you get the chance to speak with professionals and figure out how to talk with them and how your industry is really doing.

This year’s career fair marks the first time I’ll be looking for a full time job instead of an internship and it definitely is stressful. I am going to approach the fair a little differently than I would if I was looking for an internship. The BCM department kindly puts together a booklet with the attending companies and the positions they are looking for. I plan on spending a lot of time looking through that booklet and researching companies that I am interested in working for full time. I want to find a company that I would enjoy working for full time. I am very open to relocating basically anywhere for a job and I hope that gives me an edge over other students who don’t want to move too far from home.

I always like to meet new people and attending the career fair is another way to do just that. I hope to get a few interviews out of this career fair and hopefully land a full time job. If however I’m unable to accomplish that, there is another BCM career fair in the spring. Wish me luck!

P.S. Purdue is currently in second in the Solar Decathlon competition! More to come on this subject later in the week!

Boiler Up!

The construction crew is back home in Indiana after a long 6 days in Washington D.C. spent reassembling the INhome. We had a blast and worked hard to get the home finished in time. Our team had until Tuesday to finish and by Monday night we were probably 90-95% done with only minor touch ups and a few final inspections to pass on Tuesday. Tuesday was a travel day for myself and the other returning members. We left DC around 9:30am and got back to campus around 11:30pm last night.  I truly have to say it was the craziest week of my life having the opportunity to build a house on the national mall in our nation’s capitol. It was surreal to be building a house next to the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. That’s something that only a few people can say and I’m proud I got to do it with Team Purdue! The homes open up to the public tomorrow I believe and I can’t wait to hear from our team there about the reactions people have to our home. My time with the Solar Decathlon team has been so exciting and fulfilling and looking back I’m thankful that I was given the opportunity to be a part of such a great Team!

Now it’s time to refocus on schoolwork and organization activities. No break for the weary. After working between 12-16hrs a day last week in DC and a 14hr bus ride home. I woke up to reality this morning and had to go to my 7:30am class. I’ve spent today trying to get back into the swing of things but it’s going to take until the end of the week before I catch up with everything. A small price to pay to be part of something so big for Purdue.

Next week is the Building Construction Management Fall Career Fair and I’ll be hitting it hard looking for a full time job. It will be a different approach looking for full time instead of internship but I look forward to the challenge and hope to get at least a few interviews out of the career fair.

Have a great rest of the week Boilers!

So sorry I’ve been away for a while, but once you read this post, you’ll understand why!

Let’s start where I left off.. 2 weeks ago today.

The week of 9/4-9/11 was a preparation week for IR, which is the Industrial Roundtable, which is a HUGE career fair where hundreds of company representatives come to Purdue and recruit for summer internships, co-ops, and full-time positions! So the previous week I was working on my resume, getting it critiqued and revising it, as well as attending interviewing practice sessions to prepare myself for a possible interview.

A few exciting things happened that week though! On Tuesday, 9/6, a representative from Mary Kay came and spoke to my Women in Technology (WIT) organization and she gave us make overs! That was a nice stress reliever! Also, from Friday 9/9-Saturday 9/10, I went on a retreat called the Emily Mauzy Vogel Sophomore Leadership Development Conference (EMV). In order to go you had to be nominated by a faculty member on campus, complete an application, and be chosen. 900 of my sophomore peers were nominated and applied, but only 200 of us were chosen. That 200 included myself and many of my close friends, which in my opinion means I’ve chosen some pretty awesome friends! The conference was amazing! On Friday night we heard from a phenomenal speaker, Darren Cecil, had a big bonfire and cooked s’mores, and had  crazy dance party in the lodge! Saturday we woke up and heard from a professor at Purdue who spoke on ethics, which was veyr interesting. Then we broke out into small groups for team building activities! The low ropes courses were my favorite! The conference taught me a lot about myself and my leadership style.

9/12-9/15 IR: The Real Deal

The Industrial Roundtable took place from 9/12-9/14. Monday, 9/12 was mostly get-to-know-companies day. Each company had an assigned room and time in Stewart Center to hold an informational session. They presented powerpoints about their company and what positions they’re looking to hire for and then opened the floor up for questions toward the end. I went to Kimberly Clark’s informational and it was awesome! I’d never researched into that company before but they’re doing a lot of neat things there! The next day when I visited their station at IR, the head recruiter invited to me go to dinner at a very nice steak house with him and his KC team that evening! The dinner was great and I had good conversation with the team. I actually got an interview with them on 9/15 which went really well, probably because I’d already gotten to know the interviewer pretty well by then. They’re looking to hire 3-term co-op students. As a co-op student, I would work at Kimberly Clark for 3 “terms” (summers and/or school semesters), starting my internship working for them in the summer of 2012 and staying with them until December 2012. So yes, I’d miss a semester of classes at Purdue that’d I’d have to make up for later, but 8 months straight of experience is a lot more valuable than a short 3-4 month summer of experience. Then I’d come back to Purdue in January of 2013 for spring semester and finish my co-op with KC in the summer of 2013. I might end up graduating a semester late, but co-ops are 5 terms so those students graduate a whole year or two later than expected. I think 3 terms is a good deal and I’m looking forward to hearing the decision they make.

I also interviewed with John Deere, a company I’ve been interested in for the past year! My advisor, Mrs. Munguia, invited a representative from John Deere, Casi Shelton, to speak to her class on Friday 9/9 and after class Mrs. Munguia told Casi all about me, my successes at Purdue, and my interest in her company. Casi requested I meet with her at John Deere day on campus the following Monday, which I did! She introduced me to a head Mechanical Engineer and recruiter and everyone was very welcoming and friendly! I visited the John Deere station at IR the following day and they called me later in the day for an interview! The interview went well. They ask a lot of situational questions like “Tell me about a time you were in an uncomfortable situation and you had to come up with a creative way to get out of it.” You’ve really got to think when answering these questions because you wants to WOW them and stand out from your competition.

Most people say it’s a little nerve-wrecking to approach the big companies such as John Deere, General Electric, General Mills, Kimberly Clark, etc. but I love it! If you just take the chance, you end up realizing that the representatives are just people too, excited to meet you and possibly add you to their team! Everyone was totally nice.

Here is some very exciting news!
So Thursday, once the madness of IR and interviewing was over, I was upstair in Knoy doing my statics homework when a former professor of mine came and sat by me. He asked how IR went and what I was doing to follow up. Then he asked if I visitied General Mills, because he knows I had an interest in them. I actually did visit their station, but the representative told me that they were looking for candidates with prior job experience in the field of MET, which is understandable. However, my professor is very close with the VICE PRESIDENT of General Mills, Donzel Leggett! So he texted him and so coincidentally  Mr. Leggett was on campus, in the same building we were in! My professor asked if he’d meet with us and I was introduced to the VP of General Mills! Not only that, but I guess my professor had talked about me to Mr. Leggett before so he said he’d heard a lot of good things about me and if things didn’t work out with the other companies, contact him and he could more than likely get me a summer internship in one of the 10 plants me oversees!!! That was the most random, but awesome, occurrence that happened all week!
After all that hecticness and excitement, you can only imagine what I’ve done this weekend…… SLEPT! Lol, I relaxed and got caught up on my rest.

I’m gonna get going now to work on some homework and study for my exam this Thursday.

Take care, everyone!

Erika