My Chamber Experience

The time has come to finish all of my projects, clean and pack up my desk and head home briefly before returning to school for my senior year. My internship is nearly over.

After spending an incredible 11 weeks at the Chamber, it’s hard to say goodbye. I started this internship knowing that the Chamber advocates for Indiana business and works to better the state, but I didn’t realize the extent to which it does so. I also didn’t know how many amazing people comprise the Chamber staff and how much I would learn in a little less than three months.

I’ve had the opportunity to conduct interviews with top Hoosier business leaders, and I feel like I’ve gained a better understanding of different business issues. I’ve gotten the chance to work with talented writers who have lent their valuable insight and advice.

I was fortunate enough to have a supervisor who pushed me to do my best and always improve. I was able to challenge myself to try new writing styles and juggle different assignments at once.

At the beginning of my internship, I was eager to assure my business-savvy dad that the Chamber seemed to be a place I would enjoy for the summer. Now, as I get ready to leave, I’m happy to say my assumptions were correct. Not only have I learned a great deal about my writing, but I’ve received a better education on Indiana business.

Leaving Indianapolis will also be difficult. A Mishawaka native, it was great to have the chance to live in Indy for the summer and experience everything the city has to offer. However, I’m confident that this is not the last I’ll see of Indy. I hope to return once I graduate.

Ending my internship is bittersweet, but I’m glad that I can leave knowing I had a great experience. I feel like I’ve found a career path I want to pursue and have gained the knowledge and skills that I will need.

Advertisers Turning to Selfies

Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year for 2013, “selfie” is now not only a recognized noun but a movement. Scroll through various social media outlets and you will inevitably run across multiple personal snapshots, most proclaiming themselves as selfies in their captions.

The intention, of course, is to show off a new hair style, jewelry accessory, etc., or to simply make a declaration of confidence to your group of peers known as your “followers” or “friends.” But advertisers have realized the potential that selfies and other personal photos hold for marketing purposes.

An article entitled “Why Advertisers Can’t Wait to Get Their Hands on Your Selfies” outlines some of the initiatives already in the process for using personal pictures for marketing research.

Advertisers see immense potential in these photos to reveal information about consumers. The pictures we take and post represent our interests and passions — insight that marketers are eager to obtain. Posts can even uncover a person’s brand affiliations.

Examples of such technology include VisualGraph, which Pinterest has bought and can use to advertise to users based on photos they pin. Vicarious, an artificial intelligence firm that utilizes image recognition, has investors such as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg and Tesla founder Elon Musk.

Directing ads based on photos would move advertising from demographic-based targeting to interest-based. However, it’s estimated that only 15% of photos provide substantial clues. Additionally, this invasive method of marketing could scare people.

Regardless, I think it’s an interesting prospect. As someone who has minimal posts on her social media accounts, I’m not too concerned about advertisers gleaning much information at all about me through my scarcity of pictures. But I don’t think most of us realize that what we post represents so much about us, or at least we don’t often stop to think about it.

Advertisers have recognized the trove of information that we make available about ourselves on a daily basis through our posts, and I think that can serve as a reminder to be aware of what we put out there for the world to see.

Commerce Apps Revolutionizing Shopping

A couple of nights ago, as I was idly passing time on my phone, I opened up the App Store and proceeded to download four or five new apps. Three of these were shopping-related. When asked if I wanted to receive notifications, I granted the applications permission. I quickly realized the danger of my decision. Less than 24 hours later, I was beginning to receive alerts, tempting me to view discounted items that would still inevitably accumulate to a steep amount if I made purchases every time I was notified of a sale.

This type of interactive commerce may very well be the future of shopping. An article on ReadWriteShop recently outlined three e-commerce tools that are setting the trend.

  • eBay’s digital shopping windows: large digital screens allowing users to view and purchase products on display
  • Zero Effort Commerce: an app that learns users’ shopping habits and can be programmed for different conveniences, such as making purchases before running out of a certain product or offering customized item suggestion
  • eBay Valet app pilot: an app designed for selling products that transfers much of the work to eBay, such as estimating a price, taking professional photos of the item and sending a shipping box and label

Apps such as these will make shopping and selling more accessible than ever. It will be interesting to see how advances in e-commerce shape purchasing trends—particularly apps that monitor spending habits and offer tailored recommendations. For a shopping-lover such as myself, a new level of self-control will certainly have to be developed, but I believe the benefits will outweigh the setbacks.

The Importance of Remembering Our Goals

I can remember clearly the day that I sat down with my academic advisor at Hanover College and filled out the form that would officially brand me an English major. I was a sophomore, and I felt as if I had been waiting since the day I committed to Hanover to wear the English major label. I was eager to take the literary classes and the writing workshops, all preparing me to follow my dream of becoming a writer. At that moment, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to write, but I was certain writing would play a major role in my future.

Writing has always been my passion and my dream. As my senior year continues to inch closer, I know that it’s almost time to try to make my dream a reality, which is both exciting and terrifying. I also realize that working toward my bigger career goals will take time.

I recently stumbled upon an article from Mashable entitled, “How to Reclaim Your Goals When the Path to Success Gets Foggy.” The article is targeted at those already in the workforce who may have lost sight of their goals, distracted by the day-to-day tasks of their job. While I may not be the intended reader for this piece, I think it’s important to keep in mind as I embark on my job search in the near future. And I think it’s important for everyone to remember their dreams and goals and to not give up even when the path gets obscured.

The main advice in the article is simply to remember your career goals and to invest time in them. It’s easy to cast your bigger dreams aside, promising that it is a task to be dealt with on another day. But it’s important to devote time to your goals, because it will take time to accomplish them.

Another issue that could present a roadblock is fear. This could include fear of success, fear of failure or fear of what people will think of you. These fears must be cast aside if you’re to follow your dreams.

Though the article presents advice that sounds familiar and even trite, I think it’s important to remind ourselves of all these things and to make sure that we aren’t forgetting about the dreams that probably led us to our jobs in the first place.

Interesting Trends Anticipated for This Year’s Back to School Shopping

As the oldest in a family of five children, the end of July always heralded the beginning of the dreaded, chaotic Back to School (BTS) shopping. My mom would gather the lists our teachers provided us with at the end of the previous school year, pile us into the car and search the aisles of local stores boasting discounts.

At the end of the shopping spree, we would come home with bags containing an assortment of pens, notebooks, folders and binders that we would have to go through and separate for each sibling.

It’s that time of the year again, only (thankfully) I no longer have to accompany my mom on those trips, which could last hours. This year, more BTS shoppers have followed in my mom’s tradition of getting a jump start on the action. A survey commissioned by ICSC-Goldman Sachs found that 37% of consumers have already started shopping, compared to 29% who began at this time last year.

Ninety percent have indicated that they will purchase from brick-and-mortar retailers. According to the survey, “many retailers found in regional malls and open-air centers, such as office supply stores, traditional department stores, electronic stores and apparel specialty stores should see increased activity during the BTS season.”

Online shopping is expected to drop from 8.6% last year to 8.1% this year. Seventy-three percent of consumers said they will do research online and then buy their supplies from a physical store.

Average household spending on BTS items is expected to increase this year. Excluding electronics, expenditures are anticipated to be $325 per household, an increase from last year’s average of $285 per household.

This year’s Back to School shopping is still in its early phases. It will be interesting to see if the actual figures match up to the predicted ones.

Managing Millennials

Born in 1993, I’m pretty certain I’m considered a member of the sometimes disreputable and misunderstood Millennial generation. As more Millennials are entering the workforce, some of their workplace habits have been under scrutiny, as coworkers and managers consider Millennials to be different from previous generations. I was surprised to run into an article combating some of these notions, or at least questioning them.

The Harvard Business Review article centered on four common blanket statements made about Millennials:

  1. They’re completely different from “us” at that age.
  2. Millennials want more purpose at work.
  3. They want more work-life balance.
  4. Millennials need special treatment at work.

The basis for the article’s conclusions came mainly from research done by Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and the author of “Generation Me,” and her fellow researchers. Peter Cappelli, the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at the Wharton School, also offered his insight based on his studies of research done on Millennials.

All of the abovementioned statements were proven false aside from number three, which was found to be “somewhat true.” The basic conclusion was that Millennials are not drastically different from previous generations and the perceptions that they are derive from the age difference. In other words, Millennials are not that different from Baby Boomers when they were in their 20s and 30s.

However, when managing people, it is still helpful to recognize the differences that age can present, because people’s needs change as they progress through different stages of their life. What’s important to you when you’re 24 is not the same as when you’re 50.

The generational gap does not have to pose issues at work. In fact, Cappelli found in his research that teams composed of different-aged workers perform better, particularly because they don’t view each other as competition and instead collaborate to help each other.

Life is Like a Team Sport

I admittedly have little knowledge about the game of soccer. I participated in a league for elementary students for a few years, but my experience mainly consisted of talking to teammates on the sidelines and partaking of the snacks before going home. I’m not even sure my foot ever made contact with the ball during a match.

In light of the recent World Cup matches, I came across an article posing the question: Is life more like baseball or soccer? The conclusion was that life mimics the team-oriented sport of soccer rather than the more-individualistic baseball. And while baseball is another sport that evades my complete comprehension, I found the argument compelling.

At Hanover College, where I’ll be a senior in the fall, we’re assigned to at least one group project in each of our business classes. During the first business class I took in college (and many of the subsequent ones I’ve completed), I received a speech on the team-oriented nature of business. Those of us who preferred individual work would have to adjust, because the success of an organization hinges on the collaboration of the individuals working within it.

The article is interesting because it asserts that even decisions we would consider purely personal—such as what career path to take, whom to socialize with and what values to hold—are actually influenced by the people around us, which makes sense. Our norms are determined by those we’re surrounded by.

Now, considering my lack of sports’ knowledge, I can’t truly comment on the soccer versus baseball argument, nor on Brazil’s loss to Germany (which seems to have inspired the article), but I appreciated the perspective on the team aspect of life and how influential our networks are. I think it’s something important to keep in mind, whether at work, school or simply with friends. Who we surround ourselves with and who we work with can play a major role in our lives.

Netflix Vs. Cable TV

Last fall, I studied off-campus in Philadelphia. The first week of the program, they sent us out into the city to find housing and furniture. By the end of that week, I did have roommates and an apartment, but we rented minimal furniture to save money. Our TV ended up being one that we found on the street. We propped it up on a cardboard box that slowly began to sag over the weeks, and often it was a gamble whether or not the picture came through.

Though we paid for cable, I ended up turning to Netflix during those few months. It was much simpler than fiddling with the old, boxy TV, and I liked being able to watch a whole series at my own pace.

This experience has made me curious about Netflix versus cable usage. A recent article on Mashable delved into this topic; specifically, looking into usage during the summer. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the article reveals that cable TV is still dominant.

Roughly 99% of U.S. households (which total about 115 million) have a TV, and 56% of those have cable. Netflix only has about 48 million members worldwide. Additionally, Netflix has not reported increased subscribership during the summer months. Its peak months are January through March and October through December. However, there is about a 30% increase in family and kids content viewing hours during the summer.

Now that I have a properly functioning TV, I am once again a happy cable TV viewer, while still a Netflix subscriber. In fact, when I returned home to Indiana in the winter, I had an entire lineup of TV shows recorded on the DVR to catch up on. So while I went a long period of time without watching cable, I know that I would not completely forgo it, either.

Internships: A Taste of the ‘Real World’

I’ve now been interning at the Indiana Chamber for four weeks. I’ve settled in, evidenced by the papers strewn across my desk, the calendar tacked to my cubicle marked with deadlines and meetings and the way I’ve found my daily routine when I’m at work. I can now even wake up at 6 a.m. (which I confess was an adjustment after my second-semester schedule of afternoon classes) without the same amount of incredulity that people do in fact do this every day.

Then again, that’s kind of the point of an internship. It’s answering that big question: Can I do this every day? Or, even better: Can I do this every day and be happy? It’s glimpsing the infamous “real world” and finding what you could wake up at 6 a.m. every day for.

This is my second internship, and though the nature of the work I’m doing here is very similar to what I did previously, I’ve realized that work environment is a significant factor for me — and probably most other people, as well. I’ve genuinely enjoyed being at the Chamber this past month and getting to know and learning from the great people in my department.

And I’ve learned a substantial amount already. I appreciate all of the constructive criticism and feedback I’ve received, and I know that it will be valuable to me in any career path that I choose after graduation.

I know that I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to do internships before I graduate next spring. Not only am I gaining practical experience, but I’m discovering different factors that I want in a future job. Additionally, I’m getting the chance to test my compatibility with a career field I’m interested in.

I think that’s what is so beneficial about internships. As someone who has previously struggled to lay out a clear post-graduation plan (except, of course, working hard to find a job of some sort), my internships have helped show me a viable option to pursue, one where I could come to work every day and derive a sense of accomplishment from what I’m doing. But had I not done any internships, I’m certain I would be feeling pretty lost standing on the cusp of my senior year.

All of that being said, I’m not yet halfway through this internship, and I’m excited for the experiences and learning that await.

Apple Reaches Settlement in E-Book Pricing War

Step into my room at home and you’ll find a row of book-lined shelves, stacked atop one another and overflowing onto my desk. When I was younger, summers meant days filled with devouring books. And yes, I was that kid who brought books to school and read whenever a spare moment presented itself, only occasionally hiding them beneath my teacher’s line of sight so I could read during class (but only if it was a book I absolutely couldn’t put down).

As a book nerd, I’ve kept up a bit with the raging paper versus e-book war. Personally, my loyalty remains with paperback books. I enjoy physically turning the pages and have felt a sort of cold detachment whenever trying to read an e-book. On the other hand, I have nothing against e-books and believe the two forms can co-exist peacefully—someday.

But for that day to come, publishers and booksellers need to straighten out e-book pricing issues. In April 2012, the U.S. government sued Apple and five of the biggest publishers for contracts Apple made with the publishers that raised e-book prices. The agreement in these contracts involved the publishers establishing book prices and Apple receiving 30%. The purpose was to force Amazon, who often sold below cost, to raise e-book prices.

Apple has now reached a settlement in this e-book pricing lawsuit, in which it faced up to $840 million in claims. The terms of the agreement have not been made public.

This is only one example of the controversies e-books have caused in the publishing world, but hopefully this is a step in settling pricing issues.

In the meantime, as a stubborn paperback-enthusiast who has not been personally affected by this problem, my biggest hope is simply for the industry to thrive as a whole, whatever that takes.