The end of one semester and the beginning of another are extremely busy weeks for me and I rarely have time, or take time, to reflect on the meaning of things.  This year is different, I believe, because of four events that I attended.  During the past two weeks, I have participated in the Evening MBA end-of-semester social at Jillians, the Delta Sigma Pi holiday dinner, the Kelley faculty holiday party, and the staff holiday pitch-in lunch and gift exchange in my own office at the Kelley School.

At each of these events, I saw Kelley students, faculty and staff enjoying each other’s company and conversation without the usual barriers between us; barriers of grades and rank and program and level.  I saw laughter, joy, and selfless giving.  I watched surprise and pleasure wash over someone’s face because of unexpected recognition he or she received, and the wonderful gift of two relative strangers getting to know each other and the surprising common ground they share.  From blue jeans and air hockey tournaments, to formal wear and professional celebrations of accomplishment and brotherhood, students and faculty and staff put down the business of everyday life and just had fun – together.  From the warmth and welcome of a faculty member’s home, to the crazy corner of my own office, I celebrated with my colleagues and enjoyed talking about something other than work for an hour or two.

Work is what we do, and it binds us together while we are associated with Kelley.  I am proud of the work that I do as a faculty member, and proud of the work I do with the wonderful, patient and talented staff members (including our student employees) who work in the Program Office.  I am very proud of the work that our students do.  But there is a different type of glue that really holds, a tie that truly binds me to all of you.  It is that non-work moment when we share a smile or a sandwich, a handshake or a hug, a laugh, a sudden realization that we simply enjoy each other’s company and we have one or two things in common.  This is what keeps me coming back to work each day, and what I will remember when my career with Kelley is over.

Jane L. Lambert

Tuesday evening, I had the privilege of attending a great event sponsored by Delta Sigma Pi.  The event celebrated the hard work and encouragement of members.  It also was the fulfillment of many years of work to establish a scholarship for students attending the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. 

The DSP members work Colt events to raise funds for their Kappa Sigma Chapter.  Extra funds from these events were placed in a fund to establish a scholarship with the IU Foundation.  The idea of a scholarship started in 2000 and Tuesday evening the Chapter presented a check for $10,000 to the IU Foundation. 

The dedication and spirit of giving back to the community demonstrates the awesome leadership of the Delta Sigma Pi Kappa Sigma Chapter.  I believe they are the first Delta Sigma Pi Chapter to establish such a scholarship for their school. 

I want to thank the chapter for their leadership, vision, and persistence in pursuing such a goal.  They are truly an inspiration to all of us. 

The Chapter was also included in a special segment on Fox 59 news, Hoosiers Give Back.  See the link below.

http://www.fox59.com/pages/video/?clipId=3239503&topVideoCatNo=97185&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=

As a subscriber to the Indianapolis Business Journal, today I received my 2009 edition of the annual IBJ Book of Lists.  The book (more like a magazine, really) is exactly what the title indicates, page after page of lists of Indianapolis-area companies sortedby industry, size, growth rate, etc.  It’s not exactly leisure reading, but it is, in my humble opinion, the most undervalued and underutilized job search resource for students and young professionals looking for local job and internship opportunities.

While it’s easy to hop onto Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com and submit your resume to hundreds of jobs, it is a serious understatement to write that finding quality positions is a challenge.  Particularly in a slowing economy, you need to be a proactive job seeker – and this is where the Book of Lists comes into play.  Along with basic information about each company (industry, revenue, # of employees, primary services, major clients, and more), you’ll find a link to each company’s website, where many organizations, lacking the time and staff to sort through hundreds of Monster-generated resumes, will post open positions to which you can apply directly.  Even if there are no open positions listed, you can learn more about the company and find contact information for you to begin setting up informational interviews. 

Alongside lists such as the Top 25 Fastest-Growing Indianapolis-Area Private Companies and the Top 25 Largest Indianapolis-Area Firms by Industry (Logistics, Public Relations, Accounting, etc.), you’ll find information on professional organizations you should consider joining, non-profits, and graduate programs.  I recommend getting your hands on a copy as soon as possible, which you can do one of 4 ways:

1. Subscribe to the IBJ and you’ll receive a copy as part of your subscription (my #1 recommendation) as well as 24/7 access to the interactive online edition
2. Order a paper copy through the IBJ website
3. Buy a copy at Northside News, or Delaware News, or any local Borders or Barnes & Noble bookstore
4. Download digital versions of individual lists (which can add up fast)

If you’d like some tip and tricks on getting the most from your copy, come see me and I’ll happily walk you through some strategies.