Author Archives: Jack

About Jack

Sophomore

Aviation Business Administration

**Campus Involvement:** College of Business Student Advisory Board, Career Services Student Assistant, Career Services Student Ambassador, American Association of Airport Executives club member, and National Business Aviation Association club.

The Next Chapter

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Hello There,

While talking to my dad yesterday, he asked “how does it feel?” I really did not have an answer to that question as I have been busy wrapping everything up school-wise and finalizing the next chapter of my life.

With graduation being about 72 hours away, I guess I would say that it feels surreal. It is kind of hard to believe that I arrived at Riddle just over three years ago, and now, I have achieved the goal of attending college (to get a degree) and will be entering the workforce next month.

The last month-and-a-half feels like a blur; classes kept me very busy; I was trying to finalize the job search; and just trying to enjoy my last few weeks as a college student.

One thing that I learned about the job search is that it is not easy, but I really enjoyed the experience. I say it is not easy because you always have to be “on” in which you are finding what you want to apply for, juggling lots of communications to set up interviews, actually being interviewed, and taking care of lots of follow-up details. I was always making sure that my communication with prospective employers was friendly, error free, and that I was flexible enough to schedule interviews. (A special shoutout to all the folks in Career Services who are pros at this and give great advice!)

In September/October, I was busy applying to a few positions that interested me. I was then lucky to have several phone interviews to see if I would make it to the next round of interviews. In early November, I had several in-person interviews in which I traveled to the headquarters of a few companies for multiple in person interviews.

Going to the headquarters and having the in-person interviews was by far my favorite part; while yes they were interviews, they did allow me to network and just have great conversations about the working world.

Finally, right after Thanksgiving, I started receiving job offers, and the decision of where I would end up after college became extremely difficult.

I remember back to 2014 when it was time to officially commit to college, it was a simple decision–Embry-Riddle. I knew this is where I wanted to go as I could take my passion for aviation and combine it with a good business background to get an Aviation Business degree! However, determining where I would end up post-graduation was difficult in that there were lots of factors to consider and there were really great offers available.

While I have kept it is a secret for the last few blog posts, I am excited to finally say that I will be going back to the Delta Air Lines Network Planning department full-time! I am very much excited for the opportunity, but I am looking forward to having some time off to travel, relax, and get ready for the next chapter over the next few weeks.

Less Than One Month Till Graduation

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Hello There,

It is officially 28 days until graduation, but only 10 of those are class days (not including exam days)! It’s crazy how only two presentations and five tests lie between my and obtaining my degree. Plus, my University 101 class that I was a peer mentor finished so now I have a lot of free time on my hands!

University 101 is a class that just about all first-year students take (typically during their first semester). However, Aeronautical Science, Aviation Business, and Business students take a different version of the class. It might seem like it is not a fun or exciting class, but it is definitely an important one to take.

Throughout the semester, a variety of Embry-Riddle staff members come into the class as guest speakers to talk about the services their departments provide (ranging from Financial Aid to Campus Safety). In addition to that, there are several modules that go over Embry-Riddle’s policies and procedures, including on academic integrity, diversity, etc. Plus, we talk about fun stuff like the Industry/Career Expo, as well as campus involvement.

We also discuss and work on the Academic Study Plans which is where students take their academic requirements and plan out their best estimate of when they will take certain classes. Now, it is not set in stone, but it is a good way for First-Year Students to be made aware of what is ahead of them and plan for success.

The past week has been quite busy as I have been “on the road.” More on why I have been traveling a lot soon, but as I write this, I’m beginning my third trip in a week as I’m headed back to Houston for Thanksgiving.

One thing I am thankful for this Thanksgiving is a fun and memorable three-and-a-half years at Embry-Riddle!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Jack

T-39 Days Until Graduation

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Hello There,

It is finally starting to set in that there are just 39 days to go until graduation; only 16 of those are class days for me (partly due to almost a week off for Thanksgiving, interviews, weekends, etc.).

During my time as a student, I have learned that how busy I have been comes in waves. For example, we usually have big homework assignments due and/or tests the last week of September or the first week of October. In addition to that, there is also the Industry/Career Expo among other campus events. Then, classes are kind of quiet mid-to-late-October as Fall Break comes and goes. The last week of October and first week of November tend to be busy with the second round of tests/projects/major homework assignments. Then, it is quiet for a bit until just after Thanksgiving as more projects/large homework assignments are due, and it will be time for finals. Although I am an aviation business major, this seems to be relatively true for most degree programs.

When you are a graduating senior, you also have to factor in time for the job search process and traveling for interviews too! More on that to come next month…

In other news, I worked with the marketing department to create a promotional video for prospective students earlier this week. It provided a great way to reflect on my time at ERAU, and it was a fun experience.

Until next time,

Jack

Mid-Semester Update

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Hello!

We are a bit more than halfway through the semester, but since we missed about a week of classes due to Hurricane Irma last month, most of our classes just had mid-terms last week and earlier this week.

The semester seems to just be cruising right along. We had our

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Fall Break just last weekend in which I returned to Houston to continue the re-building efforts post-Hurricane Harvey. Now at the time of writing this, it is about 53 days until graduation, and there are even less days of class left! Boy, time sure does fly!

Being a graduating senior is quite nice; it has been fun looking for and interviewing for full-time positions as well as enjoying my last few months of being a college student before I enter into the “real-world.” There is also a lot to juggle being a graduating senior due to the job searching, interviews, school work, working, and just being a college student!

There is not a whole lot left this semester, and I have no doubt the last part of it will fly by.

Stay tuned…

Fall 2017 Industry/Career Expo

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Hi All,

The Embry-Riddle Career Services Team just wrapped up its Fall 2017 Industry/Career Expo, and once again, it was another great success.

More than 2,500 students, alumni, and guests attended the Expo; 99 companies were at the Expo including American Airlines, Boeing, Gulfstream, HondaJet, Lockheed Martin Corporation, SpaceX, and Textron. The ICI center was packed with people; hundreds and hundreds of resumes were being put into the hands of recruiters; and many employers started inviting students to participate in interview day (for those companies that opt to stay to conduct interviews the day after the Expo).

There is so much planning and coordination that is involved in putting one of these Expos on, and I am extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to help put on these events. Sure, I am a student too, but helping put these on is such a cool experience. Now, by saying how “cool” these events are just understates how cool it is to have so many different employers on campus recruiting my fellow classmates and hearing about all of the different internship and job opportunities arise from the Expo.

When growing up, I heard the saying that “the aviation industry is all about who you know.” Thanks to these Expos, I truly understood what that meant, but I would argue that that this saying can be applied to any industry. It has been great to see some of the same recruiters and company representatives come back each Expo year after year because it makes starting up a conversation so much easier. Plus, getting to speak with different alumni and learn how they got to where they are today is very fun and informative.

Whether you are a first year student or alumni of Embry-Riddle (or any university for that matter), I highly encourage you to attend the Industry/Career Expo. Sure, it is daunting handing over your resume to a perspective employer as you start doubting that your resume is free of errors or worrying that you are potentially not qualified for a position, but it is amazing what can come out of just a little networking at these events.

Blue skies,

Jack

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

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Hello there!

We are at week number five of classes, but it feels like way earlier in the semester!

About three weeks ago, classes were cancelled for about a week due to Hurricane Irma impacting practically the entire state of Florida. Now, it feels like the semester is moving at twice the normal speed as we all continue to get back on track.

Beginning final approach into Houston

Luckily, campus sustained very minimal damage as well as most of the Daytona Beach area. There was some minor flooding along the Halifax River, but in the end, everything is a-okay. Most people (including myself) traveled back home which worked out great for me as I could continue helping with the clean-up and re-building efforts in Houston due in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The Fall 2017 Industry/Career Expo is just 16 days away so final preparations in the Career Services Office are well underway. We are looking forward to another great expo in which 101 employers will be on campus!

Stay tuned…a lot more to come!

Jack

Trip to Houston in the Aftermath of Harvey

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I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Even though I consider Daytona my “home” since I spend most of my time here (due to school), Houston will always be home. Now, going to school far away from home has its pros and cons, but when emergencies strike, there are so many more cons of being away from home.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in south Texas over a week ago and then proceeded to stall over Houston for several days in which it caused massive flooding. In fact, several news agencies have pointed out that there was enough rain in Houston during Harvey to run Niagara Falls for almost two weeks.

Last week, my house took on several feet of water. It was tough not being there with my family as they dealt with the significant flooding. I felt useless and helpless, but thankfully, I was able to take a trip home to help my parents and friends with the clean up over Labor Day weekend. It was pretty surreal walking around my neighborhood and home, but I am very glad that I was able to be there with them. I am extremely thankful that my family is safe and that I got to spend some time with them.

Regardless if you are going to school 2 miles away from home or more than a thousand miles, communicating with your professors when family emergencies strike goes a long way as they will be understanding and willing to assist in whatever way they can.

 

First Week of School

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My last “First Day of School” as seen from Daytona at the top and Hurricane Harvey impacting Houston on the bottom.

Monday was my last “first day of school,” or at least the last one of my undergraduate career. I can’t believe that my final semester at Embry-Riddle is already here!

While it is an exciting week, it has also been a tough week as my family and all of Houston (where I grew up) continues to be impacted by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. Unfortunately, the city of Houston and the surrounding areas have taken a beating from the storm. At times like these, it can very hard to be away from home as I cannot be there to help family and friends as Houston deals with the storm.

So far, all of my classes seem very interesting. In my capstone class (Strategic Management), we will be spending the entire semester working in teams completing a business simulation. This will allow us to apply what we have learned throughout our time in the business program, and we will have different responsibilities for the business such as marketing, finance, product development, etc. While I have heard that it can be easy or hard sometimes, it is set up in a very unique way.

I am also taking a Marketing Research class which will be the first time ERAU has offered this class on the Daytona Beach campus. More to come on this, but so far, it sounds like a very interesting class.

Since it is the fall, I am back to being a Peer Mentor (TA) for a University 101 class. It has been very fun meeting the new first year students and answering their questions. The Career Services Office (where I am a student assistant) is as busy as ever! We are already deep into plans for the 2017 Fall Industry/Career Expo on October 12! So far, we have more than 90 companies registered to attend!

Buckle up, it’s going to be a busy semester!

Jack

Summer Update

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Hello there!

This summer I took a day trip down to Santiago, Chile thanks to my flight benefits!

I can’t believe that the Fall 2017 semester is just about to take off in 11 days! This means that I have just 67 class days left of my undergraduate career as I will be graduating in December.

I have been enjoying my last official summer break, but I have been keeping very busy as I returned to Delta Air Lines for a second internship in Network Planning & Scheduling. It has been another great experience that has allowed me to learn a lot and work on more challenging projects.

Another highlight of the summer was sitting out at the world’s busiest airport and watching some of the flights that I scheduled taxi by.

Last year, I was on the Schedule Integrity team in which I was responsible for the connectivity and operational efficiency for two of Delta’s hubs and several Delta Connection carriers. This summer, I have been working on the Schedule Repair team in which I worked on a variety of projects across Delta’s domestic flight schedule. From adding new flights into the schedule to fixing a variety of issues that came up to so much more, no two days were ever the same. My favorite week of the summer is when I started the week with a project involving our New York LaGuardia hub; moved to a project involving Minneapolis during the middle of the week; and finished the week with a Los Angeles project.

The best part of my internships was the opportunity to get hands-on experience while having a direct impact to the Delta operation. Plus, I was paid, had flight privileges to travel on the weekends, and am even receiving class credit for this internship. In addition to that, I had the opportunity to apply what I have learned in school and learn so much more!

As an incoming students, I highly recommend that you start learning about internship opportunities during your first year. You can start by talking to your fellow classmates or visiting the Career Services office. Plus, attending the Career Expo and Company Information Sessions will also help so you can speak to company representatives and recruiters directly and learn what they are looking for. Planning ahead and networking will help make you better prepared for interviewing and learning what you may or may not want to do. While good grades are important, I have learned that internships and work experience can be just as helpful.

Well, time to get back to work! Until next time,

Jack

Spring 2017 Semester is Complete!

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In what has felt like a sprint to the end, the Spring 2017 semester is now complete, which means that I just have one more semester left of college until I graduate in December! The funny thing is that I will spend about 10 more days working during the summer at Delta than on campus for classes during my Fall semester!

The last two weeks have been very, very busy. From project presentations to essays to exams, there is a lot to juggle, but it is definitely manageable. While exams in college may sound daunting, most of my “exams” have just been a regular third test over the last third of the curriculum we have gone over; basically, they are not cumulative so we don’t have to stress thinking about what we learned at the beginning of the semester.

Last Friday, I traveled to the University of Tampa to present about how Embry-Riddle’s Career Services Department has its “Students Taking Career Development to Infinity and Beyond.” My friend, Fergie, and I presented about how we as Career Services student assistants and ambassadors help our fellow students when it comes to career development. For example, our Career Services Ambassador Program is made up of 12 students who present tips, resources, and what is happening in the office to about two dozen different organizations each semester. It is all aimed to build more awareness about our office, and seriously, once you start at ERAU, you should come by and meet your program manager as they can help you achieve your internships/career goals!

Well, time to go pack for a quick getaway and some R&R now that the semester is over. I’m headed back to Atlanta next week to start my second summer internship in the Network Planning department at Delta Air Lines!

And, yes, we have a 747 that is now on display at the Delta Flight Museum which is right at the Delta headquarters. It is totally worth a trip to check out because there is truly no other exhibit like this.

Blue skies,

Jack