Author: Danielle Olson

Embarrassing College Moments

~ Danielle Olson ~ 2 Comments

We have all been there. Most students are in college for a least four years and there has to be a few embarrassing moments in there. I am no different. There have been several embarrassing moments for me and I am going to share 3 of them.

Volunteering for the Hypnotist Show

My first year at Woodbury University, I lived on campus and wanted to try as many new things as I could. There was an event that my roommate and I decided we would go to. A hypnotist show.

The hypnotist comes in and introduces himself. He then asks for volunteers. Surprisingly I volunteered. When I was in high school, I probably would not have volunteered for something like this. But like I said, I was going to try new things in college. I volunteered and I was fully aware of what I was doing, but it was like I didn’t care and did it anyway.

I was dancing funny, did a cat walk, and overall showed a different side of myself to people I barely knew. It was embarrassing, but fun at the same time. Watching the video always makes me laugh. You can see me there in the yellow shirt.

First Architecture Review

In my first year of college, I majored in architecture. It was the end of the first semester and I was finishing up my final project for review. This would be the first review where guests were brought in to look at everyone’s projects. The project consisted of being assigned some sort of object, mine was an electrical device. Then using wood we had to build something incorporating the objects.

I like to design things that are symmetrical, so that’s what my project was about. Symmetry. Reviews can go in so many different directions. One reviewer may love your project, while another hates it. It just so happens that the Dean of Architecture was at our review and he came up to my project and looked at it.

I explained my project and idea. Silence. Then he said that he didn’t like it. So embarrassing considering that there were other students around, professors, and guest reviewers. Nothing was more embarrassing in architecture than having the Dean say he didn’t like my project. But I survived and didn’t change the way I like to design.

Ranch Dressing

My friend and I were getting lunch during the rush hour at Woodbury’s cafeteria. I got my usual. Turkey sandwich and fries. My friend got his usual as well including his ranch dressing. We were walking with our food outside and I was leading the way. I get to the door, open it, and start to walk outside when my friend trips.

He tripped and the ranch dressing fell to the ground splattering all over including the back of my leg. Good thing I was wearing jeans, but this was still embarrassing with all the people sitting outside eating their lunch.

There have been several other embarrassing moments for me throughout college. But I wanted to share a few. If I shared all of them, I would end up writing a book. The key to getting over embarrassing moments is to laugh at yourself. Don’t let it get to you in a negative way.

Tell me about some of your embarrassing college moments in the comments.

23 Birthday Goals

~ Danielle Olson ~ 4 Comments

Today is my 23 birthday.  I have received many birthday wishes from so many people and could not be more appreciative.  However, when my birthday comes up I tend to think about where my life is going to be in a year, 3 years, 5 years, and even 20 years.  I cannot control what will happen in my coming years, but I have created a list of 23 goals that I want to achieve sometime in the future.  Some of these goals are short-term, while others are definitely long-term.  Not matter how long it will take to achieve these goals, I am determined to accomplish them.

Here they are:

  1. Get a new car
  2. Get toned
  3. Get a new swim suit(s)
  4. Try sushi
  5. Get a new computer
  6. Travel
  7. Hike to upper Yosemite falls
  8. Read all the Nicolas Sparks and Mary Higgins Clark books
  9. Run a full marathon
  10. Graduate from the Woodbury University MBA program
  11. Finish my book
  12. Start my retail business
  13. Expand my business consulting services
  14. Pay off my student loans
  15. Get my own place
  16. Buy a house
  17. Get married
  18. Get my Ph.D
  19. Have children
  20. Teach entrepreneurship at a university
  21. Save up enough money to pay for my youngest sister’s college tuition
  22. Expand my philanthropy for my Alma Mater Woodbury University and other non-profit organizations
  23. Create a scholarship fund for students who have lost a parent from prescription drug addiction

I encourage everyone to create their own list of goals and try to accomplish them!  It doesn’t matter how crazy your goals seem, if you work hard enough it is possible to achieve them.

Please tell me about some of your goals in the comments.  Would love to hear what others want to accomplish.

The Winning Scholarship Essay

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

Earlier this year, I set out to apply for the Woodbury University MBA Association Scholarship Contest. They would choose a total of three prize winners, one who received $1000 and the other two $500 each. The only requirement of this contest was to answer a simple question in 5oo words or less. The question was, How has your experience so far in the Woodbury University MBA program changed you as a person? I applied and as it turns out I was able to snag one of the $500 scholarships.

I would encourage all college students to take advantage of any and all scholarship contests that they qualify for. The more scholarship funds you have, the less student loan debt you have to pay off in the future. The follow is my winning scholarship essay:

Woodbury University MBA Program Scholarship Essay

By Danielle E. Miller

When I graduate from the Woodbury University MBA program, I will be the first in my family to do so. I will be the first child my father gets to see walk across the stage to receive a graduate degree and my hope is that I will not be the last. I want to show my siblings that they can do anything if they set their minds to it and perhaps one day they too will walk across a stage to receive their first Master’s degree. As the oldest, I feel the need to set an example for them and getting my MBA degree is doing just that. I can tell them that I learned how to market a business through social media because of what I learned in the program. I can tell them that the writing skills I have gained help me write articles for my personal blog and as a marketing intern at work. I can tell them that I will be starting my own business based on the lessons I learned in my marketing, finance, economics, and entrepreneurship courses. I can ultimately tell my siblings that getting this degree will enable me to have the life our mother could not give us. It gives us a life that does not involve scrapping for change to buy food, getting hand-me-down clothes, or worrying about losing our home. Ultimately, this program will give me a better life than what I had growing up.

With this degree I will be able to step out into the business world prepared to take on any challenges I may face. But the question remains, has the Woodbury University MBA program changed me as a person? I would have to say it has. I have become a more confident person and more confident in what I believe in. I feel as though I can do anything. I am not afraid to voice my own opinions and stand up for what I am passionate about, even if others do not agree with it. I have been able to use what I have learned at my job and I have actually started planning a marketing strategy for the book I am writing. Coming straight from the undergraduate program at Woodbury University, I assumed everything would just be review for me. In actuality, I am applying what I have learned as an undergraduate in the MBA program.

I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life. In this chapter, I will have my Master’s of Business Administration degree from Woodbury University and I will show everyone that no matter where you come from and no matter how much money you have, it can be done. In this next chapter, I will be the person my siblings look up to. I will be the person they can come to for advice, for guidance, and for inspiration. Because of the MBA degree my life will be exactly how I dreamed it would be.

Message to the Class of 2012

~ Danielle Olson ~ 2 Comments

This past Friday I got to see my baby brother receive his high school diploma as a 2012 graduate.  Even though the weather was less than ideal, I was proud to see him in his blue cap and gown ready to take on the world.  Many of the commencement speeches were cliché, talking about the good times and how their four years have flown by so fast.  They talked about their classes, teachers, dances, pep rallies, broken hearts, and lunch time debacles.  However, there was one speaker who talked about what the future holds for the 2012 graduates.  Some will be going off to conquer the business world, some to fight for our freedom while others are perfectly content to settle down in the Antelope Valley.  They are ready for that next step in their lives as high school graduates.  But what they don’t realize is how short life can be.  How everything can suddenly come to a halt and that life can easily be taken away.

What inspired me to write this piece was not only my brother graduating, but also how days after her own commencement Marina Keegan lost her life in a fatal car crash.  It’s amazing how someone can achieve so much and in an instant it can all be taken away.  The graduating class of 2012, whether they be graduating from high school or college should live each day to the fullest, take nothing for granted, and try to experience and learn as much as possible.

I wanted to share an excerpt from the last thing Marina ever wrote, titled The Opposite of Loneliness.  I feel that what she wrote is inspirational and should be shared with as many people as possible.  She puts life in perspective as a graduate and understands how life is drastically changing.  I didn’t know her and we attended school on opposite sides of the country, but her words still touched me:

We’re so young. We have so much time. There’s this sentiment I sometimes sense, creeping in our collective conscious as we lay alone after a party, or pack up our books when we give in and go out – that it is somehow too late. That others are somehow ahead. More accomplished, more specialized. More on the path to somehow saving the world, somehow creating or inventing or improving. That it’s too late now to BEGIN a beginning and we must settle for continuance, for commencement.

When we came to Yale, there was this sense of possibility. This immense and indefinable potential energy – and it’s easy to feel like that’s slipped away. We never had to choose and suddenly we’ve had to. Some of us have focused ourselves. Some of us know exactly what we want and are on the path to get it; already going to med school, working at the perfect NGO, doing research.

For most of us, however, we’re somewhat lost in this sea of liberal arts. Not quite sure what road we’re on and whether we should have taken it. If only I had majored in biology…if only I’d gotten involved in journalism as a freshman…if only I’d thought to apply for this or for that…

What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over. Get a post-bac or try writing for the first time. The notion that it’s too late to do anything is comical. It’s hilarious. We’re graduating college. We’re so young. We can’t, we MUST not lose this sense of possibility because in the end, it’s all we have.

We’re in this together, 2012.  Let’s make something happen in this world.

So, class of 2012, instead of dwelling on the fact that your years in high school have come to an end and that friends you once knew may move to opposite ends of the country, you should look to what the future holds and what you can bring to the world.  Embark on endless journeys that lead you down paths of success, love, knowledge, and remarkable experiences.  Don’t take life for granted, don’t lose faith in yourself, and don’t ever stop dreaming!

Social Media Put Simply

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

I recently came across this photograph that basically put social media in simple terms.  As everyone should know, social media is a way for you to connect to people online.  So, I wanted to share my thoughts about some of the social media sites I use everyday and how they help me.

Facebook

I use Facebook to interact with my friends about my personal life.  I like to see what my friends are doing in their lives as well, it keeps me up to date especially if I don’t see people on a regular basis.  Facebook also allows me to promote interests of mine such as these blog posts I write.  I am able to share my writing with friends and they support me by reading what I have written.  I have also started using Facebook for business purposes.  I manage pages for organizations and businesses which helps me perfect my social media marketing skills, which can be put on my resume and LinkedIn profile.

Twitter

Twitter is a place for me to see what people are doing in the field I am interested in.  On twitter, I can follow Richard Branson and see what updates he has about business.  I essentially use twitter for educational and business purposes.  I like to follow people who are influential in business and can offer valuable advice to young business people like myself.  I can connect with people that I would have otherwise not been able to connect with by other means.

LinkedIn

This is my online resume.  I update my profile constantly on LinkedIn.  It is used to show people the type of experience I have and what activities I have been involved in.  I am able to showcase my articles on LinkedIn in the profile updates, look for jobs, network, and maybe even offer jobs to people I know (in the future of course).

Foursquare

Foursquare is something I recently got into and it’s actually pretty interesting.  I can link it to my Facebook and Twitter accounts when I check-in somewhere.  Personally, I want to see what my friends are recommending because I like to go to new places and experience new things.  If my friends say they like it, then I might like it.  As for business, I want to check to see how my clients are doing in terms of customers checking-in and what they are saying about the business.  This helps us get a sense of what is most popular in the store and what we should focus on when it comes to discounts.

Instagram

I am also new to Instagram and it is actually really fun.  I like to use my creative side when taking pictures and manipulating them into some artsy way.  I like to see what my friends are up to and I am excited to learn more about this outlet of social media.

All outlets of social media are connected.  You can post something on Instagram that you can link to Facebook and Twitter as well.  When you post to Twitter you can link to Facebook or LinkedIn.  There is just so much you can do with social media and it’s fun to interact with a variety of people whether it be school friends, family, professors, co-workers, or even someone who wrote a best selling book.  I am not saying everyone has to use every single type of social media tool, but it’s good to think of them as a way to enhance your personal and professional life.

Entrepreneur Interview- Timothy Gaspar

~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

There are so many entrepreneurs in the world and a handful of them started their businesses when they were attending college or high school.  While some become a big time success such as Facebook creator Mark Zuckerburg there are those small businesses that make a difference in their own communities.  The question is how did they do it?  How were they able to open up and sustain a business while attending school?

To answer these questions, I set out to talk to those entrepreneurs that were able to make their dream of owning a business a reality while pursuing an education.  My first interview is with Timothy Gaspar of Gaspar Insurance Services, Inc., in Woodland Hills.

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself.

A: I live in Woodland Hills, am married and I have a 1 year old son. I’m 30, went to El Camino for High School and CSUN for College, I graduated with a degree in Finance. I owned a small business when I graduated high school so I didn’t originally to go College, but when I met my wife when I was 21 she made me go or she said she wouldn’t marry me. Plus, by that point I had a few good “lumps” from business so I knew I better have a solid foundation.

Q: Tell me about your business.

A: I own an insurance agency. We provide personal insurance policies to individuals and families including earthquake, homeowners, auto, umbrella etc. We also provide insurance for businesses including general liability, workers compensation, professional liability, etc. I currently have 20 people and 2 offices.

Q: Why did you decide to open up your business?

A: I love running a business, it’s my passion. Some part of me enjoys the fact that it’s incredibly challenging every single day (including weekends).

Q: How did you balance your education and your business ventures?

A: I went to school at night via the PACE program. I like being busy, it motivates me. When I’m not busy I noticed I get incredibly lazy. You just find ways to get everything done

Q: What steps did you need to take to open up you business?

A: I did as much planning and work as I could before I left my old firm. I didn’t pull the trigger on stepping out on my own until all my ducks were in a row. Once you take that leap there is no going back so you don’t want to find out you forgot to submit some form to the state that is going to delay you another week.

Q: How did you get your business funded?

A: A big fat loan to start because I had to buy my book of clients from my old agency. But generally I’m not a fan of using debt to expand, I think it usually leads to trouble. I think when expanding your business you should rely on current cash flow, as old school as that seems.

Q: Was your family supportive of your decision to open up your business right out of high school?

A: Not really, but that’s only because they worried. They would have preferred I went directly into college full-time, that just wasn’t me at the time. My spouse however was very supportive when I left my old insurance firm 5 years ago.

Q: What is the biggest obstacle you faced being a student and a business owner?

A: Just managing time. You just take it day by day, you string enough days together you a get a week, then a month, then you’re out of school.

Q: What are the biggest lessons you learned being a student and an entrepreneur?

A: Don’t borrow money if it’s not absolutely necessary. Treat your people exceedingly well, better than the next guy (that includes paying more).

Q: How is your business doing since graduating from college?

A: We have worked really really hard to keep expanding and thankfully we are doing that.

Q: Did you have an mentors to help you start your business? If so, did he/she offer valuable advice?

A: Yes. My Stepdad taught me the value of emotional intelligence in how you treat people, my Dad is just a hustler, pure and simple. I just wanted to work as hard as he did.

Q: Did your education make it easier for you to start your business?

A: Yes, indirectly. Some of my clients and current relationships are people I met in school.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to a college student who wants to open their own business?

A: Start small but dream big.

A special thanks to Timothy Gaspar for allowing me to interview him.  🙂

Are you an entrepreneur who started your own business in school? Let me know. I would love to write about your success story.

What Can You Learn From Shield’s Date Garden?

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

Recently, I took my first trip to Palm Springs.  The hotel was amazing, the food was amazing, and it was nice and hot!  Before we left the area, my boyfriend wanted to stop at a Date Garden.  I have never been to a date garden and only recently started actually eating them.

So, we stopped at the famous Shield’s Date Garden in Indio, CA.  From the outside it does not look like much, but once you walk inside it’s a completely different experience.  There is so much to look at, free samples, a cafe, and their famous date shake.  We walked around looking at all the nik-naks and sat down to grab a bite at the cafe.  I ordered the stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. YUM!

This small business is able to stand out among the rest and has become a place of tourism.  Shield’s Date Farm was founded by Floyd and Bess Shields who brought their love for dates to California in 1924.

Floyd was a pioneer in the date business, breeding his own varieties of dates, such as our famous “Blonde” and “Brunette” dates, that are exclusive to Shields Date Garden and grown nowhere else in the entire world. He also invented the Date Crystal®, a blend of dates turned into a dry product that can be used in cooking, on cold cereals and in everyone’s favorite: date shakes. Date Crystals® do not need refrigeration and when kept in a moisture-proof container will last for many years— without preservatives.

People stop at this place for the dates!  This is truly a niche business and they have successfully taken advantage of it.

I believe there are valuable life lessons to be learned from small businesses such as Shields Date Garden.

1. Differentiate Yourself: If you want people to notice you, you want to be different from everyone else.  You should make a lasting impression on people.  Floyd’s business was able to differentiate themselves because there was no shop like it even close to the area.  Today, their products are still what differentiate them from others.  The key is to make yourself STAND OUT!  On your resume you can make yourself stand out by your volunteer activities.  In the classroom you can make yourself stand out by participating in all the discussions.  You can make yourself stand out at your job by doing more than what is expected of you.

2. Be Passionate About Something: You should strive to do things that you are passionate about.  Whether it is opening up with a business, running a marathon, or writing.  Just do something you enjoy and decide if it is something to pursue as a career or to keep as a hobby.  Floyd was passionate about dates and decided to open up his own date garden.  He even had a short film made, entitled Romance and Sex Life of the Date which is continuously shown inside the shop.

3. Try New Things: I strongly believe that you should try to experience new things throughout your life.  You can take a class outside of your major, try a new food, take salsa lessons, or travel.  Not matter what, you should always try something new everyday even if it is something small.  Floyd tried new things by putting in a cafe and creating new products that are only manufactured by his company.

Have you ever been do Shield’s Date Garden? Please let me know what you think about it in the comments.

5 Life Lessons I Have Learned from My 7 Year Old Sister

~ Danielle Olson ~ 3 Comments

Sometimes it is weird to think that I have a sister that is 15 years younger than I am.  Yes….at times people assume she is mine (I can assure you that she is not).  Over the past 7 years she has been in my life, I have learned some valuable lessons from her.

1. Don’t Take Everything Too Seriously:  Taking everything so seriously takes the fun out of things.  You shouldn’t want to live a life of seriousness.  Don’t be afraid to make your responsibilities something fun….trust me, it makes it easier to get it done.  Having fun keeps you sane too!  It keeps you from stressing out about everything and falling apart.

2. Dream Big or Don’t Dream at All:  When you are young, all you can think about is what you want to do when you get older, where you want to live, where you want to travel, who you want to meet, but when you get older you realize it’s harder than it sounds.  But I am constantly reminded by my sister that you can still dream.  And I believe that if you work hard enough your dreams can become a reality.  I make sure my sister knows that!  She tells me all the time that she wants to be a dentist and have a nice car.  And I tell her, “You have to work hard for it, do well in school, and don’t get into trouble”.  I make sure she knows that everything won’t be handed to her, but that I will be there to help her.

3. It’s Ok to Cry Sometimes: Kids don’t even think twice about crying.  When they are sad, they cry!  No matter where it is or when, they let their emotions out.  I believe it’s healthy to cry when you need it.  When things are getting tough, you have had a bad day, or you are watching a movie that moves you.  Don’t be afraid to cry.  Keeping everything bottled up won’t help you in the long run.

4. Love Life: I don’t know what it is, but kids seem to have this zest for life all the time.  They run around like they don’t have a care in the world.  They are loving the simple things in life, like going to the park or watching Spongebob.  I think it’s important for anyone to have a love for life.  We should live life like it’s our last day.

5. Family Matters: If I have learned anything from my sister, it’s that family is so important.  Your family are the people that are there for you no matter what.  They are there for you when you are sad and you need someone to talk to.  They are there to cheer you up and make your day a bit better.  They are there when you want to celebrate and you want to have a good time.  No matter what you are going through in life; a bad break-up, you lost your job, you got a bad grade in class, or you lost a game….they are there to help you.  Your family members are your friends for life!  When I am sad, all I have to do is talk to my baby sister and she makes it better.  She may not know what’s going on, but the fact that she is happy makes me forget about all the things that were going wrong.

A Day at Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. – Working as a Marketing Intern

~ Danielle Olson ~ 4 Comments

Just like so many college graduates, in May of 2011 I found myself looking for a job.  I was literally online searching for jobs every single day for several hours.  At this point, I have lost count of how many I have actually applied for.  For a while, it seemed like there was nothing out there for me and nobody would give me the chance to prove myself!  That was until Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. came along…

I had heard of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility from a friend who was able to obtain a full-time graphic design position.  She was so excited to let me know that her company was hiring interns like crazy and suggested that I should apply.  At the time, I hadn’t thought about applying for an internship because I was looking for that full-time position.

However, I had enrolled in the MBA program at Woodbury University, so my time was still split between work and school.  Then I thought….”Hey, a part-time internship might actually be better for me”.  Considering it’s a paid internship, I would still be making something!  I looked into Dun & Bradstreet Credibility and found that I actually liked the company.  They are in the business of helping small businesses.  As a student who studied entrepreneurship, I felt this was a perfect fit.

After a rough holiday season, (still no job offers, went on countless interviews, and no word from DandB) I was falling into a state of depression.  I couldn’t sleep, I had anxiety from bills piling up, and at times I would sit in my car just to cry.  But then I got a call…..”Hi, is Danielle there?”… “This is Danielle.”…”Hello, this is Catherine from Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.  We would like to bring you in for an interview, if you were still interested.”

Finally!!! I immediately said YES! I scheduled the interview and started preparing. 🙂

The Interview

To prepare for the interview, I printed out several copies of my resume, cover letter, writing samples, and brought  a business plan I had written for a competition.  I was prepared for this interview! I knew the questions I would ask at the end of the interview, knew where I had to drive to, and where to park.  I showed up an hour early and sat in my car going over everything I had printed out about Dun & Bradstreet Credibility.  I made sure I knew enough about their products/services and the company’s history, in order to show my genuine interest in working at the company.

Lets just say, I was extremely nervous (like I am for most interviews).  There is always that voice in the back of my mind saying, “Danielle, don’t mess this up.  You need this.  Stay calm.”  When the time came for me to head into Dun & Bradstreet Credibility, I was greeted with a smile and an excited “Hi!” from Catherine, the Marketing Coordinator.  The atmosphere in the office had a fun vibe to it; walking in for the first time, I literally almost got run over by someone riding a scooter.

Catherine brought me over to one of the conference rooms overlooking the ocean! It’s such an amazing view and it was such a beautiful day!  Once I got settled into the conference room…the interview started.  This interview was very different from all the ones I had been on with other companies.  Each person I met with talked so passionately about Dun & Bradstreet Credibility and I knew that this would be a good place to work (If they offered me the position of course). I left that interview feeling confident in myself and what I could bring to this company.

About a week after my interview I got a call.  I looked at the number and thought to myself, “This is it!”  Sure enough, it was Catherine letting me know they wanted to hire me as a Marketing Intern!

Meeting Jeff Stibel, CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.

After I was offered the marketing intern position, I was told I had to meet with the CEO of the company.  This was another indication that Dun & Bradstreet Credibility is very different from most companies.  I had never met the CEO of a company I was interviewing with, so I was extremely nervous.  It wasn’t even an interview, but the concept of meeting the CEO made me sweat a bit.  So, I scheduled the meeting and met with Jeff Stibel.  He told me about himself, how he started Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp., and asked about me.  I am quite certain that he knew I had this whole blurb about myself memorized word for word.  After that meeting, I was even more excited about my first day as a Marketing Intern!

Working at Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.! 🙂

When I was getting ready for my first day at Dun & Bradstreet Credibility, I told myself that I am going to work extremely hard!  I am going to make myself stand out of all among the rest!  I will make a name for myself here!

I started working on Valentine’s Day! Since my first day, I have learned so much and have been given more responsibilities than I thought I would.  This is in no way a bad thing because the more responsibilities I am given, the more I learn and the more opportunities I have to prove myself.

Not only do I like the work I am given, but I like the company culture.  Dun & Bradstreet Credibility is one of those companies that is not just about the customers, but also about their employees.  From my time spent here, I can tell that Dun & Bradstreet Credibility wants to make sure that their employees are motivated and happy.  This is why people working here are so passionate about their work and making Dun & Bradstreet Credibility a success.

As a group, Dun & Bradstreet Credibility employees are all about working hard and playing hard.   Every month there is at least one party in the break room.  The break room itself is an employee’s dream!  Equipped with a pool table, two televisions, video games, a ping-pong table, an arcade game, an air hockey table, and did I mention the drinks and snacks; this break room makes everyone I know jealous!  While Dun & Bradstreet Credibility employees may take breaks to challenge each other to a game of ping-pong, this company is extremely hard-working!  Dun & Bradstreet Credibility is in it to win it!  That’s how I see it.

Overall, I am extremely grateful to be a part of this amazing company.  I know that I will learn a lot from my days working here and I can’t wait to continue contributing to the success of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility.

As a College Student, What Can You Learn From This?

Before you apply for a job:

  • Make sure your resume is up to date, has no spelling errors, and looks and sounds professional.
  • Create a cover letter stating the reason why you are applying and why you think you are qualified.

When you get the interview:

  • Be sure to research everything about the company (i.e. products/services, history, requirements of the position you are applying for, etc.).
  • Print out several copies of your resume, cover letter, and any other materials you feel is necessary (I would say print out at least 3 copies of each).
  • Be sure to arrive early.  You NEVER want to be late!

When you get the job:

  • Take on as many responsibilities as you can.  This will help you prove yourself in the company.
  • Show that you are interested in the company and get to know your coworkers.
  • Most of all you should be having fun!

Please tell me about your amazing job! 🙂

College Students – What to Do After a Family Member’s Passing

~ Danielle Olson ~ 1 Comment

The hardest thing a college student will every go through is the death of a family member, especially immediate family members.  Once you hear the news, you ask yourself what do I do now? Do I drop out of school, take a semester off? Or do I stick it out and hope I pass my classes?  These are not the types of questions you want to think about during a time as difficult as a family member’s passing, but it’s important that you do.

I can tell you from experience that it is possible to get through it and continue with your education.  You shouldn’t give up, but instead use your education as a way to keep your mind off of what’s going on in your life.  When my mother passed during my second year of college, I did consider dropping out, but realized that overall it would be a bad idea.  So, I set out to catch up with my schooling after I had taken three weeks off.  For those college students that don’t know how to continue the semester after a family member has passed, I have included some helpful tips.  Just don’t give up and keep on going!

  1. Talk to the Right College Officials:  The best thing for you to do is talk to a college official that specifically works for the well-being of the students.  When I needed to take three weeks off of school to go through my mother’s belongings, I went to the student development center at Woodbury University.  This staff member helped me out by contacting my professors and gave me the paperwork I needed to fill out.
  2. Fill Out the Necessary Paperwork: If you feel you need to take some time off there is paperwork that you must fill out.  The process is different for every school so be sure to find out what is required from your school.  As for me, I had to make a request for a leave of absence and provide the appropriate paperwork to prove my mother’s passing, which meant I had to bring in my mother’s death certificate.  This may seem wrong, but is quite necessary for both you and the school.  It protects the school and enables them to help you during this difficult period.
  3. Talk to Your Professors: While the staff member you spoke with will contact your professors, you should still take the time to contact them yourself.  Tell them about the circumstances and ask if they can provide you with class materials that will be covered during your time off.  This will show them that you are still thinking about your education, but need some time to deal with family matters.
  4. Get Help: There may come a point when you need to ask for help to catch up with any work you missed.  I decided to use the Academic Peer Mentor program, at Woodbury University, to help me catch up and manage my time after I had returned to school.   Take advantage of programs that your school may offer to help students with their school work.
  5. Talk to Someone: Another thing that my school offered was counseling.  Honestly, I am the type of person that hates taking to people I don’t know about my issues.  But I decided that going to counseling, on campus, might help me cope with the loss of my mother and focus on my school work at the same time.  It actually did help!  I was able to talk to someone who would listen to  me about whatever.  You don’t necessarily have to talk to a counselor, but talking to someone about how your feeling will help the grieving process.