Meet our Four Interns Interning in Cyprus for the Summer!

 
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Caroline Murray

She is a rising sophomore at USD. She is originally from Dallas, TX. While at USD, Caroline has been involved with SIBC and she was fortunate enough to be part of the Mexico City project, which allowed her to travel there. She is also a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority on campus and the Student Wellness Advisory Board. Caroline is excited for the opportunity to intern in Cyprus and looking forward to an amazing summer there.

 
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Marie Lawson

Marie is a double major in marketing and international business. She is a rising sophomore from Greensboro, North Carolina and cannot be more thrilled to have found my new home at USD. Marie joined SIBC during Fall 2017 and has worked on projects including researching for Facebook and got involved with the Special Events Coordination Team. She has recently been elected onto the SIBC Executive Board as the Special Events Coordinator for the 2018-2019 school year. Marie is very grateful for the incredible opportunity to spend 2 months as an intern for Famous Sports in Cyprus through the SIBC.

 
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Carolina Lemmen Meyer

Carolina is an international student from Mexico. She is a rising senior majoring in international business and minoring in political science. She has been an active member of SIBC for two years and became a member of the executive board her junior year. She participated in the CSTN rebranding project in Chicago and the Vector Pharma advertising project in Mexico City. Carolina is very excited to be working for SocialWays eServices in Cyprus this summer. 

 
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Julia Freund

She is an incoming Junior majoring in International Business and Ethnic Studies. Julia has been with SIBC since the spring of 2017 and has participated and traveled in marketing presentations to CSTN in Chicago and VectorPharma in Mexico City. This past year, Julia served as the Chief Marketing Officer on the Executive Board. She would like to thank M&T Trust, especially Frank Potenziani for the opportunity to live in Cyprus for the summer. 

Stores in France vs. the U.S.

SIBC is a student run council focused on giving its students the opportunity to participate in international business experiences. Our slogan “Peace Through Commerce” expresses SIBC’s intent on engaging in conscientious business enterprises. As a council, we engage in project groups with both national and international companies and fund international internships. Personally, I have formed part of this council since 2015, where I have performed both as a Marketing Director and Internship Director.

It is vital to appreciate the major differences between business cultures in order to successfully engage in international affairs. For this reason, SIBC believes that a summer immersed in Paris, and its business hub, is a worthy experience for an SIBC member.

Something that needs to be known by every American visiting France is that leisure time is VERY important for the French. In contrast to American businesses, French enterprises afford their employees with copious vacation time and short workdays. While we can find 24h stores in the U.S., it would be impossible to find an open store before 9am, or after 8pm in France. Not to mention how everything is closed on Sundays.

This is due to the belief that enough repose allows maximum labor productivity and an increase in profits. On the other hand, the U.S. looks to please the customer by being readily available, and thus increase profits. In short, if you’re traveling to France, be ready to manage your shopping habits around their reduced availability.

The council is focused on affording its students the tools to grow in an international environment. Since SIBC counts with a 1.1 million endowment, it will continue to support its deserving members, including USD, Notre Dame, and Benedictine. I encourage anyone interested in building Peace Through Commerce to join this council. 

Written by Fernanda Lopez Tolsa

Internship Opportunities in France

SIBC is a student run council focused on giving its students the opportunity to participate in international business experiences. Our slogan “Peace Through Commerce” expresses SIBC’s intent on engaging in conscientious business enterprises. As a council, we engage in project groups with both national and international companies and fund international internships. Personally, I have formed part of this council since 2015, where I have performed both as a Marketing Director and Internship Director.

It is vital to appreciate the major differences between business cultures in order to successfully engage in international affairs. For this reason, SIBC believes that a summer immersed in Paris, and its business hub, is a worthy experience for an SIBC member.

What I have realized during my time here is that an internship search is very different in France than in the U.S. In the latter, there are many resources available to students, even foreigners. There is an application process, and internship spots are mostly announced for candidates to see. In France, you must go door to door (in most cases) announcing your interest in the stage (internship). You must take your Curriculum Vitae (with your picture), a letter of motivation, and hope that you give it to the right person.

Since it is so complicated to get an internship, many students rely on agencies that help you find stages. You pay a fee, express you areas of interest, and the agency will work to find the perfect spot for you.

The council is focused on affording its students the tools to grow in an international environment. Since SIBC counts with a 1.1 million endowment, it will continue to support its deserving members, including USD, Notre Dame, and Benedictine. I encourage anyone interested in building Peace Through Commerce to join this council.

 

Written by Fernanda Lopez Tolsa

SIBC’s Parisian Adventures

SIBC is a student run council focused on giving its students the opportunity to participate in international business experiences. Our slogan “Peace Through Commerce” expresses SIBC’s intent of engaging in conscientious business enterprises. As a council, we engage in project groups with both national and international companies and fund international internships. Personally, I have formed part of this council since 2015, where I have performed both as a Marketing Director and Internship Director.

It is vital to appreciate the major differences between business cultures in order to successfully engage in international affairs. For this reason, SIBC believes that a summer immersed in Paris, and its business hub, is a worthy experience for an SIBC member.

So, I find myself living in central Paris, surrounded by French businessmen and women, learning about our similarities and differences. I am only one week into my experience, so I have to admit I am not yet an expert. However, there is a very important lesson to be learnt about French businesses: the client is not always right.

This is a very harsh contrast to the U.S., where business owners tend to be accommodating, and adaptable to the needs of the customer. However, in France, there is little flexibility when it comes to facilitating contact and transactions. One should not expect to receive any special treatment for being a foreigner. On the contrary, when approaching a French business, one should be knowledgeable of the language, and their business practices. So, when it comes to business in France, try to learn the language, and keep professional and private lives clearly separate. The French will not allow for any type of personal or friendly chat. Every email, and every discussion, should be brief and to the point. Hopefully this first lesson is helpful for future interactions.

This experience would not have been possible without the help of SIBC, which is sponsoring part of my trip. The council is focused on affording its students the tools to grow in an international environment, and will continue to do so with its deserving members. I encourage anyone interested in building Peace Through Commerce to join this council.

Fernanda Lopez Tolsa — Internship Director

SIBC TAKES OVER CHICAGO

The story of SIBC in Chicago is one of beginnings. A blossoming comradeship, a new and challenging project, and the opportunity to discover the emerging industries within Chicago all characterized this experience.

It all started with Gabriel Nakashima and Eric Waldstein, who gave USD SIBC the opportunity to work in a Recruiting Campaign for the Charter Substitute Teacher Network. Our job was to create a consulting project on how to generate 1400 applications for their Substitute Teacher Program while allocating funds for marketing outreach.

The relationship developed between the SIBC project members was the most satisfactory thing to watch. We started out as strangers, yet turned into friends and colleagues. The late nights working over our presentation, our collaboration, and our collective excitement, united us in what I hope will be a long lasting community of SIBC members.

SIBC Project Group in Willis Tower. Pictured (top to bottom, left to right): Alex Spangler, Sofia Panayides, Julia Freund, Carolina Lemmen Meyer, Fernanda López Tolsa, Abigail Hotchkiss.

The project made us push our boundaries. Each of us delved into complicated subject areas, especially market research and allocation of funds for marketing research. Yet, it made us more capable to face challenging ventures under time constraints.

By April , the time had come to present our findings to CSTN’s CEO: Eric Waldstein. The project group arrive in O’Hare International Airport April 6th. The following morning, we got the exciting opportunity to head down to the company’s headquarters in downtown Chicago. Here, we exposed our ideas to Mr. Waldstein. Following an excellent presentation, we had the opportunity to mingle with both Mr. Waldstein and the Notre Damme SIBC chapter.

SIBC Project Grop and CSTN CEO (left to right): Sofia Panayides, Eric Waldstein, Abby Hotchkiss, Julia Freund, Carolina Lemmen Meyer, Martin Layco, Alexander Spangler, Megan Kerpsack, and Fernanda López Tolsa.

We culminated our trip by discovering the city of Chicago. We were treated to fine food and activities by SIBC, which helped us enjoy the beautiful city. All in all, this was an experience filled with intelligent and unique people, networking opportunities, real world business projects, and the exploration of a The Windy City.

CSTN: http://www.cstnchicago.com/

USDSIBC: http://www.sibc.sandiego.edu