Eli Karttunen, a fourth year economics major studied in Germany during summer of 2012.
Why did you study abroad?
Studying abroad allowed me to see how economics and finance courses are taught from a European perspective. Also, to take classes with foreign professors and students gives you a large networking advantage, as well as the chance to work in multicultural teams, all of which are invaluable experiences for graduate school, as well as later in life. All too often, it seems that economics has the potential of being taught from a politically skewed or nationalistic point of view,so understanding how Germans view different economic theories or events like the European Sovereign Debt Crisis was appealing.
What did you experience?
The first part of the program was a course on German language,culture, and business, which is designed to not only give the US students a working vocabulary and knowledge of German language and grammar, but also to provide insight to German culture and political institutions. Students present on a variety of topics and have to write a paper by the end of the program. I presented on “The German Banking Sector” and “The German Social Security System.”So far, the difference has been that homework and projects aren’t that big in German education. It’s all about the exam grade. In fact, for university classes, you don’t actually register for them here, you just attend the lectures you want, memorize the note packet the professor sends out, and you register for exams and take them. Nothing else is graded.
What was the best part of your trip?
The best part of the trip is simply being in Europe and being able to travel around and experience the culture. So far, we’ve been to Hannover, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Luneburg. With travel plans to Rotenburg, Munich, Heidelberg, and Helsinki the capital of the land of my ancestry in Finland.
Would you study abroad again? Would you go somewhere new or to the same location?
Study abroad is an invaluable experience in many ways: academically,professionally, personally, and socially. You learn of new ideas, new ways of doing things, and meet tons of people you’d otherwise never have known. I definitely would do it again, given the opportunity. Germany is a great place, and I’m sure I’ll return someday, perhaps for work—I’d definitely need to learn more German first—but for sure for vacation some day. But in order to see other places around the globe, I’d probably want to check out somewhere new!
Caitlin Pionke '12, a management major at Michigan Tech, talks about how she used networking to secure a job at Dow Chemical in Midland, Mich.
“Networking” is no more than a vague concept for many students, something they might do in a far-off professional future. For management major Caitlin Pionke, networking came into play far earlier as a crucial job-hunting tool.
Like many graduating students, Pionke started her job search in a tough, highly competitive market.
“One of my friends applied for thirty-five jobs without success,” said Pionke. “I applied for two. And, thanks to networking, I got offers for both.”
Pionke’s networking opportunities came on the heels of her 2011 Woman of Promise award in the School of Business and Economics. Michigan Tech’s Women of Promise program, which was initiated in 1999 by the Presidential Council of Alumnae (PCA), is a way to recognize a female student in each department who goes above and beyond what is expected of them. Students who win the award gain an introduction into the network of alumnae who have been recognized for outstanding professional achievements.
Pionke made full use of the opportunities afforded her as a Woman of Promise, fearlessly using the network of PCA alumnae as a support system. “During the first event, I introduced myself to PCA members, asked for career advice, and sent my résumé to everyone I met,” she said. “All of the women in the network were supportive and happy to be of service. They helped me get my résumé to the right people.”
Well aware of the scarcity of jobs, Pionke worked tirelessly to build on these relationships in the months leading up to her senior job fair at Michigan Tech. “You have to actively show that you are interested in the job with regular contact and follow-ups,” she said. “Face-to-face connections and name recognition are important, especially when many students are applying online. You can’t just click “apply” and send a résumé.”
Using tools like LinkedIn, she branded herself as a strong communicator and promoted her experience as the business team leader for the International Business Ventures group, a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma national honor society, and a small business owner.
Pionke’s hard work and strategic job hunt paid off. By the time she arrived at Dow Chemical’s booth at the job fair, company representatives knew her by name. After several rounds of interviews, Pionke accepted a position as an information analyst in the company’s IT department, which she will start in June 2012.
“The whole experience was a lesson in the importance of networking,” she said. “I’d advise all students to do the same.”
Lecturer Roger Woods will present on academic integrity in Excel assignments.
Please join the School of Business and Economics and Roger Woods for a brown bag lunch presentation on February 25th at 1pm in Academic Office Building 101. His presentation is titled: “Minimizing academic integrity violations in Excel assignments.”
Upcoming Presentations
Junhong Min – March 6, 1 – 2 pm, The new product development using the decomposition analysis: stimulus presentation mode bias
Andre Laplume – March 20, 12 – 1 pm, Outstreaming for ambidexterity: How serving internal and external customers can facilitate exploration
Michigan Tech APMP students placed first in the CFA Challenge. (L to R: Anna Paul, Jessica Zaiki, Justin Wilson, Eli Karttunen, and APMP Director Dean Johnson)
Michigan Tech’s student team took first place at the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute Research Challenge held in Kalamazoo recently. With the win, the team advances to the Americas Regional competition to be held in Toronto, March 20-21.
In the challenge, the students from five universities analyzed Perrigo, a pharmaceutical company, and made investment recommendations to them. The Michigan Tech team had traveled to Perrigo’s headquarters last semester to begin their research. The challenge was held on the campus of Western Michigan University.
“We based our recommendation on four basic factors: strong business fundamentals, sustainable growth factors, positive industry outlook and limited risk factors,” said team member Jessica Zaiki. “Paired with strong financials, these fundamentals gave us an overall buy recommendation for Perrigo.”
Teammate Anna Paul added, “Since we’ve made our recommendation, the Perrigo’s price has risen and is approaching our target price.”
“The team had to prepare written reports and oral presentations to a panel of Wall Street executives,” said advisor Dean Johnson, the James and Delores Trethewey Professor in the School of Business and Economics. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to have a real-world experience of what it’s like to make an investment recommendation.”
The Tech students participating are also members of the Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP), a student group that invests more than $1 million in the stock market.
Other schools participating in the competition were Grand Valley State University, Ferris State University, the University of Toledo and Western Michigan University.
The Research Challenge was hosted by the CFA Society of West Michigan, an association of investment professionals: portfolio managers, security analysts, investment advisors, and other financial professionals.
Jeff Tryka, CFA Society of West Michigan president, congratulated Michigan Tech and said, “This is the third year we’ve sponsored the competition, and each year we have seen the quality of research and presentations improve on those of previous years, so it’s clear that every student who participated in the competition should be proud of their accomplishment.”
“We’re very excited to be heading to Toronto to represent Michigan Tech and the whole region to the next level,” said team member Eli Karttunen. “It’s an amazing opportunity for which our hard work is paying off.”
Financial support for the students’ participation in the CFA Challenge also came from James and Dolores Trethewey.
Please join the School of Business and Economics and Dr. Howard Qi, Associate Professor of Finance for a brown bag lunch presentation on February 18th at Noon in Academic Office Building 101. His presentation will be focused on the Hanoi Workshop, and the Risk Management of Natural Disasters.
Upcoming Presentations
Roger Woods – February 25, 12 – 1 pm, Minimizing academic integrity violations in Excel assignments
Junhong Min – March 6, 12 – 1 pm, The new product development using the decomposition analysis: stimulus presentation mode bias
Andre Laplume – March 20, 12 – 1 pm, Outstreaming for ambidexterity: How serving internal and external customers can facilitate exploration
