Jungle Campus, fall 2010

CAREERS | INTERVIEWING | EMPLOYERS | RESUMES

ZIP YOUR LIPS

5

Interview Ending Lines

DO IT YOURSELF

Making It As An Entrepreneur

PLUS

HOW TO

Get Hired At Google

Fall 2010

THE TOP 100 EMPLOYERS YOU WANT TO WORK FOR

CAREERS | INTERVIEWING | EMPLOYERS | RESUMES

ZIP YOUR LIPS

Fall 2010

EDITOR IN CHIEF Denis Wilson Associate Editor Liz Seasholtz Web Manager Lindsay Hicks Writer Michelle Grottenthaler Photographer Matt Soriano Design and Illustration Michael Wilson

THE TOP 100 EMPLOYERS YOU WANT TO WORK FOR

5

Interview Ending Lines

DO IT YOURSELF

Making It As An Entrepreneur

TO WORK FOR

JUNGLE CAMPUS IS A MEDIA PROPERTY OF UNIVERSUM Universum publishes a portfolio of products, including WetFeet Insider Guides and MBA Jungle Magazine

PLUS

HOW TO

Get Hired At Google

L ET T E R

f r o m the

EDITOR

W H ERE IS YO U R M I N D ?

If you spent your summer thinking more about beaches and BBQ’s than resumes and recruiters, don’t worry, you’re probably not alone. But now it’s time to shake the sand off your resume, add any experience from a summer job or internship, and get ready for the fall recruiting season.

As you can see from our friend on the cover, considering all the options for your career can be mind boggling—but it doesn’t have to be. To start off, check out the rankings of the top 100 employers undergrads want to work for (page 8). Not surprisingly, Google took the top spot among students studying business and information technology. If you, too, yearn to work for the sultans of search, check out some tips on getting a gig at Google in Recruiter Recon (page 7).

One explanation of why students are gaga for Google is the effort the company puts into offering on-site amenities, such as laundry services, massage therapy, and a rock climbing wall. More and more, students are attracted to employers that nurture their personal goals, as well as professional aspirations. You’ll see this theme keep popping up in the 16 different employee profiles featured in this issue. For instance, Accenture consultant Tom Hart (page 15) has long had a passion for volunteer work; through Accenture’s partnership with Genesys Works, Hart is able to teach underserved youths technological and professional skills.

Once you have an idea of some of the employers that interest you, turn to Insights (page 4) for some tips on writing better resume objectives and prepping for campus recruiters. In Watch Your Mouth (page 5), you’ll learn when to bite your tongue in an interview. And if you see yourself as a trailblazer, we’ve made a special point to feature young entrepreneurs this time around. In What I Didn’t Learn In College (page 4), Brian Linton shares the de facto on-the-job training that comes with being your own boss, while No Guts, No Glory (page 32) offers a more in-depth look at what it takes to be a self-starting wunderkind.

Hopefully, when you put down this issue of Jungle Campus, your head won’t be spinning quite as fast as when you picked it up—and maybe even be able to answer the question, “Where Is Your Mind?” when it comes to your career.

DENIS WILSON Editor in Chief

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UNIVERSUM 1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1800 Philadelphia, PA 19102 215.546.4900 www.universumusa.com CEO Michal Kalinowski Global Director of Media Karin Almcrantz

University Relations, Marketing, and Distribution Jonas Barck Kristina Matthews Jeremie Haynes Kate Balog For information about advertising in Universum publications, please contact Merritt Carew at merritt.carew@universumusa.com or 215.546.4900 ext. 107

SALES AND ADVERTISING Tracy Lynn Drye Camille Kelly Kortney Kutsop Sara Ying Gao Neha Patel Emma Moretzsohn Melissa Burdette Kayleigh Nance Entire contents copyright 2010, Universum All rights reserved.

Universum’s goal is to improve communication and understanding between employers and young professionals. Our annual Undergraduate, MBA, Diversity, and Young Professional surveys are answered by more than 300,000 people in 31 countries. Universum also produces MBA Jungle, WetFeet Insider Guides, Career TV, events, and websites.

C O N T E N T S 04 INSIGHTS

Resume Objectives, Interview Slip Ups, Campus Recruiting, Recruiter Recon

08 TOP 100 BUSINESS EMPLOYERS

36 PAGE

10 TOP 100 ENGINEERING EMPLOYERS

12 TOP 100 INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY EMPLOYERS

SPONSORED CONTENT

14 EMPLOYEE PROFILES

Read about what it’s like to work at AT&T, Accenture, CIA, John Deere, Liberty Mutual, Macy’s, NSA, Toys“R”Us, Turner Construction, UBS, Unilever, and Universum

32 NO GUTS, NO GLORY

The entrepreneurial path isn’t for the weak of heart: The risks are high— but the rewards can be just as great

40

35 TEACHER’S PET

Five ways to network with professors…without resorting to shameless apple-polishing

36 RISE OF THE ROBOTS

The Terminator and Optimus Prime are a couple Hollywood A-listers. See what it takes to build real-life robots.

40 EXIT RAMP: POP WISDOM

Kanye West makes killer records. We give killer career advice.

32 JUNGLE CAMPUS

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Resume Objectives P05 :: Interview Slip Ups P05 :: Campus Recruiting P06 :: Recruiter Recon P07

WHAT I DIDN'T LEARN IN COLLEGE

By Liz Seasholtz

[BRIAN LINTON] AGE TITLE EMPLOYER DEGREE

23 PRESIDENT UNITED BY BLUE B.A. TEMPLE UNIVERSITY 2008

B

rian Linton is fascinated by fish.

Growing up in Singapore, a leading exporter of tropical fish, he was surrounded by a culture that valued marine life. Most days after school, Linton found himself at the neighborhood fish store, learning how to breed fish. At home, he had 30 fish tanks. When it came time to choose a career, Linton took one look at his aquatic friends and decided to make a career out of cleaning the oceans.

In Spring of 2010, Linton started United By Blue, a sustainable, ocean-friendly line of apparel and accessories. For every UBB product sold, the company removes 1 pound of trash from the world’s oceans, beaches, and waterways. So far, the company has conducted cleanups from Georgia to Massachusetts, removing more than 3,000 pounds of trash.

Linton’s Asian studies major did little to prepare him for running a business, especially when it comes to handling money. With no training in finance and accounting, he had to teach himself how to manage his supply budget, monthly expenses, and five-person payroll. “I spend a lot of time worrying about money. I just have to take a deep breath and remember, as long as we are doing what we love and meeting our goal of helping the oceans, the money will follow.”

The most important skill Linton has perfected on the job is his ability to sell himself and his company with confidence. “Everything in life is about selling. You’re either selling your resume to get a job, selling yourself to the press, or selling yourself to potential partners.”

Linton has learned a lot along the way and believes that above all, you have to possess the passion to keep a new venture going. “With UBB, we’re not just talking about helping the oceans. We’re out on the weekends getting sunburned on beaches cleaning up trash.” 

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YOU CAN READ MORE AT WETFEET.COM

INSIGHTS

WHAT’S YOUR

OBJECTIVE? An objective statement, placed directly after the heading of your resume, conveys your immediate career goals and reason for contacting an employer.

WHO SHOULD HAVE ONE? If you’re an entry-level job candidate with little job experience, an objective to your resume will help readers understand how your qualifications fit the position you’re targeting. An objective prepares the recruiter to evaluate achievements in terms of your career goals, especially if your first section shows your academic accomplishments.

CRAFTING YOUR STATEMENT Your objective statement should be specific and straightforward, and limited to one or two concise sentences. Don’t bother with a general one-size-fits-all objective statement, such as “I am seeking a challenging position that utilizes and expands my professional skills.” That tells the recruiter nothing and is simply a waste of space.

Instead, use the objective to customize your resume directly to the job or company you’re targeting. The objective can be as simple as, “Seeking an associate copywriter position in the advertising industry.” A well-crafted objective functions as a thesis statement, setting the direction in which the resume will follow.

EXAMPLE:

OBJECTIVE

To obtain a summer internship in the sciences that will allow me to put my theoretical education to practical applications.

WATCH YOUR MOUTH

By Liz Seasholtz

Recruiters share what NOT to say in an interview

>> Everybody trips over a few words or flubs an answer now and again during an interview. And that’s OK—recruiters don’t expect a perfect batting average. But there are some comments that are sure to get your interviewer to say, “Thanks for stopping by.”

“WHAT DOES YOUR COMPANY DO?” Anything you can find out on a website is unacceptable to ask, says Brad Karsh, founder of career consulting company JobBound and recruiter at an advertising firm. “Any questions like, ‘Where are you located? Who’s your president? What does your business do?’ shows you didn’t do your preparation. And if you’re that unprepared for an interview, what are you going to be like to work with?”

“DAMN, THE WEATHER REALLY SUCKS TODAY” Your suit may be pressed and your shoes shined, but if you curse or use slang, you’ll look unrefined and reckless. Karsh says one of his worst job candidates wouldn’t stop swearing and—believe it or not—making disparaging comments about women and minorities in his interview.

“DID I BOMB THAT QUESTION…?”

Interview questions are tough, and thinking on your feet is never easy. Lewis Lin, founder of Seattle Interview Coach and former hiring manager for Microsoft and Google, says many

candidates appear insecure by questioning whether they answered well. “Take a deep breath, be confident, and then answer these unexpected questions as best as you can.”

“WHEN ARE YOU DUE?” Even if your interviewer looks eight months pregnant, avoid comments that may come off as invasive: Defer to your interviewer to bring up personal topics for conversation.

Same goes for family photos/memorabilia in her office: You might mistake a photo of the interviewer’s niece as his wife, or assume he went to Penn State if he's using a Nittany Lion coffee mug.

“MY OLD COMPANY IS DECLARING BANKRUPTCY THIS MONTH, BUT THEY HAD IT COMING” Never divulge sensitive information or badmouth a former employer. Not only will it make the hiring manager weary of trusting you, says Karsh, but you never know who they know at your former job—it could get back to the wrong person. 

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL WILSON JUNGLE CAMPUS

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5

INSIGHTS

The Rules of Engagement

SNIPING CAMPUS RECRUITERS TAKES STUDIED PREPARATION

By Michelle Grottenthaler

E

VERY FALL, employers deploy recruiters to campuses to scout out the best and brightest. Don’t get caught on your heels. Taking an active approach by preparing for the first wave of recruiters will set you apart from the hundreds of other students company reps are bound to meet.

1. GATHER INTEL Career centers are your greatest ally when it comes to on-campus recruiting—so take advantage of them. “It’s a common misconception that the career center is geared toward a specific major or year,” says Tim Luzader, director of Purdue University’s Center for Career Opportunities. “But it doesn’t matter whether you’re a freshman or a senior, you should just go and see what they offer.” Check with your career center to stay up-to-date with recruiting events, sign up for newsletters, and visit its career resource site regularly.

2. CHOOSE YOUR TARGETS Scan the list of upcoming visitors and select the employers that interest you. If you’re not familiar with an organization, take a look at its website and Wikipedia entry before narrowing down your list. Don’t pick more companies than you have time to study up on. “If there are 25 recruiters coming to an event, focus your energy on your top five,” says Jesse Downs, assistant director of job search at Louisiana State University

Career Services. “You won’t be as effective of an interviewee if you try to meet with them all.”

3. CONDUCT RECONNAISSANCE Downs says the number one complaint he hears from employers is students’ lack of research.

“The employer has an expectation that you have a basic understanding of the company and its services. If you don’t research the company, the employer may feel you are wasting their time.”

Get a sense of each company’s business model and culture. Catch up on recent press or industry developments you can reference when speaking with recruiters.

4. TRAIN FOR YOUR MISSION If possible, schedule a mock interview at your school’s career center. Some centers will videotape the interview so you can review your performance. Practice your elevator pitch. Get your resume critiqued and attend interview workshops. New York University offers an Acing the Interview seminar for students and invites recruiters to participate. “We often have

employers who come to meet with the younger students to educate them about the industry, or who just want to give back to the students by helping them prepare for an interview,” says Diana Gruverman, director of employer services at New York University.

5. MAKE CONTACT One week prior to the recruiters' visit, initiate contact with them. Perhaps the employer has a Facebook page or LinkedIn profile. Become a friend or fan, and send the company a message. Let the recruiter know you’re looking forward to meeting.

Make yourself stand out from the competition by showing a sincere interest in the company. Don’t forget to double-check your spelling. And don’t be a Facebook stalker: One message is enough.

6. ENGAGE Greet the recruiter with a firm handshake and a smile. Give a brief introduction of yourself and ask a pointed question. Be prepared to talk about yourself, but also have backup questions to fire back with. Let the recruiter know you’re genuinely interested in the company and its mission. Illustrate a connection between the company’s values and your own by providing an example of your work experience. Hand over your cover letter and resume, and tell the recruiter you plan to follow up.

7. MAINTAIN CONTACT Send a thank you note! Tell the recruiter you enjoyed meeting him and you enjoyed learning about the company. Differentiate yourself from the other eager faces by referring to something specific from your conversation. Again, stress your interest in the company. State whether you’re looking to participate in the company’s internship program or want to be considered for a job opportunity. 

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL WILSON

RECRUITER RECON

GOOGLE’S SEARCH Reported By Liz Seasholtz

THE INTERNET GIANT IS ON THE HUNT FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE

W

ant to work for Google? You’re not alone. Google receives thousands of applications a day, and for the past three years students have named the company the most ideal employer, according to a survey by research firm Universum. Despite its reputation for being an employer beyond reach, Google is hiring - and there's a good chance you fit the bill.

How competitive is it to get a job at Google?

We’re fortunate that we have a strong brand and attract great people, so it can be competitive.

For all of our roles combined, we get more than 3,000 applications every day. A recruiter actually does review all applications and resumes.

JESSICA EINFELD TITLE: University

Program and Intern Programs Specialist COMPANY: Google LOCATION: Seattle

INSIGHTS

think you need to have gone to an elite school to get hired and that’s not true. You don’t need to have Harvard on your resume to get a job here.

I imagine approaching the Google booth at a career fair can be pretty intimidating. Any advice on how to impress Google recruiters?

The students that stand out the most are the ones who are actually willing to take the initiative to come up and talk to me. They know about Google, they’ve done their research, they know our products, and they ask intelligent questions about what we’re working on.

We also like well-rounded people. We like to see that you excel academically and can work hard, but we also want to know what makes you who you are.

Whether it’s running marathons, writing a blog, or starting a business, showcasing who you are as an individual is really important.

What is the biggest misconception that people have about your company?

That they can’t get a job here! That’s not the case.

You just have to be prepared, willing to work hard, and have the experience to back up your skills. In fact, we are aggressively recruiting for engineering and sales positions. Another thing is a lot of students

Undergrads have ranked Google as the number one employer for a few years now. Why are students so enthralled by Google?

I think it’s the innovative culture.

If you come in as a new grad, you can make your ideas heard and have an impact right away. It’s an open, collaborative environment. If you think of improvements for a product you’re working on, it doesn’t matter if you were hired yesterday, you’re open to share them.

Speaking of office culture, we hear there’s a rock-climbing wall at your Boulder, Colorado location. What other perks are there to being a Googler?

There are a ton. At the Mountain View, California office, we have an onsite gym, outdoor cafes, free snacks, on-site doctors, a laundry room, hair stylist, massage therapist, oil change and carwash services, and more.

Google tries to seek out the annoyances of your day—like doing laundry—and make them not so annoying. We also have tech talks, and celebrities come speak—Conan O’Brien was just here for a question-and-answer session.

Google makes sure they have a lot of things going on that make it a fun place to work and you don’t get bored. It keeps you excited and motivated.

READ MORE RECRUITER RECON INTERVIEWS ON WETFEET.COM

JUNGLE CAMPUS

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7

2010 TOP

E M P L O Y E R S AT LEAST FOR NOW, it seems that Google can’t loose. This year the search engine powerhouse took double honors as the number one employer among undergraduates studying business and information technology, according to a survey by research firm Universum. ¶ Though the complex algorithms that drive Google forward are shrouded in mystery, there are some clear answers as to how the company attracts young minds. For one, work/life balance remains the most important career goal among undergrads, and if you haven’t heard, Google aims to be the work/life balance employer extraordinaire. As Google recruiter, Jessica Einfeld, puts it, “Google tries to seek out the annoyances of your day and make them not so annoying,” offering an onsite gym, hair stylist, oil changes, and laundry services.

02 03 04

Ernst & Young PwC, LLP 2009 RANK: 01

GOOGLE 2009 RANK: 02

10

2009 RANK: 03

Deloitte

2009 RANK: 05

05 06 07

Walt Disney Company

KPMG LLP 2009 RANK: 06

J.P. Morgan 2009 RANK: 08

2009 RANK: 04

08 09 10

Apple

2009 RANK: 07

Goldman Sachs

Nike

2009 RANK: 10

2009 RANK: 09 On the following pages you’ll find the complete rankings of the companies that students chose as their most preferred employer in business, engineering, and information technology, based on a survey of over 27,000 diverse undergraduates at 176 schools

2010 RANK

COMPANY

2009 RANK

11

FBI

15

12

Major League Baseball

13

2010 RANK

COMPANY

2009 RANK

56

McKinsey & Company

41

11

57

3M

61

The Coca-Cola Co.

13

58

IKEA

N/A

14

Microsoft

12

59

Lockheed Martin Corporation

57

15

Bank of America

14

60

Citi

54

16

Procter & Gamble

16

61

Barclays Capital

66

17

Morgan Stanley

19

62

Verizon

74

18

U.S. Department of the Treasury

N/A

63

UBS

65

19

Johnson & Johnson

17

64

Electronic Arts

53

20

U.S. Department of State

20

65

Starwood Hotels & Resorts

55

21

BMW

21

66

Accenture

71

22

Federal Reserve Bank

24

67

Exxon Mobil Corporation

62

23

Internal Revenue Service

29

68

Mayo Clinic

86

24

Hilton Hotels Corporation

69

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

85

25

Target

70

AT&T

70

26

Central Intelligence Agency

71

Credit Suisse

63

27

Sony

23

72

National Security Agency (NSA)

79

28

Marriott

25

73

General Mills

72

29

Coach

26

74

Nestlé USA

67

30

Grant Thornton LLP

37

75

American Airlines

80

31

Wells Fargo & Company

34

76

Kraft Foods

81

32

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts

47

77

Best Buy

76

33

Southwest Airlines

58

78

National Institutes of Health

N/A

34

Peace Corps

45

79

Harrah's Entertainment

60

35

Starbucks

39

80

Gap Inc.

69

36

L'Oréal

32

81

Bain & Company

73

37

General Electric

30

82

U.S. Department of Energy

64

38

American Cancer Society

49

83

Dell Inc.

77

39

Macy's Inc.

31

84

Delta Airlines

92

40

The Boston Consulting Group

35

85

Barclays Bank

N/A

41

IBM

36

86

eBay

75

42

PepsiCo

42

87

MillerCoors

84

43

Amazon

52

88

Heineken

N/A

44

Time Warner

38

89

CBS Interactive

82

45

Boeing

46

90

American Eagle

95

46

Anheuser-Busch InBev

33

91

FedEx

94

47

Calvin Klein

44

92

Shell Oil Company

83

48

Teach for America

50

93

U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

N/A

49

adidas

N/A

94

Pfizer

78

50

The World Bank Group

N/A

95

Ford Motor Company

137

51

Deutsche Bank

43

96

Centers for Disease Control

113

52

Fidelity Investments

56

97

Rolls-Royce North America

97

53

NASA

51

98

John Deere

119

54

Yahoo!

59

99

Hewlett-Packard

89

55

American Express

48

100

Liberty Mutual

102

22 28 27

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9

2010 TOP

E M P L O Y E R S FOR THE SECOND consecutive year, “government/public service” topped the list of industries undergrads want to work in. The continued popularity of working for Uncle Sam, plus a reputation for having top-notch internships and offering challenging work, has kept NASA at the top of the list of places where engineering students want to launch their careers.

02 03 04

Lockheed Martin Corp.

Google

2009 RANK: 04

Boeing

2009 RANK: 03

2009 RANK: 02

N ASA 2009 RANK: 01

05 06 07

General Electric

Microsoft 2009 RANK: 11

2009 RANK: 05

U.S. Dept. of Energy 2009 RANK: 06

08 09 10

10

BMW

2009 RANK: 09

Exxon Mobil Corporation 2009 RANK: 08

Apple

2009 RANK: 10

2010 RANK

COMPANY

11

D.O.D.

2009 RANK

13

12

Walt Disney Company

13

2010 RANK

COMPANY

2009 RANK

56

Merck

49

7

57

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.

19

Northrop Grumman

12

58

Volkswagen

N/A

14

Intel

14

59

Major League Baseball

53

15

IBM

16

60

AT&T

91

16

U.S. Air Force

24

61

Halliburton

60

17

Procter & Gamble

18

62

ConocoPhillips

56

18

Johnson & Johnson

17

63

The Coca-Cola Co.

59

19

Shell Oil Company

20

64

Sun Microsystems

66

20

Central Intelligence Agency

15

65

Accenture

65

21

Raytheon Company

22

66

Mayo Clinic

50

22

3M

32

67

Centers for Disease Control

71

23

Sony

21

68

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

N/A

24

Siemens

28

69

Amazon

87

25

Ford Motor Company

41

70

Nissan

62

26

Dow Chemical

26

71

Abbott

80

27

Texas Instruments

33

72

Anheuser-Busch InBev

69

28

FBI

25

73

Bose Corporation

68

29

Rolls-Royce North America

45

74

GlaxoSmithKline

73

30

Turner Construction

36

75

Delta Airlines

85

31

General Motors

31

76

American Cancer Society

81

32

BP

29

77

Waste Management

74

33

Genentech

37

78

Deloitte

75

34

Schlumberger

35

79

General Mills

77

35

National Security Agency (NSA)

44

80

Kraft Foods

86

36

DuPont

34

81

Harley Davidson

N/A

37

Chevron Corporation

30

82

adidas

N/A

38

Caterpillar Inc.

27

83

Southern Company

N/A

39

Electronic Arts

39

84

McKinsey & Company

64

40

United Technologies Corporation (UTC)

70

85

Life Technologies

N/A

41

Honda Companies

23

86

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

127

42

BAE Systems

55

87

Bayer

99

43

U.S. Army

42

88

Amgen

90

44

Peace Corps

38

89

L'Oréal

76

45

Nike

47

90

Qualcomm

N/A

46

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

52

91

Teach for America

67

47

Dell Inc.

57

92

Yahoo!

93

48

Honeywell

43

93

Nestlé USA

79

49

Cisco Systems

51

94

The Boston Consulting Group

72

50

Hewlett-Packard

54

95

Philips

94

51

John Deere

63

96

Bain & Company

89

52

U.S. Department of State

40

97

MillerCoors

103

53

National Institutes of Health

N/A

98

Verizon

100

54

Pfizer

46

99

Nokia

107

55

Goldman Sachs

61

100

BASF

97 JUNGLE CAMPUS

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11

2010 TOP

E M P L O Y E R S GOOGLE’S FIXATION on innovation is good for business, but has also captured the attention of students who want to be the next Silicon Valley whiz to create an application like Google News, which millions use every day. The importance of working for a company with “attractive/exciting products and services” climbed 8 percent from 2009 to 2010 among students surveyed.

02 03 04

Microsoft 2009 RANK: 02

GOOGLE 2009 RANK: 01

10

Apple

2009 RANK: 03

IBM

2009 RANK: 04

05 06 07

Cisco Systems Intel 2009 RANK: 06

2009 RANK: 10

FBI

2009 RANK: 09

08 09 10

Electronic Arts Sony 2009 RANK: 05

2009 RANK: 11

NASA

2009 RANK: 07

2010 RANK

COMPANY

2009 RANK

2010 RANK

COMPANY

2009 RANK

56

Teach for America

61

19

57

U.S. Department of the Treasury

N/A

Lockheed Martin Corporation

18

58

National Institutes of Health

N/A

14

Adobe Systems Inc.

12

59

Target

44

15

Central Intelligence Agency

14

60

KPMG LLP

42

16

Dell Inc.

17

61

BAE Systems

73

17

Sun Microsystems

13

62

T-Mobile

121

18

Yahoo!

15

63

PepsiCo

75

19

Amazon

16

64

FedEx

64

20

AT&T

23

65

United Technologies Corporation (UTC)

59

21

U.S. Department of State

21

66

IKEA

N/A

22

Oracle

N/A

67

Procter & Gamble

45

23

Hewlett-Packard

20

68

Booz Allen Hamilton

76

69

Exxon Mobil Corporation

56

70

American Airlines

87 N/A

11

Walt Disney Company

8

12

National Security Agency (NSA)

13

24 25

D.O.D. Verizon

27 33

26

U.S. Air Force

40

71

Harris Corporation

27

Ernst & Young

36

72

Cerner Corporation

77 90

28

Accenture

32

73

Shell Oil Company

29

Nike

28

74

American Cancer Society

131

30

Boeing

22

75

Nokia

54

31

eBay

25

76

McKinsey & Company

93

32

U.S. Department of Energy

26

77

Federal Reserve Bank

84

33

General Electric

30

78

General Mills

91

34

Goldman Sachs

51

79

John Deere

81

35

J.P. Morgan

34

80

CBS Interactive

78

36

SAP

69

81

Schlumberger

144

37

Texas Instruments

50

82

Lilly

109

38

Deloitte

24

83

Southwest Airlines

71

39

PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP

41

84

Chevron Corporation

88

40

Major League Baseball

38

85

Tyco Electronics

114

41

BMW

31

86

Genentech

85

42

Qualcomm

N/A

87

CIGNA

N/A

43

Lenovo

N/A

88

Liberty Mutual

138

44

Northrop Grumman

35

89

Hilton Hotels Corporation

65

45

Best Buy

48

90

Deutsche Bank

107

46

Time Warner

49

91

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

128

47

The Coca-Cola Co.

39

92

Delta Airlines

121

93

Bose Corporation

70

94

Waste Management

146

95

The Vanguard Group

74

96

Mayo Clinic

80 37

48 49 50 51

Siemens GEICO Raytheon Company 3M

66 138 43 53

52

U.S. Army

52

97

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.

53

Johnson & Johnson

55

98

Rolls-Royce North America

102

54

Bank of America

46

99

American Express

82

55

Peace Corps

57

100

Citi

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PAID ADVERTISEMENT

CIA

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hen Diego finished his term in the military, he wanted to continue serving his country, but he also wanted to pursue > POSITION: Participant in the a career in mechanical engineering.

Undergraduate Scholarship Program He applied for and got accepted to > EDUCATION: Mechanical the CIA’s Undergraduate Scholarship engineering, anticipated Program, and now works for the graduation in 2011 Agency during his summers. Diego says the best part of his job is the great sense of fulfillment he gets from it, even if he can’t tell his friends about what he did during his summer break because of the importance of the work to our country’s national security.

Diego

How did you first become interested in working for the CIA? Coming out of high school I joined the military, and I wanted to go back to school once my time was up. Whenever you change from active duty to the civilian world, they give you a briefing on postmilitary options. I saw an ad in one of the CIA’s pamphlets about the Undergraduate Scholarship Program at the Agency, applied, and got accepted.

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What are you most proud about in your work? I’m definitely proudest of our mission and my contribution on the job. When I joined the military, I was looking forward to really contributing and being a part of something. But with the military it’s a lot of routine work and drills, and it’s not as results-oriented. Here, I’m not just going through the movements—there’s something behind those movements. At the CIA, I see firsthand the results of my hard work.

What is your advice to students who want to work for the CIA? Have patience. It takes a while to hear back about your application— everyone has a different experience, but that was mine. The other thing is that you have to be discreet. You can’t tell the whole world that you’re applying to the CIA, and if you get the scholarship, that you work here. I usually tell people I’m just a fulltime student, or say I just got out of the military. Very few people know that I work for the CIA. What has been the most difficult part of your job? The first day!

You’re overwhelmed with a lot of information, and there are a lot of things to understand and remember. It takes a while to become assimilated to what your position is. And of course, you want to go home and share your day with people, but you can’t! The first day is hard, but then you get used to it. 

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Serving as an independent agency, the CIA is responsible for providing intelligence on a wide range of national security issues to senior US policymakers. CIA’s primary mission is to collect, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate foreign intelligence to assist the President and senior US government policymakers in making decisions relating hen Josh was a junior in high school, he was actively to national security. The seeking scholarship programs to offset the price of college CIA has four Directorates: tuition. When one of his advisors told him about the CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence, Undergraduate Scholarship Program, he applied and was accepted into > POSITION: Network Satellite National Clandestine Service, Engineer the competitive program. The scholarship not only gave Josh $18,000 a Directorate of Science and > EDUCATION: Computer and Technology, and Directorate of year for tuition, but also provided benefits and an annual salary. During electrical engineering, 2007 Support. his summers, Josh interned at the CIA, and after graduation he was hired as a fulltime network engineer. He now troubleshoots high tier FUTURE COWORKERS: problems on the CIA’s networks and designs new network architecture.

A college degree, preferably an advanced degree, is a How did you hear about the job at the CIA? I had three summers where I came up and did co-op standard requirement for tours. My first two summers I was doing IT help, and mainly fixing individuals’ computer problems. overseas officers, intelligence But my third and final summer I had the opportunity to go overseas and be a satellite engineer. At that analysts, and other nonpoint, I had decided to specialize in communication theory in school, and I was really interested in clerical positions; knowledge of a foreign language is also satellite-related things, such as wireless antenna design, and modulation themes for cell phones. That’s helpful. Because the Agency’s ultimately what I got hired fulltime to do. Since I’d been here for three summers, those summers were personnel needs span such like an extended job interview, so by the time I came on full time, I could really pick what I wanted to do. a broad spectrum, we do not recommend any one academic What surprised you the most when you started? When I first thought of the CIA, I imagined track over another. this huge mix of people, very focused on their core mission, and working in a very intimidating

Josh

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atmosphere. Although we are very focused here, it’s not as intimidating as I imagined, and I had no problem assimilating. Especially coming in as an intern, I found mentors along the way to help me out.

EMPLOYEES:

What’s the most fun thing you’ve done since starting this job? I really enjoy the traveling. Even though my team is out installing equipment and working on so many trips, it’s like traveling with a friend, not for work. I’ve gotten to know my teammates well, specifically the other students in my engineering co-op. We’re a tight group. Working for the CIA involves a lot of teamwork.

FIND OUT MORE:

What is the best part of your job? I do a lot of troubleshooting, so I really like that feeling of fixing things and getting things to work! In particular, some of my designs have become templates that have been passed on to other IT centers in the CIA and have been used over and over. That’s a really rewarding feeling: that I’m having a lasting impact on the Agency. 

K

eisha never considered working for the CIA until she met an Agency recruiter > POSITION: Finance intern at her school’s career fair. She was > EDUCATION: Finance, attracted to the fact that she could anticipated graduation 2011 explore multiple career paths through internships at the CIA. So far, Keisha has interned in both the HR and finance departments, and is undecided what kind of internship she’ll pursue for her last summer.

Keisha

Has interning at the CIA met your expectations? Exceeded my expectations. I thought I would just be doing clerical work and helping people with smaller tasks, but I have my own projects to do and my own desk, so I really feel accountable.

What’s the most fun thing you’ve done since starting this job?

Last year when I was working on advertising and marketing in the HR department, we had a chance to watch a film crew and actors make a podcast advertisement for the National Clandestine Service, which is the operations arm of the Agency. We got to see them edit the podcast, and all the other steps to get to the final product. It was exciting.

Not publicly disclosed www.cia.gov

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I.T.

What are the perks of being an intern for the CIA? We have student programs, where we get to tour the DC area, visit certain buildings, and see what goes on behind the scenes. We also have meetings in which high-level CIA officers will come and speak to us about how they got their positions and what they do.

What surprised you the most when you started? The amount of trust I was given. I am given real, significant work, and I feel like I’m making a significant contribution to protecting our country.

What is the most difficult part of your job? Not being able to go into detail about what I do when I talk to my friends. The work we do here is important, and you can’t tell people about what you do.

Having access to sensitive information makes you very aware of how you describe your job. I tell my friends I work in accounting, and that usually ends the conversation!

What is your advice to students who want to work for the CIA? Start early. The best thing to do is to join the Agency as a student.

There are so many opportunities here, and as a student you can explore them through internships. My two internships have been totally different and shown me two sides of the Agency. 

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your next great leap:

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Harmonizer

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Entrepreneur

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Liberty Mutual Group Kayla Wheaton > POSITION: Human Resources Associate in the Corporate Human Resources Department > EDUCATION: Bryant University, business administration with a concentration in management, minors in Spanish and sociology, 2010

As one of the world’s largest property and casualty insurers, Liberty Mutual Group offers a wide range of insurance products and services. We restore lives, and whenever possible, use our knowledge base, employee talent, and research capabilities to prevent accidents and injuries from happening.

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irst impressions can go a long way, and Kayla Wheaton’s first impression of Liberty Mutual was of its commitment to community service. In January 2010, Wheaton took part in the Liberty Mutual Responsible Scholars Community Project and volunteered in communities affected by wildfires in Southern California. Stories of the company’s work environment and the challenges and rewards of working in the insurance industry stayed with her, leading her to apply to the Human Resources Development Program, a two-year rotation program through the company’s HR functions.

PHOTO: CHRIS SANCHEZ

How did you hear about the job at Liberty Mutual? I heard about it from one of the women on the community service project who talked about her experience at Liberty Mutual and in the insurance industry. She knew I was majoring in management, so she gave me some information about the Human Resources Development Program, and I found out more about it on the company’s website.

Why do you think you got this job? I would say because of my skills in interpersonal communication and the level of confidence I had in myself. In this job, it’s really important to be personable and to effectively communicate with management and your peers as you handle different cases from other employees.

What surprised you the most when you started? I remember, during my first week, looking at what the HR associate job See Liberty Mutual Group in action. Go to CareerTV.com to view company-specific career videos and get the inside scoop on top employers.

description encompasses. You have to handle all kinds of different cases—short-term unemployment, workers compensation, medical leave—and I saw how much detail goes into every case. It surprised me, but it also excited me.

What are you most proud of in your work? I’m most proud of being able to take on the previous associate’s role. She was such a great asset to the team, and I wondered, will I be able to measure up?

In this program, you have to rotate out and replace someone else in that role. I have a lot of responsibilities, and I feel proud when I get things done.

What is your advice to students who want to work in this industry? Always be yourself during the interview process. In this job, you want to be easy to talk to and outgoing, not standoffish, and you’ll have to answer questions from all different kinds of people.

Also, it is a fairly conservative business, so you definitely want to know what kind of culture a company has and abide by that.

What’s the most fun thing you’ve done since starting this job?

About a month into the program, the HR department took us all bowling for a department appreciation night. They made sure people from different units were on the same team, and we were able to break out and meet supervisors and people who are in the same program.  For detailed information on Liberty Mutual Group, check out WetFeet.com’s Employer Profiles.

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The entrepreneurial path isn’t for the weak of heart: The risks are high—but the rewards can be just as great.

I

B Y L I Z S E A S H O LT Z

T’S A SUCCESS STORY we all know: In 2004, a computer science major starts a social networking site from his Harvard dorm room. He drops out of school, secures millions in venture capital, and moves to Silicon Valley to take his brainchild global. Six years and 500 million users later, Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook are cemented in our minds as a Cinderella story of youthful entrepreneurship. ¶ Zuckerberg is now worth $4 billion and, according to Forbes, at 25 he’s the world’s youngest billionaire. As Facebook continues to grow every day, budding entrepreneurs across the country are scratching their heads, wondering “How can I do that?” ¶ While most young entrepreneurs won’t have the unprecedented success of Zuckerberg, entrepreneurship is a career path frequently and successfully navigated by young people. More than 1,500 universities in the U.S. offer entrepreneurship courses, and most have some semblance of a program— either a major, minor, or focus in entrepreneurship. A career as a self-starter allows students to chart a career course limited only by the business ideas they can conjure up. And although an academic foundation in entrepreneurship is helpful, battle-worn entrepreneurs will tell you the only way to truly learn how to run a company is by doing it.

THE ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE Aspiring entrepreneurs are typically very passionate, with ambitious dreams of realizing a fledgling idea. But what really separates the wannabes from the successful entrepreneurs, says Cornell University entrepreneurship professor David BenDaniel, is persistence. “There are a lot of highly intelligent, driven students that are not persistent. Those students hit a bump in the road and go running. Entrepreneurial students hit a bump in the road and get over it.”

In his experience molding the Trumps of tomorrow, Jim Wheeler, director of University of Oklahoma’s Entrepreneurship Center, has observed that students pursuing an entrepreneurship major generally fall into two categories. The first are the students who’ve been selling marked-up candy since childhood, and have always known they wanted to start a business. “These students come to college and know what kind of company they want to create, whether it’s making a new tennis shoe, a JUNGLE CAMPUS

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computer application, or some other product.”

These students use the program to build their contacts, their business plan, and their overall vision.

Take, for instance, Justin Miller, an accounting major and co-founder of Notehall.com, an online marketplace where students can buy and sell class notes. Miller knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur since childhood. “While all my friends were playing video games, I was reading about small businesses and starting up different money-making ventures.” In high school, he sold music memorabilia on eBay. When college came around, Miller had the idea to start Notehall.com, pitched it to his fellow University of Arizona classmate and entrepreneurship major, Sean Conway, and the two launched the venture in 2008.

Not all students are destined to run their own company as soon as they turn their tassel.

Wheeler says the second type of entrepreneurs-to-be know they want to run their own business one day, but are still trying to find a niche. Without a concrete business idea at hand, they use an education in entrepreneurship to develop their interests and hone their business acumen. Many go on to work for a startup or a well-established corporation after graduation where they can build their skills and fatten their rolodex for when they do branch out on their own. BenDaniel says he often receives calls from students who took his class five to ten years ago, and now that they have some experience under their belt, want to bounce business ideas off him.

In either situation, entrepreneurship majors usually leave campus with the know-how to start a business, and the self-confidence that they can do it. “I think anyone can be an entrepreneur,” says Miller. “For two years I was a full-time student {while} starting Notehall.com at the same time. Conquering both things has given me a lot of confidence—what I’ve been through is not easy, and because of that I really feel like I can do anything.”

HANDS O N The curriculum for undergraduate entrepreneurship programs looks like what you might expect, often including management, marketing, venture creation, new product development, and legal studies. Depending on the program, students may be required to have a double major or pursue a minor: Most students pick business, marketing, or finance.

But since the abilities of every entrepreneur are eventually put to trial by fire in the real world, classes are infused with hands-on experience that aims to throw students into the thick of creating and owning a startup. Sherry Hoskinson, director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Arizona, says UA goes to great lengths to show rather than tell students how to react to obstacles they will face. Instead of just bringing lawyers into the classroom to lecture, the school has created a

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cross-discipline course in which law school students act as counsel to their clients in the entrepreneurship program. “Whether it’s liquor laws across different states, or Internet law issues, or something else, entrepreneurship students are learning how to work with the law and protect their companies,” says Hoskinson.

Adam Kovine, co-founder of The Cravory, a virtual bakery that creates custom cookies, graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in entrepreneurship and says the program was invaluable to him. “It’s not just about

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT MAKING COOKIES.

It’s about doing the research, writing a business plan, selling the cookies, presenting the cookies to customers and to CEOs of large food companies.

— ADAM KOVINE, co-founder, The Cravory making cookies. It’s about doing the research, writing a business plan, selling the cookies, presenting the cookies to customers and to CEOs of large food companies, and more.”

Miller says entrepreneurship programs give you the know-how to launch a company, but then it’s up to you to follow through. “You can only really learn how to actually launch a company by doing it.” Managing real-life employees is one of things Miller and cofounder Conway had to learn on the fly. “When someone comes in late or turns in a poorly done project, how do you deal with them?” says Miller. “Those are certainly issues that we’ve had to deal with. But I have a feeling you could even talk to people with 30 to 40 years business experience and they’re still learning how to deal with employees.”

THE BOTTOM LINE The U.S. Census Bureau reports that for 2004, the last surveyed year, the one-year survival rate for small businesses was 76.4 percent, and the five-year survival rate was 50.7 percent. Opening a small business usually has an “up or out” trajectory: The first few years of a company’s lifespan indicate whether it’ll make it in the long run or fall short.

The biggest obstacle for any startup, but especially for students, is money. “When you’re a student, it’s amazing how cheap you can live on ramen noodles and with three roommates to split rent,” says Wheeler. “But when you’re launching your business, you have to be realistic about your expenses. If something costs $10 to manufacture, it’s going to cost $10, so don’t budget $7.50. I see that a lot.”

Constantly worrying about money can be stressful, says Brian Linton, founder of sustainable apparel company United By Blue. But it’s essential. “It’s the sad truth but when you have so many expenses on a monthly basis, your monthly expenses spiral out of control.”

To get better at handling the dollars and cents, some students take finance courses, such as early stage capital, entrepreneurial finance and private equity, and financial management. Before Kovine picked up the entrepreneurship major his senior year, he studied finance on a tip from his older entrepreneurship peers. “Most people at AU pair entrepreneurship with a business major, but I knew a few guys a couple years ahead of me and I asked them which major to pursue. Almost all of them said finance. It’s a hard major but it gives you a good perspective of how to run the business from the numbers side.”

If they can keep afloat for long enough, ultimately entrepreneur majors can outpace their peers in income. A study by economists at the University of Arizona, surveying alumni from 1983 to 2000, found that, on average, entrepreneur alumni make about $12,561 per year more than their non-entrepreneurship peers.

As the director of the University of Oklahoma’s Entrepreneurship Center, Jim Wheeler has had students start ventures ranging from nanotechnology and waterproof fabric, to a maid service and even a cure for periodontal disease in animals. At the University of Arizona, Sherry Hoskinson has seen startups of an online triathlon apparel shop, a composite technology company, and an online sustainable seafood market, to name a few. In short, it takes a lot of passion and persistence to start a company—but it’s a realistic option.

Kovine says his experience as an entrepreneur has been a lot of trial and error, but at the end of the day the reward of selling great cookies outweighs the work. “When someone takes a bite of a s’more cookie and says it’s the best thing they’ve ever tried, when someone gets joy from our hard work, it justifies that our concept is real.”

Teacher's Pet

By Jeff Ousborne

THEIR ADVICE IS GOOD. THEIR CONTACTS ARE BETTER. 5 WAYS TO NETWORK WITH PROFESSORS…WITHOUT RESORTING TO SHAMELESS APPLE-POLISHING.

P

ROFESSORS ARE among the most crucial career resources a student can cultivate. An introduction to a future employer is only the beginning. Professors can provide good insight on everything from starting a business to solving problems at work. But they can’t—and won’t—go the extra mile for everyone. So how best to distinguish oneself? How to develop a lasting relationship? And thorniest of all, how to do so without shamelessly sucking up, a strategy that will likely backfire not to mention shrivel your soul?

FORK OVER THE INSIGHTS Got a few pearls of wisdom on niche marketing from your brand-management internship? Share it in class. Professors have a near-bottomless appetite for real-world anecdotes. This reflects a key principle for establishing a good relationship with a professor: You scratch his back, he’ll scratch yours.

A few words about the anecdotes themselves: Keep them relevant (gratuitously dropping the name of the firm where you interned is obnoxious), and don’t offer a story for every occasion (nobody likes a know-it-all).

BOB AND WEAVE Professors are professional intellectuals, which

means they welcome a good debate. Seth Goldman, a 1995 graduate of the Yale School of Management, regularly challenged the thinking of his competitive-strategy professor, Barry Nalebuff.

“The habit,” Goldman says, “made a lasting impression. He liked that I turned the table and it paid big dividends.” Ten years after Goldman graduated, he wanted to start his own soft-drink business, so he contacted his former teacher for advice. The two wound up going into business together, and today Honest Tea is a $47 million brand.

STOP BY If it weren’t for all the other students lined up outside her door, a professor’s office hours might seem like the perfect time to establish a

connection. Thus, these tips: Arrive before the throngs—she'll be more focused on you. Ask questions rather than demand answers. And if you want career-related advice during office hours, cut to the chase—don’t pretend you’re there to discuss your research project.

UPSIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIP If you want to be a teaching assistant, you should approach the professor on the first day of class, right? Wrong. Get to him a week before classes start. Even if the professor can’t use you that term, he’ll certainly remember your enthusiasm, which could win you the post the next time around. Regular contact with a good instructor is the obvious attraction of being a TA; the bonus is that a bond often develops when two people work together to evaluate other students’ work.

KNOW YOUR TARGET Not interested in doing research or being a TA? Simply providing a newspaper clipping pertinent to a professor’s research, class discussions, or even personal interests can set one student apart from the rest. If nothing else, a prof will be impressed you took the time to share something as an intellectual peer.

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by MICHELLE GROTTENTHALER

PAGE 036

The Terminator and Optimus Prime may be a couple Hollywood A-listers, but robots play just as big of a role beyond the silver screen.

And they don’t build themselves—yet…

R

obots have us surrounded.

They’re just about everywhere: in hospitals assisting with heart surgery, stocking shelves in factories, and cleaning the carpets in your home. “Basically anytime there’s an environment that’s dull, dirty, or dangerous for a human being, you’ll need a robot,” says Daniel H. Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising.

“That’s why we send robots into outer space, war zones, and active volcanoes.”

Robots don’t complain, so in theory you can get them to do just about anything: In an automotive factory they can perform basic tasks ad infinitum, and humanoid robots can walk, talk, and assist (or replace) human beings. In Tokyo, the I-Fairy was just given the honors of conducting the first wedding ceremony performed by a robot.

The growing role of robots in everything from carpet cleaning to space exploration means the need for young, talented robotics professionals in the industry is ratcheting up. “I see nothing but expansion for robotics automation applications on into the future,” says Rick Sinay, president of Davalyn Corporation, a search service for executives. “It’s becoming more cost-effective now to produce those mechanical devices than it was years ago. It’s not as exotic of a concept as it used to be, so more and more manufactures are looking at those kinds of solutions.”

Colleges are beginning to offer more specialized programs to prepare students for work in particular fields, such as machine automation, cybernetics, or medical robots. A higher degree of specialization usually means higher pay, and engineers with a knack for anticipating the next step for robots—and capable of working in the industry’s typically collaborative environment—will likely find success.

Eugene Kozlenko Title: Robotics Engineer at Barrett Technology Age: 24 Years Old Degree: B.S. Mechanical Engineering School: Olin College of Engineering (Needham, MA)

EUGENE KOZLENKO TITLE: Robotics Engineer at Barrett Technology AGE: 24 DEGREE: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering SCHOOL: Olin College of Engineering (Needham, Massachusetts)

HOW THINGS WORK Intrigued by how things work, at 12, Eugene Kozlenko took apart a battery-powered water pistol and remote-control car and put them together to create a water-powered jet ski.

“That’s sort of my favorite thing—taking mechanical things apart to see if the engineer did it the same way that I would have.” Now, Kozlenko can be found working on robotic limbs—used in prickly situations such as picking up objects on battlefields—at Barrett Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Kozlenko’s curiosity about how things work led him to study mechanical engineering in college. A summer internship at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and a one-year stint with an agricultural robotics company in San Diego eventually led Kozlenko to his current position. As one of the two mechanical engineers at Barrett,

Kozlenko has his hands full designing and building prototypes. One minute he could be designing a new calibration fixture for a sensor to make sure it is as accurate as possible before sending it off to a research lab; the next minute he could be soldering a circuit for a mechanical part that just arrived.

Kozlenko finds it exhilarating to work with robots. There are moments of frustration (such as when electric components fail seemingly for no reason) but the sudden discoveries are worth it. “You can’t go more than a few hours without having to come up with something clever. Whether it’s the most costeffective way to machine a particular part, or coming up with a way to test a circuit that narrows down which component is acting up—every day is full of little opportunities.”

As a company of 17 employees, Barrett is on the smaller side. Kozlenko recommends paying attention to the size of a company as you job hunt; you’ll often have the opportunity to be more directly involved with projects if you’re one of the few hands on deck. “I feel like if I was working at a large company I

would basically be a CAD monkey. I would sit at a computer and review other engineers’ drawings and not have much input.”

Engineers in the robotics industry can expect to work collaboratively in a team environment and independently on specific tasks. “Once an idea is settled on, the approach is usually to divide and conquer,” says Kozlenko. “But it’s vital to communicate with the rest of the team, to come up with better solutions, and to be able to put the various parts of the solutions together.”

On a whole, Kozlenko finds his job rewarding. “It’s not an immediate sort of ‘make a difference’ feeling as you would experience if you were a doctor, but I definitely feel that if robots are able to break out of the factories and do what they do in the movies, it’s going to have a huge and positive impact on everything.”

GETTING IN A robot is made up of hardware and software. The hardware makes up the physical body—the metal and plastic, the nuts and

bolts—and the software is the “brains,” telling the body how to move its parts.

Commercial robots are usually conceived when an engineer realizes a task a robot can accomplish, such as cleaning the inside of a swimming pool.

Robotics engineers are involved in the design, construction, and troubleshooting that brings robots to life. They use computers to generate the designs before building a few prototypes. Once the prototype performs its task correctly and meets testing requirements, it can be sent to a manufacturer to be mass-produced and sold.

Because the industry is constantly developing new technology and experimenting with new ideas, designing and constructing robots requires a lot of patience. “You have to keep a cool head when things don’t work because quite a lot of times they do not,” says Kozlenko. “I had a professor that told me to fail as often as possible because that’s how you learn, and that’s very true in robotics.”

Engineers are also expected to have extensive knowledge in related technology, software, and equipment. You’ll typically need a B.S. in electrical, mechanical, or robotics engineering to get into the field.

Carnegie Mellon is a top choice in the U.S. for students looking to get into robotics, says Bill Townsend, president & CEO of Barrett Technology, as is Georgia Tech, the University of Washington in Seattle, MIT, and Stanford.

Students planning to enter robotics should enjoy working with their hands, says Townsend, and possess a love of things that move. Townsend recommends discussing with professors possible research projects they may need help with. This kind of real-world experience can help break you into a very competitive industry. That’s how Kozlenko snagged his summer internship at NASA: His professor was the director of space science at Goddard Space Flight Center—where he led a team of four in the design and construction of a calibration fixture for a satellite mounted X-ray telescope.

Outside of work, Kozlenko tinkers as much as possible to continue learning. “I always have two or three unfinished projects that I have lying around, just to keep my mind going, and every now and then something I’ve been working on for fun becomes very relevant for something I’m doing at work.”

Working with robots has helped Kozlenko appreciate that tasks humans can do with very little effort can be extremely difficult to recreate with robots—and that robotics is an industry that is constantly advancing. “I would be super thrilled to have a robot help me out in a way that a human could. Like how the robotic arm in ‘Iron Man’ holds a flashlight for [main character Tony Starks]. I think that would be when I would step back and be like ‘Woah, I’m in the future.’”

Barrett Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is home to the BarrettHand, a three-fingered hand that can be programmed to grasp objects, and the Barrett WAM Arm, which mimics the movements of a human arm.

READ UP

Just as with any industry, if you’re looking to work in robotics, it’s important to stay current with the newest innovations in the field. Read robotics trade journals and join organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org) or International Conference on Robotics and Automation. You can also find a lot of industry low-down in The Robot Report (therobotreport.com).

Industry Snapshot:

iDOCTOR Though the global recession stunted the need for robots and robotics engineers in the manufacturing and automotive industries, robotics has grown in a variety of other sectors, such as semiconductors, electronics and photonics, food and beverage, and life sciences. Bill Townsend, president & CEO of Barrett Technology, says health care will be a particularly fast-growing sector of robotics. “Over the next ten years, robots will be overlapping workspaces with people and working in assisted-living areas, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers, working literally hand in hand with people.”

One of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots, ASIMO, can walk forward and backward, up and down stairs, turn while walking, and is capable of voice and facial recognition, connecting to the Internet, and mapping its environment. The goal is for ASIMO to help humans who are elderly and/or physically challenged. “There’s a lot of people retiring all at once, and for that reason there’s a whole lot of money being poured into robotics in order to help people live independently and to help take care of them,” says Daniel H. Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising.

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EXIT RAMP

POP WISDOM

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HEN JETBLUE flight attendant Steven Slater cursed out a passenger, grabbed a few brewskies, and hit the slide, the working masses gave a collective “Right On!” Though we can’t condone his actions, it’s clear that workers everywhere were united by the notion that at one time or another, everybody ends up with a job that makes their head wanna pop. ¶ But we think hearing a good pop song lamenting what a drag the ole 9 to 5 can be helps you blow off steam before you blow a gasket. Each of these songs offers a lesson about how to manage your career. Listen up.

THE JOB THAT ATE MY BRAIN

SUMMERTIME BLUES

HEY JULIE - Fountains of Wayne

–The Ramones Out of bed at 6:15 In a rush and you can’t think Gotta catch the bus and train I’m in a rush and feelin’ insane — I can’t take this crazy pace I’ve become a mental case Yeah, this is the job that ate my brain THE LESSON Even these NYC punks know that a hectic commute can wear you down. It’s worth checking with your manager about the possibility of telecommuting a couple days a week.

– Eddie Cochran Well my mom and pop told me, ‘Son you gotta make some money, If you want to use the car to go ridin’ next Sunday’ Well I didn’t go to work, told the boss I was sick ‘Well you can’t use the car ‘cause you didn’t work late’ THE LESSON Mom and dad aren’t buying your gas money anymore, so if you don’t work hard, don’t expect to play hard.

Working all day for a mean little man With a clip-on tie and a rub-on tan He’s got me running ’round the office like a dog around a track But when I get home, You’re always there to rub my back THE LESSON This song illustrates the importance of balancing a career with a fulfilling personal life. Having support outside the office can help you get through career turbulence until you get that dream job.

SPACESHIP – Kanye West Let’s go back, back to the Gap Look at my check, wasn’t no scratch So if I stole, wasn’t my fault Yeah I stole, never got caught THE LESSON Here’s a lesson of what not to do. Just because you’re underpaid doesn’t mean you can steal. Instead, practice your negotiating skills and approach your boss with a confident explanation of your value to the organization.

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JUNGLE CAMPUS

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FALL 2010

GET A HAIRCUT OR GET A NEW JOB - George Thorogood

TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT

& the Destroyers Get a haircut and get a real job Clean your act up and don’t be a slob Get it together like your big brother Bob Why don’t you get a haircut and get a real job THE LESSON Interview Etiquette 101: You need to look the part. Once you get the job, though, feel out what’s acceptable. Showing off your tats and growing a beard might be just fine.

– Johnny Paycheck Take this job and shove it I ain’t working here no more THE LESSON Sure, sometimes enough’s enough, but don’t let your emotions take control. No matter the dislike you may harbor for your boss or the work, resign with dignity.

No point in burning bridges unnecessarily— you never know when you’ll need a good reference.

D R a w R u o o y F R o t F s o a D N F a c N o

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Because you want to know which career path is right for you... Because companies want to know your path too.

(HINT: listen ) They will

Don’t miss your opportunity –

Be on the lookout for the 2011 IDEAL™ Employer Survey in December!

Who was chosen as the 2010 IDEAL™ Employers? Flip to pages 8–13 to find out!

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