Fall Career Guide by Iowa State Daily

Career Guide Monday, September 26, 2011

ISU almumni profiles

Rising above the competition

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2B | FALL CAREER GUIDE | Iowa State Daily | Monday, September 26, 2011

Accounting and business administration in marketing

Passion drives alumnus to launch business Aayush Phumbhra is co-founder of Chegg By Katherine.Klingseis @iowastatedaily.com Many ISU students use Chegg, an online textbook rental company, to save money by renting their textbooks instead of buying them. What those students may not know is that the co-founder of Chegg is an ISU alumnus. Aayush Phumbhra, who’s originally from India, came to Ames in 2001 to study at Iowa State. He said he chose Iowa State because of its small class sizes and high quality professors. “I liked that ISU had 40 or 30 students in a class,” Phumbhra said. “ISU [also] had really good professors.” Phumbhra said financial aid also was easier to receive at Iowa State than it was at other universities. He said he was able to receive financial aid for his second semester at Iowa State, but was unable to receive aid for his first semester. “I came to Iowa State with only $400 in my pocket,” he said. His financial difficulties led Phumbhra to become a co-founder of Chegg. “Textbooks are obviously expensive. Buying and selling used was a solution, but it was not enough,” Phumbhra said. “That led me to find a better solution. It’s what we do today.” Chegg existed as a business on the ISU campus before Phumbhra became involved. He said Chegg was initially run by a man from his basement. “Chegg was mainly used to buy and sell things on campus,” Phumbhra said. “My idea was to take it national.” Phumbhra emailed the founder of Chegg, and said he wanted to launch the company nationally. He said the main challenge he and the other cofounder faced when launching Chegg nationally was being able to secure enough financial backing. In 2004, Phumbhra graduated from Iowa State with a master’s degree in accounting and business administration in marketing. After

Photo courtesy of Aayush Phumbhra Aayush Phumbhra, a 2004 ISU graduate, is the co-founder of Chegg, a textbook rental company. Phumbhra is also the senior vice president of the company. At his current position, Phumbhra has to focus on many aspects of the company. He is currently focusing on the future of the company.

graduation, Phumbhra began working at BearingPoint, a management and consulting firm. “Before I graduated, I was doing really extensive job searching,” he said. “Students have to be proactive when searching for jobs.” Phumbhra recommends that students also do internships before they graduate. He said internships help you gain experience and clarity. “It’s very important to have that sense of real life experience,” he said. “If you’re able to do an internship, you have some experience to go on your resume and it may help clarify things for you and what you want to do.” Two years after Phumbhra graduated from Iowa State, Chegg was of-

ficially funded by sources who were “passionate about solutions to help college students,” and was launched nationally. In 2007, Chegg began renting textbooks. In addition to being the co-founder of the business, Phumbhra is also Chegg’s senior vice president. For his position, Phumbhra has to focus on many different aspects of the business. Currently, he is directing his attention to the future of Chegg. “I am focusing on expanding the amount of services we offer to students,” he said. “My goal is to make sure to work on different things to benefit students.” In addition to renting textbooks,

Chegg also offers students help with picking courses and doing homework. Just recently, Chegg added Zinch, a website that helps high school students connect to colleges, to its business enterprise. “When you’re in high school, Zinch helps you pick the right school,” Phumbhra said. Phumbhra said he has learned a lot from starting Chegg, and enjoys working at the company. He recommends that students try to find jobs that they too enjoy. “The main thing that drove me was passion. You have to be passionate about whatever you want to do in life,” he said. “You should do something you like to do — that you enjoy.”

Resources The economy is in a rut, but that doesn’t mean your job search has to be. Here are some places to find job openings: 1. ISU Career Services Management System 2. Your college’s career services office 3. Iowaworkforce.org 4. Jobbankinfo.org 5. Usajobs.gov 6. Idealist.org 7. Classified ads 8. Personal contacts 9. Employers 10. Community agencies

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Monday, September 26, 2011 | Iowa State Daily | FALL CAREER GUIDE | 3B

Apparel merchandising and design production

Alumna works her way up in the fashion industry Iman El Khatib is an assistant buyer for Macy’s By Kiana.Roppe @iowastatedaily.com After only two years in the “real world,” Iman El Khatib has managed to work her way into a prominent position in the fashion industry. At Iowa State, El Khatib majored in apparel merchandising and design production. She also was involved in various activities like the sorority Chi Omega and the club MODA for Marketing, Organizing, Designing and Analyzing fashion. She also had two internships while in college and one the summer after. One of the places she interned at was Coldwater Creek, an apparel store. She thoroughly enjoyed her experiences and feels the experiences helped her reach her initial goals. She advises ISU students to “get involved, network and find internships that put you on the right career path. The more experiences you have, the more desirable you are to employers.” After she graduated from Iowa State in May 2009 and completed her summer internship, Iman reached out to family members and discovered that she had a contact who worked at Macy’s, Inc. She sent them her resume and was called in for an interview. “The interview process can be challenging,” El Khatib said. “It’s really important to be confident, and that’s something I initially struggled with.” They were obviously impressed with her interview because she was soon hired to be the assistant buyer for Macy’s,

Graphics: Katherine Klingseis/Iowa State Daily This graph represent the percentage of 2008-2009 ISU bachelor’s degrees recipients from each college who are employed, according to the Office of Institutional Research.

Photo courtesy of Iman El Khatib El Khatib has been out in the “real world” for two years, and has already secured a prominent position at Macy’s, Inc. She is currently an assistant buyer.

Inc. Her job entails doing research on products to discover their quality and their sales appeal. She provides the buyer for Macy’s with the information

and the buyer then decides which products, like clothing lines, would be most profitable. The buyer then purchases them for Macy’s stores. Iman has the opportunity

to see and handle the new fashions before anyone else. “I’m in a really good place,” El Khatib said. “I feel established in New York City and Macy’s is a great fit for me”

This graph represent the percentage of 2008-2009 ISU bachelor’s degrees recipients who are placed, seeking or not seeking, according to the Office of Institutional Research.

4B | FALL CAREER GUIDE | Iowa State Daily | Monday, September 26, 2011

Educational leadership

Alumnus secures top position at major university Not many recent college graduates can truthfully say they hold an administrative position at a major university. But for Juan Guardia, a 2006 ISU graduate, that statement is true. Guardia is currently the director of Multicultural Affairs at Florida State University. He also is an adjunct professor in the higher education graduate program at FSU. “I love my job,” he said. “Coming to work is nice.” As the director of Multicultural Affairs, Guardia said he works for “advocacy and services for our students at FSU.” He said he was offered the position right after

he graduated from Iowa State with a Ph.D. in educational leadership in 2006. Before attending Iowa State, Guardia, who’s originally from Homestead, Fla., earned his associate’s degree in broadcasting from Miami Dade College, his bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida State and his master’s degree in higher education from Florida State. Guardia was working in the diversity and programs office at George Mason University when Larry Ebbers, ISU professor of higher education, first told him about the ISU department of educational leadership and policy studies. “He told me about the program and within a week, he was already mailing me pro-

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motional material,” Guardia said. In 2002, Guardia visited the ISU campus. He began attending Iowa State in 2003. “I fell in love with the place,” he said. “[But] I’m from south Florida with beaches, so it was kind of a culture shock.” While at Iowa State, Guardia was a graduate research assistant for Nancy Evans, a professor in the ELPS. He also worked on a review board for the Journal of College Student Development. “The skills I required during those sessions were great,” Guardia said. Guardia said he liked that ISU professors offered their students opportunities to be involved in future career fields. “They always encouraged us to be involved with professional development,” he said. In addition to professional development, Guardia was involved in other activities on the ISU campus. For instance, he was in the Phi Iota Alpha Latino fraternity, involved with the multicultural leadership summit and a member of the Multicultural Task Force. Guardia also is a member of the American College Personnel Association and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. He recommended that students become members of associations, societies and other groups related to their career fields. “It’s an opportunity to network,” he said. “You also get a lot of knowledge and experience.” Guardia said networking is important because it allows you to “get your name out.” “When you’re networking, you represent yourself and your institution,” he said. “And that’s how people are going to know you.” He also recommended for students to partake in some

Photo courtesy of Juan Guardia Juan Guardia graduated from Iowa State in 2006 with a post-doctorate degree in educational leadership. He currently holds the position of the director of Multicultural Affairs at Florida State.

“theory to practice” activities. He said that students should do internships as well as volunteer opportunities. “Experience alone will definitely be beneficial to you. It will strengthen your resume,”

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he said. “If you have the opportunity to do an internship or to volunteer, you definitely should. It will make you a stronger candidate.” Guardia said he loves his job and his home state. But

he will forever be thankful for what he learned and experienced at Iowa State. “I have no regrets,” he said about attending Iowa State. “It was the best decision I ever made.”

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Monday, September 26, 2011 | Iowa State Daily | FALL CAREER GUIDE | 5B

Aerospace engineering

NASA engineer advises keeping ‘eyes open’ Kelly Smith works as a trajectory engineer at NASA

Engaged couple find jobs in same place after graduation Kristian Eisenweiler and Molly Kapaun are teachers By Joy.Wessels @iowastatedaily.com

By Jenna.Miller @iowastatedaily.com Kelly Smith, who is now employed by NASA, graduated from Iowa State in May 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. Smith was involved in many things while working towards his degree. He was actively involved in Veishea, a member of the Sigma Gamma Tau honor society, president of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a community adviser for seven semesters and he also dressed as Cy for some events for eight months. Right now, Smith is working for NASA as a trajectory analyst at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Smith was offered his job in January 2010. Smith credits most of this job finding to the engineering career fair. When he was a sophomore at Iowa State, he interviewed with NASA, but he admits he was not prepared, and he did not get picked as a co-op student. However, that following year, he had better prepared himself, and did get hired as a co-op student. He was a co-op student for 15 months before accepting the job at NASA after graduation. Once he graduated, he had to adjust to many transitions in his life. First, he moved across the country, got married, bought a new car and now he is house hunting. “Everything on campus is tailored toward the students, but it’s not really like that in the real world,” Smith said. At NASA, Smith and his

Political science and English

Photo courtesy of Kelly Smith Kelly Smith is currently working as a trajectory engineer at NASA. Smith graduated from Iowa State in May 2010.

group are in charge of documenting space shuttles and flight take-offs and making sure that the astronauts have quick, efficient and safe trips. He explained that on a typical day of work, however, he spends time writing computer programs to help with tasks that would take too long to do manually. Some of his biggest challenges so far have been the fact that he started immediately after graduating. “Most of the people I work with have master’s degrees or higher, and I only have a bachelor’s,” Smith said. “It takes some work to catch up and work on the same level as everyone else.”

At the moment, Smith is working on a graduate program through Stanford University. He is taking classes for artificial intelligence, but is unsure if he will stick with that or go back to aerospace engineering. Smith’s recommendations for current ISU students in the aerospace engineering program is to look into other programs besides just aerospace. He also recommends for students to “keep [their] eyes open for new opportunities because it is much harder to learn new things outside of school.” He also said it is important to pursue internships and get work experience in your field.

Searching for a job after graduation can be difficult. Looking for a job near your significant other can be nearly impossible. Engaged couple and ISU alumni Kristian Einsweiler and Molly Kapaun faced this issue as they started their job search after graduation. Einsweiler, who is two years older than Kapaun, started looking for teaching jobs in January 2010. With a degree in political science and an endorsement in secondary education, he wasn’t limited to where he could go geographically. “I applied to schools all over the state of Iowa, even some in Illinois,” Einsweiler said. “I wasn’t forced to stay in any specific area, so I thought I’d have a better chance that way.” Most contracts for teachers are due in April, so schools will post openings as early as January or as late as the end of March. Einsweiler went through the interviewing process with a few different schools, but eventually landed a job as a high school social studies teacher at Columbus Catholic School in Waterloo. “I thought it would be difficult to find a job, but it ended up only taking a week to get hired at Columbus after applying,” he said. Einsweiler thinks a few different items on his resume might have helped him secure his job. Instead of taking a job unrelated to his field during summer vacation, he focused on positions that allowed him to be around students, even if the jobs were unpaid. “I wanted employers to see that I enjoy being around students outside of the classroom,” Einsweiler said. “So I worked at a lot of sports camps during the summer so I could gain that experience.” While Einsweiler did career-related work during his summers, Kapaun was content in just holding a job while balancing class work. “It’s better to gain experience within your field, but I think as long as you’re doing something it’s important,” Kapaun said. “Employers want to see that you can multitask by taking on different activities.” Kapaun’s search for schools was a little different than Einsweiler’s. Wanting to stay close to him, she restricted her search to a 30-mile radius when she started applying in February. She saw a position posted online for an English teacher at Columbus in late March,

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Photo courtesy of Kristian Einsweiler and Molly Kapaun ISU graduates Kristian Einsweiler and Molly Kapaun work as teachers at Columbus Catholic School in Waterloo. The engaged couple searched for jobs near each other.

she applied right away and was hired a few weeks later. Like Einsweiler, Kapaun also credits her resume as a big asset in securing a job. Though she didn’t do a lot of career-related work, she sought out professional advice and tips that would help get her resume into “the right pile.” “I had a lot of different people look at my resume,” Kapaun said. “Professors, superintendents and even family friends that worked in human resources helped me edit it.” Now that Einsweiler and Kapaun have both secured their first jobs out of college, they’re getting used to being around each other more often. “We give each other the space we need,” Einsweiler said. “But it’s nice to have someone there to talk to if we need it.” Kapaun agrees that it’s nice having Einsweiler as a resource when she has questions about her new role as a teacher or needs some advice. “It seems too good to be true,” Kapaun said. Though it’s a bonus for an engaged couple to work right across the hall from one another, Einsweiler and Kapaun are just happy that they were able to find jobs so quickly after graduating.

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6B | FALL CAREER GUIDE | Iowa State Daily | Monday, September 26, 2011

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Photo courtesy of Clint Weinberg ISU graduate Clint Weinberg is currently working as a design engineer at Vermeer, a company that designs agricultural equipment. Weinberg interned when he was in college.

‘Hands-on’ internship aids alumnus in obtaining job By Joy.Wessels @iowastatedaily.com As students take classes necessary to obtain a degree, the daunting task of finding a job in the “real world” becomes closer with every passing day. While some students have longer to go than others, it’s good to start thinking about what you can do to boost your resume so that you stand out to potential employers. ISU graduate Clint Weinberg knew it was important to get involved while still in college. Before securing a full-time job right after graduation as a design engineer at Vermeer, a company that designs agricultural equipment, Weinberg did a lot of career-related work while getting his degree in mechanical engineering. “I would definitely recommend lining up internships while still in school,” Weinberg said. “It’s also good

I would definitely recommend lining up internships while still in school.” Clint Weinberg to get involved with clubs and organizations that are related to your major.” Weinberg did just that. During the summer and fall of his sophomore year, he did a co-op at Altec in Missouri that designs utility trucks and other equipment. During his next summer, Weinberg interned for a company that does custom engineering for Fortune 500 companies. He then helped build railway equipment for Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. throughout the summer before his senior year. Weinberg also recommended that students utilize

the career fair held each semester for students. But, he said, don’t go empty-handed or without knowing what sort of companies will be there. Even if you’re not looking for an internship, it’s still a good idea to go just to see what companies come to look for ISU students. “Students should research different companies they’re interested in,” Weinberg said. “I researched companies that I knew I could be hands-on at and ones that involved heavy machinery.” Narrowing down your interests also will help to ensure that you find the right job for you. If you take advantage of internships, get involved with clubs and organizations on campus and research companies that come to the career fair, you’ll not only feel prepared about entering the work place, but you’ll also be a great prospect for employers.

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