Are you a rising sophomore, junior, or senior looking to get more out of your Penn State experience? Need advice on how to jumpstart your career after graduation?  Want advise about the transition from college to grad school or your career?

Apply to the College of the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program! The Mentor Program matches students with alumni mentors in their related career fields or with similar career interests for an enriching and enlightening professional experience. Mentees can look for opportunities to grow and develop by asking for feedback, discussing goals and challenges, and learning new skills and abilities. Mentors work with students to reflect on their experiences and goals, develop new skills, and network for the future.

Each mentor relationship is unique. Good mentees invest time and energy into getting to know their mentors and fostering a strong relationship. The role of the mentee is to learn and explore new options for personal development. Students have gained internships and job shadowing opportunities with help from their mentors.

After being matched with a mentor, students will meet their mentor via email, phone introduction, or on campus. If accepted, students can gain valuable knowledge about the work force and the possibility of a long-term mentor.

The online application for Fall 2014 will be available on March 5. If you want to learn more about the Mentor Program and apply, visit http://laus.la.psu.edu/network/mentoring. Please contact Heather Baruch-Bueter at hzb100@psu.edu with any questions.

Background:

My name is Megan Carr and I am currently a senior majoring in Labor and Employment Relations (B.S.) with minors in Psychology and Dispute Resolution Management. I am writing this post to inform you about a case competition, sponsored by Deloitte Consulting LLP, between Wednesday, January 29^th and Friday, January 31^st.

What is consulting?

Most simply stated, consultants provide advice and respond to business challenges that other companies are experiencing and cannot solve on their own. Such advice can cover a variety of areas including technology, human capital, and strategy and operations. Technological advice may involve creating a new company website or updating a disparate and aging computer system. Human capital involves strategic communication, organization redesign, and training. The final service offering, strategy and operations, focuses on managing costs, minimizing risk, and developing a clear company mission and vision. A first-hand experience in the competition will provide an even clearer perspective of the consulting career path.

What is a case competition?

During a case competition, four team members are provided with a scenario that focuses on a unique challenge a business is facing. These issues could range from high turnover rates, a new merger and acquisition or a need for cost control. Typically, a team is given a few hours to identity main issues, brainstorm alternatives, and suggest solutions and forms of implementation. After the period of preparation, teams are expected to deliver a written executive summary along with a 10-15 minute presentation of the team solution. Teams compete against each other based on the quality of the offered solution and the communication of that solution to a panel of judges.

What can I do to prepare?

First, you should make a team of four individuals between freshman and junior class standing. Next, you should register for the competition at www.deloitte.com/us/undergradcasecomp by January 17^th and mark your calendar for the competition dates between Wednesday, January 29^th and Friday, January 31^st. Then, you can review examples of online cases by searching various websites such as SHRM or consulting firms (Deloitte, KPMG, PWC, and Accenture). It will be beneficial to discover the strengths of each team member including: knowledge areas, PowerPoint skills, oral communication, and written communication. My team also held various practice sessions with sample cases to mimic the actual scenario we would face during the competition. For more information, please contact Katie Morgan at katmorgan@deloitte.com.

What can it do for you?

Any case competition can better prepare you for real-world business scenarios. Soft skills such as teamwork, communication, time management, and multi-tasking are also enhanced. Specifically, the Deloitte Case Competition can prepare you for interviews, teach you about the field of consulting, and allow you to interact with company leadership. Also, the winning team will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Deloitte University in Westlake, TX.

Start forming your team now! 

• Four members per team (Freshmen-Junior)
• Any major is eligible; 3.3 minimum GPA required
• Submit online application at www.deloitte.com/us/undergradcasecomp by Friday, January 17^th.

Questions?  Email Abby Cooper at abcooper@deloitte.com.