UNC Charlotte Awarded a Trophy at the SIFE USA National Exposition

UNC Charlotte Awarded a Trophy at the SIFE USA National Exposition 

                         Kansas City, M.O. – The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team at UNC Charlotte traveled roughly 970 miles to compete and make a meaningful impression at this year’s SIFE USA National Exposition in Kansas City, Missouri. The Exposition had nearly 160 SIFE teams from around the United States competing (May 22-24). UNC Charlotte SIFE team members knew that this would be an incredible opportunity to learn how to expand the team and be noticed for their efforts to build a better tomorrow. UNC Charlotte SIFE had won their Regional Competition on March 27th, 2012, which enabled them to participate in the National Exposition. In addition, at the 2012 Regional Competition the team was named the All Star Team of this region.

          This year the UNC Charlotte SIFE team competed in and won its ninth consecutive Regional competition, truly making them Niners! Moving on to Nationals, the team was determined to improve their performance and their achievement. They did! UNC Charlotte SIFE was awarded a trophy for being the 2nd Runner-Up in their league’s opening round. This meant they were one of the top 60 competing teams. The team had achieved this award only once before (2006). “I am proud of our team! They worked hard over the last six months and their hard work paid off,” said Brandon Bogan, SIFE’s Vice President of Competition. “I cannot wait to see what is in store for our team next year.”

          Brian Skerry, the 2011-2012 SIFE President said, “Many of the members that attended this year’s competition have told me they were officially "SIFE'd" after meeting with teams from across the country and watching the presentations of the Final Four teams. SIFE has made an impact beyond what I ever imagined possible for my life and career, and I am glad to see that our younger members are feeling so excited. ”

          The UNC Charlotte SIFE team presentation focused on six community service projects they conducted. It ranged from the mentoring program at James Martin Middle School called Success for Teens, to the Community Garden project that is helping local people tackle their food desert issue, and a Recycling project that featured an arcade game that promotes recycling by creating student user interaction.


The members of the UNC Charlotte SIFE Competition Team are:
• Brandon Bogan (Junior majoring in Economics from Denver, NC)
• Gerald Burgess (Alumnus majored in International Business from Long Island, NY)
• Adam Arshed (Sophomore majoring in International Business from Miami, FL)
• Matt Murrow (Junior majoring in Management & Marketing from Gastonia, NC)
• Malcolm Carter (Freshmen majoring in Business and Dance from Greensboro, NC)
• Brittany Black (Alumna majored in Management Information Systems & Finance from Greensboro, NC)


      For more information, contact Brittany Cranford, SIFE Vice President of Marketing, at bcranfo3@uncc.edu.


SIFE Profile 
Students in Free Enterprise is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills needed to become socially responsible business leaders. There are more than 1,500 active SIFE teams in 40 different countries around the world. The UNC Charlotte SIFE team’s Mission is: To leverage our business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to empower people in need to succeed.

Screenshot from SIFE USA highlight video

2012 Presentation team after their top 60 placement

SIFE Declared Regional Champion for 9th Consecutive Year

Charlotte, N.C. -  The UNC Charlotte Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team won the SIFE USA regional competition on Tuesday, March 27th. This is the ninth consecutive regional victory for the UNC Charlotte SIFE team!  The team has won the SIFE Regional Competition every year since it was launched in 2003.  Teams win based on the value of the community projects they conduct in order to help people in need by applying class knowledge and skills. UNC Charlotte SIFE was also awarded the 2012 Charlotte Regional All Star award.

The 2012 competition was held at the Westin in downtown Charlotte, NC, and served as a preliminary competition for the SIFE National Exposition. The UNC Charlotte SIFE team will attend the National Exposition in Kansas City, Missouri on May 22^nd through the 24^th to compete against more than 160 other university teams for the SIFE National Championship.

Brandon Bogan, SIFE’s Vice President of Competition, said “We have been preparing for SIFE Regionals for about two months now. Countless hours have gone into developing and memorizing our script and presentation, as well as creating the annual report. Our SIFE team contributed 5,296 hours this year and impacted 3,814 people, so it is a great accomplishment to be able to bring this trophy home for the team. It really was a complete team effort and we could not have won this title without the dedication that our team has displayed.

Matt Murrow, SIFE Vice President of Marketing and President-Elect, “SIFE competition is really where you get SIFE’d. Being around so many other energetic SIFE’rs is an awe-inspiring experience and it will change your life forever. Each year we develop and expand numerous community service projects and then compete against other teams to see if we empowered people the most. If your team is good enough, you get to compete at the SIFE National Exposition, which is held annually. If you win Nationals, then you get to go to the SIFE World Cup. The World Cup is in Washington, DC this year from September 30^th to October 2nd and is being sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. At the World Cup, you’ll see about 40 teams from around the world competing to see who helped the most people. Expect an out of body experience if you go to DC that weekend.”

The members of the SIFE Competition Team are: 

·         Brandon Bogan (Junior majoring in Finance from Denver, North Carolina)  

·         Gerald Burgess (Senior majoring in International Business from Long Island, New York)

·         Adam Arshed (Sophomore in International Business from Miami, Florida)

·         Matt Murrow (Junior in Management and Marketing from Gastonia, North Carolina)

·         Malcolm Carter (Freshmen majoring in Pre-Business and Dance from Greensboro, North Carolina)

·         Brittany Black (Senior majoring in Management Information Systems and Finance from Greensboro, North Carolina)  

For more information, contact Matt Murrow, SIFE Vice President of Marketing at mmurrow1@gmail.com. 

SIFE Profile

Students in Free Enterprise is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills needed to become socially responsible business leaders.  There are approximately 1,500 active SIFE teams in about 40 different countries around the world.  The UNC Charlotte SIFE team’s mission is to leverage our business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to empower people in need to succeed.

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Members of the 2012 UNC Charlotte SIFE Team

Why Linkedin? Because Relationships Matter

There has been a fundamental shift in how job searches are being conducted. No longer is it just about your education level (although that still matters), but it is about how you grow and foster relationships within your job search. The saying I use is is it’s not who you know that will help you get a job, it’s who they know. No one tool is as powerful in proving that point true than Linkedin.

Since it’s humble beginnings in May of 2003, when Linkedin launched with 4,500 members till as of this posting it reached 150,000,000 members; Linkedin has become one of the most powerful tools in connecting and maintaining professional relationships. The value this brings to you as a job searcher is that you can connect with anyone on this planet to grow a relationship  that can allow you to find the opportunity you are looking to secure. Don’t believe me? Let me provide a couple of stories to show how individuals used Linkedin to secure opportunities.

Stay in front to stay in thought.

In the early part of 2008 during the beginnings of the economic pullback, I had an invite from a fellow company employee (she was part of a training group) who was being released from her role with the bank we worked. Her message to me to connect was that she wanted to stay in touch with recruiters to keep abreast of the market as it continued it transition. I accepted the invite and we were connected although we had never met. Flash forward a year to 2009 when I became a victim of the economic recession and ultimately landed a contract role (that’s the second story) with a different organization.

The trainer who was let go a year earlier saw the update to my profile that I was with a new organization and sent me a message via Linkedin. The message was very short and congratulated me on the new role I secured and if I became aware of any opportunities that fit her background to keep her in mind for the positions. Sure enough about a week later a position came to my desk that she seemed to be a fit for and after going through the process, she was selected. All because she sent one email congratulating me on the role.

Coming Full Circle

As I mentioned in the story before, I took a new role in 2009. This story will explain how I got that opportunity by using Linkedin. In May of 2009, I was notified that I was being released from my role as a recruiter for a financial services company. I was told I would have to work a sixty day noticed and would be given three months severance after that. So in essence, I had five months to secure another role.

I went through the process of developing a target list of companies (I teach how to do this in a program I will be launching by next quarter) and used linkedin to reach out to individuals at those companies. Now to make sure I make this point clear, the individuals that I reached out to, I had no contact with prior to the first communication with them via Linkedin. One of those individuals was a Human Resource leader for a telecommunications company located here in Charlotte. I invited him for a cup of coffee to learn more about his organization and structure. He accepted.

During the conversation, he asked if I was aware of GMAC Financial (now Ally Bank) and their plans of locating to the Charlotte market. I told him I was aware but I had not made any contacts in the organization at that point in time. He sent my resume over to a recruiter within the company and introduced me to him. That recruiter and I made plans to meet for coffee later that week. This was not a hiring manager but a peer so he had no hiring authority. However, it was a connection into a company that I had no contacts in.

During our meeting he mentioned that a project leader I worked with at my original company was going to be coming to his organization within the next couple of weeks. He said he wasn’t sure if it was general knowledge yet so I shouldn’t spread the  information. Shortly after we left each other I sent an email to the project leader whom I had worked with to catch up for coffee to see how things had been going. During our meeting she told me she was making the move and if any openings came up, she would keep me in mind. Two weeks later, I was starting with the company as a contract recruiter.

Oh yeah, all this happen within three months!

That’s the power of Linked.

What can it do for you???



(Thanks to Mark Frietch of TAC Services for providing this content.)

SIFE to Host Panel Discussions with Alumni on Career Success

Charlotte, N.C. - The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team at UNC Charlotte is partnering up with the University Career Center to host a panel discussion on transitioning from college to the workforce, called “Lessons Since College.” The event will take place on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 in the Student Union, Room 340 I, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. All panelists will be alumni. They will discuss how they progressed from being a UNC Charlotte student to having successful careers and what they experienced during their transition.

According the University Career Center (UCC), 40% of students at UNC Charlotte have not secured a full time position upon graduation. This information coincides with a recent report from the Economic Policy Institute that the average hourly pay rate for entry level positions among graduated college men has decreased by 8.2% since 2000. Similarly, average hourly pay for women has decreased by 6.4% since 2000.

This panel discussion will be valuable to anyone looking to prepare for the spring recruiting season. The panelists will talk about their experiences at UNC Charlotte and how to fully reap the benefits of an education. They will address the process of finding their first job, give helpful tips for avoiding mistakes in the workforce, and discuss how they were able to become so successful in their fields.

“This will be a great opportunity for current UNC Charlotte students to learn how recent alumni succeeded in the transition from college,” says project leader, Noelle Cornelio. “Students who attend ‘Lessons Since College’ will not only have the amazing opportunity to learn how recent alumni have made the jump from college to the workforce but will also be able to get their personal questions answered.”

Noelle is a freshman majoring in biology and economics, and hopes to attend medical school in the future. She will moderate the panel on Wednesday, composed of Brian Chu of Liberty Mutual, Gloria Bidetti of KPMG, Tim Ralston of Continental, and Sarah Wilbanks of AdvantaClean.

For more information about the panel discussion, contact the SIFE Vice President of Marketing, Matt Murrow, at mmurrow1@gmail.com.  

SIFE Profile

Students in Free Enterprise is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills needed to become socially responsible business leaders.  There are approximately 1,500 active SIFE teams in 40 different countries around the world.  The UNC Charlotte SIFE team’s mission is to leverage our business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to empower people in need to succeed.

Panelists:

Continental: Tim Ralston graduated from UNC Charlotte in 2009 with a B.S.B.A in Finance. During his time here, he was the President of the Financial Management Association (FMA), a care team member and leader in RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network) and he also mentored children through Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Charlotte. Tim has served as a Financial Analyst for Continental since October of 2009.

 KPMG: Gloria Bidetti received her Bachelor’s in Accounting from UNC Charlotte in May 2009. She also received her Master of Business Administration (MBA), Accounting Tax Track, in 2010. In Ms. Bidetti’s time at UNC Charlotte she was a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the Business Honors Program (BHP), Dean’s Fellows, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) among others. Ms. Bidetti joined KPMG in June 2008 where she completed three internships. Upon the completion of her MBA in 2012 she became a Federal Tax Associate with KPMG.

Liberty Mutual Insurance: Brian Chu graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in May of 2009 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration earning a summa cum laude distinction.  He served as a Dean’s Fellow in Belk College of Business where he chaired the Stewardship and Fundraising Committees.  Brian currently works for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a Senior Account Service Manager in Employee Group Benefits.  He previously held a position as a Business Systems Analyst after starting his career as a Disability Case Manager in November, 2009.

AdvantaClean Systems, Inc: Sarah Wilbanks received her Bachelor’s in Marketing from UNC Charlotte in 2010. Her experience at UNC Charlotte included a semester abroad at the Universidad de Tecnologico de Monterrey and the Dean’s Fellows Program. She also served as a Public Relations Intern and Contributing Writer for Charlotte Style Magazine. In June 2011, she joined AdvantaClean Systems as a Public Relations Specialist where she develops local and national marketing initiatives.

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SIFE to Host Panel Discussion with Recruiters

Charlotte, N.C. -  The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team at UNC Charlotte has partnered with the University Career Center to host a panel discussion on how recruiters and managers hire. The event will take place on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 in the Student Union, Room 340 G & H. Panelists will discuss how they evaluate internship and job candidates in areas ranging from first impressions to resumes to interview behavior.

"This panel will be valuable in preparing students for the spring recruiting season," said Dr. Kevin Toomb, Sam Walton Fellow and advisor to SIFE. “Positive trends in employment mean that this year will be better for students' employment than the past few years." 

National unemployment was down to 8.3% nationwide in January, though unemployment in North Carolina remains above the national average.  The outlook for college graduates is the brightest it has been since 2007, with hiring projected to increase by 8.6% in the Southeast according to The National Association of Colleges and Employers.

 “The purpose of the panel discussion is to give college students the insight and skills needed to have a successful job search," said Mercedes Fiorillo, the team leader for the event. " Many students need advice on their  resume, practice for a professional  interview, and coaching on how to find a job that launches their career on the right trajectory.  We hope that this panel discussion will help students gain the skills necessary to find their way into the workplace." 

Ms. Fiorillo, a Junior Finance major, will moderate the panel, composed of representatives of Bank of America, Greer & Walker, Lowe's Companies, Inc., Studiobanks, and TIAA-CREF.  A brief biography of each panelist is available upon request.

For more information about the panel discussion, contact the SIFE Vice President of Marketing, Matt Murrow, at mmurrow1@gmail.com.  

SIFE Profile

Students in Free Enterprise is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills needed to become socially responsible business leaders.  There are approximately 1,500 active SIFE teams in 40 different countries around the world.  The UNC Charlotte SIFE team’s mission is to leverage our business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to empower people in need to succeed.

Panelists

Bank of America:  Susan Elworthy is a Program Manager for the Finance Management Associate Program  for Bank of America.  Susan graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in History.  She is currently responsible for the leadership development of 30 participants.  As a program manager, she plans and executes the learning curriculum and facilitates the rotation and post-program placement activities. S he has held positions as a Campus Recruiter, University Relations Manager, Regional University Recruiting Manager, and Staffing Manager in the financial service and public accounting industries.

Greer and Walker, LLP: With 20 years of experience, Sandi Guy has extensive knowledge in all areas of Human Resource Management.  Sandi is currently the Director of Human Resources at Greer and Walker LLP and the Chair of the International HR and Development Committee.  She has partnered with national and international business leaders to align talent with many different organizations and has worked with the manufacturing, hospitability, financial services and accounting industries during her career.  Sandi has also been recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal, the American Society of Women Accountants, and Charlotte Business Leader for her many accomplishments.

Lowe's:  Alicia Brown is a College Recruiter at Lowe’s Companies Inc, which is headquartered in Mooresville, NC. She serves on the SIFE USA Career Connections Board with over 100 other college recruiters, human resources specialists and business executives.

Studiobanks:  Wes Nguyen is the Senior Digital Marketing Consultant at Studiobanks.  Born and raised in Charlotte, Wes attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and majored in Economics.  He joined Addison Whitney as their Communications Coordinator, and soon became the Manager of Marketing and Sales.  At Studiobanks, Wes uses his sales skills to identify and uncover new opportunities for growth.

TIAA-CREF:  Stewart Sloan is currently Manager of Talent Acquisition at TIAA-CREF.  He graduated Davidson College and majored in Sociology.  Stewart began working for TEK systems as a Professional Recruiter in Charlotte and Raleigh.  He then worked at Wachovia as a Senior Recruiting Consultant and oversaw the employment of all professionals within Wachovia’s Corporate and Investment Banking Technology group in Charlotte, New York City, Philadelphia, London, and Hong Kong.  He joined TIAA-CREF as a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant and was promoted to his current position.  He oversees the recruitment of full-time employees for the technology and operation divisions.

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UNC Charlotte SIFE and James Martin Middle School Partner to Teach Character-Building Program to 7th Grade Students

Charlotte, N.C. -  The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team at UNC Charlotte has partnered with James Martin Middle School to instruct 400 7^th grade students on character education, success skills, and goal setting. 

The project, led by UNC Charlotte Senior, Gerald Burgess, will bring more than 40 UNC Charlotte students to James Martin Middle School each week to mentor and lead workshops. The curriculum is based on the book Success for Teens published by The Success Foundation. The book teaches self-reliance based on the “Slight Edge” principle, which emphasizes making small positive decisions every day.  The SUCCESS Foundation has supplied James Martin Middle School with over 400 Success for Teens books, which contain worksheets so students can record their thoughts and track their progress throughout the year.

“It is truly an honor to be able to help out students who might not otherwise be on the right track,” Burgess said. “I’ve seen the power of this program in the past, and I know that Success for Teens will make an impact on these students.”

The Success for Teens program was active at West Charlotte and Olympic High Schools last year, with SIFE members reaching more than 500 students.  “We developed our program last year and gained a lot of experience on how to manage the program,” said Matt Murrow, who led the project in 2010-11. “Now that our pilot program is completed, we can start expanding into other schools and making more impactful impressions on students.”

Throughout the program, UNC Charlotte SIFE will be coordinating with James Martin Middle School volunteer coordinator, Renee Meyrose, to bring in motivational speakers.  “We are trying to bring in speakers to motivate these students and show them different career possibilities,” Burgess said. “At this age, students often think that the only successful careers are professional athletes and rappers. We want to show them that you can be other things like an accountant, engineer, teacher, or firefighter.”

Last August, UNC Charlotte and TIAA-CREF announced a wide-reaching partnership with the Governor's Village schools in Charlotte-Mecklenberg Schools. This strategic alliance created the platform to facilitate collaborations such as the one between SIFE and James Martin. Governor’s Village opened in 1996 and contains the John M. Morehead STEM Academy, Nathaniel Alexander Elementary, James Martin Middle, and Zebulon B. Vance High School.

“We are grateful that James Martin Middle School and the SUCCESS Foundation have allowed us to develop this partnership,” said UNC Charlotte SIFE President Brian Skerry. “We hope this is the beginning of a relationship that will have long-lasting impacts on the lives of youth.”

For more information on the Success for Teens program, contact the SIFE Vice President of Marketing, Matt Murrow (mmurrow1@gmail.com). For additional information on the Success for Teens books, visit http://successfoundation.org/. 

SIFE Profile

Students in Free Enterprise is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills needed to become socially responsible business leaders.  There are approximately 1,500 active SIFE teams in 40 different countries around the world.  The UNC Charlotte SIFE team’s mission is to “leverage our business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to empower people in need to succeed.”

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