It's Starting to Feel Like Fall

It’s that time of year. The sun is rising and setting sooner, and it’s chilly early in the morning. Even that autumn smell is apparent. For me this means I’m about halfway through my Corporate Residency, which means I need to push even harder to make an impression.

In my last blog post, I told you that Jim and I were going to Burlington, VT to celebrate our mini-moon. The hotel gave us complimentary champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, which were delicious. We also decided to enjoy the sunset and champagne in the lobby, and we got a complimentary slice of cheesecake from the hotel staff!

Sunset on Lake Champlain

Cheesecake

Strawberries and champagne

Work is still amazing! I have been put on some new projects that I am extremely excited about. Over the past few weeks, I have been able to meet some new people in the supply chain department because of a project that I am finishing up. This was great because I previously did not have a good understanding of Ocean Spray’s transportation of products.

This Friday at work, we had a fitness day. This was to encourage people to live healthier lives, and we even got to sample some new products. One of these events was a 5K, which I ran a better time than I had anticipated, and a Northeastern MBA alumna was the first woman to cross the finish line! I also participated in a Crossfit obstacle course and climbed a 25 foot rock wall.  Although I was exhausted that night, I had so much fun during the day.

On Saturday, we visited our friends whose baby is turning one soon. And as per usual in the fall, our Sundays are consumed with Patriots football!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Summer's Almost Over

This Saturday was the date of my much anticipated (by me) wedding. The weather was gorgeous, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. I spent the entire evening dancing with friends and family and being thankful for the many amazing people in my life.

As promised, here are a few pictures from the event.

Monday morning was back to work and reality, as we will be going on our honeymoon this winter. It was difficult to wake up and go to work after the joy of the weekend, and it was difficult to adjust back to doing more things than just looking pretty! On Wednesday Ocean Spray held a company-wide meeting to discuss important issues within the company. The most amazing part of this meeting was the fact that all employees could ask questions to C-level managers, which you don’t get in many companies.

This week, one of the teams I work with said goodbye to one of its summer interns. We went out to lunch in order to give him a proper goodbye.

After the wedding, I am glad that I had a relatively stress-free week. I welcome Labor Day weekend and a chance to catch up on sleep. Because Jim and I won’t be going on a honeymoon until the winter, we've decided to venture to Vermont for the long weekend just to get away. I’m excited to go kayaking on Lake Champlain and taste some fantastic beers at Vermont’s local breweries. Despite the fact that it’s not a real vacation, I think it’s just what we need.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Summer Blog

Wow, the summer has really flown by! I'm sorry I've been a rather neglectful blogger, but my Corporate Residency is keeping me very busy as well as wedding planning. Yes, that's right! My wedding is now days (that's right, DAYS - not months, not years, but days!) away. Needless to say, it's been a bit crazy over here!

Anyway, I'm two months into my residency absolutely loving it! Not only am I doing challenging, thought provoking work, but also, I am learning a ton about the overall business. Ocean Spray has this amazing intern program where you complete trainings in pretty much every department and more. This summer I've learned about contracts, sustainability, and packaging design, to name a few. I've also seen one of the processing plants as well as met a grower for a bog tour. (FYI, cranberries do not grow in water. Bogs are flooded during the harvest in order to pick the berries easier. A common misconception!)

Despite the long commute, I wake up every morning happy to go to work despite yelling at traffic on I-93. I have to say, I definitely made the right choice.

A few updates in my life.  A few weeks ago, my mother and Jim's mother threw me a beautiful bridal shower at Diamond Hill Winery in Rhode Island. It was very welcome surprise. The generosity of my friends and family was beyond compare. Being true to ourselves, Jim and I brewed beers as wedding favors, 150 of them but who's counting??

I'm certain I will be less neglectful after the wedding, but for now life is extremely eventful. I hope wedding photos will be a small consolation!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Russia Blog

After spending most of my Monday and Tuesday traveling across the pond to Frankfurt then to Moscow, I was finally ready for my Russian adventure. The International Field Study sets Northeastern apart from other programs as it allows all of its students to study business in another country.

Tuesday - I traveled with a group of five Northeastern MBA’s to Russia, so once we are at the airport, we are greeted by our tour guide, Svetlana, and the small bus we will be taking into Moscow. Before we leave, Svetlana prepares us for what is to come - Moscow traffic can be very unpredictable. Right she is! It takes our group about two hours to complete the 30-mile journey to the hotel. Once we arrive at the Holiday Inn Sokolniki, I realize that this is pretty fancy for a Holiday Inn.

I drop my stuff into my room and decide that I am not tired, so I resolve to look around the hotel. My first stop - the fitness room. Judging by the equipment and the number of people there, I start to think that our market entry project may be better than I had anticipated. My group has completed a Russian market entry project for Under Armour.

After my excursion around the hotel, it’s time to get ready for the welcome dinner. The welcome dinner is being held at a Ukrainian restaurant in the heart of Moscow. In this restaurant, there are live animals, which initially worries me. On our way to dinner, we encounter our second incident with Moscow traffic.  After sitting in Moscow’s worst for two hours, the professor and tour guide decide that it is best for us to take the Metro. This proves to be much faster, and we get to the restaurant in no time.

Once we are there, I am identified to the staff as the vegetarian; I guess this is what the rest of my meals will be like. The meal starts off with a Gutsul salad, then potato latkes for me (the rest of the group has pork), and it finishes with pear strudel. After dinner we take some time to look at the animals, which are thankfully behind a wall. By the time dinner ends, it’s almost midnight and time to head back to the hotel.

Wednesday – I wake early today because of jet lag. I always have so much trouble with this. So I head down to breakfast early. Here, I see the largest breakfast buffet I have ever seen: any type of bread you could think of, eggs, pancakes (which are more like crepes), but also salad. I grab some food and find another Northeastern student. Quickly after I eat, I realize that I am still in my pajamas and no one else is. I guess pink snowflake pajama pants are not appropriate breakfast attire. I start to feel self-conscious, so I run upstairs to my room and change into my business casual for the day.

After breakfast we are off for the day’s activities. First, we meet with U.S. Commercial Services to ask them about doing business in Russia. Then, we have lunch at the Metro Restaurant. This lunch includes salad, borsch, potatoes and mushrooms, and vanilla cake. After this hefty lunch, I am more ready for a nap than a walking tour of the Kremlin.

I think pictures will do better justice to the tour of the Kremlin than my words. All I can say is that it was breathtaking.

Thursday – Today might be the longest day of our Moscow tour. I wake up early and go to the gym for a quick run. After, I go downstairs for breakfast in my business clothes determined to not make the same mistake I made yesterday.

Our day starts with lunch at Tchaikovsky Restaurant. This starts with salad and soup like our other meals, but while the others eat chicken, I get to eat a Russian version of macaroni and cheese.

Next we are off to Dewey and LeBoeuf which is an international law firm. The lawyers here talk to us about legal issues with doing business in Russia. Then we are off to Jones Lang and Lasalle, which is an international real estate firm. At this meeting we discuss the exorbitant real estate prices in Moscow.

After these meetings we are off to Moscow State University Business School to make our presentations. We have a quick snack once we are there, which is good because I need the sugar after our exhausting day.

My group is presenting last and waiting is the worst thing for my nerves. However, we give a fantastic presentation, and everyone seems excited about Under Armour’s prospects in Russia.

Most of my team during the presentation.

Following the presentations, we have a reception where we are able to talk to students and faculty of Moscow State. It’s pretty late when we get back to the hotel, so I Skype with my mom then go to sleep.

Friday – This is our last full day in Moscow. I start my day with the amazing breakfast buffet. Then we are off to our meeting with McDonald’s Russia. Here we discuss the success of McDonald’s in Russia and how it will continue its success in the future.

After we head to lunch at GlavPivTorg. For me, this lunch consist of a garden salad, cabbage soup, potatoes and onions, and chocolate cake.

Once we have finished lunch, our tour guide takes us for a walking tour of the Metro. Unlike Boston’s rail system, Moscow’s stations are decorated with art. 

Lenin Mosaic

We also have a boat tour of Moscow scheduled for later tonight, but two friends and I are interested in seeing a sculpture park in Moscow. A few hours before the boat tour, we leave for the sculpture park. But only after we make a stop at the McDonald’s near the hotel, which has been on our mind since the presentation earlier today. Although the sculptures are decorated with umbrellas for a festival, they are still amazing and moving. One downfall of the night is that I chose to wear heels for our entire adventure. By the end, my feet are blistered and throbbing.

Always photogenic - with Stalin

The boat tour of the city was amazing, and we are all very reluctant to say goodbye to Svetlana; but there are so many adventures ahead in Saint Petersburg.

Saturday – After eating a quick breakfast, we are off to the train to Saint Petersburg. We took a high speed train that will bring us to Saint Petersburg in six hours. I decide to sleep for most of the train ride as I still haven’t been able to shake the jet lag. Once we are in Saint Petersburg, we are amazed by how quickly we get through traffic.

That night, a group of us find a bar in order to watch the Champions' Cup. Although I don’t follow European soccer, both of my sisters played in college, so I understand what is going on. The game goes to penalty kicks, which means a late night for all of us.

Sunday – Today starts with another amazing breakfast buffet. Then we take a guided tour of Peter and Paul’s fortress, complete with a musical demonstration by Orthodox monks. The cathedral here houses the tombs of the Romanovs.

After we had lunch at Na Zdorovie. The name of the restaurant is a toast that Russians give for special occasions.

After we took a guided tour of the Hermitage Museum. The pace of the tour was a bit brisk for my taste, but I had to keep in mind that not everyone enjoys art history as much as I do.

That night, two friends and I join the professor for a show at a jazz club. I am completely blown away by the talent of the musicians, especially the vocalist. She even chooses some of her students, who are in the audience, to come up and sing with her. I have to say, she taught them well.

After, I am amazed to find that it is still light out. Because Saint Petersburg is close to the Arctic Circle, the city has extended light hours in the summer and decreased light hours in the winter. We find a pizzeria for dinner. This little taste of home is welcome, as I have been walking on eggshells with what I have been eating.

Monday – Today starts with an early breakfast. Then we are off to the Proctor and Gamble factory in the outskirts of Saint Petersburg. Here we discuss the shaving demands of the Russian market and manufacturing. After, we take a tour of the plant, complete with safety shoes, safety vests, and ear plugs.

Next, we have lunch at Stroganof Steakhouse. Here we dine on salad, vegetables in marinara sauce (meat eaters had beef stroganoff), and ice cream.

After, we visited Data Art. This is an IT company that operates a bit differently than normal companies. The office layout is completely open and it has a game room complete with foosball and an X-Box.

Once we are back from our day’s activities, two friends and I decide that we want to see the Cathedral on Spilled Blood. This is possibly the most ornate cathedral I’ve ever seen.

We also see the Winter Palace on our journey, which ends at a trendy sushi place.

Winter Palace

Tuesday – This was our day to sleep in, and I definitely take advantage of it. After I wake up, the same two friends and I check out the bizarre near the cathedral. Here, we haggle our way to souvenirs.

We run back to the hotel in order to get one the bus for the tour of the Baltika Brewery. Here we talk to the Head of Low Alcohol and Non-alcohol Brands about Russian beer demand. After his presentation, we take a tour of the brewery. The tour culminates in a tasting, which we get to try many of the Baltika brands. 

That night, we have a dinner at an upscale restaurant called Sankt Peterburg. Here we dine on garden salad, crepes, grilled vegetables and rice (omnivores have pork and fried potatoes), and ice cream for dessert. Along with the dinner, we also get a show of traditional Russian dances and songs.

Because this dinner ends late in the evening, many students have a drink in the lobby bar before we have to say goodbye.

Wednesday – I have my final round with the breakfast buffet before I have to pack and hop on the bus to the airport. After a short flight to Frankfurt and a longer flight to Boston, I am greeted by Jim after I go through customs. Although this Russian adventure was amazing, I am so happy to be home.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Easter Weekend

After a busy week at school, it was great to have Easter as an excuse to get together with family.

Monday –  As always, Monday starts with Finance. This week, we had a case write up on Crocs due. After Finance, I met up with a friend to start studying for the Operations quiz on Wednesday. Once I got home, I read a few articles for the professor that I do research for.

Tuesday – On Tuesday, we had a Supply Chain case memo due which was about WalMart in China and environmental sustainability. Instead of starting the discussion on this case right away, the first half of the class we had a guest speaker from Exxon Mobil talk to us about their supply chain. This speaker was a former Northeastern student, and it was a great opportunity to see where Northeastern alumni end up. For the rest of the class we discussed the case and the sustainability summit that WalMart had in China.

After class, I met with the professor to talk about the articles I read the previous night. We are trying to find a good way to wrap up my research before I go on Corporate Residency.

The stats professor held an extra session this week to go over the SPSS outputs for simple linear regression and the homework that is due on Thursday. I’m glad I went. This makes so much more sense now.

After this session, I met up with a few friends to study for the Operations quiz the next day.

Wednesday – Today started with Finance where we talked about mergers and acquisitions. In this class we did a small case from the book.

The Operations class for today started with the quiz, which took up about an hour of the class. After that, we talked about total quality management including Six Sigma.

After class, I went home to complete some research for the upcoming IDP presentation to use my time well before the Mentor Reception. This reception was hosted by the Career Center and allows students to meet the mentors that the Career Center assigned them. Although my mentor was out of town and could not attend, I met some interesting people.

Thursday – In today’s Strategy class, we discussed mergers and acquisitions from a strategic standpoint instead of just a financial standpoint. The case for today was about Newell Company’s acquisition of Rubbermaid. After looking more in depth at the products and strategy of Rubbermaid, it did not seem like a good acquisition for Newell, especially considering how large this acquisition was.

In Stats, we did our final class on simple linear regression. Next class we will start multiple regression, which sounds quite intimidating.

Friday – Friday started early with a 9:00AM meeting with my learning team to refine our IDP. We looked more carefully at our strategy and solidified our reasoning behind our decisions. After meeting for a while, we decided to meet with our Strategy professor to get her thoughts on our proposal. She liked our ideas but warned us that we need to be able to articulate our reasoning because the judges will be looking for gaps during the presentation next week. Now that the most difficult part is over, we can start to write the paper and create the presentation.

After, I went to lunch with a few of my group members. We went to the Yardhouse which just opened by Fenway. The food was fantastic, and there were very reasonably priced lunch combos.

Saturday – As usual, I was up early on Saturday for color guard rehearsal. However, this will be my last rehearsal before they leave for finals. Although this is the first time I have missed WGI finals in 5 years, I know that they will do fine without me, and they are in the best possible hands. I can’t wait to see how they do against the competition.

After rehearsal, Jim and I went up to New Hampshire for Easter dinner with his family.

Sunday – I finally got to sleep in on Sunday. I spent the day with my family to celebrate Easter – we even Skyped with my sister in Montana to make her feel at home. I can’t wait until she is back for good at the end of the semester. Once I got home, I wrote the rough draft for my portion of the IDP paper. I can’t believe how quickly this project’s due date came up, but I am glad that I got to relax for a little while this weekend.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Sick Week

As you can tell from the title of this post, I was a bit under the weather last week. However, I am fortunate because this is the first bad cold I’ve gotten all year. But this may be the worst time to be sick!

Monday –The day started with finance where we talked about derivatives. After class, I went straight home to read the strategy case for the write up due on Thursday. I also completed the case memo for Operations due on Wednesday. Finally, I did some research for the professor that I work for.

Tuesday – In supply chain, we talked about off-shoring and how it is getting more expensive. This may mean that more manufacturing jobs will come back to North America in the long-run. After class, I met with my strategy team to talk about the case write up due on Thursday.

Wednesday – Wednesday started with finance; today’s topic – international finance. We looked at a case where a company was looking for an arbitrage opportunity by finance debt in another currency. In operations, we had a case memo due, and we discussed improvement of manufacturing as well as forecasting.

After class, my strategy team met again to finalize our case write up. Once we finished this case write up, I had my first conversation with my mentor who was appointed to me by the Career Center. This seems like a fantastic match, and I am so excited for how this mentor relationship will unfold.

Thursday – Thursday started bright and early with strategy. In this class we discussed a case about a paper pulp company which was trying to negotiate whether it should vertically integrate into paper products or continue manufacturing pulp. We also discussed the conglomerates and the acquisition strategies used in the history of the US. After, we had stats where we discussed more about linear regression and learned how to use SPSS to complete this analysis. This will certainly make the IDP more manageable.

After grabbing a lunch, my team met to go over our finance case write up that is due on Monday. This analysis is on the stock price and valuation of Crocs. It was interesting to look at a company that we all know about. This meeting took less time than I had anticipated and before I knew it, I was home trying to get some homework done for next week.

Friday – I woke up Friday feeling the effects of the cold I had caught last weekend. However, at this time of the semester I have to push through and make sure I don’t get anyone else sick. My team met early to go over our IDP. This is a strategy project that also includes statistical analysis and financial analysis. Each of us talked about what we had researched as far as competitors or the company was concerned. We split up work and created deliverables for the following week.

After this meeting, I went home and tried to get some homework done. However, I ended up sleeping in hopes that it would help shake my cold.

Saturday – Saturday I got up early because I had rehearsal from 9 to 2. Once I got to rehearsal, one of the women that I teach with felt my forehead and insisted that I had a fever. But this was my last time seeing my group in competition this season, so I pushed through. I’m so glad that I did because they had the best show of the season! However, I left after my group performed because I knew I couldn’t make it through the entire show.

One of the other staff members texted me the scores, and we definitely closed the gap between us and our local competition. We got second place by only two tenths. Although they will face greater completion at nationals in two weeks, this shows that they are ready and hungry.

When I came home, Jim was finishing up the wedding invitations that we had designed! How awesome of him! He also asked local bakeries for a quote for our wedding cake/cupcakes! Our wedding will be here before we know it!

Sunday – Sunday also started with an early wake up, but this time I got up to write my supply chain case write up. I had to teach from 3 to 8, but the other women that I teach with let me leave at 5 because I was so sick the previous day. This allowed me to go to bed early! Hopefully I can shake this cold. The workload is just going to increase until finals.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Regional Weekend

Sorry that it has been a while since my last post! After spring break, I’ve been so busy that I’ve barely found time to do my homework, let alone blog! Anyway, here is a recap of last week.

Monday – Today started off with Finance early in the morning! We discussed the cash conversion cycle and discussed a case about Dell. Directly after this class, I went home in order to write my deliverable due in Supply Chain the next day and get some work done for the professor that I work for.

Tuesday – I’m glad to say I finished my deliverable for Supply Chain just in time! I usually don’t work right up to deadlines, but with everything else going on right now; I’m just impressed that I not only finished it, but I was happy with the quality. In this class, we discussed a contract that was made between Laura Ashley and FedEx, which seemed equitable and ground breaking on the surface, but once you looked further into it, the flaws started to become apparent. It was extremely interesting to hear what actually happened.

After Supply Chain, I met with the professor I work for to go over my research. To my relief, she scheduled our meetings to be bi-weekly. This will help free up some time that I desperately need.

After this meeting, I went home to write my portion of the group deliverable due in Operations tomorrow. My group is completing an analysis on the operations of the Holiday Inn.

Wednesday – Today started with Finance then Operations. In finance we finished a case about dividends and started to discuss a case about the stock price of Crocks. We will have a group analysis on this case due in a week.

Then off to Operations where we discussed forecasting for a toy company. We also talked about the difficulties with forecasting for new products.

Thursday- Thursdays always start with Strategy then we have Stats. In Strategy we discussed Disney and the differentiation of its products. It was extremely interesting to understand what was going on in the company when its many animated blockbusters were released. We also discussed its acquisition of ABC.

In Stats, we started a chapter on linear regression which will come in handy for the group project due in a few weeks.

After Stats, I meet briefly with my team to go over our upcoming interdisciplinary project. At this meeting, we assigned deliverables for each other that are due on Friday. We also discussed when we will meet to discuss and write our analysis for Crocks. So much is coming due, I hope I can keep up!

Finally, I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather last week and met up with a few friends to enjoy it!

Friday – I let myself sleep in a little bit today. But once I woke up, I was down to business. First, I got a head start on a few things due next week. Then, I packed my bag for my journey down to New Jersey for a color guard regional. Before I knew it, I had to meet up with another instructor to drive down.

We got down to New Jersey in record time and only a few mis-steps, but we had to settle in as soon as we got to the hotel because we had to get up early the next morning for rehearsal.

Saturday – We got up at 8:00am in order to eat breakfast. After breakfast, we had the students warm up and stretch at the hotel. From there, a bus brought the students to our practice site where we had four hours of rehearsal. The students from our older competing guard watched our final run through, and the kids looked ready.

After rehearsal, we took off for the show site, where they had the best run of the season! Once we were done with the show, the other instructors and I had to wait for our scores and critique with the judges. The guard ranked fifth out of sixteen and would be back tomorrow for finals. The judges also had very positive things to say about our performance.

Still at the show site, we watched the older guard have an amazing performance! Then back to the hotel. After a long day, I was exhausted. And tomorrow would be even earlier and longer.

Sunday – On Sunday we had to wake up at 6:00am for rehearsal. We barely had any time for breakfast before we had to be on the bus. Once at the rehearsal site, we only had two hours for rehearsal, and it went by extremely quickly.

Despite having to wake up early, the students had another good run. I finally got to see some other color guards perform at the show, and I have to say, there is going to be some very stiff competition at finals in a few weeks.

After meeting up with a few friends and watching another fantastic performance from the World guard. The other instructor and I took off, even before scores were announced. However, we had another instructor text the score to us – fifth again and the score improved!

Despite hitting some traffic in New York, we made it back earlier than expected. Once home, I was ready for bed and cursing the fact that I had a caffeinated soda with dinner. It was a tiring weekend, but a rewarding weekend. Now I have to find time this week to get my homework done!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Mid-Terms!

Although last week was technically a three day week, it definitely did not feel like it. Here’s a recap of the first mid-term week of the semester. Next week is also setting itself up to be a busy week as well.

Monday – Monday was just what I needed! A day off in honor of a few pretty cool presidents turned out to be an intensive study day. Instead of relaxing, I got up early and started studying for the finance midterm on Wednesday. Later that day, I met up with my operations team on campus in order to go over Wednesday’s deliverable, which is an analysis of the Holiday Inn’s operations and our recommendations for improvement. This is the first deliverable in a three part series that will culminate at the end of the semester. After our meeting, a group member and I stayed on campus to study for finance.

Tuesday – First class of the week. Today in supply chain we finished our discussion on transportation and started a discussion on inventory management. After, I met briefly with my operations team to give a summary to a team member who could not make our meeting on Monday. Once the meeting was over, I rushed home so I could study for finance yet again.

Wednesday – Wednesday marked the dreaded finance mid-term, which did not end up being as dreaded as I had anticipated. In fact, the exam was downright fair. After finance, I have operations, and the case we discussed I had to pay super attention to because it was about a cranberry co-op. I hope this case discussion has better prepared me for my Corporate Residency.

Once class was over, I rushed over to Whole Foods in order to pick up some refreshments for the WMBA panel event. Although only a small crowd was able to come, the discussion was fantastic and the panelists really fed off of each other’s energy. Everyone who attended seemed to enjoy themselves, so I’d mark this event as a success. Immediately after the event, a friend and I scurried over to Barakis for the statistics mid-term review. After the professor cleared up a few things for me, I felt pretty comfortable with the material. I went home and studied more for the midterm, finally falling asleep at 1:00am.

Thursday – Thursday presented the normal strategy stats back to back schedule. In strategy we discussed a case about HTC and mobile phones in general – then, the stats mid-term. Although I felt I prepared for the exam, I did not prepare for the speed of it. I need to learn how to pace myself during exams, but I really like to double check my work before I move on. Anyway, I was unable to finish 2 of the exam questions. After class, my learning team agreed to meet at 9:00am on Friday to go over the finance case write up due on Monday.

That night, I had a much needed dinner at Penguin Pizza with a couple of friends. This is one of my favorite places in the area because of its wide assortment of craft beers.

Friday – On Friday, I woke up early, so I could get to campus and review the finance case before my team discussed it in our meeting. When the rest of my team arrived (one bearing the gift of Dunkin Donuts munchkins, YUM!), we grabbed an empty classroom for the case discussion. Once we felt that we had a grasp on the material and our recommendations, we split up the work to be completed over the weekend. Another team member and I were to write the case analysis (we are only required to write two pages), while the others created the exhibits.

After discussing the finance case, I met with a prospective student for lunch to tell him more about the Northeastern program. When he asked me to show him something that makes Northeastern unique, besides everything else I brought up, I took him to the Cy Young statue which marks the venue where the first World Series was played.

Then I had to rush off to go shopping with my mother and sister. My mother was looking for a dress to wear to my wedding (in August!), and wanted our opinions before buying anything. Although we were unable to find her a dress, we got to spend some time with each other.

By the time I got home from shopping, I had only a few hours to eat dinner and get ready for a show my friend’s band was playing in Boston. The band is fantastic, and they had an amazing performance. They honestly get better every time I see them. Since I spent most of my day running around, it was good to be able to see a few friends and spend some time with Jim.

Saturday – Saturday was another early morning, as I had rehearsal from 10 to 4. After rehearsal, I started writing my portion of the case write up; however, the analysis kept leading my team member and I in different directions. I finally finished my part of the analysis at 12:00am, after which I fell asleep on my couch watching a re-run of SNL. Another successful Saturday night.

Sunday – Yet another early morning with rehearsal scheduled between 8am and 12pm. Although I was supposed to go to the color guard competition today, I had too much homework and studying to do. Furthermore, Jim and a friend were finally putting a banister on the stairs. I tried to stay focused amid the sounds of drills, saws, and the power outages caused by such saws. I’m sure it will look amazing in the end!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Career Fair!

Last Tuesday was the Career Fair, and because I know that this is what you ultimately are interested in reading about, I decided that I’ll give a detailed description of this day instead of the entire week.

Here is what my interview schedule looked like that day:

8:30-9:00: Asset Management Firm Fixed Income Position

9:15-9:45: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Business Analyst

9:45-10:15: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Business Analyst

10:30-10:45: Raytheon

11:00-11:30: Asset Management Firm Fixed Income Position

11:30 – 12:30 Bright Horizons

1:20-1:40: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Product Management

2:30-3:00: L. Knife and Son

(I also had an interview with Ocean Spray on Friday of that week, but more about that later.)

I got up early the day of the Career Fair, so I could grab a coffee and breakfast before my first interview. I stopped by Starbucks to pick up my necessary items. Then off to register and get my name tag.

First impression, the Career Center has this down to a t. I don’t know how they scheduled the interviews, but they did an amazing job!

I was not on my game for the first interview. It was a great opportunity, but probably not the best fit for me. The thing that surprised me most about the interview rooms was that there were other interviewing spaces for other people separated by curtains. With so many interviews in such a short amount of time, this was definitely the most efficient way to run this event.

I then went into my back to back interviews for the Business Analyst position at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. After both of these interviews, I was starting to drag a bit, but I had to keep my energy up for Raytheon.

From there, I had two more interviews – another interview for the asset management company and Bright Horizons - both of which went pretty well. Now time for lunch! I was starving by 12:30, and I needed something to keep my energy up. After my vegetarian sushi (don’t mock it until you try it!), I was ready for more!

After lunch I had an interview with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care for a Product Management position that sounded very interesting. Then I had an interview with L. Knife and Son, which is a beer distributor. It was great to end the day with an interview for something that I am passionate about.

By the next day, I had an offer from Raytheon and an offer from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, but I still had an interview scheduled at Ocean Spray. That Friday, I drove down to my parent’s house to spend some time with them before I left for Ocean Spray. I was already pretty torn between Harvard Pilgrim and Raytheon, then I had an amazing interview at Ocean Spray. A few hours after the interview, Ocean Spray called me to offer me the finance Corporate Residency position.

I spent that weekend deciding between the positions, and after talking to my friends and family, I decided that the benefits of the Ocean Spray position outweighed the long commute. So, I accepted Ocean Spray. This decision was by no means easy, but I believe I chose the position that is best for me.

I can’t wait to start my Corporate Residency, and I am so excited to work for such an amazing company!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Crazy Week!

This was a crazy week with 3 deliverables due which ended in interview preparations for the Career Fair. Let me tell you about it!

Monday – Monday began with Finance where we discussed bond valuation. After class, I met with my Strategy team in order to go over the case write up that is due later this week.

Then I went home to finish up my case write up due for Supply Chain, and I realized I really hated what I had written, so I started over. I’m glad I did because I was more satisfied with the final product. It may have been more work, but I feel more comfortable handing in my second attempt at this case write up.

Tuesday – Today we have Supply Chain and we discussed the case write up which was about allegations that a supplier used child labor for a major furniture company. After class I met with the professor who recently hired me as a research assistant. She explained expectations and gave me some work to start on.

Then I met with my team for Strategy again, and we came up with an exhaustive list of ideas for our case about a motorcycle company. We outlined what we wanted to write and split up the responsibility between the three of us.

After that meeting, I went to a networking event with one of my friends from the MBA program. The event, hosted by the Advancing Women in Business, Science, and Technology, consisted of dinner and speed networking with career mentors who were women in the areas of science and technology who are now in business. I was humbled by the stories from career mentors and the women who attended the event. Many had doctorate degrees and post-doctoral experience in the fields of science and technology. My friend and I were able to ask questions and later speak to the one career mentor who was in finance.

Finally, I went home and I finalized my operations case write up due the next day. I also wrote my part for the strategy case write up. After this long day, I was ready for bed!

Wednesday –Today we had both Finance and Operations. In Finance we discussed stock valuation, while in Operations we discussed the case that was due. After classes my friend and I met with an executive from a local company who we had an Executive Luncheon with in the fall. We grabbed a coffee and discussed our upcoming Corporate Residency opportunities and our current classes, which he referred to as the “blood and guts” of business.

After that, I met with my strategy team to put together our case write up due the next day. We spent a long time making the paper sound like it came from a unified voice, but it was definitely time well spent!

I went home after the meeting and added the exhibits to the file and finished my statistics homework also due tomorrow. However, after being in front of a computer screen for all that time, one of my team members told me that I spelt her last name wrong! It was definitely time for me to go to bed!

 Thursday – When I got to campus today and took my computer out of my bag, I realized that I had once again broken it. This time I cracked the screen. I seriously have no luck with technology, and I think my computer has spent more time with the people who repair it than with me! Anyway, I had a long day of classes with strategy then statistics.

In strategy we discussed the case that was due, and then the professor from the other section came in to discuss the data which were collected for our IDP project due at the end of the semester. I looked up the files, and there is some serious data. It looks like all teams will be working incredibly hard on this project.

In stats, we had our third homework due. After, we discussed the normal distribution and z-scores. Then, I went out to lunch with a few friends from the program.

Friday – With the Career Fair less than a week away, we discussed all of the details in Career Management. After class me and another one of the bloggers from this year, met with the blogger from the second year to talk about blogging while on Corporate Residency. Because some of the companies we can have residencies with have proprietary information, we needed to understand the protocol in such situations.

Finally, I met with a member of the Career Center to go over my schedule for the Career Fair. Apparently, I have too many interviews booked, but I have trouble saying no to all the fantastic opportunities that have been offered. I finally had to say no to one of them, although it was difficult to choose.

After meeting with the Career Center, I went looking for a new pair of shoes for the Career Fair. Let me tell you, I am extremely picky when it comes to shoes, so this search took much longer than it should have. This is exactly why I usually go shopping alone – I tend to wear other people’s patience thin.

Finally, I went home to get a head start on some homework for next week. With the Career Fair and interview preparations this week, I knew that this had to be done early. Once Jim got home, we bottled the beer that we made a few weeks ago. 

First, we had to siphon the beer from the fermentation bucket to the bottling bucket.

Then, we used a capping device to seal each bottle.

The bottling process carbonates the beer. It should be ready to drink in about two weeks!

Saturday – I woke up early today, so I could get some more homework done before I had color guard rehearsal.  Today was our first show, and we had a bit of a rough rehearsal, so we were all a little nervous before their performance. Besides a few glitches due to first show nerves I’m sure, they had a fantastic performance! I’m so excited for our next show because we did not have some of our effects completed nor our uniforms. In fact, our color guard organization had 4 amazing performances from our novice guard, B guard, A guard, and world guard!

Sunday – Again, today I woke up early to get some homework done before rehearsal.

Rehearsal went by extremely quickly today, as we were mostly playing around with an effect that we are having quite a bit of trouble with. Also, we had to end early for the students to try on their uniforms! Then on to watch a depressing Super Bowl game between the Pats and the Giants. 

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Mock Interviews Week

Another crazy week filled with mock interviews and cover letters but also a day off. Let me tell you about it!

Monday – A glorious day off! A day to sleep in and finally finish my homework! However, I did put my time to good use today. This girl who never cooks, every once in a blue moon I decide that I like cooking and my fiancé is the best cook in the world, made ratatouille. Here’s a photo if you don’t believe me!

It may not be gourmet, but I did try!

Tuesday – Only one class today; a good way to ease into this crazy week. In supply chain, we came up with an exhaustive list of some things that drive change in the area of supply chain. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that a business operates under so many possible adversities. Needless to say, this was eye-opening.

Next I met with the Women’s MBA club officers to discuss our upcoming events. We are setting up a panel of women in business and hopefully a networking event at the end of the semester. I’m so excited about these events, and I can’t wait to share them with the rest of the group on Thursday.

After that, I met with my new Operations team to discuss which company we will be looking into for our project. We’ve been throwing around the idea of a hotel since we reorganized the groups, and we were lucky enough to have the Holiday Inn in Brookline say “yes” to us. Because we are a newly formed group, we wanted to give each other an idea of how we work and what we want to get out of the project. This team will definitely be a great group to work with!

Once I got home, I researched W.R. Grace, so I could be prepared for my phone mock interview tomorrow. I wanted to make sure that I had plenty information on the company and questions to ask the interviewee. Taking advantage of sleep that I will not get later on in the semester, I went to bed early.

Wednesday- As per usual, Wednesday was a manic day as it always seems to be. Today we discussed our first cases in finance and operations. In between classes, I got to speak with Katie in the Career Center about which rooms are available for the upcoming WMBA events. As these events become more real, I get even more excited!

After classes, there was free pizza in the grad lounge (I know, two weeks in a row!) provided by admissions for those interested in speaking with newly admitted students or attending events so we can field questions from newly admitted students.  I quickly checked my emails after, and found out that I have been asked for an in-person interview with Raytheon, which made me both extremely excited and extremely nervous.

Then, I had to find a quiet space for my phone interview. Down to the wire and still no quiet spot to be found, I ran into my classmate Simran. When I told him about my predicament, having only 2 minutes to spare, he showed me a room that I had never seen before. This ended up being the perfect place for the interview. I definitely owe him a coffee!

Then it was time for an Insider Insight event with Ocean Spray. Not only did the Ocean Spray management members supply us with excellent information on the company, but they also gave us some delicious samples everything from their new sparkling cranberry drink, their classic cranberry juice, and my personal favorite, Crasins®.

Finally on to rehearsal! Tonight I wrote choreography for four of our great dancers. This was difficult after such a long day, but the other staff members really liked it. Also, one of the students brought cake pops because his birthday is tomorrow. So delicious! Next, time for sleep!

Thursday – Thursday is one long day! First we had strategy where we discussed the 5 forces of competition, which eventually lead us into the discussion of our case about Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

Then we had statistics. Our first graded homework assignment was due today, and we continued our discussion about standard deviation. The professor provided a brief tutorial on the statistical software we will be using, and after he handed back our quizzes from the week before.

After class, I held a Women’s MBA meeting where we talked about the upcoming events that we will be hosting. I am extremely excited about these events, and I hope the group is as well!

Then, I had to prepare for my mock interview. I printed off a few copies of my resume, in case I was asked for one, and I reviewed my questions and the information that I have on the company. Then, it was time for the interview.  Although my nerves made my mind race, I was able to stay calm, or at least appear calm, for the interview. I found the feedback from the interviewer to be extremely helpful, especially when I asked what to do the calm my nerves before the interview.

After, I decided to go out to dinner with a few friends – Jim even joined us when he got out of work!

Friday – Today in Career Management we discussed interviews. After hearing about the overall feedback from those who have already completed their mock interviews, we broke off into smaller groups to work on some behavioral questions. Although it was somewhat nerve wracking to be put on the spot, it was very much like being at an interview.

After Career Management, I met up with my friend who is moving to South Carolina on Saturday for our final goodbye lunch. Boston will definitely not be the same without her.

Once I got home, it was time for homework!

Saturday – I woke up early on Saturday to do more homework. I really want to get my homework done over the weekend, so I can prepare for my interview for the rest of the week. When I woke up, I realized that it was snowing pretty heavily. This means shoveling, which does not make me happy. Living in Massachusetts my entire life has made me disillusioned about snow. I no longer recognize it as beautiful, just a pain in the neck.

Sunday – On Sunday, I got some homework done before I had to head to rehearsal. Unfortunately, our rehearsal was scheduled during the Patriot’s game. Although Jim sent me update texts the entire time, it was not the same as watching the nail-biting game myself. Anyway, we had a productive rehearsal, and I look forward to seeing the Patriots in the Super Bowl!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*

Second Semester - First Week

Phew! What a week! Here’s a recap:

Monday – Today we all had our first MBA-level finance course. The professor is fantastic and left us with a rather difficult, real-life question to answer. He told us about the CFO of a pharmaceutical company that was faced with a difficult decision of whether to stop producing a life-saving drug that was only given to nine children in the U.S. because it was extremely expensive to produce (tens of millions). The CFO had to decide whether to stop production on this drug or not. A little too realistic for me!

After finance we had the first class of our continued HR course from the previous semester. This semester we will focus on working on our managerial abilities, as we identified them in our Living Documents last semester. In this class, we analyzed our learning strengths, and mine was somewhat of an odd-duck. It seems as though I learn through experience and theory. A rather strange dichotomy if you ask me. I’ll have to look into that further.

In the evening, I applied for my first Corporate Residency! I don’t know why, perhaps it was because this was the first one I applied to, but I was extremely nervous to press the submit button. It took a bit of talking myself into it, but I came to the conclusion that the Career Center would not have told me that my cover letter and resume were ready to go if they were not.

Tuesday – Tuesday was our first supply chain class, and one of the two times we start class at 8:30. In this class we went over the syllabus and started to talk about the basics of supply chain management; transportation, warehousing, and packaging. This class is dismissed at 10:50, which left me thinking, “What should I do with myself?” Of course, apply to another Corporate Residency!

Wednesday – Our second MBA finance class was held today, and we got to find out what the CFO did. Apparently he had a change of heart and decided to keep manufacturing the drug even though it was expensive because the bad press from upset families would have been damaging to the company. The company eventually figured out how to use a synthetic to produce the drug at a lower cost. Extremely interesting!

Today was also our first operations class. From what I’ve heard in the past, Operations can be a dry subject, but the professor kept us laughing. Also, he suggested that we watch “How It’s Made.” Any professor that gives me the green light to watch more TV is good in my book!

After Operations, there was free pizza in the grad lounge! This is something that the admissions department provides for us once a month and I’d have to say that we are all very thankful for it. Unfortunately I could not stay very long because the Finance and Investments Club had a trip to State Street. Here, we got to see the trading floor, much quieter than I had imagined, and we were able to speak with several State Street employees. This was a very successful event planned by the Finance club!

But my day didn’t end there – I had enough time to bring my backpack home and head to color guard rehearsal. Tonight we choreographed a part that has been giving us some trouble in the past week. We wanted to continue the movement and momentum in a particular part of the show, but have been unable to conceptualize it, let alone put work to it. And after a manic day, I wouldn’t have been able to write any choreography without the help and logistical aptitude of the other staff members. (It also helps when your students can do flips!) I think we were finally able to hit the nail on the head.

Then home to study for the statistics!

Thursday – Today was my second manic day! First, we had strategy class where we discussed the difficulties CEO’s face in balancing short-term and long-term priorities in their first year.  This discussion definitely left me thinking. We were also better introduced to the Interdisciplinary project due at the end of the year. This project, which has pieces due in strategy, finance, and statistics, will require us to write a memo and present our findings to a panel of experts.

Now time for our first quiz in statistics. We had 15 minutes to answer 20 multiple choice questions and 4 open-ended questions; this may have been the fastest quiz I have ever taken! Anyway, after that, we went over the syllabus and talked about some basic statistical measurements.

Next on the agenda; I met with Rochelle in the Career Center, the WMBA advisor, to talk about the panel we are planning for this semester. She gave me a fantastic idea for a conference to encourage club members to go to, and told me to ask the club what they wanted to hear a panel talk about. I am so excited for the panel and the conference!

After my meeting with Rochelle, I ran (no, literally ran) to the L. Knife Insider Insight. L. Knife is a beer distributor which offers a Corporate Residency through Northeastern. We got to hear one of their HR members speak, along with a former NU MBA student who currently has a full-time position there, and the current MBA student who just finished her Corporate Residency. The company is expanding rapidly due to a combination of the growing demand for craft beer and their exploding imports business.

Friday – Friday started with an early morning team meeting. This was due to the many upcoming assignments in our classes that require teams of 3-5, and we are a group of six. Although we had to split the team up for some classes, I believe that the new teams will be productive and rewarding. Luckily, we were able to strike a deal with the other group of six for the Operations project, which another team member and I will be on a group with two new members. It will be strange not working with my team, but it will be great to get to know some classmates better.

After, we had our first Career Management course of this semester. The topic of this class was interviews. We were split into groups of six and asked to write down any questions we had about interviews. Our questions were then given to another team who had to answer them as best they could. After, one group member presented the responses. It was great to see that many people had similar questions.

Then it was homework time! Like last semester, I am trying to stay on top of my homework by getting the majority done on the Fridays and Saturdays.

When Jim got home from work we decided that it was finally time to go out for our anniversary, which was on Wednesday. (5 years!) We decided to try a restaurant that we have been meaning to go to since we moved to Malden, the All Seasons Table in Malden Center. The food was so good, especially the vegetable tempura. Needless to say we left full and happy!

Saturday- I got up at 8:00 today, so I could get a head start on homework because today Jim and I decided to make beer! Ok, it’s not the first time we’ve homebrewed, but it’s still very exciting. However, it is a time-consuming process, so I had to get an early start.

Anyway, we started the brewing process at 12:00 and we sealed the bucket for fermentation at 5:00.  Here are some pictures from the process.

Mashed malts are placed into the almost boiling water, like making tea.

After malt extract is poured into the mix.

After the hops are added and the wort is cooled, then you have to siphon into the fermentation bucket.

This stuff is sealed and then left to ferment for about 2 weeks!

Next up, we had some friends over to watch the Patriots obliterate the Broncos!

Sunday – Like the day before, I woke up and finished up my homework. Before I knew it, I had to leave for rehearsal. Today we finished up the drill (how the students move around the floor), and now we have even more choreography to write. Our first show is on February 4^th, and I can’t wait to see what the other color guards in the area have done.

When I got home I realized Jim had made vegan chili while I was gone!!! And then it was time for more football. I’m looking forward to my Monday off tomorrow!

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*