Welcome from Co-Presidents 1

A Note from Dr. Ow 2

Meet the E-Board 3

Networking Tips 4

Alumni Corner - Wipfli 5

Biznet2013 Information 7

Announcements 8

Inside this issue:

Welcome back faculty, students, and employers to a brand new school year! To students, we hope you all had amazing summers filled with re-warding and successful internship ex-periences. As for employers, we hope you enjoyed working and sharing your experiences with a variety of interns, a few of which were hopefully wonderful and talented Marquette students!

We are extremely excited to serve as your 2013-2014 Co-Presidents for ITSO. We have a passionate e-board of driven members who are ready to start the year off with new ideas. You can read more about us in this issue. Of course, we must also recognize our faculty advisor, Terence Ow, who will once again be helping the e-board produce successful outcomes in the various activities we plan.

We have already noticed an increase in student involvement from past years since our first ITSO meeting and Organization-fest (O-fest). With this in mind, we have two main goals for this school year. First, we hope to have more students switch to IT as a major. From last year’s graduating class, 82.8% of IT students were em-ployed within three months of gradu-ation. This was the highest employ-ment level out of all majors in the Col-

lege of Business. With such high job placement statistics and the ever evolving technological world we now live in, we hope to be able to per-suade more people of the benefits of having IT as a primary or secondary

major.

Second, we would like to offer more intimate, casual networking oppor-tunities for our stu-

dents. We think it would be an excel-lent opportunity for both students and companies to have casual networking events, say at the Annex or So-belman’s, featuring one or a few

(Continued on page 6)

Annual Biznet Event is at the Wisconsin Club, October 8th, 2013 for IT and OSCM majors.

Increased Engagement for ITSO A Note from Co-Presidents

… offer more intimate, casual networking opportunities for our students ...

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY

ITSO...GOOD Volume 7, Issue 1

September 2013

Java and Jobs in spring. I know from the recruiters’ side, the buzz this sum-mer was in anticipation of the Biznet event. I am optimistic that we would hit 50% placement mark by Decem-ber and 100% in May. I know it is doable, but you have to help your-self. It would be a nice graduation surprise for your parents when you tell them that you have accepted a full time position. As some of you are aware, I was on sabbatical last spring. I took time to

“retool” myself. It was time for me to pick up a new computer language

and I decided to learn py-thon. I also took a few courses at coursera.org such as strate-gy, analytics, big data etc. I want to challenge myself to learn more and stay in touch

with technology. I think it is very im-portant that you continue to retool yourself. What interests you? If it is social media, then get to know all the intricacies and nuances of social me-dia technology. If it is big data, then

Welcome back. This is my 10th year as a faculty member at Marquette and my 7th year as the faculty advi-sor of ITSO. First, I want to send my congratulations to the recent gradu-ates of 2012-2013. They have a suc-cessful placement and again, we are among the top in placement and job offers for all business majors. We have been in the top 3 the last few years so it is very gratifying knowing that the club efforts in networking at our two major events, Biznet and Java & Jobs have contributed to this suc-cess. These events, along with our communications of any new job offer-ings, has definitely helped our seniors and juniors in internship and full time job searches. Biznet2013 is no doubt going to be the biggest ever. We have increased overall numbers in both the IT and OSCM major, so I am expecting a bigger turnout. The lesson learned from every senior the last 5 years is that if you start to look for jobs and schedule interviews in Fall, you will find a job before you graduate. That is why there is a push for our major to have the Biznet event before your interviews to get you mentally ready for your job search. I can tell you many stories of students that start to network and look for jobs in late

spring and come to realize that the opportunities are reduced significant-ly and they regret pursuing this so late. I know it doesn’t feel like you need to look for a job for next sum-mer or make plans since your room-mates are still not looking— especial-ly when summer is still in your rear view mirror. However, the companies are already making plans. So, every-one please sign up for Biznet and

start reading more about big data. If it is analytics, then look online. There is a lot of information online that will familiarize you on the subject matter. Start to do this in college when you can. I understand all of you have very busy schedule in the school year, but perhaps you can also learn tools in addition to the courses that you are taking at Marquette. It will increase your skill set and at the same time allow you to learn something that you might be passionate about. Eventual-ly, you will have to learn new skills in your organization library of videos and so this is a time for you to get into the habit of learning new technol-ogy and initiatives. When interview-ers learn of your keen interest in al-ways independently learning more, they will want to hire you even more.

I also spent some time meeting with startups. I have been fortunate to know several and through that learned of their challenges as owners of startup firms and they in turn ask me questions and suggestions of how to improve their business model. This is another opportunity for you to im-prove on something. There are meetups in Milwaukee that get to-gether people with the same interest. From women in technology where many of our female IT alumni are

members to skills – meetup such as agile development or programming

(Continued on page 8)

Love to Learn

If you start to look for jobs and schedule interviews in Fall, you will find a job before you graduate.

Page 2 ITSO. . .GOOD

tradition and a perfect way to end the day.

My name is Megan Hauser and I am excited to join the ITSO e-board this year as Chief Editor of ITSO...Good! I am a senior at Marquette double majoring in IT and Operations & Sup-ply Chain Management. I am origi-nally from Norwood, MN and will be staying in Wisconsin following gradu-ation in May to join the IT Leadership Program at GE Healthcare. My favor-ite thing to do is travel! I studied abroad in London last semester and made it to 17 cities. My favorite part was hiking through five little fishing vil-lages—Cinque Terre—in Italy. The App I’m using most right now is Songza because I love music and it filters songs for various parts of your day.

Hello everyone, my name is Shu and I am very happy to be your Vice Presi-dent of Finance for this year. Current-ly I am a senior double majoring in Accounting and IT. Before I came to Marquette I studied Accounting in a Chinese college for 2 years, so now it’s my fifth year in college. This sum-mer I had a great opportunity to intern with Pricewater-houseCoopers risk assurance team in Milwaukee. The in-ternship was a great learning experience that combined IT and accounting to-

Hi everyone! My name is Tara McQuillan and I am excited to be ITSO’s 2013-2014 Co-President. Last year, I served as one of ITSO’s Co-Chief Editors, so I am happy to be a part of E-board once again. I am cur-rently a senior majoring in IT and Fi-nance and will be graduating this May. Originally, I am from Evergreen Park, IL and plan to move back to the Chicago area after graduation to work at PwC as an ITPA SAP Associ-ate. I am a Chick Evans Caddie Schol-arship recipient and am actively in-volved with that or-ganization also. I look forward to learning more about the students and companies involved with ITSO and hope this year will be just as successful, if not more, than last year.

My name is Katie Kemmerer and I am very excited to serve as this year’s ITSO Co-President. I am currently in my senior year at Marquette and am pursuing a double degree in IT and Marketing as well as a minor in Span-ish. I am originally from Victoria, MN, which is a small town about 30 minutes outside of the twin cities with lots of lakes; I can’t seem to get enough of the water when I’m home! Right now, my favorite app is “ShopShop” - an app that allows you to create and manage lists. Its fan-tastic for runs to the grocery store and Target. As for a fun fact about me, I'm a huge Friends fan. Every night my roommate and I watch an episode before going to bed. It’s a great

gether. After the internship I was lucky to get a full-time offer from PwC San Francisco office. So once I graduate from Marquette I will go to SF to start a new life! A fun fact about me is that I got my first driver’s license in Milwaukee and I crashed my friend’s car on the way back from DMV office right after I passed the road test.

My name is Connor McNamara and I am ITSO’s VP of Programs. Infor-mation Technology has always been an area that has sparked my interest, but I have not always been an IT ma-jor. I began my journey here at Mar-quette as an Accounting major. How-ever when speaking with an account-ing professor about what accounting firms look for as a second major, I was excited to hear IT come up. I then picked up IT as a major along with my accounting major, and have been enjoying it ever since. The tech indus-try has revolutionized the way busi-ness is done, and keeping up on the current trends in information technol-ogy helps to pre-pare for success in the business world. Over the summer I had the opportunity to intern in the ISS department of a local company and see firsthand how IT can enable businesses to thrive. I believe it is a great industry to be in, and I look forward to continuing my endeavors in the IT world.

(Continued on page 6)

Meet the ITSO E-Board

Volume 7, Issue 1 Page 3

network. You never know when a con-nection may be useful in the future. Know a little about a lot The first thing that Casey does when he gets to the office in the morning is read the Wall Street Journal for 10 minutes. Even as an avid Vikings fan, he reads up on the Packers simply because it is something he can connect with the majority of his office on. When a “hot topic” comes up at a networking event, nobody wants to be the person who has no idea what it is. It is important to be able to carry on a short conversation about a wide variety of topics.

Do your research ahead of time It is important to do some research before an event or meeting with an

individual you have not met before. Knowing a few facts about the people you will be meeting is not only a great way to make an impressive first im-pression, but also makes con-versation much easier. This goes for one-on-one meetings or net-working events such as Biznet. Network in unique/outside environments There is no strict definition of an appropriate place to network. Casey shared a story of a co-worker who was interested in a

Walking into a room of intimidating professionals can be an overwhelming experience for students - especially when internships and full-time jobs are the topics of conversation. Casey Schuler, our speaker at September’s ITSO meeting, shared key points to note when network-ing: Networking can be with anyone Be open to network with anyone around you, look at each situation as a positive opportunity to build your

different department at his com-pany, but was having difficulty getting on the leader’s schedule. He did his re-search about this individu-al and learned that he was an avid runner and ran dur-ing his lunch hour. Therefore, Casey’s coworker asked to join him on his runs instead of waiting weeks for the next availa-ble spot on his calendar. Not only did this give him the opportunity to learn more about the department, but they were able to bond over a com-mon interest. Utilize people you already know It is not a bad thing to use the net-work you have already built for your-self to find 2nd and even 3rd connec-tions. Additionally, the individuals in your network may be able to assist you in making that great first impres-sion with a new connection by provid-ing you valuable background infor-mation on the individual. ~ Casey Shuler, BBA 2011 Senior Analyst - NA Forecast to Stock S.C. Johnson Racine, Wisconsin

Networking = Key to Success

Networking is marketing. Marketing yourself, marketing your uniqueness, marketing what you stand for.

Christin Comaford-Lynch

Page 4 ITSO. . .GOOD

Do you have your resume ready? Have you RSVP for biznet2013?

RSVP @ Career Manager, www.mu.edu/csc

Contact Terence.Ow@marquette.edu for more information.

that pro-vide a sense of ownership in the projects that I am involved in. Consultants face a wide variety of challenges, but these chal-lenges are what keeps our team moti-vated to find the best solution for our customers. It truly is a great feeling to hear a client’s sigh of relief, knowing that you played an integral part in the improvement of their business strategy. A typical client engagement at Wipfli is called an iteration meeting. When a company signs on for Wipfli’s pro-fessional services, a project manager will lay out a schedule of these meet-ings over a few months. As a business analyst in these projects, I am re-quired to meet certain benchmarks before every meeting. In the kick-off

meeting, the client usually gives an analysis of their cur-rent CRM system (if one exists) and ex-plains which fea-

tures are most important to them. Once the client’s needs have been assessed, our consulting team begins to address these needs in an methodi-cal manner. These engagements are especially rewarding because I am working with high level executives representing vari-ous functions and industries. There are many opportunities for professional development at Wipfli. I have completed a readiness boot camp for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and I will become a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist upon

Hello ITSO...Good readers! My name is Angus Whitmore and I am a December 2012 Marquette graduate with a de-gree in IT and Mar-keting. I am currently working as a Technol-

ogy Consultant at the corporate headquarters of Wipfli LLP here in Milwaukee focusing on CRM system implementation. Wipfli ranks among the top CPA and business consulting firms in the nation. The company provides clients with industry-specific assurance, account-ing, tax, and consulting services to create business solutions for both ex-isting and foreshadowed issues. Con-sultants at Wipfli are most successful when they have strengths such as ana-lytical prob-lem solving, project man-agement, sys-tems analysis, and business intelligence. One thing in particular that drew me to this profession is the level of client interaction and en-gagement. While having a technical background is essential, effective communication and information gath-ering is an integral part of day-to-day responsibilities. One of the most important elements of consulting is catering to clients’ needs. We work to identify the unique business requirements in order to configure and customize software to solve their problems. It is these in-teractions with clients and coworkers

the completion of my certification ex-ams for Applications, Customization, and Configuration. I encourage you to utilize your net-working skills and attend any career fairs sponsored by Marquette Univer-sity and the College of Business Ad-ministration. It was at BizNet where I had first contact with Wipfli and after going through the interview process, I ultimately landed my job out of col-lege. I will be active in volunteering during the recruitment process this coming fall while the firm searches for new associates, so please introduce yourself and ask any questions you may have about Wipfli. Ken Kortas (BBA, 1987) Partner at Wipfli for 6 years added the follow-ing: “Wipfli’s Consulting Practice has had steady growth throughout the last 10 years and continued to grow dur-ing the economic downturn in 2008 - 2010. We are on pace for a record year in 2013. Our long term strate-gy is predicated on hiring talented students from universities such as Mar-quette to fuel our growth.

We have had great success with Mar-quette students coming to our firm and achieving career advancement.

Alumni Corner: Angus Whitmore

Advisory Services Managed Services Cloud Services Project Services

… that drew me to this profession is the level of client interaction and engagement ...

Source: www.wipfli.com

Volume 7, Issue 1 Page 5

Marquette students have proven across our account-ing and consulting practices to be both critical and

strategic thinkers.

relationships.

In addition to our new ideas, we are very excited to continue ITSO’s exten-sive tradition of hosting first class net-working events, such as Biznet and Java & Jobs, rewarding community service opportunities, and captivating company tours. These events have been a pivotal part of the ITSO ex-perience and we look forward to con-

spotlight companies. While speaker events have their benefits, we think it would be even more engaging for our students to be able to interact with several spokespersons from a company in a more relaxed, comfort-able setting. We feel such events would better enable our students and local companies to form sustainable

(Continued from page 1) tinuing to provide our students with such successful, noteworthy events.

Best of luck to students with their se-mester studies, job and internship in-terviews and to employers with their various project and recruiting activi-ties. We look forward to working with all of you in what promises to be another great year!

A Note from Co-Presidents (cont’d)

Meet the E-Board (cont’d)

ITSM (IT Service Management) ana-lytics intern. Both were great compa-nies, but I especially enjoyed my IT internship at Baxter and seeing how my IT courses applied to hands-on corporate work experiences. I hope to work as an IT Business Analyst after graduation.

Hi, I'm Amanda Conway and I'm an IT major-just IT, although I do have a penchant for Accounting. I'll be the VP

Hey everyone, my name is Brian Sobon and I am your VP of Member-ship. I am currently a senior, double majoring in Finance and IT. I have had two internships over my last three years, one in Operations at Motorola Mobility, and the other this past summer at Bax-ter Healthcare as an

(Continued from page 3) for Publicity for ITSO this year, as well as helping on the effort to re-vamp the ITSO website (fingers crossed!) I'm originally from Milwau-kee, and love it so much I couldn't im-agine being any-where else! I’m cur-rently working at RW Baird as a Busi-ness Analyst intern, and hope to keep working as a Busi-ness Analyst or Sys-tems Analyst after

Wipfli Consulting (cont’d)

n’t realize they truly did need. Stra-tegic thinking then takes this analysis and applies it in a synthesized way that can help transform the busi-ness. We are excited to continue our presence at Marquette and recruit students who have passion to be part of team of professionals contributing to our clients’ success.” Wipfli will be at the Career Fair (9/26), Biznet (10/8), Information Session (10/9) and Campus Interview (10/9)

Marquette students have proven across our accounting and consulting practices to be both critical and stra-tegic thinkers. These competencies are significantly important in an advi-sory services firm, such as Wipfli. While we help clients be successful, it begins with critically analyzing the needs of the clients as Angus not-ed. Analyzing the needs is more than taking notes. It is probing to under-stand the underlying needs – some-times identifying needs the client did-

(Continued from page 5) The Consulting Internship Experience Wipfli’s consulting internship experience is designed to provide the student with an overview of a consulting career at Wipfli. Wipfli consultants participate in a wide range of activities from business analysis, process design, software design and soft-ware configuration. We pair up our interns with our full time consultants so that they can experience real life client projects and help contribute to the overall solutions Wipfli is providing our clients.

Page 6 ITSO. . .GOOD

Tuesday, October 8th 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Wisconsin Club, Milwaukee, WI Sponsored by: Uline, Kohl’s, Direct Supply

BIZNET 2013

Information Technology and Operations and Supply Chain Management Networking Event

If you are interested in attending, please email MUBIZnet@gmail.com

Volume 7, Issue 1 Page 7

Upcoming Events:

Executive Board (2013-2014) Katie Kemmerer: Co-President Tara McQuillan: Co-President Megan Hauser: Chief Editor Zhishu Geng: VP of Finance Amanda Conway: VP of Publicity Connor McNamara: VP of Programs Brian Sobon: VP of Membership

Suggestions: If you are interested in guest writing or have topics you would like to see in ITSO...Good, please email Megan Hauser at megan.hauser@mu.edu.

Thinking of joining ITSO? Sign up today! Just fill out the online applica-tion (see muitso.org) and bring it to the next ITSO meeting along with a $15 check made out to ITSO.

Recruiting Zone: This space is available for job or internship post-ings. Please contact Megan at megan.hauser@mu.edu for more information.

October 8th BizNet 2013 Wisconsin Club 900 W. Wisconsin Ave 5:30-7:30PM

To be Announced Ronald McDonald House Wauwatosa

February (TBA) Java and Jobs AMU

November 19th Bowling with Accenture Lanes and the Annex 6:00-8:00PM

We’re on the Web!

Check out muitso.org

about your plans for the year and for summer. Tell me more about whether you have an offer, have a couple of interviewers lined up, or any plans such as study abroad or community service like Peace Corps or Teach for America. If you have any questions about coursework, internships, inter-view process, etc. please talk to any of the IT faculty. We are here to help

development groups. Go there, net-work, and learn new and cool gadg-ets and shortcuts. I am looking forward to catching up with all of you. So when you see me anywhere, stop me and say hi to me and introduce yourself. Also, tell me

(Continued from page 2) you. Have a successful school year and accept many challenges that come your way this year. And continue to Love 2 Learn. ~ Prof. Terence Ow

Love to Learn (cont’d)

Announcements

Meetup in the Milwaukee. Network and learn with state of the art, new and cool gadgets in related areas of technology.