Community / September 1, 2016

Smith Freshmen and the "War for Talent"

Smith student Philip Peker ’18 writes about "The War for Talent" discussion on Aug. 29, 2016, at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Employers know what it means to be a business student at the University of Maryland. It is getting increasingly harder to gain a direct admission into the Robert H. Smith School of Business, so when a student does, they are treated with apt respect and esteem. The students worked hard to get the attention of the school, and so employers work just as hard to get their attention in response. And so it is no surprise that on the first day of their college careers, the Smith Class of 2020 were already caught in the crossfire of a singularly peaceful and intellect-based war: “The War for Talent.”

On Monday, Aug. 29, several panelists from various professional industries were invited to speak to the freshman class about their recruiting experience, and how to utilize all that Smith has to offer in order to pave a path towards career success. The event was split into two sessions; the earlier session featured speakers Aaron Feirstein from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield; Anthony Jablonski, who is a Senior Recruiter at PwC; Rachel Toonkel, a recruiter for BD; and Shiby Chako, Christopher Jones and Marie Rector of PepsiCo, while the later session showcased speakers Jennifer Flickinger, partner at Baker Tilly; Erin Bethke, recruiter at Bloomberg; and Tracy Iudica of CareFirst BCBS.

Curating the event was Director of Undergraduate Programing Ashlee Kerkhoff, who introduced the panelists and then dove right in to asking them questions to get the conversation rolling. To square off the question and answer session, Ashlee asked the panel what the “war on talent" means to them? In tandem, the panelists all agreed that Smith is known worldwide as a place that develops young minds into critical thinking, creative and well-rounded professionals, churning out the most talented and determined accountants, analysts, investors, entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders. In light of this, employers are climbing over each other to tap into this special talent pool. That being said, the students must still self-advocate to get the attention of the companies that they are passionate about.

“Intern for a company you can see yourself working full time for. At a place like Baker and Tilly, we are looking for students who are passionate about what we do, and who can see a future with us,” explained Jennifer Flickinger. Students should ideally look for an internship in which they are pushed out of their comfort zone, allowing them to explore career options, but also challenges them into doing hands-on work in a field they are interested in. The panelists then were asked what students should avoid doing during interviews and recruiting sessions. Horror stories were shared along with a healthy heap of shadenfreude. Punctuality and professionalism were focal points of what is encouraged, while haughtiness and overzealousness were things to definitely avoid when in a professional setting. The conversation then segued into how students can utilize the tools Smith has to offer in order to capitalize on their four years here. Smith clubs and organizations, research programs, fellows programs, company visits, externships, and taking up leadership positions on campus were all highly touted by the panels. “College is a great time to experiment and see what you excel in, but even more importantly, see what you definitely don’t like doing,” says Tracy Iudica, GDP Associate at CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Ashlee Kerkhoff shared some history on this event, and how it came to be what it is now. “A few years ago, this event was a panel for our incoming MBA students. We realized that because it was such a good model to gain valuable first hand information from employers, we began having this event for incoming freshman undergrads. Last year was the first year we did it, and it was in a different room and of a smaller scale. This year, the fact that it was in a bigger room, the ability to text in questions, longer times for Q&A, and the chance to engage with the panelists after the event altogether definitely improved the dynamic of the evening.” Growing this event into a more organic networking opportunity for the freshman class is the main goal for Ashlee and her team.

After the official Q&A closed, the students were eager to get some one-on-one time interfacing with the professionals. The foyer was abuzz with students looking to leave a mark on the panelists. “This was a such a great opportunity to begin creating connections with employers,” said Matthew Grimes, a freshman business student. “I agree; it was also great to hear what the employers look for in terms of resume and character. I learned that soft skills are just as important as hard skills,” echoed classmate Xavier Grimes. That night, you could see that one by one, a light bulb went off in the students, as they began to realize that all their career dreams were not just dreams, but realities to be attained as long as they put in the work.

For more information about the Undergraduate Program at Smith, visit: www.rhsmith.umd.edu/undergrad.

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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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