April 2008

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Michigan News

Sure, the US economy is struggling, but it should start looking up by late 2008 and 2009, say U-M economists. In their annual spring forecast update, Saul Hymans, U-M professor emeritus of economics, and colleagues Joan Crary and Janet Wolfe, predict 2.5 percent growth in the GDP during the second half of 2008, followed by an even stronger 2.9 percent gain in real GDP in 2009. Light vehicle sales will stabilize, housing starts will pick up by 30 percent after bottoming out, and the price of oil will drop from the current $110 per barrel to an average of $88. Core inflation should remain in check at about 2.5 percent this year and next, and consumer spending should stabilize at a lower but not disastrous rate of 2 percent growth.

Career Events

The powerful Michigan network is coming to your neighborhood. Don't miss the Alumni Association's career-focused events held across the country, featuring prominent speakers offering inside information and the latest on workplace trends. You'll also have networking opportunities and a chance to learn how to put the Michigan network to work for you. Following are upcoming events in New York City and Silicon Valley:

• Alan S. Gregerman, ’77, PhD’82, takes a humorous, serious and surprising look at the real keys to bringing out the magic in everyone in your organization. The president and chief innovation officer of Venture Works is also the author of “Surrounded by Geniuses: Unlocking the Brilliance in Yourself, Your Colleagues and Your Organization” and “Lessons from the Sandbox.” This event is Thursday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel, 569 Lexington Ave., Penthouse Floor, Chrysler Room, New York City.
• Usama Fayyad, ’84, MSE’86, MS’89, PhD’91, will share insights gained as chief data officer/executive vice president of research and strategic data solutions at Yahoo! This event is Tuesday, May 13, at 6 p.m. at the Yahoo! office at 700 First Ave., building E, Sunnyvale, California.

The cost of each event is $20 for AAUM members in advance, $30 at the door; $30 for alumni who are not AAUM members, $40 at the door. Visit the Career Enhancement Web site to register or for more details about these events and upcoming events in Flint, Michigan, and Los Angeles, California.

If you’re an alum looking for a full-time position, be sure to check out the Michigan Collegiate Virtual Job Fair on April 14-25. The fair is an opportunity for job seekers to view “virtual” employer booths, including job postings, company information and contact data. To participate, submit your resume during the first week of the fair. Candidates interact with employers via the Internet through private virtual interviews. Free to alumni and students, this event has featured more than 150 employers in the past. So plan to attend this job fair without leaving the comfort of your own home or wherever you have Internet access.

AAUM Member Benefits

The Alumni Association provides educational content on-demand and on-the-go with our True Blue Podsquad. Listen to speeches, lectures, interviews, special events and more. This is one more way we connect you to the University of Michigan. Podcasts that might interest you include:

• Everyday Leadership: Getting Results in Business, Politics and Life
• 1-2-3 Success! Three Steps to a Winning Personal Brand
• Never Be Average: A Slam Dunk Approach to Success
• StartupNation—Open for Business
• Get Out of Your Own Way: Career Navigation Success Tips for Clerks to CEOs

To listen or to see the full selection of podcasts, visit the True Blue Podsquad.

Stay even more connected to U-M through our special e-newsletters available only to Alumni Association members:

• e-TrueBlue: Sports—U-M sports fans will love this extra coverage of U-M teams, current and former student-athletes and upcoming events.
• e-TrueBlue: Travel—For our members who love to travel, this e-newsletter gives you important travel news, hints and tips, suggestions for great travel-related books, information on Web sites and TV shows, and ideas for great trips around the world.

Each e-newsletter is sent monthly and is an exclusive benefit of AAUM membership. Subscribe online.

On the Job

Kevin Richards, ’03, is an executive mortgage banker at Quicken Loans. On the job, he advises clients on the home-buying process and helps them achieve their financial goals. Hired in December 2003, he completed a four-week training program and then started “on the floor” of mortgage banking sales. Richards, 26, answers questions about this—his first full-time position after college—and about his employer.

Featured Article

We’ve all heard of the glass ceiling—that invisible barrier to advancement for women. One way to counter it is through mentoring, said Stacy Blake-Beard, MA’92, PhD’96, a professor at Simmons College and recent speaker at AAUM’s Career Enhancement Series event in Boston. Because most mentors are men, by virtue of their position atop organizations, they serve a different purpose for female protégés. Blake-Beard added that “they act in several roles that help women navigate the minefield they face in moving up the corporate hierarchy. Mentors provide legitimacy to their female protégés, challenge gender-based stereotypes, offer reflected power, and share information that is generally only gained with admission to the old boys’ network. Each one of these functions is critical for women in a way that is not necessarily so for men.” For more information about the role of gender in mentoring, read the article she wrote for CGO Insights.

Hot Jobs

Be sure to check out our alumni job board. Below are just a few of the jobs listed by employers looking to hire U-M grads. If these aren’t right for you, visit the careers section of inCircle and you may just find your next job.

• Middle Office Analyst (Market Risk) at American International Group (AIG) New York, New York
• Personal Banker at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
  Lathrup Village, Michigan
• Senior Scientist at Cataphora Inc.
  Redwood City, California

Special Opportunity

The Alumni Association is seeking a travel program assistant. For more than 35 years, the Association has offered alumni dynamic travel opportunities around the globe. The program assistant will provide alumni with quality customer service while offering administrative support to the travel program. Strong organizational skills and experience planning or assisting in program development are desirable. For a complete job description, visit the AAUM Web site.

This Month's Poll

Have you ever been in a mentoring relationship? Tell us in our online poll.

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Unless indicated, the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan does not have a relationship with any of the Web sites or businesses mentioned in e-TrueBlue. The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan is not responsible for any inaccuracies found on these connections.

Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, 200 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor, MI, 734.764.0384, 800.847.4764, m.alumni@umich.edu