Indianapolis Job Openings

Juggling 2 Jobs

Monday, August 15, 2011 by Kyle Rawn

It seems like just yesterday that I graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and took off for a month in Europe. Coming back was difficult, but starting at Fifth Gear, an Ecommerce fulfillment company looking to double revenue in five years, and the Orr Fellowship Indiana was an abrupt trek back to reality. However, it is great to be in a high-growth Indianapolis company, were the focus is on people. Management recognizes that in order for profitable growth, new people will need to be brought on; and brought on I was. On my very first day with Fifth Gear I left before lunch to visit our 500,000 square feet warehouse location in Louisiana, Missouri. Louisiana had the wonderful smells and feel of a small Middle American town with approximately a third of the town employed by Fifth Gear. I toured the twin warehouses on the outskirts of town, less than two miles from the center! The warehouse was hot and my stomach was growling for food, but the warehouse was never-the-less impressive. With thousands of horse, house restoration and enough contact lenses to keep me seeing for life, I was prepared to whip out my Visa and go on a never-ending shopping spree.

The next morning started with a delightful visit to a local favorite café called Daybreak, located a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River. A pleasant man took our orders. Delicious omelets, California style with spinach and feta cheese is what I got. At the end of breakfast, a nightshift worker recognized our badges and gave us recommendations on how to improve the warehouse. The recommendations were genuine and thorough. After breakfast, it was back to the warehouse. The community office that is shared by temporary visitors is quant with street views. The information I attained over the next few days advanced my knowledge incredibly more than sitting in Indy for four days starring at my computer wondering, “What does this Operations Analyst role I have really mean.” Later, I was invited to sit in on a freight meeting with our CEO, President, and VP of Operations; yet again emphasizing the honor it is to be an Orr Fellow. Two more days of business meetings and shadowing carried on like this. Except on the last day where we all splurged with homemade cinnamon donuts from Daybreak. It was hands down the greatest donut these taste buds have experienced.

The five hour ride back home allowed for reflection on what I learned, as well as a vital phone conference with my manager, we couldn’t find time to meet in Louisiana, further emphasizing exactly how important time is to growing companies. I walked away with valuable insight of what Fifth Gear does, but more importantly I put a face with a name and each person I met was able to do the same. The warehouse was hot, the restaurants were only opened a few nights a week, but the people had the right attitude needed for growth. The people were friendly and everyone acknowledge my existence in passing. It felt simply like home away from home.

In addition to my exciting new role with Fifth Gear on August 1^st the Orr Fellow crew met and I was placed in the Fellow Development Group. The group plans the all-Fellow retreat coming up in mid-August, as well as, five personal and professional growth seminars throughout the next year. Finally the group is responsible for smoothly transitioning our next class of Fellows. Though starting “two” jobs in quick session was a brain shock, I am already seeing the benefits from both. I am excited to spend more time with current Fellows and learn more about Ecommerce.

It's that time of year again...

Friday, October 1, 2010 by Skip Tokar

That's right, its job application season again. Its the annual time of year that college seniors come to the realization that undergrad school is going to end and they have to do... something. Some people pursue graduate schools while other focus on Entrepreneurship Careers, Indiana Job openings, or even graduate fellowships (possibly the Orr Fellowship...); however, all eventually come to the realization that they need a great resume.

I am no resume expert but I picked up a couple of tips and tricks back in the day that I am willing to share with my numerous dedicated readers. You might be saying to yourself "Who is this guy and why does he think he is even remotely qualified to give me tips?" This is a valid point, but, if you apply to the Orr Fellowship, I could be the person reviewing your resume and my tips worked out pretty well for myself. So just sit back and let my insightful resume knowledge engulf you.

In no particular order here is a sampling of my vast resume understanding:

When putting your GPA on your resume go to a maximum of 2 decimal places. If you Major GPA is significantly higher than you cumulative GPA then list that as well (it needs to be obvious that that is specifically your major GPA)
Don't be afraid to include distinguishing experiences. This could include time studying abroad or brief descriptions of your more complicated projects/papers. Just make sure that these things fit in the natural flow of your resume and are not under or overstated.
Do not include stuff from high school, unless they are so ridiculously outstanding that there is no way you could sleep at night knowing that potential employers had no idea how great you were in high school.
Make sure your experience/work history is organized logically. Ideally these sections will flow chronologically because if you planned things correctly, each job/internship builds on the last one, hopefully leaving your most recent experience as the crown jewel on your resume. In addition to this, avoid time gaps in your employment.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when a person just puts "selected" or "completed" said internship on their resume. If it is on your resume I know you worked there and eventually completed the job/internship/program. Your resume needs to be about what YOU have done and what results YOU achieved. No company is going to hire you just because you were selected to participate in a particular program. Companies want to see how you progressed trough an internship and the impacts that you made while there. Sometimes showing how you went about something is just as important as the results. Interviewers know that summer jobs/internships are typically not long enough to make any really significant gains, but they want to see that you have demonstrated the aptitude to get things done.
Make sure you don't sell yourself short or embellish your accomplishments. A lot of times it is plain to see that a person has done some pretty significant work, but their resume does not reflect upon these accomplishments. If you have done impressive things make sure it is known. On the other hand, people can tell if you are trying to make something appear more significant. You don't want to claim more than you really did or use synonyms for every word.
Don't leave dangling words on a line. You should either add words or take out words so there is not just one word all by itself on a line. This is valuable space, don't waste it.
Don't make a resume that is more than one page. I don't care how good you think you are, at this point in time you have not done enough to merit more than one page. You only want to include the very best experiences that are most relevant to the position you are applying for.
There needs to be a balance of good details without jamming some much in there that your resume looks squished and cluttered. You really want your experiences to POP OUT not be hidden in the mess.
Be sure to have a good balance of activities and experiences. Companies, especially the Orr Fellowship, want to see that you are a well rounded individual that has done well in school, has had good work experience, has been involved in campus activities, has held leadership positions, and somehow finds time to volunteer.

These are just some of the resume tips that come to mind. I would have written more but frankly I got tired of writing. If you want to make sure you have good career opportunities and don't end up like this guy then follow my advice.

Follow these guidelines and constantly revise and improve you resume. This is a never ending process but if mastered you will really stand out to all the companies that are hiring new grads, which will lead to you getting a great entry level job and, with any luck, ending up like this guy.

Until next month... This has been Skip Tokar (Special Thanks to Editor Bryan Watson)

Start of a New Chapter (In more ways than one)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by Skip Tokar

So here I am writing my first ever blog, something that I never imagined I would ever do, and a million thoughts about a possible topic are running through my head. Throughout the next two years and roughly 24 posts I plan to blow all my readers minds and expose them to the world of Skip Tokar and his time in the Orr Fellowship. I will cover a myriad of topics including The Orr Fellowship, Brightpoint (my company), Indianapolis, sports, and any other thing that might pop into my brain. This will be such a ground breaking source of information and wealth of knowledge that you will literally be counting down the days until the first of every month (or thereabouts) when my blog is posted. And while I may not have the supreme blogging abilities of people like my good friend Matt Hudson: http://blogs.wabash.edu/matthudson2010/ or http://en.wordpress.com/tag/matt-hudson/, I give will give a valiant effort in my writing and, with any luck, by the end of my two years I will be somewhat competent in my blogging ability (Note the last sentence, along with pretty much this whole paragraph should be read with a sarcastic undertone... just saying).

Anyways, back to my original line of thinking for the blog. Since this is my first blog, I was pondering about all the other "firsts" that myself and all my other Orr Fellows (not to mention many of my recently graduated college friends) are experiencing this summer. Last year at this time I was worrying about finding a job. I was looking for high growth start-ups, Indianapolis job opportunities, specifically looking at the "best places to work in Indiana list", various leadership development/ rotational positions, and even some consulting and investment banking positions. I was lucky enough to find the Orr Fellowship, make my way through their recruiting process, and eventually receive an offer from Brightpoint. After evaluating all my options, I realized that the Orr Fellowship and Brightpoint offered a tremendous opportunity (more on this in a later post, that was a teaser by the way).

Flash forward to today. I am now in my first real job after college, writing my first blog, and am now in one of the fastest growing Business Fellowships in the country. I am excited to start this new chapter of my life and am glad that I get to muddle my way through these next few "adult" years with over 25 other Orr Fellows who are in the same boat as myself.

So I hope you liked my first blog and I apologize in advance for any mistakes that I might have made (I blame my editor). I suggest that you keep track of my progress through the Orr Fellowship by marking you calenders for October 1st when my next blog hits the streets.

Adaptiveness

Monday, January 11, 2010 by Nate Bullock

The May 2006 issue of Human Resources magazine featured an article by Sommer Kehrli and Truy Sopp in which the authors attempted to share tips with older generations on how to manage Generation Y, a group roughly 80 million strong born after 1978 that began entering the workforce five years ago. Often the onus for change is on older generations. After all, we 'Millennials' are coming into the workforce whether current generations like it or not. Why should the 'new' be the ones to change our habits or learn new ones from the 'old'?

An an entrepreneurial fellowship, we constantly strive to place distinguished college graduates into high growth start-ups. But at the same time, we also communicate the need for constant improvement and learning from industry leaders. Nobody is a subject matter expert anymore and while entry-level jobs in start-ups will help you become more knowledgeable about a specific area, it won't guarantee career-long success. To quote Dr. Thomas Mason, Professor of Economics at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, "to be successful at [an older] age, you need to keep learning."

Need real world examples?

Did you major in Public Relations or Marketing in college? Are you pretty confident writing press releases? Cool. BUT, looks like Presslift is a step ahead and that skill set will become mainstream in the near future.

Did you major in Web Design or UX in college? Are you pretty confident designing emails for your company's marketing team? Great!. BUT, Toddle is making email newsletter design and marketing a breeze.

Major in Finance? ChubbyBrain is democratizing your skill set.

Going to Law School? Legal Zoom has the basics covered.

Are you a scrapbooking professional? Yup...the semantic web has taken over this too.

EVERYTHING is changing. High-growth start-ups and technology jobs in Indianapolis will KEEP changing. Being an expert today doesn't ensure anything for tomorrow. As Gen-Y'ers, we want to be mentored, use new technology, and be given the space to try new things. But we can be too confident, and in the process, atrophy our innate strengths of learning and development.

Your job won't be around forever, and if you don't keep learning, neither will you. The first step is accepting that a college degree doesn't make you an expert. The second is opening yourself up to learn skills, habits, and lessons from Generations past.

Oh...and sign-up to have your tree lugged through TREE LUGGERS or follow our tweets @treeluggers.

Creating a Shared Experience

Monday, November 23, 2009 by Nate Bullock

This American Life is a radio program out of WBEZ in Chicago that attempts to display what it is like to live an ‘American life’, complete with its dullness as well as its luster. Reporting is not done in the way we see on television or hear on more traditional radio. Rather, the producers attempt to place us into the culture of the topic area; the sounds bites are not ‘bites’ at all. They are actual, full, complete stories that connect the listener to a new set of experiences. This American Life attempts to make the events that mold our being (whatever that means), which makes understanding the experience more transparent. The radio program, at it's core, is about manufacturing an experience.

For example, attempting to paint the picture of Rome to my friends and family when I returned from a tour of Europe was excruciating. My pictures of Trevi’s Fountain did not nearly do it justice. My explanations of the white cliffs of Dover were juvenile. The only way in which my friends could understand the awesomeness of my trip would have been for them to experience it for themselves. In the absence of a shared “experience,” the narrative loses a little bit of sincerity.

The Orr Fellowship strives to create entrepreneurship careers that do more than simply provide post-graduate networking, entre-level jobs in startups, and an Indianapolis job opportunity; The Orr Fellowship strives to create a shared experience among Orr Fellows. Distinguished post-grad jobs are often about putting in time quietly on the sidelines while you wait your turn to play in the game.

This business fellowship is different. Jumping into fast growing Indianapolis companies is not something that most entry-level jobs in Indiana afford a fresh graduate. But entreprenurial companies need driven graduates to help contribute immediately. These companies look to Orr Fellows to help fulfill that need, providing a shared entreprenurial experience in the process.

Click here to find out how you can be included in this experience!

Learning Lessons

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by Katie Veatch

You may ask – what am I learning? Well, I’ve been learning a lot of new things, but most recently, that you can’t trust a Wabash boy!! Yes, Blaine stole my picture to use in his blog. So, in response, here is another picture. Notice how Blaine isn’t fighting back in this one.

Something else I learned over the last week is to not take the people in your life for granted. I met some amazing people at DePauw, and over my four years there, they became like family. It is easy to think that those people will always be around, and then after graduation everyone splits off in different directions. Being back together with everyone at the Monon Bell game really made us all appreciate the time we have together. That weekend was one of the best experiences I’ve had.

The transition from the college “bubble” to working in your first full time job in the “real world” can be tough, and now I’m realizing how important the Governor Bob Orr Fellowship has been in that process. At the Orr Fellowship Reception on the Circle last week, I was asked several times what my favorite part of the Fellowship is. My answer is simple: the people. Being a part of the Fellowship opened up more connections than I ever thought possible. It helps ease that difficult transition by surrounding you with friendship, guidance, and unique opportunities. The current Fellows have already become a social network and support system. We are all working in high-growth Indianapolis companies and can share our experiences and learn from each other. The alumni offer their experience and advice. The executives and directors are accessible and volunteer their time and energy to contribute to our personal and professional development. When I joined the Orr Fellowship, I was welcomed with open arms into this fantastic new group of people.

All of the candidates I met last week at the Reception on the Circle were incredibly intelligent and motivated individuals, and it was great to have a chance to get to know them. I’m looking forward to see who moves on to Finalist Day. And I can’t wait to meet my new group of friends… I mean the new class of Fellows.

So despite the fact that we’ve been trained to be enemies during our college careers and we might not like to admit it, Blaine, Ty, Natalie and I are all actually friends. Maybe sometime I’ll put up a picture where we are all being cordial. If only we can get Blaine to agree to take one…

Cucumber Flavored Soda Pop

Monday, November 16, 2009 by Nate Bullock

This video surfaced last week from Chow.com, a food and recipe site. I found myself at work watching John, the proprietor of Galcos Soda Pop Stop based in Los Angeles, walk me through his store and serendipitously bring me into his world of 'bubbly water'. Aside from his addictive personality, one can't help but be fascinated by the sheer volume of knowledge the man possesses about everything from rose petal flavored soda to his worldwide business development pipeline. It's always refreshing to hear and see someone who genuinely loves what they're doing.

When I watched the video, I couldn't help but think of entry-level jobs in Indiana. Entry Level Careers are often sought by people who want to make a lot of money, manage a team of employees, and take the elevator straight to the corner office. Most fast paced jobs offer entrepreneurially minded young people the chance to win many of those responsibilities. However, high-growth company jobs, and many other entry-level jobs in Indianapolis are about one thing: passion for doing good work. Companies hiring new grads need talent, but more importantly they need passionate talent. One sure-fire result of being passionate about your career is knowing your business inside and out. Jobs at a small company require that everyone contribute, and companies hiring new grads will open their doors to people who are willing to enter a business career in Indianapolis with a fervor for knowledge, hard work, and dedication.

The shipping is expensive, but I'm looking forward to my cucumber soda shipping in from California this week. Case-in-point right there...John was so passionate in his video that I actually ordered a case of cucumber soda. Imagine the possibilities if you began your business job in Indianapolis with that kind of passion...

How will they choose just 20?

Friday, November 13, 2009 by Ally Hill

Wow. ROTC (Reception on the Circle) last night was unbelievable. All of the current Fellows had a great time getting to know the candidates. I left thinking - how will the board of directors narrow the 60 candidates from last night down to only 20 in the end? I wish all of the candidates the best of luck putting together a personal summary and essay to submit on Monday, and can't wait to see who attends Finalist Day.

With that being said, what I really want to do is address a few of the FAQs I got from candidates last night...

Q: How is the Orr Fellowship different from other Indianapolis job opportunities?
A: No other Indianapolis job opportunity compares to what the Orr Fellowship has to offer. You can go to work at a Fortune 500 company etc., but it will not give you the following:

Instant access to Host Company executives and Indiana business leaders
A social network of the other Fellows and alumni
Monthly business leader meetings and professional development opportunities
A chance to reassess at the end of the 2 year Fellowship - go to grad school, change companies, start your own, or stay with your Host Company
and of course there are MORE reasons...

Q: How are Fellows compensated?
A: I was asked this question more times than expected, but I suppose it's one that should be answered since as a Fellow you'd have an entry-level job in a startup (which is probably much different from anything else you're considering).

I will say that although the salary isn't glamorous, it's 'average' and most definitely an amount you can live on. You are paid by your Host Company, but all Fellows are paid the same amount. Benefits will vary depending on the Host Company you are placed in. Other business jobs in Indiana or entry level technology jobs may pay better, but if you look at the answer to the question above - you'll see what you're not getting with those opportunities.

Q: Have you enjoyed your experience in the Orr Fellowship so far?
A: YES! I've been given a lot of responsibility in a short amount of time. I work with executives on a daily basis. I have a group of friends I wouldn't have had without the Fellowship... I can't believe it's already been a year and a half. I'm going to be bummed when my Fellowship is over.

TGIF! Have a great weekend everyone.