Undergraduate National Competitions, Opportunities and Engagements
Eller students attend competitions, conferences and workshops across the nation each year.
Through these events, students have the opportunity to network with peers and potential employers as well as immerse in complex real-world cases.
Investments Club Wall Street Trip
In the words of an Eller student:
"In October, the Investments Club took its 5th annual trip to New York City so that students looking for internships on Wall Street could have the opportunity to network with alumni at a variety of banks such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, UBS and many more. This year’s trip was arguably one of the most successful trips yet. We were able to take ten students looking for internships, all of whom were able to secure interviews from the connections they made on the trip. I look forward to staying involved with the trip even after graduating and hope to host the next generation of Investments Club students on their next trip to New York."—Marie Archibald, Finance '16
Consulting Club New York Trip
"I led the first annual Arizona Consulting Club trip to New York City with a group of eight other students and our faculty advisor, Marisa Michaels. The goal of the trip was to help develop the Eller network as well as help students interested in the industry gain a foot in the door for internships and full time recruiting. During our few days in the city, we met with four different companies, of which each had at least one Arizona alumnus of note. At the Association of Management Consulting Firms, we met with Dina Bystryak who provided a panel from EY, FTI Consulting, PwC and Tata Consulting. At Capco, we met with recent graduate Kevin Spangenberg. At Accenture we met with John Ratzan, who currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the MIS department, and his team of Eller consultants. We rounded our trip off at Deloitte where we met with Brandon Sternberg. Each firm offered us insight to their specializations and the unique experiences we could have as an employee of their company. Students were able to pick the brains of the leadership at each firm and we now have students interviewing for positions at the companies we met with."—Dustin Benadretti, Finance and Business Economics '15
National Competitions
The Mays College of Business hosts the Wall Street Journal Challenge, where teams of three students from business schools across the country compete on the Texas A&M University Campus. During a five-week period, these students read The Wall Street Journal in preparation for two exciting competitions. In the Individual Challenge, students test their memories in written quizzes covering each section of The Journal in detail. In the Team Challenge, teams compete in fast-paced, oral question-and-answer rounds. Eller College of Management has participated since 2007, when it was hosted by the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.
In the words of an Eller student:
"The IU Diversity Case Competition hosted by the Kelly School of Business was an amazing opportunity and a great way to connect with diverse students from across the nation. In two short days, we were able to network with employers at dinner and at an employee speed dating event, attend a variety of different workshops and present our case. Lastly, we were given the opportunity to see the presentations of the finalist and it was interesting to see how each school approached the case. Overall, it was a great learning experience!"—Alisa Espinoza, Marketing '16
"The Indiana University National Diversity Case Competition was an amazing and wholesome experience for me. My team and I got to work on a marketing campaign for Target and we presented our idea representing the University of Arizona and the Eller College of Management. It was a great honor to be selected along with such amazing people and to get to travel to Indiana with them. We met incredible students, professionals, and academics from all over the country. The three-day event was an unforgettable time that enhanced my teamwork, diversity, leadership and business knowledge."—Jazmin Beltran, Marketing '16
In the words of an Eller student:
"The Eller Professional Sales Club has been attending the National Collegiate Sales Competition for three years now. Every year we have gained traction and have advanced further through the competition rounds. This is not only a fun thing to train for but it is the most realistic comprehensive training for a real life complex consultative B2B sales interaction. More than 65 schools attend this competition with two competitors each. We are graded on our performance of a 20-min roleplay on a 100 point scale. On this scale is everything from introduction to close, encompassing things like our confidence and rapport building into the final score.
To prepare for this we started training 25 members in August once a week. Our training program was created and is ran by the Eller Professional Sales Club's Director of Competitions. In this training our members learn about the basics of conducting a complex consultative B2B sale and how to effectively complete a 20 minute sales roleplay.
We believe in the value of this training so much that we decided to create the first annual Arizona Collegiate Sales Competition, which was held at ASU in February. This competition was run on the same format as the NCSC but was between the three major Arizona Universities, University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University. This competition was a perfect way to prepare and train for the NCSC and also prove who is the "Best in the Desert."
Although competing in something that you are passionate about is awesome, the true benefit of participating in these events comes from the sponsors. Sponsors donate large amounts of money, time and resources to these competitions and teams. This is because of the value of an employee that is highly trained in B2B sales coming out of college. Through participating in these events we are marketing our skills to top level companies. The career fair at these events is unparalleled with companies dying to recruit the top performers.
Our hope is that by the EPSC teaching members these skills and getting exposure through these competitions, we will eventually attract the attention of higher level companies to see Eller as a source of Sales Excellence. This is something that we have already seen happening and we hope to be able to have this lead to better companies coming with more jobs for all Eller students."—Skyler Bell, Marketing '16
Internships
In the words of an Eller student:
"I discovered the opportunity to become an Operations Analyst Intern for JPMorgan Chase in Tempe through the Professional Development Center's weekly Job Blast email. What seemed like wishful thinking when applying became an experience that I will never forget. Although the internship was very demanding and stressful at times, it was ultimately very rewarding. Through this experience I learned the value of networking, the ability to see challenges as opportunities and to always keep myself busy."—Emma McMahon, Management Information Systems '16
Externships
The career coaches in the Professional Development Center work year round to secure externships across the country for Eller students to attend during the winter and the summer. This winter, there are more than 100 opportunities in seven different states for students to shadow a professional in their industry of choice. The experience comes free of charge to the student, with transportation being the only cost students are responsible for covering.