Hello everyone! I’m Riya, an MS Marketing Analytics graduate student at Illinois Tech in Chicago with over 3 years of experience in microbiology research. My journey from microbiology to marketing analytics is driven by a passion for applying scientific rigor to solve business challenges. I’m currently seeking internships and co-op opportunities starting in Spring 2025. I’d love to connect with you all! Here's my LinkedIn page - www.linkedin.com/in/riyarajeev

Hi, I am Tejas based in Chicago and I am a graduate student at IIT. I have experience in marketing, sales and operations. I am looking for internships for Fall and Spring semester, and full-time opportunities for once I graduate next summer! I am excited to be here and participate in the beautiful community Brian is building! Here is my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejas9704/ Looking forward to speaking with everyone!

After seeing a post from Danny via LinkedIn about leaving behind our past (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dannywhom_weve-all-been-therestuck-in-the-past-reliving-activity-7222315692589531137-f-aL?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop) I gave it some thought and wanted to take some action. The first thing I did was contact a good friend to see if they would be willing to be a sounding board/safe place for me to unburden... they said, yes, but then I realized that could be a lot to put on someone's shoulders. So, I decided to put my own teaching into practice. The attached image is the product of me writing out words from past work trauma, smudging them into colour, and then drawing overtop: Dark Blue, Green - Words to describe hurt felt from company action/in-action, or hurts in general Light Blue - Words to describe how I contributed to negative experiences Yellow - Good things that came regardless of the sadness gained from the past Result: it was therapeutic and gave me a fresh start for job searching... and I have a little art piece to remind me that beauty and hope can come from sorrow. :) What is one method you have tried or action you have taken to move forward in your job search while leaving behind past work trauma? Would you like the instructions to do the same art activity?

I have been reflecting lately on career development and professional growth. For me, through boldly applying to a position outside of my educational background and by remembering to be myself, I learned that I excel at navigating software interfaces and remembering basic coding concepts. When asked how I became a HRIS Specialist, I typically say, "Because of video games. Playing Lord of the Rings Online and choosing which weapon/potion/armor fit the situation taught me how to do the same thing within a HR database. I may not be fighting orcs, but I know how to navigate how the choices of users impact their chosen outcome. " Today, I am surprised and grateful at how much more I have learned about systems and technology since that first tech-type role. What is one thing you excel at today because of learning from yesterday?Or what is one natural skill you have for fun that is surprisingly used in a professional setting? *These pictures from my LOTRO days as proof - I think I wanted to be the Captain shown in the photo ;)

What are the top two tasks you must do to move the needle in your job search or business today? Let me know in the comments! ⤵️