Monthly Archives: March 2017

Me, Myself and I

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Hello readers!

My name is Maryam Gracias, and I am a junior majoring in Spaceflight Operations with minors in Flight, Aviation Safety and Human Factors. This is my first blog ever! A little about myself, I was born and brought up in Dubai, UAE but my family and I moved to Bradenton, FL five years ago. I played professional tennis at IMG Academy in Bradenton, where I also graduated from high school with Highest Honours. It was a huge culture shock coming to America, and the transition was not easy. Now that I live in Florida, I love to camp, spend time at the beach and of course, go to Disney World! I am the first person in my family to be involved in the aviation industry, and I am currently working towards becoming a pilot. After earning my degree, I want to join a good organization where I can prove my capabilities, talents and contribute my skills. 

I am currently a Flight Safety intern at Delta Air Lines. So far, it has been such a great experience! I have met tons of people who are passionate about the industry. I will be going to Pittsburgh for the Aviation Safety Infoshare in April, and Delta is paying for my flight AND hotel! The Infoshare is basically a place where all airlines come together and share confidential information, so whatever happens at the conference, stays at the conference! Participants can attend the Infoshare only if they work for any airlines. I am super thrilled that I got selected to go with Delta. I have never been to Pennsylvania before, so I am excited!

I am a very adventurous person, and I LOVE travelling, so I try to go somewhere new as often as possible. I got selected to go to Cuba for Spring Break as part of the Ignite Research Program at Riddle. My research topic will focus on how Delta’s flight operations resumed back to Havana after the suspension of US air carriers into the country. I can’t wait to blog about it and tell all my lovely readers about my wonderful experience!

I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing spring break!!!

Until next time,

Maryam

The Perks of Being an Intern

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We put hours and hours into our resumes, elevator speeches, and internship applications. It’s A LOT of work, but the results are pretty sweet.

  1. Preview of Adulthood
    My number one and favorite thing about having an internship is the independence you HAVE to maintain. It’s a taste of life after college, but a little bit easier. It’s a small stepping stone towards everything you’re studying. For me personally, it’s reminded me why I’ve been working so hard. It’s helped me refocus on my goals. I have this newfound motivation I honestly can’t put into words, but I’m glad I stayed up late to get a few extra eyes on a resume and made appointments with Career Services for interview tips. Internships ease you into a the job market. It gives you a taste of what it’s really like to work for that big dream company of yours while still having the caring guidance of Embry-Riddle to let you know ‘what’ and ‘what not to do.’ It’s just enough adulthood.
  2. Work in your unexpected dream job 
    Work at your dream job if you can, but don’t overlook those other companies! The smallest company may end up being where you really belong, or maybe the company you always thought you wanted to work at isn’t what you expected either, but at least you know at the risk of nothing at all. You still get the experience from the company, and now you have a better idea of what you want out of the workplace. I always knew I wanted to work in the aerospace industry, and I had a list of top three companies. I promise you, Space Tango was not on that list until now. The people, the company, and their mission all suit my interests. Sometimes we find ourselves in the most unexpected places, but it’s where we were meant to be.
  3. Networking
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    Kris Kimel, Chairman/Co-Founder of Space Tango and President/Founder of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC)

    I’ve written about this before, so I won’t talk about it too much, but I can’t stress how valuable networking will be for you early on. While interning, you meet people from the industry that can help you open more doors. I’ve met people from all kinds of different companies in aviation and aerospace because of my intern position with Space Tango. Take the time to get to know them with lunch, coffee, or just a quick meeting if they have time to learn about them (Hint: successful people doing what they love enjoy sharing their story).

  4. Wanderlust

    This one is aside from your position and work, but wanderlust is very real. If you’re like me, you may begin to crave a change of scenery. When you land an internship, and it doesn’t matter where, take the time to really explore! Enjoy it. Lexington, Kentucky isn’t my dream destination, but I’ve made the most of it. I’ve used it as an opportunity to try new things. I go cycling with coworkers now throughout the week, my roommates and I enjoy boxing classes on the weekends, and when funds permit there are a ton of local restaurants to indulge in. I’m an art- lover and LexArtLexington has an abundance of street art sprinkled throughout Downtown, so I spend my weekends searching for painted walls. Really take the time to find the beauty in your host home.

⋆ Dani

Minors are a Major Deal

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Minor courses of study don’t get enough praise. I’m currently minoring in business administration and space studies to complement my Communication degree. My initial intention was to take something I was interested in that was sensible for my field, and they certainly are, but I didn’t recognize the true value of them until working with Space Tango.

Space Tango works to scale down customers’ experiments to fit in what they call CubeLabs for microgravity research on the International Space Station. As a Communication major, it’s difficult to see how I piece into this puzzle of research and design. My minor, however, in space studies (SP) provides me with the background information to keep up with the engineers during our meetings. It’s a puzzle piece to the bigger picture.

CubeLabs waiting to be tested in a pressure chamber.

CubeLabs waiting to be tested in a pressure chamber.

SP courses that I have taken gave me an overview of mission history, rocket and propulsion systems, ISS configuration, and so much more. If it wasn’t for my SP minor, then I wouldn’t be as valuable as I am now in the aerospace industry and I wouldn’t be able to effectively market their brand to prospective customers.

My business minor ties it all together. I can keep up with our director of business operations and even devise my own marketing plans that reflect the industry and the company. It’s like being a triple threat in the job market. I have so much more to offer as an intern and, one day, as an employee.

My skills are flexible and it’s all thanks to my minors! I think finding such minors are especially beneficial for flexible degree programs such as Communication. We can fit anywhere, but if there’s an industry you want to work in then cater your education towards it. Especially during internship season and applications, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. What are your strengths? What sets you aside from others? Don’t overestimate the power of your minors. Take the time to find one or two that accommodates your interests or pieces you into your dream industry.

⋆ Dani

You got the internship… Now what?

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It’s that time of year again, when students are getting phone calls informing them that they received that long-awaited summer internship. Of course, students get so excited when they hear the news, but often forget to think about the other impacts of getting an internship. So, based on my experiences, I wanted to share some insight into the factors you should consider when you are thinking about internships.

1. Location

Sure, New York City may sound great for the summer, but if it’s not your home state, there are definitely things to consider.,, Like, where are you going to live? The city is expensive, but if you live further away, you’ll have to commute longer. If you rent an apartment, are you able to get a short enough lease for just the summer? Does the company provide housing for interns?

2. Compensation

There are paid and non-paid internships. Of course, both are great experiences and look great on a resume, but let’s be honest, we all need some compensation to be able to survive the summer. Although most internship compensation packages are non-negotiable, make sure to evaluate how much you will be paid in relation to the cost of living in that area, especially if you’ll have to rent an apartment.

3. Position

Maybe you didn’t get your dream internship position, but you did get a position at your dream company. Don’t be frustrated that you won’t be working on what you had hoped. It is great to just get your foot in the door. So, do your best, and learn all that you can. When that full-time position you’ve wanted opens up in a few years, you’ll have the upper hand, since you worked in the company already.

4. Internship Program

Some companies have well-established internship programs, others may have one or two interns for the entire company. There are different benefits to each. With a well-established internship program, you’ll be able to network with other interns and have tours, luncheons, and meet-and-greets. In a smaller company with a few interns, you will be able to network with full-time employees within the office, become noticed by managers, and possibly be able to rotate throughout different departments.

Of course, there are many other things to consider when deciding if the internship is right for you. However, I wanted to give some brief insight into the major points. I wish you luck with all of your future internship endeavors!

Until next time,

Lindsey

 

Spring Industry/Career Expo Re-Cap

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On Wednesday, March 1, the Embry-Riddle Career Services team put on its first-ever Spring Industry/Career Expo, and it was a huge success. Right around 3,000 students, Alumni, and guests attended the event, and there were 109 different organizations represented, including the FBI, GoPro, Lockheed Martin, Delta, and many others.

I am so proud to be a member of the Career Services team and have the opportunity to help put on the Expo. The Program Managers in the office truly work tirelessly to plan and put on this event, but those who attend make it all worth it.

It truly is my favorite event of the semester; it allows employeers, students, alumni, and guests to just see how connected our university is with the industry. While we are Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, it is not just aviation companies that recruit; Boston Whaler, Ryder, FBI, Secret Service, and many other non-aviation related companies all recruit as well. Plus, all of the employeers were extremely nice and willing to give advice for helping pursue your dreams, and you can learn a lot about different companies that you may not normally hear about.

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Inside the ICI center as the booths are being set up

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The student entrance

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Dotting the last i and crossing the last t so we can check organizations in!

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Sure, we may hold the Industry/Career Expo where our basketball and volleyball teams play, but you would only know that if you look up!

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We even had our own SnapChat geo filter!

I am already counting down to the Fall Industry/Career Expo on October 12, 2017!