(Photo courtesy of: UMass Lowell Management Society. “The business building on North Campus is home to this and many other clubs.”
Nicholas Ewing
Connector Staff
Jonah Burnham, Vice-President of the Management Society, shared how his club gets together to discuss management ideas to help students succeed in their personal, professional, and academic lives. They learn “management concepts that you can apply in everyday life that you can do to advance yourself”, said Burnham. For example, the Management Society teaches how to optimize productivity using time management. “President Danny Tran had spoken about using calendars to manage your time, plan events, and other responsibilities. I had previously tried to remember it by taking small notes on my phone, but now I have two calendars. One for my personal life and one for my academic life. Being able to separate different areas of my life helped make me a timelier person”. Burnham had not missed an event since adopting this new management system. When a conflict of interest occurs, he can identify the people he is unable to meet and reach out to them quickly to reschedule.
Additional activities this club goes through for students are how to write a resume, prepare for a career fair, use LinkedIn for internship search, network with professionals and going through the job interview process. They do all these activities during their general body meetings when they invite knowledgeable guests on such topics. Jesse Abramson from the UMass Lowell Career Center was one guest who spoke at the Management Society about how to best use LinkedIn to navigate the job search and keep a professional profile. Burham said, “We hosted her to speak to the club about LinkedIn. She discussed how to use the functions of LinkedIn to look for jobs, contact recruiters, stay informed about company postings, and how to best interact on social media”.
Another opportunity the Management Society offered to students and their club members were inviting professionals to speak about their experiences and the challenges they face at work. “Last semester we hosted RTX (formerly Raytheon)”, said Burham. “Three of their representatives had come in to speak about their experiences, like how they got into the company, what they do for their jobs, how much they like their jobs, and potential job and internship opportunities available”.
Burnham wants his guest speakers and club members to feel they are in a comfortable environment that is conducive to learning. “Our events are personable when we host people. In the last twenty minutes of the event, we open the floor to questions. We try to create an atmosphere where students can ask any question they want”. Some students asked the RTX representatives: “What does your work-life balance look like? Do you find that you are in the office too much? Are you able to spend enough time with your friends and family? What is it like to work in a team with five different security clearances?”. This relaxed and positive learning atmosphere is best able to help club members learn from their guest speakers. All
questions asked help students learn more about what post-graduate life would be like working for companies.
Potential club members can expect the following if they choose to attend one of their meetings. The Management Society hosts impactful events four times per semester where students are highly encouraged to speak out and participate. “In the last two semesters, we have been trying to plan and schedule impactful and less frequent events. Quality over quantity, so we host three to four events per semester”, said Burnham who wants focused and fun general body meetings for students. Burnham really stressed how important new members can ask any question to anyone that is a part of the e-board. “It may feel a bit uncomfortable, but asking a question is the first step for anyone. Ask any question during or at the end of the event. You can even pull an e-board member aside to ask a question or speak to one of the panel members who had come to one of the events. Get yourself out of your comfort zone and into the conversation, so that you are part of the bigger picture instead of being a spectator”.
The semester will be over soon, so the Management Society will no longer be hosting events this semester. However, students can meet Jonah Burnham and his e-board at the End of Semester Party for Manning School of Business Clubs. Students can connect with them on instagram @uml.managementsociety or on LinkedIn: “UMass Lowell Management Society”.
