Class of 2013
Carolyn Braff

Carolyn's Videos:

The value of the multi-disciplinary Chicago Approach
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Distinct neighborhoods form an urban oasis
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Marketing Group - a collaborative community - with Gina Pee, '12
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An alumni mentorship through the James M. Kilts Center for Marketing
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TOUGH CONCEPTS IN DIGESTIBLE TERMS

Having come from a background in journalism, I was intimidated by quantitative courses when I came to Booth. I knew I didn’t want to take statistics and accounting at the same time. So, I started with Alan Bester’s statistics course. In the first class he began by talking about the probability of making one free throw in a basketball game given that you made the previous one, and the probability of making the third one given that you made the first two. He went on with this sports analogy for about ten minutes. The grin on my face spread. He had explained some very fundamental things about probability and statistics in terms that I totally understood. He was speaking my language.

Now I am a co-chair of the Media, Entertainment & Sports Group, and I can reach out to Professor Bester and say, “Hey, we’re planning this sports symposium. It’s going to be a full-day conference. Do you think you can help us come up with some topics?”

From that very first moment, when I realized that we were on the same page – concerned with how sports and business interact - just having a professor around to bounce ideas off of has been really phenomenal.

ARCHITECTURE FOR A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT

The University of Chicago has a great academic feel and a rich history of research and innovation. As you get closer to Booth, something changes. The iconic, Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House sits across the street, and you see its architecture mirrored in the Harper Center.

Just walking through the doors into the Harper Center, you’re infused with that culture and legacy that is University of Chicago academics; but, then, there’s that Frank Lloyd Wright creativity sitting over your shoulder, too.

The Winter Garden in Harper Center is really where you can get a feel for what Chicago Booth is like. People are so friendly, and everyone wants to know what you’ve been up to. You can see faculty moving around the floors. There’s an incredible energy to that atrium. It’s a unique transition space between academics and the social side of Booth.

INVALUABLE CAREER RESOURCES

When you get to school, Career Services does a fantastic job of creating a curriculum for you. Once a week, Career Services has programming, and while it’s not mandatory, it’s incredibly helpful. They cover resume writing, and they give examples of resumes in all different fields, industries, and functions to really help you understand what attracts companies. They spend a week on cover letters. They spend a week on interviewing techniques, correspondence, and networking. They really prepare you with all the tools that you need to get your job search started.

I’d always gotten jobs through referrals, so I hadn’t written a cover letter in a long time. Any time spent with these experts - not only the Career Services staff but also career advisors and second-year students who volunteer to help - all of these resources were truly invaluable.