Penn State Startup Week Contest Helps Launch Platform to Fight Hunger
Last fall, five Penn State Harrisburg students took their idea for a supply-chain management platform to the HackPSU Hackathon. After testing the idea there, they took it to the Penn State Smeal College of Business 2017 Supply Chain Entrepreneurship Pitch Contest. There, the team nabbed second place out of 26 competitors. They took this honor (and the $4,500 award that came with it), and flew to Amsterdam for the Thought for Food Global Summit.
Smeal students Howie Anderson, Michael Li, Brandon Daubenspeck, Pranav Jain, and Alex Bouril, were eager to showcase their idea at the summit, as, according to Daubenspeck, helping people access food was “the perfect application for our platform.”
The platform, NuntAgri, is a chatbot with which buyers, sellers, and distributors of food can interact. In its most recent iteration, NuntAgri enables sellers to input what they would like to sell, and buyers to text NuntAgri to peruse or purchase these orders. NuntAgri then contacts a close intermediary to transport the order. This efficient coordination allows produce and food items that would have been discarded to be picked up by volunteer drivers and taken to places like homeless shelters and food banks.
Michael li explains the platform as, “a service offered through SMS, short message service, that can revolutionize regional distribution logistics by using crowd-sourcing.”
The summit was a fruitful next step for the team, as NuntAgri’s capabilities align with Thought for Food’s goal of feeding nine billion people in the next thirty years. As of now, however, the platform is being used by Dirty Dog Hauling, a Harrisburg company that specializes in junk removal. Just as it would with food, the chatbot connects sellers, transporters, and buyers of the junk items.
“This has been an excellent experience,” Li said. “We have learned how to make connections, how to network and develop a system that will effectively manage supply and demand.”
How To Avoid Costly MBA Résumé Mistakes
Submitting a résumé is perhaps the most crucial part of every prospective MBA’s application process. A good résumé provides insight into who an applicant is, and what they’ve accomplished. A well-crafted, attention-grabbing résumé that captivates an admissions team can bring an applicant much closer to an acceptance letter.
But aside from a name, contact info, and educational and professional details, what should a slam-dunk MBA resume include?
What Are The Résumé Basics?
Starting with the principle basics, résumés should be short, sweet, and concise. Ideally, they should fit on one page—maybe two. Stephan Kolodiy, an admissions officer at Rutgers University, told U.S. News & World Report that long résumés are a common issue with many MBA applicants.
“Sometime we get a résumé that’s five to six pages long, and that’s way too much information,” he says.
That one-to-two pages of concise information should also be 100 percent accurate—one should never lie on a résumé. Because credibility plays a big role in the application process (MBA or otherwise), it is unwise to fabricate work or school experience. Deceitful, even exaggerated, résumés are always rejected by business schools, and admitted students who submit compromised résumés are at risk for expulsion. This is serious stuff, so don’t lie!
Carrie Marcinkevage, MBA Managing Director at the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University, told U.S. News that honesty is always the best policy.
“Authenticity allows you to find the right school and that school to find you,” Marcinkevage says. “Allow them the chance to find the real you.”
Perhaps most importantly, all MBA résumés should provide examples of success. Prospective MBAs should give admissions officers a reason to send an acceptance letter by showing concrete examples of career advancement, or of how an MBA candidate achieved results for a particular client.
“When applying to a top-tier business school, you’ll need to show admissions committee on a clear path of professional growth,” U.S. News reports.
What Are You Forgetting?
There are also some not-so-basic guidelines that MBAs are encouraged to follow when crafting a solid résumé. Investopedia published a guide reviewing some of the best resumes for MBA applicants that outlines a few tips that many prospective business students may not have previously thought of.
Without sounding like too much of a graphic design nerd, it’s important to take typeface into account with a résumé. Yes, fonts matter. It’s best practice to rely on on two typefaces: A bold sans-serif face for headers, and a standard serif face for body type. For those of you who don’t know, a serif is the tiny extension on the termination point of an individual letter, the little “hat” at the end of a letter if you will.
Serifs exist to make smaller text easier to read, so they are the best friend of admissions offices who may read hundreds of résumés per day. Sans-serif fonts—letters that don’t include serifs—are cleaner and pop easier when bolded out. Résumés should avoid using fonts that are too common, such as Times New Roman, but also avoid ridiculous fonts like Comic Sans. Nobody likes Comic Sans.
Aside from listing relevant work experience, and showing how much growth took place at each job, there are other skills that every résumé should highlight. According to U.S. News, the three skills that can best help sell an MBA applicants résumé to a business school are:
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- Leadership
- Communication
- Innovation
First and foremost, business schools want to see strong leadership skills as well as personal growth. All MBA programs focus on developing management skills, but schools wants to know that a solid foundation of leadership is already there. Good résumés provide evidence of an applicant motivating a team behind a common goal, figuring out the best use of other’s talents and skills, instilling a concrete vision, and prioritizing the needs of an organization above personal needs.
As for communication, a résumé is an applicant’s first line of communication to a business school, and should be chock-full of structured writing and thought-out word choice. U.S. News shows the different between a boring resume and beautifully worded one:
“Here’s a real example of a blah bullet point in a client’s first draft: ‘Helped with new software implementation.’
Now, a brilliant bullet point: ”Spearheaded software upgrade in the San Francisco field office by coordinating with software developer, leading training sessions, and facilitating implementation schedule.’ The second example offers a much more comprehensive understanding of the scope of the accomplishment.”
Some applicants may try to hard to impress admissions officers with technical jargon or fancy terminology. Lose it, and show that you can clearly, and simply explain headier topics in writing:
“One client listed this bullet point on his resume: ‘Created VA1 Business Acquisition.’
Once we translated that into something the MBA admissions audience would understand, the résumé said: ‘Devised and launched outbound communications plan for our premier voice activated product. Product was well received and became cash flow positive within 14 months.’
Much better.”
Lastly, a résumé that shows an applicant has helped innovate will go a long way. This piece of advice is especially handy for applicants with traditional pre-MBA jobs. All admissions officers know what a consultant or analyst is tasked with at an entry-level position. A resume is an opportunity to shed light on things that sets an applicant apart from other typical analysts. Things to keep in mind include: training a newly hired analyst, leading college recruiting efforts, or organizing an office volunteering or fundraising initiative.
Avoiding Deceptive Mistakes
Now, here’s where we can get a little dramatic: Résumés are the first impressions a prospective MBA job candidates has with a potential employer. Since no one gets a second chance to make that first impression, don’t mess it up!
Bloomberg issued a list of the “Ten Biggest Resume Blunders” that outlines exactly what not to do with an application résumé, which includes obvious items like avoid writing a bad cover letter and remove foolish typos and inconsistencies.
The list also features some gems, like how to avoid making your résumé a cluttered mess. Again, not to sound like a graphic design professor, but the look of a résumé certainly counts. Avoid using fancy graphics or designs, and provide a crisp, clean document that’s easy to read on a computer screen.
“The résumé should be presentable, not an information dump,” Chris Thomas, Global Recruiting Director of the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program at General Electric, told Bloomberg. “There should be some white space.”
A well-done résumé shouldn’t misfire on any points—bullet points, that is. Some schools offer formats for resumes, specifically on how to list past job experience. Schools like the University of Michigan Ross School of Business advise students to use the “Action Context Result” format, which describes an action they performed, where they performed it, and the results it garnered.
“‘Worked for XYZ Corp., 2008 to 2012’ says close to nothing,” Damian Zikakis, Director of Career Services at Ross, told Bloomberg. “’Led a review of supplier contracts for the technology division resulting in savings of $250,000 opens doors.”
Lastly, a résumé should never disregard an applicant’s worth, nor should it overshare information. As we mentioned earlier in this piece, a good résumé should demonstrate what an applicant has accomplished and what they can bring to a new employer. It should not feature information that, even if positive, is irrelevant to a desired position.
“Think of the résumé as a future-focused document and not an historical one,” Char Bennington, Director of Career Management at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, told Bloomberg. “Focus on what’s important to the people in the career that you want now.”
How Else Can Your Résumé Stand Out?
To help make sure a résumé stands out in the crowd, consider participating in some relevant volunteer work. David D. Schein, the Director of Graduate Programs for the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas, told MetroMBA that adding volunteer work to a résumé. With that said, not all volunteer work is equal.
For example, if you volunteer at the SPCA and play with puppies all day, that probably won’t your résumé or your application. Instead, find “responsible positions that deliver a lot of bang for the time commitment,” Schein says. Find a position that will allow you to spend time organizing a major fund-raising activity or event. It should be something that has a demonstrative impact on the organization and illustrates your leadership potential.
Including unique and interesting hobbies can also be a fun way to illustrate your skills and stand out. Schein recommends that applicants choose hobbies that “demonstrate drive and ambition. Some examples might include white water rafting or learning a difficult foreign language like Chinese or Farsi.”
Penn State Online MBA Opens with University Park Campus Residency
Penn State’s newly-revamped Online MBA at the Smeal College of Business kicked off with a five-day residency at Penn’s University Park campus. Eighty-two students from all over the world gathered to prepare themselves for the significant undertaking of the virtual MBA.
Faculty Director, Janet Duck, views this residency as a preview for the challenges students will face in the program.
“Entering into a master’s program is a big transition, as many students have been in the professional arena for six to eight years,” Duck said, “They begin to realize that this is a commitment, this is a dedication, this is a serious next step in their career. The newly redesigned program provides a great support network so that students are well-prepared and continually connected to the resources available to them as Smeal students.”
Throughout the five days, students received a core course overview as well as an outline of possible concentration options. The students were also trained to navigated Penn State’s learning management system, Canvas. The week also included a team performance class with Glen Kreiner, Faculty Chair.
The re-designed website has been carefully orchestrated to provide a very specific experience for MBAs.
According to Duck, “In our new model, we provide the foundational framework for students at the beginning of the program. What smell has brought to the program through the redesign supports Online MBA students from day one, related to networking, career services, work-life balance, and financial aid, as well as insight into the instructional design process. The transition to a Smeal-led program has really allowed us to provide support on so many levels, which begins with the residency experience as University Park.”
The residency gave students the opportunity to meet professors and faculty members in person and develop relationships with their peers. This is an essential part of the Penn State’s Online MBA, as the importance of building a sense of community is often overlooked by online programs.
Penn State BOSS Program Honors A Decade of Promoting Diversity
Penn State’s Smeal College of Business recently celebrated the ten year anniversary of its BOSS program. BOSS (Business Opportunities Summer Session), organized by the Smeal College of Business Office of Diversity Enhancement Programs, lasts two weeks each summer, and is specifically designed for business-minded high schoolers from underrepresented populations to gain exposure to college life.
Jamie Campbell, Assistant Dean for Diversity Enhancement Programs, said, “BOSS is designed to show students that no matter your color, creed, or socio-eceonomic background, there is a support system at Smeal that will enable a student to reach their very best.” Campbell went on to say that, “During these two weeks, students are given a crash course on what it means to be a Smeal student. BOSS engages the cohort in everything from accounting to the Smeal honor code.”
According to Campbell, industries and schools are coming around to the fact that having including people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives is essential to success in business. Students in the program have the chance to take college prep courses, taught by Penn State faculty, that help them gain an understanding of fundamental business principles. Participants spend the two weeks living on Penn State’s University Park campus located in Happy Valley.
Over the past decade, the BOSS program has inspired many successful students. Close to 200 students have attended the program, and over 60 percent of which have gone on to apply to Penn State. Of the BOSS graduates who have applied to Penn State, 91 percent have been accepted.
Diag Davenport, one of the program’s earliest participants spoke highly of his time there, saying, “I left Penn State fully energized to study business and I was certain that Smeal was the right place for me to do so. I saw that BOSS was the bridge between my ambition to succeed and the opportunity to make it happen.”
First PSU Smeal Sustainability Awarded To Gerald Susman
Former Associate Dean Gerald Susman from the Penn State’s Smeal College of Business has been awarded with the inaugural Susman Sustainability Leadership Award.
Anti-Bullying Program Earns Penn State Support
In 2006, Linsey Covert was pursuing her master of education at Penn State. During this time, her passions for both teaching and promoting positivity in schools led her to develop a program to reduce bullying in and outside of the classroom.
