Walton Travels the World

A short recap of where some of our faculty and staff have been lately (thanks to the Walton College's Global Engagement Office):

Jon Johnson, Management

January 2012: Amsterdam, NL for a Consumer Goods Forum. Also in January, 2012: Ottawa, Canada to present at a sustainability meeting with the Canadian Government.

Justin Patton, RFID

October 2011: Lille, France and Dusseldorf, Germany for sponsorship visits.

Karen Pincus, Accounting

March 2012: Merida, Mexico for the ANFECA conference where Pincus gave the opening plenary address on triple helix projects (university, government, business working together) in the accounting arena in the U.S. February 2012: various meetings in Australia sponsored by the chartered accountants and CPA societies. From 2006-2011, Pincus served as the U.S. representative on International Accounting Education Standards Board. Pincus presented, “Defining the Professional Accountant,” at the SAICA/SAIPA (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants/South African Institute of Professional Accountants) Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa, October 2011, and “The Framework for International Accounting Education Standards,” at the UNCTAD-IAESB Accountancy Education Forum: Building Human Capacity and Professional Accounting Education for High Quality Corporate Reporting,” United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, March 2011.

Vernon Richardson, Accounting

December 2011: Vitoria, Brazil to be the keynote speaker for the Brazilian Business Review Conference. In February 2012, Richardson traveled to Sydney, Australia for the UTS Summer Accounting Symposium.

Christy Slay, The Sustainability Consortium

December 2011: London, United Kingdom. Slay was invited by the Prince Charles International Sustainability Unit to a Forum called Accounting for Sustainability at St. James Palace, home of the Royal family. After hearing Prince Charles speak, she mingled with the group over mince pies and tea. In addition Slay met with many potential member companies and leaders in sustainability initiatives from around the world. (photo: Slay on her way to St. James)

Tracy Sykes, Information Systems

Spring 2012: Hong Kong to continue research collaborations and data collection. Traveled to Sydney, Australia for data collection and to Venice, Italy to present research at the International Academy of Business and Economics (IABE) Conference.

Viswanath Venkatesh, Information Systems

Summer 2012: Venkatesh will travel to the following locations in order to complete ongoing research, data collection, writing papers, revising papers and attending meetings---India, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy, and Australia.

Networking Dos and Don'ts

Networking is one of the most important skills you can develop to further your career. Learning to find common interests and build rapport with people you meet will create a foundation of trust and comfort that will pay off in the future. Think of networking as “business dating.” You are trying to build relationships and get to know people in order to decide whether or not you want to associate with them in the future.

Professional networking opportunities are everywhere. Cocktail parties, chamber of commerce events, civic clubs, and social/athletic clubs are all examples of opportunities to meet and get to know new people. Don’t think of a networking event as a chance to get a job or sell something – you may find just as much satisfaction in finding ways you can help the other people you meet.

Attending a Professional Reception or Networking Event

DO: Smile and hold your head up when you enter the room.
DO: Keep your hands out of your pockets.
DO: Thank the hosts for inviting you.
DO: Introduce yourself to people you don’t know.

DON’T: Head for the food and drinks before you’ve talked to anyone.
DON’T: Get drunk!
DON’T: Talk with food in your mouth.

Networking Starts with Introducing Yourself

DO: Introduce yourself immediately so you will not appear aloof or shy.
DO: Make eye contact and exhibit confident posture.
DO: Extend your hand for a handshake.
DO: Give your first and last name and tell something about yourself (such as where you work).

DON’T: Wear out your welcome. Work the room and meet other people.
DON’T: Assume someone remembers your name. Greet them and give your name.
DON’T: Look over someone’s shoulder toward someone else in the room. It’s rude.

Tips to Improve Your Small Talk

DO: Be well-informed about what’s going on in the world.
DO: Focus on the other person and less on yourself.
DO: Keep it positive.
DO: Think before you speak.
DO: Listen attentively and ask questions.

DON’T: Interrupt the other person – it’s rude!
DON’T: Talk about the following: Illnesses, religion, politics, controversial issues.
DON’T: Start or participate in mean gossip or tell off-color jokes.

Appropriate Dress

Dressing neatly and appropriately projects credibility. People tend to pay more positive attention to sharp dressers than to those who dress inappropriately or shabbily, regardless of someone’s credentials. Wear clothes that make you feel confident and attractive. Don’t dress in a way that distracts from your worth as a person. If you are unsure about an outfit, ask someone you trust and respect for his or her opinion.

DON’T FORGET:
To always say goodbye and thank your host.
To write a thank-you note to the host…NOT a thank-you email!

Tips courtesy of Mark Wilson, a 2001 MBA graduate of the Walton College who serves on the Business Alumni Advisory Council and co-mentors the Future Alumni Awareness Network committee.