Career, Darrin

Round 1

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…And I have reached my first finish line: the end of basic training. I say basic training because I know that this internship is just a solid ten weeks of training, learning skills that I could never acquire anywhere else. There is no substitute for real-world experience. Those of you who have had professor Lendecky know what I mean when I emphasize the important of real-world experience. J

This past week I had National Internship Training in San Francisco, CA. Going from 6 inches of snow to 70-degree weather was something I was more than happy to accommodate. A solid week of networking with 450 interns from all over plus 100-200 professionals makes the whole experience rather hectic. On top of that, the week put a nice cap on what the firm emphasizes most. Continue reading Round 1 →

Career

Busy season – Give me everything you got!

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From coast to coast, accounting internships are underway. Whether one has signed on with a local firm, midcap, or the traditional Big 4…the real world of accounting is upon each of us.

This spring, I will be spending the first half of it in Denver, CO for my internship. I chose to sign with the largest Big 4 firm in the area in hopes of getting on an engagement with an amazing client. But before I can even part take in this fun, I am required by the firm and by the law to do a lot of training. Let me clarify…a lot of training is an understatement. My first week has been great getting to know the new interns that are in my group as well as some new people around the office. Everyone here, as I am sure people do at other firms, treat you so well. Perhaps this is why BusinessWeek ranks the Big 4 at the top of places to start your career. Continue reading Busy season – Give me everything you got! →

Academics, Bart, Student Life

Best and worst of fall semester 2008

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Worst

1 – Realizing, as I had just started the last problem on my first Intermediate exam, that there was a time limit and it was up.

2 – Seeing the Longhorns NOT go to the conference (and national) football championship despite our being the best football team in the nation.

3 – Witnessing the layoffs and struggles brought on by this crazy economy’s current situation.

4 – Interviewing for a management consulting position and finding my first case study interview to be “adversarial.”

5 – Seeing BYU, my undergrad alma mater, lose in football to TCU and to our arch rival, Utah (though I’m admittedly happy for Utah to be heading to a BCS bowl for the second time).

Best

1 – Receiving and accepting the job offer I wanted in my location of choice.

2 – Finishing the semester (we’re close enough) knowing a LOT more than I did coming into it.

3 – Spending time both inside and outside of class with a bunch of smart, interesting and fun MPA students.

4 – Receiving last-minute, free tickets to Las Vegas to celebrate my father-in-law’s 50th birthday with the entire family (you should have seen how excited my wife was!).

5 -Thanksgiving break (it was just so good!) and, soon, Christmas break! Can’t complain about five weeks!

Bonus Best – I was walking through the library one day early in the semester and I noticed a sign that outlined how to get a free locker. I jumped on the opportunity and have been able to cut down on my book lugging tremendously. I highly recommend it.

Darrin, Student Life

Dead week

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Who:  All college students…except those communications majors.

What:  Operation Hell Week

When: Friday, December 5 – Tuesday, December 16

Where: Libraries, Study Lounges and Classrooms

Why:  I only wish I knew.

It’s the slang term for the time of year when college students become zombies and are forced to neglect their social lives in hopes of not failing out of college.  Dead week is upon us. I am not sure what your strategy is but if it has anything to do with pulling ridiculous all-nighters, drinking energy drinks and becoming “one” with a text book that you clutch to your chest…know that you are not alone.  Continue reading Dead week →

Bart, Student Life

The MPA Lounge

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Welcome to the MPA Lounge. The door only opens for those with ID cards that have been activated to allow entry, making the GSB 4th floor room exclusively for MPA students.

Two girls are sleeping in the corner, one on each couch. Apparently the end-of-semester demands kept them up late last night.

In addition to those two couches, there are six comfy arm chairs (not lazy boys, but pleasantly comfortable), and five tables at which people can study, cruise the Internet, eat, or socialize.

Three guys just walked out after spending approximately five minutes socializing. For some, this is a place to make quick pit-stops between classes.

Of the remaining three students (besides me), two are working on an assignment at one of the tables, and another is studying at a separate table. Except for the sounds of my typing and the group studiers quietly discussing their assignment, it is relatively silent in here. Continue reading The MPA Lounge →

MPA Student Life Blog