SIFErs in the Pros: Rachel G. Williams C/O 2011

Name:  Rachel Williams

Grad Year: May 2011

Major:  Marketing, Minor in Spanish

Current job: Operations Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Top 3 SIFE skills I still use today: Project Management, Leadership, Strategic Thinking

On May 15^th, 2011 I graduated from UNC Charlotte as a proud 49er with many SIFE memories, confidence as a soon-to-be business professional, and a job at Bank of America waiting on me.

My life at UNC Charlotte as a 49er gave me some amazing memories to look back on. From the raves before finals and the basketball games to the late night Cookout runs and random nights of craziness with roommates and friends -- unforgettable. On top of all that, some of my favorite memories also come from those moments when I felt most accomplished and proud of what I was doing as a part of the UNC Charlotte SIFE team.

I joined SIFE as a college freshman after I learned about it from a high school friend, Osby Garcia, on campus one day in my first semester.  I was involved in a lot of organizations in high school and was looking for a way to continue that and to meet new people.  After my first SIFE meeting, I was hooked. 

I’ll admit I was pretty intimidated that students just like me, around my age and in similar majors, were doing so much to help so many people while working together like the actual business professionals that I hoped to be after school.  But it was exactly what I was looking for, and what I needed to get where I was going!

I soon became involved on the PLAY PALs project team, and would go with the group once a week to help some inner-city youth learn life skills.  I felt really good about what we were doing, and also got to know other awesome members of the SIFE team.  A few other project teams and one semester later, I stepped-up to become Project Leader of PLAY PALs.  I got to continue my favorite SIFE project, while also getting leadership experience, learning how to manage people (SIFErs and >30 kids) and how to just make things happen the way they were expected to occur and how I envisioned them to happen.  It was in MY hands and it was MY team that helped the project reach its goals.

Then, I was Project Leader for the Etiquette Dinner which was on a much bigger scale.  I learned in this case how to network with business professionals, got to practice some of my marketing skills, and managed a much larger budget.  I even gained the confidence to get up in front of >100 people and give the opening speech. 

The following year in SIFE, I was voted as Vice President of Marketing.  This was where I really had free reign to tryout all of the marketing ideas I had been learning about in my classes.  I got to work with other amazing SIFErs who were also on the SIFE Executive Board team and found out what it was like to lead even more people and oversee several projects at once.  It was here that I mastered my multi-tasking and creativity skills.  Like any other SIFEr, I wanted more experience and opportunities to do more real-world business “stuff” that I wasn’t getting in my classes; plus, I was having fun with my SIFE family! So I auditioned to be a presenter for the Competition team.  That was a completely extraordinary experience of continuing UNC Charlotte SIFE’s undefeated advancement to Nationals, and having a blast at Nationals in Minneapolis.  All expenses paid, meeting other SIFErs from around the country, and meeting business executives who want to hire me? It was awesome!!

My last year in SIFE, I went for the gold and ran for the president 

position – and I was voted in! It was a tough responsibility, but extremely invaluable experience.  I got to work even closer with business executives, lead meetings (a very valuable skill out of college), and mastered my decision-making skills.  And since I had so much fun the year before, I participated in the Competition team again.  On the spot interviews, free stuff everywhere, and representing UNC Charlotte SIFE to CEO’s – again, an unforgettable experience.  Not to mention the night we rode a limo to a convenience store… ;)  

Like I mentioned earlier, I graduated in May wearing my SIFE medal, had a new apartment waiting on me in Jacksonville, Florida, and a job offer in hand for the very competitive GMO&MO rotational program at Bank of America.  Every SIFE hour spent organizing a project, meeting with other SIFErs, and emailing late into the night, was an hour well spent, because each of those (>1,000) hours led me to the success I’ve reached in life thus far.  If it weren’t for my UNC Charlotte SIFE team, I would still be looking for my first shot at success…

Follow Rachel on Twitter: @RachelGWilliams