Minnesota Business Venture students dressed to impress in anticipation of the Mock Interviews today. But first, there was an exciting Shareholders Address from Jeff Munneke of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jeff spoke about his role as the VP of Fan Experience for the Timberwolves. One of his most important messages was to practice interviewing like any other sport or activity. He truly believes that good interview skills can set a job applicant apart from others. How fitting that the students were off to their first mock interviews!
With this in mind, students impressed at their interviews. Yesterday, student CEOs and Resident Business Leaders assisted students with filling out a resume and preparing for their interviews. Many students waited in line with a look of nervousness and anticipation. However, the majority of students walked out of the interview with smiles on their faces and a new experience in hand.
After a nice lunch, students headed back to the auditorium to listen to entrepreneurs Amee Tomlinson & Clint McDonald of jabberlogic. Their story was quite interesting. Both previous corporate employees, they got together and decided to start a marketing agency for small businesses and nonprofits. However, they didn’t always know who the company would target. They rebranded their company twice before they found what truly represented them. Amee and Clint gave students an inside look at what the life of a startup company really looks like. They described their lifestyle, touched on finances and commented on their day-to-day schedules.
Next, the students went to their business plan breakout sessions. Based on their previously chosen roles in the company, students headed to marketing, finance or operations presentations. In many of the sessions, a company could ask the speaker specific questions about its product or service. This was very beneficial for those companies struggling to form their business plan.
The remainder of the day was spent in company meetings creating their business plan. There was a break for dinner and recreational time with the options of basketball, the pool or a movie.