Month: November 2013

Linkedin Basics

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Last Friday Mr. McGowan and Ms. Vetrano came into my Business class and helped us with the basics of setting up Linkedin accounts.  For anyone who does not know, Linkedin is a professional social networking site that can be used to keep in touch with business connections and make new connections.  It can also be used as a sort of online resume and a way to search and apply for jobs!

Though I had heard a lot about the benefits of Linkedin, this class session was really useful in helping me understand how to develop my own account! Here are some of the basics I thought others might find useful:

  • Your profile picture should be of you only, in an appropriate pose or situation that could be related to the business you are involved in. A simple background is a good idea.  Though profile pics are optional, they are highly recommended; 38% of businesses won’t look at a profile if there is no photo posted.
  • Your heading is your title and is listed directly underneath your name on your profile.  Linkedin will automatically set this to say your last or current job, but it is a good idea to add keywords that describe you or your position to help catch the eye of potential business partners, employers, and connections.
  • Directly below your profile picture you will see the web URL for your page; if you edit this you can change it to something simple to remember so you can easily tell people how they can find your page!
  • Your Linkedin profile should be consistent with your resume.
  • When listing your job descriptions for work experience, try to stick to one format (sentence, bullets, or paragraph) and verb tense for all of them to make it easy to read and understand.
  • When you add someone new, it is a great idea to personalize the message they will receive with your request; it can help them understand how you know them, why you want to add them, and makes them feel like you’ve put in extra time and effort.
  • Current GCC students may want to consider joining the GCC Alumni page; it is a great way to get to know past GCC Students and find out where they have gone on after graduation!

I would encourage anyone looking to keep up with their business connections to get started on their Linkedin profile; though it is a free program, when used correctly and remembering these tips, it can be a priceless tool for businesspeople and professionals!

Gary Glaser – More Than Just a Bio Professor!

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Although he works as a Biology professor here at GCC, Gary Glaser enjoys spending time with his camera and reinventing his business – Glaser Studios.

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Gary Glaser is a very talented photographer who has managed to find the balance between his work at GCC and passion for the art of photography. He has become involved in the Western New York community, working at events such as the  Mercedes Benz Buffalo Fashion Show, 2013 FAME Fashion Show, Gatsby Buffalo to Benefit Summit Foundation, and helping out at GCC by photographing the annual fashion show as well as our visit from Project Runway winner Anya Ayoung-Chee. 1075713_692665084092323_2122781401_n

He is currently renewing his business with a name change from Glaser Photography to Glaser Studios, which is no easy task, especially with the responsibilities as a professor! He has been working hard to recreate his website, as well as his Facebook page – now featuring a photo package giveaway!

Do you know any great GCC faculty or staff members? Let us know!

Swag Swap – Friday, December 6th

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Swag Swap Shirt

Bring a shirt, get this one!

Students are invited to get in the holiday spirit of giving and participate in a t-shirt swap on Friday, December 6 from 10-1 in the Cafeteria. Bring your gently used apparel from outside institutions and swap them for a brand new and exclusive GCC t-shirt! Only 100 shirts will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

All apparel from outside institutions will be donated to the local Salvation Army in Batavia to assist families in need this holiday season. Only GCC students’ apparel from outside institutions will be accepted to receive a GCC t-shirt, but all clothing will be accepted for donation to the Salvation Army. One t-shirt per student with a valid GCC ID.

Get in the spirit of giving, and show your GCC spirit too!

Ryan Schmidt

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As soon as he walked into the union and starting setting up, Ryan Schmidt caught the attention of girls and musicians alike.  He finished setting up, had a quick sound check, which gave on-lookers a taste of what he can do, and they were pleased.  He started performing at 12:30 in the Student Union Thursday, November 14th.  He performed a variety of his own songs, and covers of popular songs such as “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and N’Sync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye.”  In between songs, he would told us about traveling and performing.  After the show was over, he had just enough time to sign autographs and take pictures before heading to another college to perform!

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Part of Ryan’s Bio :

“Having recently graduated from Northeastern University’s renowned Music Industry program, Schmidt’s career is coming into full bloom. These achievements have been fueled by a refreshingly back-to-basics recipe of undeniable talent, unrelenting innovation and boundless desire, along with a healthy portion of good ole fashioned drive.  As a mere teenager the New Hampshire native first began digging into the fertile Boston music scene. He took on office jobs within the music industry, making connections and hustling to establish the contacts that would eventually first introduce him to Q Division Studios (where such world class artists as James Taylor, Aimee Mann and Morphine have recorded). It was there Schmidt recorded his first EP, “Burning Bitter Years,” and released it before even receiving his high school diploma, and where he realized his vision for “Black Sheep, Run” and his most recent “White Horse” EP.  It did not take long for the ears of the Boston music cognoscenti to perk up at Schmidt’s first full-length effort.  With a healthy respect for the folk-inspired work of such predecessors as Bob Dylan and Nick Drake, as well as inspiration from more contemporary artists like Clem Snide and The Shins, Schmidt has a defined vision of where he is taking his music.  “I aim at finding a way to combine the song structure and heart and meaning behind some of these older folk songs with an interesting and unique sonic texture,” he states with an understated confidence. “I have a bunch of different ideas past what I have already started that I’d like to do in the next few years. I just want to keep evolving and progressing, to keep lining projects up and staying open to different avenues for my music.”  “I sing pretty hard and I sing with everything I have,” he says matter-of-factly. “A lot of people take notice of that.””

You can find him on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ryanschmidtmusic

Follow him on Twitter:  @Ryan_Schmidt

On Instagram:  http://instagram.com/RyanSchmidtMusic

Website:  http://www.ryanschmidtmusic.com/

You can buy his shirt at http://audiocotton.com/products/ryan-schmidt-happens

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A Visit from Verizon Wireless

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Blog submitted by Kevin Bucki

 On Friday November 8th two representatives from Verizon Wireless, Mr. Jon Spencer and Ms. Cindy Carpenter visited Mr. Dudkowski’s 8 am Professional Sales class. They spoke about cell phone apps that can be used for school and work in addition to discussing and coaching students on how to respond to job interview questions. They also invited students to Verizon’s 1st annual Networking Event on Tuesday, November 19th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Verizon Call Center at 133 Calkins Road, Rochester, NY.

 Jon and Cindy explained that most cell phone apps can be found at both the App store for Apple and on the Android market. Some of the apps are free or cost only one or two dollars. They said that some of the apps can store data on a cloud system. The best apps include: PenUltimate, PenSupremacy, NoteAbility, DictaDroid, Kno TextBooks, NCRT, Pages, KingSoft, KeyNote, iTunes Univesity, TED Talks, Power Point Open Office Remote, SimpleMind, Mind Canvas, PocketPoll and Anywhere Survey.

 Some of the different kinds of apps that were talked about would help with note-taking, recorder, online learning, document editing to name a few. Most note-taking apps let you draw diagrams that can help you with notes. Recorder apps let you play back lectures that can help you improve your notes and get more content. Document apps let you edit document and PDF files right on your mobile device. Brainstorming apps let you send your idea to other people and get feedback on what others think on your idea.

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Student Day in the Field

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On October 28th 2013 two GCC Business students participated in the Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives’ (BNSME) Student day in the field program.  Alec Engel—a major in professional golf management—and myself (Fashion Business major) had the chance to network and ask questions during the 3-part program.  First we went to Kegworks’ location in Buffalo to see a presentation by their marketing team; Next we went to Millennium Hotel and were able to sit down in small groups and converse with business professionals about their day-to-day activities; and lastly, we were treated to a networking dinner followed by a presentation on modern marketing strategies by personnel from the Manzella Marketing Group.

Our first stop at Kegworks gave a very unique view on one company’s marketing and retailing strategy.  Kegworks, which now employs over 50 people began as a man looking to make it easier to make repairs on commercial restaurant and bar supplies and equipment through a one-stop online retailer.  In March 2013, the first Kegworks Store was opened in Buffalo, sealing the deal that Kegworks was one business which successfully formed in the reverse order of typical retailers.
One employee at Kegworks that I found very inspirational and relatable was content writer/journalist Caleb Houseknecht.  Like the company, Houseknecht is atypical in his career with Kegworks; he began working for Kegworks as the main social media writer in March of 2012, months before his graduation in May of that year.  Houseknecht shared with us some of the insight he has gained so far in his career: sometimes you really learn things as you go, so you should always be open to new experiences.  After answering many questions about various marketing methods Kegworks has used to get an edge up on competitors, director of sales, Jeff Conrad, was able to really sum it all up for us, stating, “If you don’t change, you don’t grow.”

For the next portion we met up with the rest of the students (half of us went to Kegworks and the other half to Rich Products) to have mini question answer sessions with professionals form a conglomeration of different industries.  Some vital tips offered include:

  • Meet customers’ objections with persistence and product knowledge
  • Don’t be shy
  • Be careful on Facebook (etc.)
  • As a professional, it is most important to preserve your integrity and reputation
  • If you want a job, keep sending your resume (every 3 months recommended) as a “gentle reminder” in case of openings
  • Answer messages by the next day whenever possible; be prompt DSCN2313

 With these wise suggestions in our heads, we headed to the dinner, where Manzella Marketing would be presenting.  Before dinner we had time to mingle with the business executives and fellow students; many calling cards and handshakes were exchanged.

Manzella Marketing’s presentation served as a definite example of best practices for presenting.  They covered many topics we have been learning in Professional Sales class, and how to put them into use in the real world.  The presentation was interactive and included a great display of visuals, along with video clips and marketing samples they have used.  With the conclusion of the presentation, we all said our goodbyes and began the drive home, our pockets full of new calling cards from potential employers, mentors, and connections. DSCN2314

Show and Tell

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Recently, the fashion students have begun a new and exciting class: Display and Visual Merchandising. Only a few classes into the course and the students have already created one of four displays. There are four teams (each with four or five members) who contribute their ideas and creativity to the display. The great thing about this class is the freedom that Professor Ehrart gives all of us. The only direction we are given is which display we will be using; whether it’s a full window display, shadow box, display case, or rolling rack. It’s up to us to use any and all ideas to create a theme and send a message to our viewer about the merchandise or business. Creating an interesting display that makes your eye wander around the entire space, while keeping with a theme and having a clear focal point was key in this task. Shadow Box DisplayFull Window DisplayRolling RackDisplay Case

What do you think?

As a class, we walked to all displays and evaluated them on focal points, theme, message and use of props. Each team had the opportunity to show their display and tell the viewers their inspiration for it. We determined what we liked and some changes we would make to each display. Overall, the class did a great job with the first displays of the course. We agreed that this was one of the most fun and challenging classes in the program. What other class gives you the freedom to create any display your creativity allows?

Product of Opporunity

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Product of Opportunity

By Vincent J. Coons

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            Wednesday, November 6, 2013 BUS 201 had a special guest speaker, Ryan Boland. Mr. Boland studied at Malone University where he obtained a MBA(Masters of Business Administration) degree, although a lot of his success he credits to being a product of opportunity. Mr. Boland is currently the Director of AVI foods at GCC. AVI foods ranks #8 in relation to the top food service management companies in the United States of America. Mr. Boland has been the director here at GCC for about six months. In fact you just may have run into him at the GCC cafeteria.

            Mr. Boland spoke about the different personalities that people have. The four distinct personalities are, Dominant; Influential, Steady, and Conscientious (the personality in which I consider myself); which form the acronym DISC. In Professional Sales, Mr. Dudkowski has taught us that communication is the main ingredient to success. Mr. Boland stressed upon that idea and more so with the ideas of how to communicate with distinct personalities of salespeople or customers depending on their specific personality.

            For example Mr. Boland stated that a person with a Dominant personality is someone who wants to take authority, so telling a person with a dominant personality what to do, isn’t always the greatest of ideas. Mr. Boland said the more effective way to talk business with a dominant personality is to get to the point, don’t ramble, or engage in small talk, keep it business oriented if you are conducting business with this person. Mr. Boland also gave an example of how to communicate with a conscientious person. Conscientious people like dominant ones, want to get to the point, they want the information straight forward, and will analyze the information and devise a plan accordingly, where as the dominant person would respond with an answer quickly and decisively. Mr. Boland utilizes the skills of analyzing people’s personalities, and communicating with them accordingly on a daily basis, whether it be with a student, an employee, or potential business partner selling products to him.

            In Professional Sales, we’ve had a few guest speakers, ranging from salespeople, to marketing director, but this is the first time the class has gotten a glimpse into the side of the customer (from the side of business to business anyway). Mr. Boland deals with various companies including but not limited to; PepsiCo, Starbucks, and Tim Horton’s. Mr. Boland stated that these companies often come in and try to sell new products currently being promoted. It is his job to find out which promotional items can actually make him money or not. So conducting research on what the students at GCC really enjoy is an important element to his job. For those wondering (which for some, you may not need to wonder) the top selling item AVI foods sells at GCC are their chicken tenders (mmmmm chicken tenders *drool*).

            Mr. Boland was a very informative, and kind guest speaker, whom really showed insight on how things are handled on the business side of our very own cafeteria. Mr. Boland reiterated many lessons already taught by Mr. Dudkowski, and taught some of his own. I appreciate Mr. Boland for his sacrifice of time to speak with the class and for the free goodies he brought with him to make our morning just a little more delightful, and thank him tremendously on behalf of myself and the whole class.

CV November Events

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Thursday, November 14th- Karaoke Night 8 pm in the Village Hall Basement

Friday, November 15th- Connect 4 Tournament with Snacks, and prizes, 9 pm in the Village Hall Basement

Wednesday, November 20th- Shopping Trip to Marketplace Mall 5 pm-10 pm

Thursday, November 21st- November/December Birthday Party 6 pm in the Village Hall Basement

Friday, November 22nd- Karaoke Night 9 pm in the Village Hall Basement

Saturday, November 23rd- Clarence Clay Hands bus leaves at 1 pm, meet at College Village Office, bring your painting skills

Monday, November 25th- Thanksgiving Jeopardy 7 pm in the Village Hall Basement, Prizes will be won

Tuesday, November 26th- Thanksgiving Dinner for all residents, cooked by the staff, bring your appetites!

Wednesday, November 27th-Sunday, December 1st Thanksgiving Break, Make sure to fill out a break request form at the office if you plan on staying

*The above programs are for College Village Residents and guests of Residents

Insights from Adult Students – Donna Williams

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“When I was laid off in November 2012, the last thing I had considered was going back to school. At 56, I felt that I was too old and unprepared for the demands of a college degree.  After speaking to my daughter (who is also a student) I realized that going back to school was the best way to update my skills and make myself competitive in today’s job market.  Being a machinist for over 30 years has taken a physical toll on me and without a degree I have been unable to secure a supervisor role that pays a livable wage.  I finally decided to enroll and devote myself to earning an A.A.S. in Business Administration. Soon I realized that there were others at GCC just like me. They shared the same fears and the same doubts. All of the staff has been very helpful in helping me through this difficult time. This semester I had the pleasure of being in Mr. Dudkowski’s Advertising class. He inspired me to write this blog about my experience here at GCC. One of my classmates, Robin, is also older and returning to school to advance her career. She is busy not only with school, but also building a house, her artwork and tending to her small farm. If we can do it anybody can! Now that I am in school I am hearing about other careers that I can apply for after I earn my degree and I am hearing about them from teachers who have real-world experience in those positions. The teachers at GCC bring their own experiences to the classroom.  It is not about just teaching us what is in the textbooks.  I am in my third semester and I am proud to say that I am earning A’s. I am on track to graduate in December of 2014 and I have come to learn that going to college is not just for younger students anymore. Thank you GCC for helping me to realize my full potential!”

Donna has 2 children, Michelle. who is GCC’s PTK president, and a son who lives 2 hours away with his wife and Donna’s 2 awesome grandchildren. Kenneth is soon to be 16 and Samantha is 8. Her time is devoted to her education and family, for they are the backbone of everything she does.