Meeting Minutes

Spring 2012

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Called to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:15pm

  1. Frank Peluso, Incoming ABLE President
    1. Thank you for participating in the survey!
    2. Suicide Prevention Walk this Sunday
  2. Kimberly Christopher, Incoming ABLE Vice President
    1. Book Power Club
    2. Class Leader Applications are still available and are due May 8th
    3. Formal

i.     Please stay after

ii.     Expect email with additional details Thursday

  1. Zina Lawrence, Director of Graduate Student Services
    1. The value of an undergraduate degree is now the equivalent of a high school diploma 15-20 years ago
    2. Obtaining a graduate degree sets you apart from others who are in the career force
    3. Graduate Degree Programs

i.     1 year masters programs (usually an extension of your undergraduate degree)

  1. 30-45 credit hours
  2. Designed to launch your career/extensive training

ii.     Doctorate degree and extensive training and experience (6-10 years)

  1. Ex – teaching
  2. Usually after you have launched your career
  3. Salaries

i.     50% less for those who only have an undergraduate degree

  1. How to get into Graduate School

i.     Extremely competitive, accepting only about 10% of undergraduate students and international students included

ii.     Connect with graduate school services, this can help you not only get into grad school at UAlbany but also other campuses

  1. Ask questions NOW

iii.     Connect with Alumni

iv.     Academics

  1. Maintain/strengthen your GPA for the future
  2. Should your GPA be below a 3.5 your GRE/GMAT scores are extremely important

v.     Letters of Recommendations

vi.     Application fees

vii.     GRE/GMAT exam/review class fees

  1. Take summer before senior year
  2. Some take the highest score, others take an average

viii.     Financial aid (most times based on Georgetown Index; GPA and GRE scores)

ix.     Most application deadlines are early February/March

 

Meeting Adjourned: 8:25pm

Minutes submitted by Isabella Licata, Secretary

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Called to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:20pm

  1. Neema Moghadam, ABLE President
    1. Deans Leadership Counsel Speek Mock Interview

i.     CC Ballroom 7pm Wednesday April 25

  1. ABLE Overnight Camping this Friday

i.     Signups close at midnight

  1. Frank Peluso, Upcoming ABLE President
    1. Graduation Stoles signups close tonight
    2. Class Leader Applications
    3. Kan Jam Tournament this Sunday
  2. Dan Zimon, ABLE Vice President
    1. Harvard Business Club Internship Opportunity

i.     Open to Sophomores and Juniors

ii.     Reaching out to Alumni

iii.     Send your resume to Dan who will pass it along to his contact

  1. Lindsey McEntire, Community Service President
    1. ABLE Annual Food Drive for Albany Food Bank
    2. See Quad Leaders after tonights meeting
  2. Kimberly Christopher, Upcoming ABLE Vice President
    1. Book Power Club this Thursday
    2. Habitiat for Humanity this Friday
    3. Last day to sign up for ABLE Formal on May 5th
  3. Noah Simon, Career Services
    1. Resume Building Workshop

i.     Sell it “Top Heavy”

  1. Put the most important things first
  2. Don’t put things that don’t benefit the job you are looking for

ii.     “If its worth selling its worth putting down”

iii.     “Quantify, without numbers it means nothing”

iv.     “Commonality means everything”

  1. If the reader has something in common with you they will want to talk to you

v.     “Don’t sell your responsibilities, sell results”

vi.     “Make your skills transferable to where you want to go”

vii.     “Real estate on a resume is so valuable”

viii.     “I believe that dates go on the right of a resume”

ix.     “Resumes are a piece of the whole package, its part of the sell”

 

Meeting Adjourned: 8:20pm

Minutes submitted by Isabella Licata, Secretary

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Called to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:15pm

  1. Frank Peluso, Incoming ABLE President
    1. Relay for Life

i.     Raised $2500 and were in the Top 5 teams for raising money

ii.     ABLE Water Polo won by ABLE

  1. How to Make Yourself Marketable
  2. Neema Moghadam, ABLE President
    1. April 23rd – State of the School of Business Speech
    2. April 25th – Deans Leadership Counsel Speed Mock Interview
    3. April 27th – Overnight Camping Trip
  3. Emma Bigley, Incoming Community Service President
    1. April 22nd – ABLE Earth Day Clean Up
  4. Kimberly Christopher, Incoming ABLE Vice President
    1. Class Leader Applications are now being accepted
    2. Book Power Club this Thursday
    3. May 5th – ABLE Formal

i.     Buy your tickets today!

  1. Jason Lehansky, Campus Development Manager from KPMG
    1. Branding U – a toolkit KPMG has developed to help you:

i.     Understand what employers are looking for in their candidates

  1. Getting started

i.     Understand what employers are looking for

  1. Goal oriented
  2. Leaders and team players
  3. Strong communication skills
  4. Knowledge of the company
    1. Know the practice you want to work in and why
    2. Know the location where you want to work and why
    3. Flexibility and adaptability
    4. Proven academic achievement
    5. Developing your brand

i.     What are you known for

ii.     What are your strengths

iii.     What are your challenges

iv.     What makes you different from everyone else

v.     What motivates and inspires you

  1. The importance of a strong resume

i.     Basic outline

  1. Name
  2. Address and phone number
  3. Email address
  4. Objective
  5. Education/GPA
  6. Office location preference
  7. Work experience
  8. Activities, leadership roles, interests
  9. Honors, achievements, skills

ii.     Be concise and don’t exceed one page

iii.     Keep it neat, attractive, organized, and easy to read

iv.     Ensure formatting is consistant throughout

v.     Be honest when stating your best qualities

vi.     Use action verbs to describe your duties and responsibilities

  1. Standing out in a crowd

i.     Understand what kind of event you are attending

ii.     Plan what you want to accomplish at the event

iii.     When you arrive, approach a small group and join the conversation

iv.     Ask meaningful questions

v.     Talk to as many people as possible to gain a different perspective and maximize your time

vi.     Don’t overstay your welcome

vii.     Get business cards and send follow-up emails

viii.     Be sensitive to and avoid topics such as politics or religion

  1. Looking the part

i.     What is appropriate business casual/professional attire

ii.     Dress shoes and appropriate socks/neutral hosiery

iii.     Light makeup and accessories

iv.     Look and dress appropriately

  1. The campus interview

i.     Preparing

  1. Do your research
  2. Review your selfassessment
  3. Know what is important to you and make a list to help you evaluate the firms
  4. Prepare meaningful questions to be asked in your interview
  5. Practice answering common questions and ensure that your strengths come through in your answers
  6. Participate in mock interviews
  7. Arrive on time/early
  8. Bring extra copies of your resume, transcripts, and cover letters
  9. End on a positive note

ii.     Tips

  1. First impression counts
  2. Pay attentions
  3. Watch your body language and make eye contact
  4. Question the question
  5. To thine own self be true

iii.     After the interview

  1. Ask for a business card
  2. Write a thank you letter
  3. Ask what the next round entails and prepare yourself to meet additional personnel
  4. Continue to research the employer and prepare questions that will help you differentiate between employers
  5. Communicate with the employer as questions and issues arise

iv.     Sample interview questions

  1. Tell me about a challenging situation you’ve had to deal with in the last year and ways you dealt with it
  2. Describe a situation where you have thought of a new or creative way of dealing with a problem
  3. The office visit

i.     Understand the time line for second round interviews and make sure they do not conflict with existing commitments

ii.     As a second round candidate the firm has a strong interest in you and wants you make sure that you are a good fit

iii.     Only accept if you are seriously considering the position

iv.     Once you commit to an invitation, do not cancel

v.     Dinner/networking event

vi.     Office tour/firm overview

vii.     Information sessions

  1. Your virtual brand

i.     How you are portrayed in the social media

ii.     Facebook, myspace, twitter, linkedin, blogs

iii.     Know who your audience is

iv.     What your tone, it can be easily misconstrued

v.     Be careful what you put out there

  1. Contact us

i.     jlehansky@kpmg.com

ii.     www.KPMGcampus.com

iii.     www.KPMG-go.com/BrandingU

iv.     www.youtube.com/KPMGGO

v.     www.Twitter.com/KPMGCampusUS

 

Meeting Adjourned: 8:05pm

Minutes submitted by Isabella Licata, Secretary

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Called to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:15pm

  1. Neema Moghadam, ABLE President
    1. April 27th – ABLE Overnight Camping Trip

i.     Don’t forget to bring your camping supplies from home this weekend (tents, sleeping bags, etc.)

ii.     All expenses paid by ABLE

  1. Emma Bigley, Upcoming ABLE Community Service President
    1. Dodgeball Tournament this weekend was a great success; we raised over $1000 for Hunger Against Action!
  2. Frank Peluso, ABLE Fundraising President
    1. Fundraiser for Relay for Life

i.     Help ABLE by selling $1 bracelets to all your friends!

  1. Kimberly Christopher, ABLE Events Coordinator
    1. Senior Class Meeting after tonight meeting to speak about Habitat for Humanity
    2. Please fill out Senior forms for ABLE to expand Alumni Base!
    3. Book Power Club this Thurday; carpool leaving Collins Circle at 3:15pm
  2. Rick Olszewski, CEO/Founder of Sandler Training/DB&B Peak Performance Mgt
    1. About “Rick O”

i.     31 years in the “selling profession”

ii.     21 years in the training profession, now including business owner

iii.     Sandler Training – Worldwide training company with 275 affiliates in 29 countries and 15 languages

iv.     Sandler Training/DB&B Peak Performance Mgt was founded 24 years ago

v.     Sandler Training is rated #1 in Entrepreneur magazine as the fastest growing training and development franchise

  1. “Sales is a profession, Selling is a professional skill. And like any other skill it needs to be developed and practiced.”
  2. “Everyone is a prospect or can lead you to a prospect”
  3. DEFINE Sales, Management

i.     “It’s a Broadway show played by a psychiatrist…”

ii.     Anytime you put the sales cap on you must be on top of your game, or your doing a dissatisfaction to your clients

iii.     You need to question and listen to your clients

  1. Attributes for Success

i.     Desire

ii.     Passion

iii.     Commitment (time, money, effort)

iv.     Outlook (begin with the end in mind)

  1. Improve your B.A.T.-ing Average

i.     Success Triangle$$

  1. Attitude
  2. Behavior
  3. Technique
  4. Your “I” is not who you “R”

i.     Identity

  1. Self Esteem
  2. Self Image
  3. Self Worth
  4. Self Discipline
  5. Self Motivation
  6. Self…

ii.     Role

  1. Student
  2. Son/Daughter
  3. Sibling
  4. Friend
  5. Member
  6. Job Seeker

iii.     Buyer/Seller Dance

  1. The Prospect System
    1. Lie #1
    2. Info
    3. Lie #2
    4. Voicemail Jail
    5. Your “Selling” System
      1. PAIN
      2. Budget
      3. Decision
      4. Presentation
      5. Post-Sell/Referral

iv.     Three areas to work on

  1. Physiology
  2. Auditory words and emotion

v.     Questioning Techniques

  1. Dummy Curve
  2. Reversing
  3. Negative Reverse Selling
  4. Rick Olszewski: ricko@peakperformancemgt.com

i.     http://www.peakpm.sandler.com/

ii.     http://www.sandler.com/

 

Meeting Adjourned: 8:25pm

Minutes submitted by Isabella Licata, Secretary

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Called to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:15pm

  1. Neema Moghadam, ABLE President
    1. Freshman/Sophomore class meeting after
    2. Signup for all upcoming events on ABLE website

i.     March 29th – Laser Tag

ii.     April 30th – overnight camping

  1. Mike Rodgers, Internal Affairs
    1. March 24th – Paintball Event

i.     Carpool meeting in Collins Circle at 9am

ii.     Only $10 per member! Includes paint and equipment

iii.     Signups for the event close at 5pm tomorrow

  1. Emma Bigley, Upcoming Community Service President
    1. March 31st – Dodgeball Tournament

i.     6 people per team at $10 per person

ii.     Signup on ABLE website

  1. Michelle Guglielmi – PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lead Campus Recruiter
    1. Corporate Responsibility

i.     Corporate activities that increase business value and benefit society

ii.     It’s the right thing to do for PwC – by our clients, our people, our community

iii.     Known as – CR, CSR, Corporate Citizenship, Social Responsibility, etc.

iv.     Another avenue to build relationships

v.     What Corporate Responsibility means to PwC

  1. Commitment to the future
  2. Doing the right thing
  3. Making a sustainable impact
  4. Being and developing leaders
  5. 86% say they would leave their employer if their CR values differed from their firms
  6. PwC’s CR strategy is built on the foundation of our global framework of

i.     Marketplace – doing good business

ii.     People – inspiring responsible leadership

iii.     Community

iv.     Environment

  1. Internship Programs

i.     Enrichment Opportunities

  1. Project Belize

ii.     Campus Giveaway

  1. DonersChoose.org – where we give is your choice
  2. How you can find out more

i.     www.pwc.com/us/en/about-us/corporate-responsibility

ii.     www.facebook.com/PwCUSCareers

iii.     www.twitter.com/PwC_US_Careers

iv.     www.linkedin.com/company/pwc

v.     www.PwC.com

 

Meeting Adjourned: 7:55pm

Minutes submitted by Isabella Licata, Secretary

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Called to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:20pm

  1. Neema Moghadam , ABLE President
    1. Tshirt deadlines – signup under “Events Signup Tab”
    2. Junior Class Leader Meeting following this meeting
    3. No Book Power Club this Thursday
    4. Career Explorations Program – Lincoln Elementary School
  2. Mike Rodgers, Internal Affairs
    1. ABLE Bulletin, highlighting all of ABLE’s upcoming meetings and events

i.     Overnight Ski Trip, Paintball Event

  1. Community Service Events

i.     Book Power Club, Relay for Life, Earth Day Cleanup

  1. ABLE Investments every Monday at 7:15pm in LC25
  2. Rock Climbing Event THIS FRIDAY

i.     Signup by tomorrow night on website!

  1. Stacey O’Brien – Ernst & Young, Campus Recruiter
    1. Presenting Yourself

i.     First Impressions

  1. Words: 7%
  2. Voice: 38%
  3. Appearance: most important out of the three (55%)

ii.     Think through how you want to come across

  1. Appearance
  2. Attitude
  3. Manners
  4. Body language
  5. Prepared with resume and/or business cards

iii.     Well-dressed people wear clothes that:

  1. Complement physical characteristics
  2. Fit properly
  3. Are appropriate for the occasion
  4. Are current and tasteful

iv.     Three levels of business attire

  1. Traditional business (matching suit)
  2. Business casual classic (sport jacket – classic look)
  3. Business casual smart (collared shirt, skirt, trousers)

v.     Tips for men

  1. Select quality suits that are classic style
  2. Wear suits of a darker color with muted tie
  3. Wear clean and well-polished shoes
  4. Groom your hair, beard or mustache
  5. Carry a briefcase or folder

vi.     Tips for women

  1. Select quality clothing that is classic in style
  2. Accessories and makeup should be complementary and understated
  3. Wear clean and polished shoes; hose is necessary
  4. Hair should be neat and away from the face
  5. Carry a briefcase or folder

vii.     Three keys to effective preparation

  1. Know the audience
  2. Know the programs expectations
  3. Know the speaking environment

viii.     Disaster planning

  1. Consider what could go wrong and plan accordingly
  2. Always have a backup
  3. Bring a handout that covers all of your slides

ix.     Context for understanding

  1. Pace of thinking vs. pace of speaking
  2. Time of normal attention span
  3. How much time do you have to make a first impression
  4. Positive encounters vs. negative encounters
  5. Bottom line: we need to capture interest immediately so minds don’t wander!!

x.     What people notice

  1. What you say
  2. How you say it
  3. The “open face”

xi.     Pause and the rhythm of eye contact

  1. Well structured text and simple words can significantly enhance your ability to use the pause and the rhythm of eye contact

xii.     Always engage your audience

xiii.     Ethics of an effective public speaker

  1. Be prepared and accurate
  2. Reveal your sources – give credit where credit is do
  3. In general, make the audience like you
  4. Arrive early

xiv.     Keys to success

  1. Memorize your first and last sentences
  2. Avoid acronyms or slang that others may not understand
  3. Practice in the mirror
  4. Focus on one person in each area of the room so that it looks like you are looking at each person in the room
  5. Ways to improve
    1. Take public speaking electives while in school
    2. Toastmasters, international
    3. Volunteer to speak at local meetings (practice makes perfect!)

xv.     PowerPoint

  1. Remember you are the presentation, not the PowerPoint
  2. You don’t want your PowerPoint to be the show
    1. It should support you
    2. Pick a style and stick with it
    3. Limit the use of color
    4. Leave empty space

xvi.     Three P’s

  1. Preparation
  2. Public Speaking
  3. PowerPoint
  4. Contact Info

i.     Stacey O’Brien – Campus Recruiter (NESA)

ii.     Liz Hellen – Campus Recruiter (FSO)

iii.     ey.com/us/dayone

 

Meeting Adjourned: 8:35pm

Minutes submitted by Isabella Licata, Secretary

Tuesday, February 14, 2011

Called to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:15pm

  1. Neema Moghadam – ABLE President
    1. February 21 – last day to pay dues of $40
    2. Sophomore Class Meeting after tonight’s meeting
    3. Career Exploration Mentorship with Elementary School Students
    4. ABLE Investments
  2. Leah Goldberg – ABLE Webmaster, Membership
    1. Subscribe to listserv; find directions on ABLE website
    2. Report all attendance both community service and social on ABLE website
    3. Sign up for upcoming events on the Upcoming Events tab

i.     Book Power Club

ii.     TShirt Sign Up

  1. February 24 – Indoor Rock Climbing

i.     Sign up on ABLE website

  1. Casey Olszewski – Upcoming ABLE Events Coordinator
    1. March 2 – Overnight Ski Trip at Windham Mountain

i.     Sign up on ABLE Website

  1. Lindsey McEntire – ABLE Community Service President
    1. February 16 – ABLE Blood Drive

i.     Signup for volunteer time slots on ABLE website

ii.     Spread the word for blood donations

  1. Joe Marini – Owner, Founder of Chicken Joes
    1. 7 locations, 2 of which are in downtown Albany
    2. Began in 1993 with first location in Greenwich, Connecticut
    3. Work about 90 hours a week, long hours, not easy

i.     Wake up at 3:15am and drive an hour away to headquarters

ii.     Arrive at 5am and prep for opening at 6am for breakfast

iii.     After school very busy with school located down the street

iv.     Close at 6pm

v.     Work on bookkeeping

vi.     Surprise visits to other locations (probably 3 locations every day)

  1. 6 years ago in New Rochelle opened the second location
  2. Decided to expand and open near a college campus
  3. Be sure that opening a business is what you truly want to do because it is an extreme commitment
  4. Took out some money from parents and also took out a 10 year loan which was paid off in 4 years

i.     not a smart thing to do; be sure to put money away also because you can’t predict the future; you won’t always be making money

  1. location is everything

i.     you need to research how many and when people are in the area

ii.     make sure it is truly the right location

iii.     college campus is great during the year but summers are very slow

  1. Headquarters (Greenwich, 19 years) uses 1 ton of chicken a week
  2. Millions in revenue
  3. Was a high school dropout and never went to college, but now very successful

i.     “Did it the hard way”

ii.     College students all ready one step ahead

  1. Does most of the finance and book work because of a friends experience

i.     Friend had an accountant and bookkeeper for his business and later found out they were stealing money from him

  1. If you want to open a store front work in one first for a few months and work the long hours; see if it is something you really want to do
  2. Famous Cones

i.     Tried them at a food show

  1. If he likes something he knows customers will like it
  2. Partners weren’t so sure; wanted to bring in tater-tots
  3. Possibly expanding to school locations

i.     Opened 4 new locations in the last few years

ii.     want to be smart about opening more locations with the slow economy

  1. Yates is a busier location than Western because it delivers

i.     But planning to install $1, $2, and $3 meal to the Western location only

  1. Wanting to sell out the franchise in a few years, but not yet
  2. Important to work and lead

i.     Employees have respect for you as a boss and owner

ii.     “There is nothing I don’t do, I do everything”

  1. Presentation is what contributes to success

i.     Want to make Chicken Joes the best

ii.     Being on top of the game

  1. Charity work with Chicken Joes

i.     Gets involved with the entire community

ii.     Donated 11inches of hair

iii.     Chicken Joes Ride for Kids

  1. Bike ride from Greenwich to Lake George
  2. Raised over $77,000 in 2 years for over 14 different children’s organizations
  3. http://www.chickenjoesrideforkids.org/

iv.     Chicken Joes Ride for Tiffany

  1. Rode 425 miles
  2. Raised $5,700

v.     Raises $1000 a month in chocolate bar sales

Meeting Adjourned: 8:15pm

Minutes submitted by Isabella Licata, Secretary