Tyson Discovery Center February 27, 2008
Posted by John in MBA Experience.add a comment
The Tyson Discovery center was an interesting opportunity to see how companies can increase their ability to innovate by developing appropriate facilities. Previously Tyson only had a small R&D center. Now they have a 19 kitchen facility.
The variety of tools and close proximity of its R&D staff help to create an center that can provide quick turnaround on developing new products. Tyson has a miniature pilot plant at the center that allows for rapid development and testing of new products. It’s even USDA inspected so that new products can be produced on site and then be sent out for consumer testing.
The key takeaway for me was that to foster innovation, you have to the environment and proper tools at hand.
For a detailed overview on the Center check out this article here.
Busy Day February 26, 2008
Posted by John in Job Hunt, MBA Experience.Tags: Job Interview Questions
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Tonight I am going to have plenty to do. I’m doing final preparation for upcoming job interviews, selecting a few final positions to apply for, going to a pre-interview information session and then going to finish out the night with pizza and poker with some of the guys. There are always going to be some tough interview questions, so I’m reviewing my relevant experiences to some of the common questions.
The toughest for me is, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I’ve got several ideas both in regards to personal life and ambitions and hopes in my professional career. But things change so much in 5 years, that I know that likely things will turn out far differently than the way I expected.
I also like to ask the interviewer questions to give me a better idea about the position’s purpose and its expectations. So typically I’ll ask something like, “What are some of the objectives you would like accomplished in this job?” or “What need does this position fill within the organization that is absolutely critical?” I like to know these things primarily because it helps better fulfill the needs of the position.
This point goes along with one of my favorite quotes, “Our job is not to figure out the how. The how will show up out of a commitment and belief in the what.” — Jack Canfield. The point is that people tend not care enough until they are committed to idea and to the work.
My internship last summer was an exceptional experience, with one noteworthy difficulty early on. Exactly why was our project relevant to the firm and what was the next step after it going to be? Once our team go answers to these questions it proved extremely helpful in enhancing our ongoing project to what was needed by the company.
Innovation February 23, 2008
Posted by John in Innovation.Tags: Innovation
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I recently learned a somewhat academic definition of a term I thought I was familiar with. The latest trend in the business world is its heavy emphasis on innovation. From my youth, to me innovation = invention. However in my Innovation and Creativity class I learned that innovation is not quite so. According to the American Heritage Dictionary innovation is: the act of introducing something new. Essentially then, innovation is the act of commercializing an invention. This somewhat demeans what for me was an idealistic concept of being innovative.
On the flip-side, if what you invent never comes to market, you’ve likely failed to make a lasting impact. So, no matter how great it is, an invention must be followed by an innovative process.
The Job Hunt February 23, 2008
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As an MBA student, the general expectation is that the continuing your education will help build a foundation for the future. I feel this has been the case for myself. Exposure to a variety of concepts, discussion of cases, conducting a variety of analysis is just an experience that’s hard to get any other way. Overall the MBA experience can really help you grow as an individual.
Now is the time I look for this investment in myself to begin its payback. I have three interviews so far in the upcoming weeks, with good leads on a few other positions. A word the to the wise MBA student; aggressively pursue the job search the semester before you graduate. Last semester, I began a casual search and landed an couple of interviews. It’s one of those eye opening experiences when some of your classmates start taking job offers. It showed me that the opportunities are available by companies that recognize highly qualified individuals need to be sought early in the process.
Economics and the Cournot Model March 16, 2007
Posted by John in MBA Experience.Tags: Economics
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This was a difficult enough to get understand at first so I thought I’d go ahead and post my notes
Steps to follow when working a Cournot Problem.
Cournot Model
Steps:
1. Plug in equations into TR: (P*Q)
2. Then MR (derivative of TR)
3. Then find TC (from production function if it is not given)
4. Then MC (derivative of TC)
5. Then set MC=MR
6. Solve for q1 after setting MC to MR
- See if it’s symmetric (Symmetric if the MC is equal for the 2 firms, you can have a different TC, MC just needs to be the same)
- If it’s symmetric, move to step 7
- If it’s not symmetric: repeat steps 1-6 for each firm
7. Find Price (Using given equation for P, by plugging in q’s, this is where the symmetric trick comes in, the q’s are equal)
8. Calculate TR (P*Q: Plug in values for q1 and P)
9. Calculate TC (Plug in values)
10. Calculate Profit (TR-TC)
I came up with these working with Professor Deck, so they should be right.
Note:
1.Steps may be missing if the firm is not symmetric: I don’t have the extra steps here that may be required.
2. You can determine if the problem is symmetric by seeing whether or not the Marginal Cost(MC) for each for firms are the same.
If they are not the same, the problem is not symmetric and will require extra work.
Here is a link to a more thorough explanation of this model. Also, here is the link to the Wikipedia article.
What I learned in my MBA March 5, 2007
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I’ve decided that one way to help myself absorb the experiences of the MBA program will be to breakdown and write about them. Whether anyone actually reads this blog for that purpose doesn’t matter. It’s just the act of breaking down the concepts into something manageable.
Reading List May 4, 2005
Posted by John in Uncategorized.add a comment
Did some browsing today, trying to find a few new sites to add to my daily browsing list. I ended up at the OpinionJournal, the Wall Street Journal’s online editorial section. While browsing the site, I found a page of their favorite links and added pages like the Washington Times and InstaPundit to my favorite folders.
After visiting the same sites over and over, you need new and fresh content to keep from going crazy seeing if your favorite site has a new article. I primarily use the internet as my main media input, so today I essentially began flicking through the channels. Fark has been and remains my favorite site for oddball news while Worldnetdaily and Google have become my primary reading for staying up to date on the news.
I realized that my Blogger account was still active so I decided to give it another go round.
Why Seek an Education April 26, 2004
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Very recently I applied for a presidential transfer scholarship to attend a 4 year college and was required to write an essay on Why Seek an Education. I ended up getting the scholarship and they liked the essay so I’ve decided to post it here.
Why Seek an Education
Often times we hear people discussing the difficulties of their various classes, sometimes questioning what they hope to achieve with the time they spend at school. It is the qualities of these classes that will provide a foundation for our choice of careers. We could all be trained for a specific job and live our entire lives doing just that one thing. However, an education empowers us to go beyond just a job. It allows us to understand more of the world around us and to become a larger part of it. Education provides a means for reaching the goal each and every person seeks after: happiness in life. An education can provide this in three ways: by establishing a background for success in a career, by bettering ourselves as individuals in our society, and by fostering an appreciation of life itself.
An education provides the necessary skills for success in any career. It gives us the chance to seek a profession fitting to our desires. A young woman has the opportunity to develop her painting skills and become an artist. A young man who has been fascinated by computers since his youth has the opportunity to develop a career in computers. Without an education, what kind of job are these individuals qualified for: a minimum wage job at a local store, barely getting past the monthly bills? Their education provides a chance for them to follow their dreams, aspirations and a chance for happiness. An education also provides opportunities for higher paying jobs. The 2000 U.S. Census clearly shows a rise of median income at each level of education completed. Between a high school graduate and a four year college degree, the median income increased by approximately $15,000 from $27,351 to $42,877.
An education helps us to better ourselves as individuals in a civilized society. Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” An education is a necessary part of life to maintain a civil society. We can have a better life as a benefit of an education and, therefore, pass on a better life to our children. Samuel Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, had this to say about an education, “If Virtue and Knowledge are diffused among the People, they will never be enslav’d. This will be their great Security.” An education also allows us to seek status and recognition amongst our friends. The respect of our friends can provide us with a deep sense of satisfaction.
Through our new understanding that an education provides, we are better able to appreciate the little things in life. A botany class can develop an appreciation of the marvelous complexity that is a part of every flower. I have enjoyed this class, particularly the field trips that provide an opportunity to see some of the flowers in this area. Botany has helped me to understand the marvelous complexity that grows in every single flower and tree. To see what makes every plant grow adds an even greater enjoyment of the beauty of a single flower. In addition, an education can develop a love of learning itself. This is one of the least appreciated aspects of an education. The thrill of expanding one’s horizons, to understand a part of history, to solve that final algebra problem can provide a sense of satisfaction that cannot be matched. Though we may rarely use some of the knowledge that we acquire, it helps to develop our minds into new ways of thinking. An education gives us an opportunity to be a well-rounded individual. The learning process never has to stop throughout our lifetime.
In conclusion, an education can provide many benefits that last a lifetime: a successful career, an improved standing in our society, and better appreciation of life and learning. While the initial cost of an education may be high, the ultimate benefits we derive cannot be matched. For these reasons, an education is a prize to be sought whose value cannot be measured.
Copyright 2004 by John Peterson
Launch June 10, 2003
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intended purpose….unknown…
destination….wherever life takes me….
I am a college student, 18 years old and employee of Wal-Mart Stores. These are my thoughts and ramblings on the things that come my way in life. The main goal in my life is never to worry about what is coming next, life all works in the end and there is only so much we can do to affect it, so why worry.
As a cashier at a large store, I see a lot of people of all different ages come by me. There is one thing never ceases to amaze me. Parents let the children behave so poorly sometimes one must wonder what the next generation of humanity is going to turn out like. I understand that giving your child the things they want and need is one of the joys of parenting, but I see so many spoiled children come through demanding anything and everything that they want.
I just wish that parents would take some responsibility and say no to their child every now and then.
I am currently taking a one month college course in Sociology, one of the subjects that never has interested me that much. It’s going better than I thought but I’d be learning anything else like Math, Science, or a Computer course. I’ve always enjoyed the PC since I was eight years old and it never ceases to amaze me how fast technology changes.
