Month: February 2019

2019 Spring UNO MGMT 4480 CORPORATE AND BUSINESS STRATEGY

Today, along with the Innovation Managers Kody Schrader and Heidi Couch we did a class room visit at UNO. The professor  Dr. Miles teacher the class 4480 CORPORATE AND BUSINESS STRATEGY. This is a senior level class which the student compete in the Capstone Cup. The goal of the visit was to share how Farm Credit Services of America invests in Innovation and Strategy.

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Highlights of things shared:

  • What is a Innovation Manger?
  • How does Innovation support Strategy?
  • Strategic Planning with leaders
  • Internal Idea submission
  • Innovation Time
  • Experiments
  • Intrapreneurial Program
  • Internal Events
  • Ag Innovation Pitch Event
  • Innovation Process

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I concluded the talk about the upcoming career fair. I also shared my personal story of strategy and innovation on the “Works Here” events.  After wards Dr. Miles said the talk perfectly aligned with the class room discussion. Plus students listen better when content comes the professionals, not the professor.

2019 Spring UNO ACDC Career and Internship Fair

The Fall Career & Internship Fair (All University) at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) hosted by the Academic and Career Development Center (ACDC) was on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. at Baxtor Arena, Omaha, NE.

The Scott Conference Center was recently remodeled and attached the Maverick Landing.

Making the Most of the Fair

The most important part before a fair is to be active on social media.  Leading up to the event, I  engage with the ACDC office on Twitter at  @UNOACDC  using #HireAMav. Being creative and helps spread the news about your presence. I sent this the day of the fair.

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Fair

I arrived about 9:30 a.m. to Baxtor to set up. The career service has helpers to move what ever needed inside. Once everything is inside this is what my table looks like for the fair.

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  For swag we brought FCSAmerica branded cups that say “Technology Works Here”. Besides that we had some materials which don’t move very well such as pamphlets.

In terms of open positions we do not offer internships for the summer at a spring career fair.  At this fair we did try having a common theme in talking to everyone that came by.

  • Great company

  • Great culture
  • Great place to start

For the computer science related attendees I told them about Farm Credit Services of America sponsoring free entry to https://connectaha.com/ for selected UNO Students. If they fill out my office 365 form. I can put your name in a drawing for a free ticket. Reply to this follow up career fair email with a phone number so I can get hold of you if you are selected.

The following team mate Chelsea Kaufman helped out which I recognized internally with a post. 

Follow up

In all 36 students filled out the form. I did find out the number of total students attending this specific career fair was under 300. All students who filled out the office 365 form I followed up with this email.

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    2019 Spring UNO NULLify Student Meeting

    Fall of 2018

    In the fall of 2018 I had reached out to the UNO Nullify group. I started with contacting the faculty advisor Dr. Bill Mahoney. Based on Dr. Mahoney response is the student don’t meet regularly as a student group. They focus mostly on the Capture the Flag Event, but they have a new student president. He forward my information on to the student president.

    There was a delay in responses for a few months. Then later in the semester I received a response from the student president.  Since the time was close to Thanksgiving break and end the semester. I recommended I would follow up in early 2019.

    In January, I sent a email about a spring event.

    “I am following up about sponsoring a meeting in February for Nullify. A dates that would work for me is the February 22nd.

    I will talk about securing mobile applications. I can sponsor pizza and bring swag/prizes.”

    Planning

    In early January I meet with Security eam mates to talk about upcoming events with the Nullify group. One of the upcoming meetings was the Nullify Student meeting on Friday February 22nd at 6:30 p.m. on UNO.

    I shared that I would be talking securing mobile applications. I would be sharing what I learned from SANS training on mobile applications. Jerry Pope volunteered to talk about Protecting Mobile Applications.  What he could show is the incidents that we get from our 3rd party vendor. It would probably  be 10 – 15 minutes. He also said showing what the vendor finds and why we don’t want the imposter trademarked apps.

    Meeting

    Here is my list of things I need to remember to bring.

    • QDOBA ( 3-Cheese Queso Pan  and Bag of Chips)              
    • Chicken from Hy-Vee
    • M&M’s and Popcorn (Vics)
    • Pop cans so I don’t need cups.
    • Plates, Forks, Napkins
    • Box of Swag

    I was told via email that there would be around 50 students attending the meeting. I was skeptical because of Friday night and it was snowing. I was proven wrong. The was packed with more then 50 students.

    We set up food first for the students.

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    As the students ate I showed the Technology Works Here (TWH) video. One of the attendees at the meeting was a student who came to TWH and was hired as a intern for the summer of 2019.

    I then passed around my Office 365 Form. I told them I would follow up with a email. I also said I would be sharing information on how they could get a free ticket to a upcoming conference that Farm Credit was Sponsoring, Connectaha. I also talked about being at the upcoming Spring Career Fair at Baxtor Arena.

    Protecting Mobile Applications

    Jerry Pope started the first part of the meeting talking about Protecting our brand.

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    During his presentation when a student answered his question. Jerry gave out Starbucks gift cards.

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    Securing Mobile Applications

    I spoke about securing mobile applications. I used the my training material from SANS Mobile Security to show different security vulnerabilities on the iOS platform.

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    Follow up email

    The next day I exported the data from the Office 365 form and sent a follow up email to each student. This is a great way to give a contact point. Plus I had instructions on how to get the ConnectaHa pass.

    Hello [Student],

    I’m Anthony Carlson, a Lead Application Developer with Farm Credit Services of America. This past Friday, February 22nd, I spoke about mobile application security vulnerabilities in iOS at the NULLify student meeting. It was awesome to spend my Friday night with 50 plus students. I hope to build relationships with the group, so I can be invited back in the Fall of 2019.

    I mentioned a few items of interest before I started presenting:

    • Farm Credit Services of America is sponsoring free entry to https://connectaha.com/ for selected UNO Students. If you can commit to attending the conference on March 8th. I can put your name in a drawing for a free ticket. Reply to this email with a phone number so I can get hold of you if you are selected.
    • This Wednesday February 27th from 11:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. I will be at the ACDC Spring 2019 Career & Internship Fair at Baxtor Arena. This is a great opportunity to network with employers and learn about career options. Make sure to stop by my booth!

    Connect with me on social networks:

    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyacarlson

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/anthonyacarlson

    If there is anything I can help you to reach a career goal in IT, please let me know.

    AIM IT Leadership Academy: Self-Management & Empowerment

    This months AIM IT leadership Academy was held at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Nebraska. This was a my first time at this building.

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    The session was in the Aksarben room. The room had pictures of when Aksarben had horse racing.

    The topic was Self Management & Empowerment. The facilitator of the session was Randy Roberts. She talked about how this day would be packed with information.

    Do you believe you are a extraordinary person outside of work?
    Some people can’t just turn it one and be Amazing. A person has to have standards to who they want to be in life.

    What are my standards vs Accomplishments? Who do I need to be at work vs life? Is my life better than before? As a person I need to find Source of what makes life better?

    • Self-Awareness: Environmental to live life.
    • Responsibility of Leader is dual for self and others.

    Any result in life is based on actions. As individuals we go straight to actions. Should we look at more. Organization entrenches the culture of action, but else is there besides action in a organization.

    Reality

    Convinced of a belief is the truth to most of us. How to agree something is Real? Reality exists and persists without us. To find the difference between something real? A person needs to find secondary Decisions: Collect data to be right? That is real.

    Opinion, Assessment comes from speaking?
    Language over belief. Powerful Reality will cause results to go up.

    Describe Self
    1) Consistent
    2) Creative
    3) Reliable

    A adult only has to hear 3 things to be influenced. We have behaviors to act certain way. Don’t stand a chance unless we resist of lure to full fill a role
    There is a time in our life that something was said that shaped our life: Mine is “When you are tired you have to work the hardest”

    When a person makes stuff up: Everything goes wrong, things you do will go wrong. You see this in opinion vs reality. A opinion is that “Technology People are not good at working with people” People say crazy things if you let them. People make things up to force a story. The Behavior allows people to  get stuck.

    People take extraordinary when given option. There is a capability

     

    you can be right, but both are not right
    When you lead with a story and believe you are right it leads
    Behavior Address
    top person who give permission to act this way are they broken and not acceptable.

    The Line

    Randy talked about a line. It is how much are you above something vs how low will you keep yourself.

    In an conversation with someone. How long can you stay above or below line? How long to be relevant?

    90% Awareness: Where you are at the moment. Recognize are you above or below the line. When Awareness is below the line 10% of are not aware.

    Get focus and take a minute to get back
    Adults lead better before than after a conversation.
    People need to recover when things don’t go their way. Leaders forgive people fast. How do I recover personally? I breath, stand and shake head.

    Promises

    In life you don’t generate promise of who you will be.
    Well meaning, promise. Life by Design

    Who am I committed to be in the future?

    My bold statement: “Who am I in this world. I am a confident person who is committed to encourage the people closest to my heart.”

    Hero’s are everywhere. Be a hero to others.  Listen powerfully to others. Listen with heart. Let them know you are there.
    Creativity = listening
    Don’t hijack conversation to interject your thoughts.
    Emails are for information not communication. Don’t hide behind your computer. Who do I have to be to make this happen. Fear is a good thing. Over promise is growth. Deepest fear is that we are powerful. Liberate fear.

    Saying right thing, but not acting a certain way is not the way to live. Can’t speak powerfully but have behavior.

    Love your people so they can become fierce.

    When you give people  a choice they become extraordinary. People want to be amazing. Love shows up in Reality.

    What registers for people to respond? Contribution of someone letting you in. Hire Expert People. Relate to powerful people. That is leadership.

    2019 Spring UNO Nullify Capture the Flag

    The Cybersecurity (Nullify) student group hosts a Capture the Flag (CTF) competition for regional High Schools. I decided to sponsor this event as a great chance to network and get the Farm Credit Services of America name out to this group. I received information about being a sponsor back in November of 2018.

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    Planning

    Working with Information Technology leaders Russ Wagner and Rex Earl. We decided to sponsor the Bronze for $500.00.

    Leading up to the event I coordinated with the Security Team for volunteers to help at the event. I also secured a table by working with the

    Christie Smith, the Academic Program Coordinator at PKI. School of Interdisciplinary Informatics. She told me that they have never had a sponsor at the event before and was thrilled that I would show up.

    Day of Event

    The event was at the Scott Conference Center on UNO Campus. I arrived about 8:45 a.m. I met Christie who helped get my table set up in the far corner of the room.

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    The event kicked off at 9:00 a.m. I was happy to hear Farm Credit Services of America was given a mention as a sponsor of the event. After looking over the T-Shirt that everyone at the event received our Bio Star Logo was on the back of the shirt.

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    The room was set up that each high school had 4 to 6 members that worked as a team trying to earn points for finding vulnerabilities in a website.

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    Through out the event I meet the following Professors

    • Dr. Bill Mahoney (Faculty advisor to the Nullify Student Group)

    • Dr. Matthew L. Hale (He teaches mobile application development. Mostly in Android. We exchanged emails for a potential class room visit in the future).

    • Dr. Robin A. Gandhi (Teaches mostly about Security Assurance and Attack)

    A big thanks to teammates for working split shifts to help out.

      2019 Spring UNO Delta Sigma Pi student Meeting

      On Thursday January 31, 2019 I visited the University of Nebraska-Omaha CBA student organization DELTA SIGMA PI. I was extending a invitation by the faculty advisor Dr. Erin Miles to speak to the group about professional development.

      I arrived about 7:00 p.m. at Mammel Hall. From 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. the group was finishing up with New Pledges.

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      I waited in the commons area for the pledge ceremony to get over. The president came out to get me about 7:20 p.m.

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      The meeting was in Mammel Hall 113 which is the Auditorium. When I walked in I estimate there were about 30 students.

      I started the meeting off showing the students the Technology Works Here video. When the video was over I invited the students to “Innovation Works Here” on February 15th. Every student was given a physical invite. I took information with a Office 365 From. 16 students gave me information.

      Besides my role of Lead Application Developer I also serve the role of being a College Ambassador for FCsamerica to strengthen relationships with the University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO).

      I spent the next 15 to 20 minutes talking about Career Development and answering questions.

      I talked about various forms of Leadership

      • · Self-Awareness
      • · Self-Management
      • · Relationship-Management

      The meeting ended with group picture.

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      When I got home I used word mail merge to send a personalized message to each student.

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