Last semester was so much fun! We hosted lots of events, grew our org, and had great opportunities to network. Keep reading to relive all our favorite memories while we sit on the edge of our seats for the semester ahead.
Informational Session
We knew this semester would be something special when our first meeting had a record turnout. It was a packed house as the officers introduced everything about what we do and shared important info for the upcoming semester. At the end of the meeting, we got to network with a game of get-to-know-you bingo.
Workshops
Our officers have so much to share! We love hearing about all the things they’ve learned at UNT and in their careers so far.
Career Fair Prep
Before each semester’s business career fair, we like to help our members get ready with a prep workshop. Officers handed out elevator pitch prompts and took professional headshots while students learned about the best tips and tricks to create the perfect resume and LinkedIn page.
Be sure to keep your LinkedIn active by interacting with others’ posts. You could even post this blog to show your connections what you were up to last semester!
Online Marketing
Officer Camryn Yoder gave us her professional insight on how to market for different social media platforms. Each platform has its own target audience and creates a unique viewing mindset. It’s important to tailor your content to the right demographics and atmosphere.
TikToks, for example, should be targeted at a younger audience. They need to be on-trend, fun to watch, and worth stopping the scroll. Even if they don’t create immediate conversions, you’ll get your brand in someone’s head and plant a seed for them to think about later.
User Experience
Officer and design major Hannah Moeliono brought our members up to speed on her area of expertise: user experience. She taught us all about using positive psychology to create memorable experiences. People need to enjoy your brand so they want to come back!
After the presentation, we put our knowledge to the test by brainstorming ways to improve user experience in our own chapter. What makes people come to our meetings? What will make them want to stay?
Guest Speakers
Hearing from professionals can be so inspiring. This semester, we received lots of advice and anecdotes from some of the best.
Gartner Representative Kelly Haney
Members learned all about careers at Gartner and how to build their professional networks. The advice? Don’t be afraid to have conversations, even if you’re not looking for a job right now. That’s right, you can still attend career fairs, reach out to recruiters, and connect with people in your field. It’s all about building your network so that when you’re ready to start looking for a job, you know who to ask.
Career Development and Online Networking with Elizabeth Miralrio
At this special Thursday event in the Union, young professional Elizabeth Miralrio visited to tell us about getting started with your career in the digital age. As a member of the Mean Green Mentors program, she invited attendees to reach out to her for one-on-one meetings and mentorship.
Alumni Panel with the Women of AMA
Former AMA members Bita Motiie, Karina Perez, and Kayleigh Maddie came back to visit and answer our members’ pressing questions about how they began their successful careers. Their consensus was to network early and broadly.
Not only should you get to know your peers, but also treat your superiors like regular people and build a network that reaches outside your department. Finally, get involved sooner rather than later by joining organizations like AMA!
ICC Speaker Bill Imada
Marketing expert Bill Imada shared his experience leading the marketing efforts for the L.A. County Arboretum’s Moonlight Forest. He discussed the process of hand-selecting a team of young marketers, setting goals, and developing a campaign that would target both regular visitors to the arboretum and new groups in the area.
Then, when an unexpected competitor appeared, how the team pivoted to a 24/7 political campaign style. He offered great insight on all the strategic decisions a marketer has to make to succeed.
Rise Against Hunger Project
This semester, we took on a major service project by fundraising and hosting a meal packaging event for Rise Against Hunger. It wasn’t easy, but we’re so proud of our org for tackling this goal.
Strategy Meeting
We kicked off our project with a strategy meeting to brainstorm for our semester-long campaign. One group discussed social media marketing and handled Canva content creation while another brainstormed ideas for a live fundraising event.
Fundraising
Once we had strategized, it was time to get started. Our Canva group’s graphics were posted on org and member social media pages, as well as around campus to bring in digital donations. Members tabled in the Union with Rise Against Hunger pins to create awareness while fundraising and looking for volunteers.
Most importantly, officer Hannah Moeliono put together grant applications and presentations to win support from Simpli.fi and the UNT Student Government Association. In total, we exceeded our goal by raising $3,985.95 to fight world hunger!
Collaboration and Coordination
We couldn’t have pulled this off on our own. Throughout the process, we had help from other student orgs including UNT Rotaract, the Nonprofit Leadership Student Association, and Women in Business.
In addition to our fellow student orgs, we coordinated with representatives from Rise Against Hunger, the UNT Union, and UNT Parking Services. Officers practiced professional communication skills and learned how to navigate the complicated bureaucracies that govern everyday life.
The Big Day
Finally, after months of making arrangements and raising funds, the big day came. Ninety volunteers from the UNT community met in the Union to help package 10,000 meals for communities around the world. Even after having to evacuate the building when the fire alarm went off, we got it done. We’re so proud of all our members and grateful to everyone who helped us achieve this goal.
International Collegiate Conference
Over spring break, six of our members traveled to Chicago to attend AMA’s annual conference. They came back with lots of new knowledge and connections to share with the group.
Learning Opportunities
The conference was first and foremost an opportunity to learn from expert speakers. Its focus was on diversity, equity, and inclusion, a topic of growing importance in all professional fields. Marketers in particular need to pay careful attention to the image they portray of their organization. Inclusive and appropriate language can go a long way for building a positive reputation with potential customers.
In addition to learning how to create safe and inclusive spaces, attendees heard some great marketing tips, learned from leadership at award-winning collegiate AMA chapters, and received one-on-one professional development advice.
Networking
The incredible guest speakers weren’t only there to teach, they were there to network too! By introducing themselves to top professionals, students boosted their LinkedIns and have the potential to get their foot in the door at a future dream job.
In addition to the speakers, we were able to network with students from other schools around the world. We’re now plugged into a network of our peers where we can learn from each other, cheer for each other, and possibly one day work for each other.
Seeing the City
Outside of the conference, our members had plenty of time to explore the beautiful city of Chicago. They were even able to take a boat tour on Lake Michigan to get a great view of the city’s famous skyline.
Chicago might be best known for its delicious deep-dish pizza. We met up with our neighbor chapter from UTA to try it at one of the city’s most popular restaurants, and the night was made even more special when a nearby couple got engaged!
The members who were able to travel to Chicago together have built a lifelong bond, and we hope to take an even bigger group to the conference in New Orleans next year!
Social Events
Our social events create a great foundation for community building. We had so much fun getting to know each other outside of our meetings this semester!
Professional Speed Dating
We celebrated Valentine’s Day by collaborating with UNT’s Women in Business for a professional speed dating event. It was a great opportunity to network with people inside and outside of our org. We also got in some practice for our communication skills.
Rotaract Sharetea Fundraiser
We loved collaborating with UNT Rotaract on our Rise Against Hunger project, and this was a great way to support their service org. After one of our regular Tuesday meetings, a group of our members headed over to enjoy some boba together while giving back to the UNT community.
Roller Skating
Our biggest social event of the semester was our roller skating event. We carpooled off campus and spent the evening getting to know each other and building friendships and our sense of community. There may have been a few falls along the way, but it was still lots of fun!
End of Semester Celebration
We wrapped up the semester with one of our favorite activities: trivia! Members were quizzed on AMA facts, marketing knowledge, and UNT history in a competitive Kahoot. The officers also handed out personalized awards for every member.
This semester was so much fun, and we’re already hard at work planning to make the next one even better. See you in the fall!
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