Orr Fellowship Indiana

The Orr Fellowship's ROTC took place in Indianapolis, Indiana, just a few days ago, and with all the wonderful new candidates to speak with, inspiring presenters,  and some great MCing by Bob Reish and Matt Lubbers, there was plenty to be excited about. My favorite part, however, was after the event had ended. The last candidates were trailing out and the hosts were gently herding the current fellows towards the exits while flipping the lights off behind us.

Outside, the conversations continued. For a good 30 minutes, almost twenty of the current fellows stood in the not-so-tropical Indiana night, catching-up, telling jokes, and making plans for both the short-term (weekend) and long-term (career). It was already late, we all had work in the morning, and we had already been together for nearly four straight hours. Yet somehow we were simply having too much fun enjoying each others company, conversing about business jobs in Indiana and pleasure, and bouncing our latest ideas off one another to be bothered.

To my left, the ever enthusiastic Jon Corwin rang out, saying he wished the candidates were still around, as this scene was the best example he could think of of what it really means to be a fellow. I had to agree.

I realize I have yet to make a splash on the Orr Fellowship blog (shame on me), but I’m hoping that – after reading this post – this will speak to not my lack of involvement with or enthusiasm for the Orr Fellowship, but quite the opposite.

As I read through the blog posts to date from my fellow Orr Fellows, it’s clear that this entire string highlights one reason after another why you should respect the organization’s goals and obvious deliverables (deliverables? Meaning: the network, connections, friendships, professional experience and education, exposure to executives and high-growth startups, entrepreneurial opportunities, and on and on…) – or even consider applying. It’s a team effort to grow and improve the Fellowship, which says something else about it. We have all either consciously or unconsciously acquired a sense of ownership of the program. Every new class of Orr Fellows has the potential to define the Fellowship further, which is intensely motivating.

In that same vein, one of the biggest themes between the two current classes of Orr Fellows (2009 and 2010) right now is collaboration and, more importantly, the power thereof. Orr Fellows are active and making an impact on the Indianapolis community. Matt Hunckler, with assistance from Jon Corwin and other Orr Fellow alumni, organizes Hackers & Founders, a group for entrepreneurs and developers passionate about startups and new opportunities. Max Yoder decided to help give the group some face time and wrote about it for the Indy Spectator (this tweet shows how the magic happens).


Speaking of Max, he’s also fairly active with his music alongside his job and Orr Fellowship activities. I (Lauren Weatherall) am working with a co-worker of mine in organizing Linking Indy Women, a networking group for women professionals looking to share and be inspired by others’ accomplishments. In short, a lot of great things are happening through collaboration and, often times, connections spurred by the Orr Fellowship serve as the catalysts for this kind of activity.
 

For brevity's sake, I won’t delve into further examples, but I will express my enthusiasm for the culture we, as Orr Fellows and motivated young professionals, are helping cultivate in Indiana. I'm surprising myself by how much I'm enjoying Indianapolis right now; I think it's partly because I can see and am part of some of the changes happening here. People are helping and connecting each other in the entrepreneurial scene (well, and just in general) and I'm finding myself constantly surrounded by positive energy. I can honestly say I have the Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship to thank for that. Wherever you go and whatever you do, never underestimate the value in connecting and collaborating with people. Who you surround yourself with makes all the difference. If there's one thing I could share that I've learned in the past few months, that's it.

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. 

• 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.

• Screen 1,000+ candidates from across the state
• Interview 200+ on-campuses & in Indianapolis throughout October
• Reception on the Circle – Invite 70 candidates in November
• Finalist Day – Invite 40 candidates in December

Today I went golfing with 25 of my friends.  Last night, a few of us got together for some drinks after work, on Thursday we're touring the FedEx facilities in Indianapolis for our monthly business leader meeting and in October a group of us is heading to West Virginia to whitewater raft at Upper Gauley.

When I joined the Orr Fellowship I knew I was getting an entry-level job at WebLink International, a fast growing Indiana software and technology company.  I knew I'd have networking opportunities with executives from high-growth Indianapolis companies, and I knew I'd be preparing myself for the future.

What I didn't know, or at least didn't expect, was to instantly gain 40 close friends.  We all work very hard, as most people in entry-level jobs do, but we also like to have fun.  Honestly, I was worried about the transition from college to the professional world, and while big changes are never easy - knowing there are close to 30 other people who are going through the exact same things as me really helps.

People join people.  While the Orr Fellowship offers opportunies for post-graduate employment at some of Indiana's most progressive and dynamic companies, it offers something more.  At today's golf outing I saw Orr Fellows who completed the program several years ago together on course.  They talked about work, families, and other things you'd expect old friends to reminisce about - and that's when it hit me.  The most valuable thing I'm going to get out of this two-year program is the relationships.  While the retreats and business leader meetings will become a thing of the past, and, let's be honest, who knows where the road will lead me professionally, I can say, with a high degree of certainty, the friends I've made in the 3 short months I've been an official Orr Fellow will stay with me indefinitely.
 

My name is Zac and I am a recent grad from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.  Like many of you, I too was beginning to think about where the future would take me about this time last year.  With interviews and job offers just around the corner, I had absolutely no idea where I would end up come graduation.  But that's not the whole story.

As a sophomore at IU, I decided one day that it might be cool to start my own company.  I mean who doesn't like the idea of being your own boss and setting your own hours?  I would just start a company and the dollars would start rolling in.  It sounded like a great plan at the time so I founded an LLC and began creating Punch Energy Drink.  Well turns out that running a company wasn't as easy as I thought once the new wore off and we had to get down to business.  Within six months we had signed a contract with Anheuser-Busch and we were on store shelves and receiving plenty of media attention.  Things were looking great and I was thinking to myself how easy it was.  We had been featured as one of the coolest college start-ups for 2009 by Inc. Magazine, Fox Business Network ran a story, and BevNET had given our product fantastic reviews.  

However, the 2009 blues hit us hard and with the economy Punch was beginning to be less viable as a competitor among the cash kings within the industry.  We simply couldn't compete at a level that would allow us to grow and stay within our very limited budget.  A co-sponsored Indy 500 car and lawsuit later, Punch had seen better days.  That was my senior year, but I wasn't ready to give up on Punch or my entrepreneurial spirit just yet. 

The Orr Fellowship was the answer I had been looking for and an opportunity that I couldn't pass up.  I knew that they could place me within an entrepreneurial company and that I would be at one of the best places to work in Indiana with a network of people just like me.  The opportunity to be part of a program that allowed me to network with business leaders in Indiana as well as expand my social network while staying involved with Punch, was all I needed.  It was the perfect opportunity for me and it has turned out to be a perfect fit.

Now, as an Orr Fellow, I work full time for Author Solutions Inc. as a Marketing Specialist.  I primarily work with our core brands and partners within the online realm of brand awareness and development, but I also work closely with our product development team.  This is very similar to what we did with Punch and fits me very well.  When we launch new products we have to go through the same process that I did with launching Punch and it is a great opportunity to learn each part of the business.  The Fellowship is a great way to take a step into the real world without having to take a dive into the typical corporate America setting as just another number at company XYZ.