As mentioned in my previous post I'm a proud member of The Wolverine Venture Fund - Clean Tech Team. Recently, WVF portfolio company HandyLab delivered Ross students their third successful portfolio - company exit since venture fund’s inception in 1998. If you've got some time please take some time to read this short article on the HandyLab exit.
For those of you not familiar with WVF I pulled this directly off the fund's website.
"The Wolverine Venture Fund (WVF) is a multi-million dollar venture capital fund operated directly out of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, enabling entrepreneurs to realize their business dreams. The Fund invests with the active involvement of MBA students, faculty assistance, and an advisory board composed of professional venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. The WVF is the largest, most active University-based venture fund of its type in the country. The Fund's contributions have been featured in numerous professional publications, including Business Week.
The WVF invests primarily in early-stage, emerging growth companies. The Fund typically provides $50,000 to $200,000 in seed and first-stage funding rounds in syndication with other venture capital funds and angel investors."
-Josh Mellinger
“Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler & Geaux Blue!”
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Call To Action!
The CEN could really use some Alumni support. If you are an alumnus willing to post on the blog or provide recruiting insight for current students please email myself or Rachel Delcau.
We'd also like to get some current students that are at other CGSM schools to help keep the network updated with recruiting issues at your schools.
Finally we'd like to set up an event for current students and alumni but need a sponsor company to host. If you've got any leads on this front please contact Rachel!
We'd also like to get some current students that are at other CGSM schools to help keep the network updated with recruiting issues at your schools.
Finally we'd like to set up an event for current students and alumni but need a sponsor company to host. If you've got any leads on this front please contact Rachel!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
NSHMBA!
I'm just a couple of hours away from catching my flight to Minneapolis for NSHMBA. I wanted to repost some info Rachel sent out earlier.
"You are invited to join The Consortium during NSHMBA’s 2009 Conference & Career Expo! The Consortium Booth As you network your way through the conference, please stop by booth 925to visit with your Consortium family. Consortium Lapel Pins Visit The Consortium booth at 925and pick up a gold Consortium lapel pin, which will make you instantly recognizable as a Consortium member. If you already have a lapel pin, please remember to bring it with you! Job Seekers If you are one of the many job seekers at the conference, be sure to visit Consortium sponsors’ booths. These organizations demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion. Please let them know how much you appreciate their continued support! "
Good luck!
"You are invited to join The Consortium during NSHMBA’s 2009 Conference & Career Expo! The Consortium Booth As you network your way through the conference, please stop by booth 925to visit with your Consortium family. Consortium Lapel Pins Visit The Consortium booth at 925and pick up a gold Consortium lapel pin, which will make you instantly recognizable as a Consortium member. If you already have a lapel pin, please remember to bring it with you! Job Seekers If you are one of the many job seekers at the conference, be sure to visit Consortium sponsors’ booths. These organizations demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion. Please let them know how much you appreciate their continued support! "
Good luck!
Friday, September 4, 2009
From Comment to Story
Based on a comment to my last post I decided to share a story about recruiting in the energy industry.
A friend of mine told me a story about interviewing an MBA2, from Chicago Booth, for a position as an energy trader. The candidate had an impressive resume and breezed through the interview questions. Apparently he had been a trader for JPMorgan and definitely knew what he was doing.
As a final interview question my friend asked him why he wanted to work for an energy company.
The candidate didn't get the job. My friend who does the recruiting described him as the best "trader" that was being interviewed but he had just "dropped in" to the interview. Nothing on his resume screamed I want to work for an energy company; it was I'm a finance guy that heard energy companies pay well so I thought I'd give it try.
The moral of the story is simple you have two years to position yourself for a new career. The reason the qualified candidate in the story didn't get the job was because he hadn't been involved with his energy club, didn't do an internship in the industry, and was essentially beat out by lesser candidates who had shown a desire to work for this particular company.
-I've told this story to a couple of people and surprisingly I get a similar response. So if I don't know why I want to work for company xyz should I fake interest? NO, this gives you a great chance to ask questions at receptions, reach out to alumni, and find out why you'd like to work for company xyz. Just showing the genuine interest is going to get you a long way in energy recruiting.
While no industry wants to be anyone’s back up, the energy industry is composed of recruiters with a different mindset. They are notorious for taking people with technical backgrounds, engineers, and other unlikely candidates and turning them into managers, traders, etc. It's an industry that believes to be successful you need to understand the core business regardless of your function. You'll find people who started in the field, trading oil, leading venture capital groups, and running IT organizations.
A friend of mine told me a story about interviewing an MBA2, from Chicago Booth, for a position as an energy trader. The candidate had an impressive resume and breezed through the interview questions. Apparently he had been a trader for JPMorgan and definitely knew what he was doing.
As a final interview question my friend asked him why he wanted to work for an energy company.
The candidate didn't get the job. My friend who does the recruiting described him as the best "trader" that was being interviewed but he had just "dropped in" to the interview. Nothing on his resume screamed I want to work for an energy company; it was I'm a finance guy that heard energy companies pay well so I thought I'd give it try.
The moral of the story is simple you have two years to position yourself for a new career. The reason the qualified candidate in the story didn't get the job was because he hadn't been involved with his energy club, didn't do an internship in the industry, and was essentially beat out by lesser candidates who had shown a desire to work for this particular company.
-I've told this story to a couple of people and surprisingly I get a similar response. So if I don't know why I want to work for company xyz should I fake interest? NO, this gives you a great chance to ask questions at receptions, reach out to alumni, and find out why you'd like to work for company xyz. Just showing the genuine interest is going to get you a long way in energy recruiting.
While no industry wants to be anyone’s back up, the energy industry is composed of recruiters with a different mindset. They are notorious for taking people with technical backgrounds, engineers, and other unlikely candidates and turning them into managers, traders, etc. It's an industry that believes to be successful you need to understand the core business regardless of your function. You'll find people who started in the field, trading oil, leading venture capital groups, and running IT organizations.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power
Well I’m finally back from some much needed vacation. I spent the last week in Colorado, fly fishing an area of the South Platte River known as the “Dream Stream.” I really enjoy Colorado, and the people I meet streamside. I was surprised how many people I met asked me about the new Oil & Gas laws implemented in Colorado, to protect fisheries from contamination, and how the new regulations might impact the economy of Colorado.
Before I go down the path of regulations, green energy, sustainability, clean tech, and many of the other “hot” topics, I thought this would be an excellent time to talk about how we got here. Understanding the history of the industry plays an important part in knowing where we are going and the growing challenges we’ll face.
Instead of me trying to recap the history I know together into a blog post – I’ll give some references I used in undergrad recruiting and others that have been recommended to me as a Chevron employee.
1. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power by Daniel Yergin (Amazon)
2. For those of you who don’t want to sit down to read 928 pages of The Prize, you can try - Empires of Industry: Black Gold: The Story of Oil (documentary by the History Channel). You can also find this one on Netflix so if you are a member put it in your queue or download it right to your computer. (Amazon) (Netflix)
3. The Vault Guide to Top Energy Employers – this is a nice supplement to a company’s website or basic marketing materials.
4. Good ol’ Wikipedia - History of the Petroleum Industry
5. Post your favorite history sources as comments!
Remember learning as much as you can about the industry and the specific company you are targeting is going to be a big help in recruiting. Hopefully, we’ll get to some talking points, as well as some industry lingo that will help you carry a conversation with industry professionals and recruiters.
-Josh Mellinger
“Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler & Geaux Blue!”
Before I go down the path of regulations, green energy, sustainability, clean tech, and many of the other “hot” topics, I thought this would be an excellent time to talk about how we got here. Understanding the history of the industry plays an important part in knowing where we are going and the growing challenges we’ll face.
Instead of me trying to recap the history I know together into a blog post – I’ll give some references I used in undergrad recruiting and others that have been recommended to me as a Chevron employee.
1. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power by Daniel Yergin (Amazon)
2. For those of you who don’t want to sit down to read 928 pages of The Prize, you can try - Empires of Industry: Black Gold: The Story of Oil (documentary by the History Channel). You can also find this one on Netflix so if you are a member put it in your queue or download it right to your computer. (Amazon) (Netflix)
3. The Vault Guide to Top Energy Employers – this is a nice supplement to a company’s website or basic marketing materials.
4. Good ol’ Wikipedia - History of the Petroleum Industry
5. Post your favorite history sources as comments!
Remember learning as much as you can about the industry and the specific company you are targeting is going to be a big help in recruiting. Hopefully, we’ll get to some talking points, as well as some industry lingo that will help you carry a conversation with industry professionals and recruiters.
-Josh Mellinger
“Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler & Geaux Blue!”
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A Quick Introduction
I wanted to start off with a quick introduction about the blog, the industry, and myself.
The Blog!
First, I think it’s important to point out that the very first post on the blog was the CEN objectives. The goal of this blog will be to bring together alumni, students, sponsors, and friends to support the network objectives.
I will do my best to share my perspective on topics that are of interest to the readers of the blog – so if you have comments, suggestions, or some direction, feel free to let me know.
The Industry.
Energy is a broad term that encompasses everything from traditional oil and gas to all forms of alternative and clean energy. How to solve mankind’s need for energy is one of the most challenging and complicated issues society faces. The days of easy energy are gone. It’s a complicated industry with a broad variety of opportunities. That’s what makes it exciting! How will you find, develop, and deliver affordable energy to the world in the ever changing geopolitical world we live in?
My Unique Perspective.
I got my start in a small historic town located in the heart of Cajun country where I quickly became immersed in Mardi Gras, Cajun food, Zydeco music, hurricanes, and oil. I graduated from LSU in 2006, Summa Cum Laude, with a B.S. in Information Systems and Decision Sciences. I’ve spend the last three years in various IT strategy roles at Chevron, working on both upstream and downstream projects.
In the fall of 2009, I’ll be starting my MBA, as a Consortium Fellow, at the University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
-Josh Mellinger
“Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler & Geaux Blue!”
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