BY JOYCE SALLES ’19

This past Spring Break, I had the opportunity to travel with the Class of 2019 Honors Program students to sunny (and sometimes rainy) San Francisco! We traveled by foot, trolley, and Uber to various locations that were both educational and exciting. I was able to capture a snip bit of a few spots we toured in this short video clip.

Here is an outline in case you missed it:

• March 10 – Union Square
• March 11 – Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf & Alcatraz
• March 12 – Muir Forest & Sausalito
• March 13 – Lombard Street & Painted Ladies
• March 14 – Pier 39 & Chinatown

It’s hard to pick a “favorite part” of the trip with so many highlights, but the one location that stood out to me the most was Alcatraz.

On our first full day in the city, we took a ferry to the island known for its famous military prison in 1934 until 1963. Ironically, there was a gloomy, cold, foggy haze that morning. You could sense the somberness in the air as soon as you step foot on the island. We were given an audio tour in the Main Prison where they explained in detail the memories of what took place in the cells. We were able to walk in the same halls as some of infamous inmates like Al “Scarface” Capone and the “Birdman” Robert Stroud.  It was almost as though I could picture exactly what was narrated and relive it as a fly on the wall. Being able to educate myself at such a historical location made it an “inescapable” experience.

I am thankful to have gotten the opportunity to travel to a new part of the country, discover a new culture, and learn about our country’s history. Shout-out to Nichols College for giving students the chance of a lifetime to travel around the country!

Joyce Salles is a senior at Nichols College majoring in marketing and minoring in hospitality. She is also interns for the Office of Marketing and Communications. 

BY JOYCE SALLES ‘19

Now more than ever, it is important to get your hands dirty and gain experience in the field we plan to work in come May 2019. The pressure to land that internship is inevitable but the stress from killing that interview is avoidable.

Do you have an interview lined up in the next few weeks? Follow these 5 tips to be best prepared:

1. DRESS TO IMPRESS
   • Wear business professional attire–that means no casual clothing such as jeans, t-shirts, mini-skirts or crocs.
   • If you need to borrow clothing for an interview, remember that the Bison Boutique in the Career and Professional Development Center has a wide variety of clothes available for student use.

2. BRING A FULLY-LOADED PADFOLIO
   • Print at least two copies of your resume and cover letter.
   • Show off your best material or projects relevant to your field of interest.
   • Don’t forget a pen to take notes with!

3. DO YOUR RESEARCH
   • Become familiar with the company. The more you know, the more impressive you will look and comfortable you will feel.
   • Fully understand the position you are applying for.
   • Create three questions (at minimum) to ask your interviewer.

4. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
   • Take advantage of your learnings from Junior PDS mock interviews. Look back on the feedback from your professor and classmates and improve on those suggestions.
   • Look up commonly asked questions online and practice the answers in your bathroom mirror. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel come the big day.

5. BE AUTHENTIC
   • Be yourself, as cliche as that sounds. The interviewer wants to see if you will be a good fit for their company culture, so be sure to show who you are in an authentic way.
   • Walk in with a smile on your face and confidence on your sleeves.
   • Arrive on time and relaxed. It’s only a 15 to 30 minute conversation with someone only who wants to get to know you a bit better.

By following these few tips, you should feel ready to conquer that interview and land that internship!

Best of luck Bison!

Joyce Salles is a senior at Nichols College majoring in marketing and minoring in hospitality. She is also interns for the Office of Marketing and Communications. 

BY JOYCE SALLES ‘19

The Institute for Women’s Leadership (IWL) at Nichols College hosted a Lean In Circle event in which nine female students, including myself, shared a dinner with President Engelkemeyer at her house. Each month there is a new guest speaker for a casual gathering for fun, development, and support with other female students. I must say, it was a little hard at first to think of it as a casual meeting since I was sitting in the President’s living room, but she made us all feel very comfortable, very fast.

After introducing ourselves, we had time to ask the President questions on her professional success. She had great stories about her college years and shared how she was actually an Equestrian Studies major because of her love for horses (which was evident by the many horse portraits on her walls). Her path towards business professionalism had some bumps and bruises but that did not stop her. Instead, she took advantage of the setbacks to stir up motivation to be better…and she was! Her story was very inspiring to hear as she reminded us that sometimes the best opportunities come from the hardest situations.

Along with the delicious catered meal, we were given tips and tricks on how to become a successful business woman; there was high intensity “girl power” around the table! We chatted about wage gaps, how to negotiate your salary, chasing your dream job, and being confident in your abilities. Our conversation tied hand in hand with IWL’s mission statement:

Through campus initiatives, industry partnerships, research analysis, and thought leadership, the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Nichols College focuses on the issues and challenges impacting women in business, with goals of

• developing the leadership potential of students, and
• serving as a resource and authoritative voice on women’s leadership for the community at large

Thank you President Engelkemeyer for sharing all your secrets to your success! I left inspired and ready to handle all the situations that may come my way!

Joyce Salles is a senior at Nichols College majoring in marketing and minoring in hospitality. She is also interns for the Office of Marketing and Communications.