Let’s Show Them What Business Knights Can Do

A few weeks ago we did a podcast on how there is now an Excel Competition that’s televised on ESPN. You can debate whether it’s an Esport, but it’s been on the OCHO baby. I’m serious, you can listen to the podcast by clicking here.

If you think you got the Excel skills to compete and make it to the big leagues, you now have the same opportunity as our Knights athletes because we have joined the Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge. You can learn about the challenge by clicking here.

Sara Willox in our Integrated Business Department is leading our effort. You can reach out to her for more details on our effort. Let’s show them what Business Knights can do. Who knows, you might end up making the big leagues and appear on the OCHO in a few years.

Are You Ready for The Invitational?

This is the one time in your life when employers are going to come in large numbers looking for you.  We bring them straight to campus.  Eighty of them will be here to meet you this Friday, Sept. 22, when we host The Invitational: An Event for Internships, Externships & Jobs at The Venue. We call it “The Invitational” because both students and employers have to be invited to attend.  Employers must have openings for interns or jobs, students must have shown they have done their homework and have prepared for the event.

If you are a student preparing for the event you might want to get advice from people who have been there.  Luckily, we have done that for you too.   Check out our podcast on the invitational by clicking here:  https://business.ucf.edu/is-the-invitational-your-thing/

Remember what I told you at Welcome to the Majors:  Many students pass up great opportunities like The Invitational because they have other priorities.  “Getting to the one” requires that you get out of your comfort zone, prepare a game plan, and show up.  If you do this, there is a great likelihood that you land an internship or the job that you seek.  So, prepare now.

I look forward to seeing you there.

In Praise of Honest Work

Like about 25% of my students, I was the first person in my family to go to college. One of my grandfathers worked in an iron mine, the other in a foundry.  My father painted houses.  My mother kept the books for an oil delivery company.  For people who suffered through the Great Depression and World War II, they were happy to have honest work.  They did their jobs with enormous pride and a sense of accomplishment. Labor Day was a big day in my house.  Management, my family joked, got the other 364.  (As Dean, I live by this.)

Sometimes my industry goes out of its way to disparage honest work.  We don’t do it directly. We are far too civilized for that.  Instead, we portray a college education as the gateway to a “better future,” earning the degree holder higher wages and fewer bouts of unemployment than people without the degree. Although it’s never really said, the inference is that honest work is inferior.  Life without college is by definition a lesser future.

I beg to differ. Honest work done with your hands and heart, isn’t inferior work, its different work. For some people, it’s the right work.  Even today, the U.S. has about 30 million jobs that pay an average of $55,000 or more per year and don’t require a bachelor’s degree. People in certain vocational fields are also slightly more likely to be employed than college degree holders.  There is a lot of variance around all of these mean outcomes mind you, but honest work isn’t dead and the people who hold these jobs aren’t lesser folks–they are my parents.  They worked hard to put me where I am today.  Labor Day weekend isn’t for picnics, or endless College football games, it’s for celebrating them.

Don’t misunderstand me: I am a big believer in the transformative power of higher education. I’ve seen it change many lives for the better and it’s what made me what I am today. But while we take a break from classes this Labor Day let’s not deceive ourselves into believing we hold the only key to people’s chance at a better future. With the advent of large language models, AI is threatening a lot of professional work, but as far as I know AI isn’t going to fix my plumbing or air conditioning, paint my house or provide me a memorable dinning experience.  The tide might very well be shifting, but what is certain is that we can’t survive without all those folks who do honest work and relish in it.  Thank you.