From Dateline (March 13, 2003)
Marketing Honors Program
Brings Students and Companies Together
by Pamela Mclaren
When Robert M. Jones takes the podium in either
his principles of marketing or retail marketing strategy class,
he brings to the forefront his experience gained from working with
such well known companies as Federated Department Stores, Bullock's/
I. Magnin & Co.; Sears, Roebuck & Co.; and Bank of America.
Since 1973, he has used this experience not only to
enhance his teaching but to develop the Honors Networking Program,
a program that gives marketing students opportunities to interact
with corporate leaders and to learn what employers in various industries
are seeking in future employees.
Q: |
Tell us about the Honors
Networking Program. |
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A: |
The program was started in 1996
on a very small scale. It was a joint idea between a colleague
and I to recognize our top marketing majors and give them
a leg up in connecting with the business community for career
positions, internships and special projects.
In the very beginning, special projects were an important
part of this program - actually more so than networking, and
we had some very fine projects that were done by students
for different companies. One that I remember in particular
was with Day Timer. It was a site location study to find out
where Day Timer should be locating their distribution centers.
Three of our really outstanding marketing students worked
on it. When they went to deliver the study, the company was
holding a board meeting and the company president said to
the students, “we want you to come in and present your
findings to the board of directors.” The students did
make the presentation and the company doubled their fee.
Another student did a study for Helpmates, which is one of
our corporate partners. This study resulted in a comprehensive
marketing plan to start a new business. Helpmates ended up
implementing the plan. |
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Q: |
So it began as a special
projects, mentoring program? |
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A:
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Not so much mentoring. It's
really networking -giving our top marketing majors
opportunities to develop relationships with our corporate
partners in the business community. At the first breakfast
meeting, we had more corporate partners than we had students.
As it evolved, we got more partners, and the students realized
that this program gave them a very personalized way to access
companies to explore opportunities in a true networking environment
and in ways that they cannot get elsewhere. |
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Q: |
How do students in the program
connect with the partners? |
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A: |
The students come to biannual
breakfast meetings in March and October where the corporate
partners present their current opportunities. Following those
presentations, students meet with the partner representatives
and discuss career opportunities, part-time employment and
internships, and exchange resumes and business cards.
It's very formal - not in any way like a career fair. Students
are required to wear business attire and the corporate partners
appreciate this because they feel it makes the meetings much
more professional. The primary benefit to the partners is
that they meet the top marketing majors, the very best students
in our department. |
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Q: |
When is the next networking
breakfast? |
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A: |
It will be held 7-9:30 a.m.
tomorrow (March 14). At the last breakfast, there were 20
of our 24 partners represented and in excess of 60 students.
So from our humble beginnings, we have ballooned to filling
a room with almost 100 people twice a year at the Fullerton
Marriott. |
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Q: |
What is so special about
this program? |
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A: |
This program has been enormously
successful in encouraging, rewarding and showcasing our best
marketing majors.
The meeting venue is comparable to that of attending a professional
meeting like that of the American Marketing Association.
The corporate partners truly appreciate the professionalism
of this program. Seven of the corporate partners/directors
have been with the program from its inception. Several have
commented that they have gone to other universities, like
USC and UC Riverside, and have not had the success in finding
potential candidates as they have with the Honors Networking
Program. All of the corporate partners feel that this program
should serve as a model because of the added value it provides. |
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Q: |
How are students selected
for the program? |
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A:
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Students must have at least
a 3.0 grade-point-average - or if they are just short of that,
at least recommendations from two marketing faculty members
to even be invited. The biannual breakfast meetings are by
invitation only.
Before they can attend, the students have to go through an
orientation meeting with either Neil Granitz, who is co-director
of the program, or myself. At this orientation, we explain
the program, define and discuss networking, tell them what
is required of them - business attire and resumes - and how
the process works. And that they can participate every semester
until they graduate, as long as they maintain their high grades.
So as they meet the corporate partners, relationships develop
and it's through these relationships that they get interviews
that may lead to job offers. |
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Q: |
What companies are corporate
partners? |
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A: |
There are a balance of companies
from various industries that take part in the Honors Networking
Program. Participating companies include Minolta Business
Solutions, Target, Macy's, Helpmates, Enterprise Rent-A-Car,
Hunter Barth, Kent H. Landsberg, Donahue Schriber, Bank of
America, PepsiCo, Walgreens, Mervyn's, Hershey Foods, ADP,
Celtic Leasing, Wallace, Compass International and the Anaheim/Orange
County Visitor & Convention Bureau. |
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Q: |
How do corporations become
partners? |
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A: |
Companies are invited to attend
the program as corporate guests the first time. Then they
can join the program as a corporate partner. There is an annual
fee that they pay to help support the cost of the program.
In addition, several corporate partners also sponsor scholarships
for the HNP students. Target, Enterprise, Celtic Leasing,
ADP, Walgreens and Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention
Bureau have all been very generous in funding annual scholarships
for our students.
Many of the partners have volunteered to participate with
some of our marketing classes by providing guest speakers
and sponsoring field trips. |
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Q: |
It sounds like one of the
benefits of this program is the relationships and networking
that you have done with various organizations. |
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A: |
Yes, indeed. I also have remained
close to several former students. One, Julie Greiner, is now
executive vice president for Bloomingdale's in New York. She's
participated in various ways with the university and was an
honoree at Vision & Visionaries. It's all interconnected.
I believe the corporate partners enjoy coming to our breakfasts
because they can network with other executives. I've also
had students who qualified for the Honors Networking Program,
attended the breakfasts, gotten their career offer, gone to
work for one of the companies, and in a few years, have come
back and represented that company in the Honors Networking
Program.
The program is very symbiotic. It benefits the students,
the corporate partners, the Marketing Department, the College
of Business and Economics, and the university. |
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