Lauren Chance

Author: Lauren Chance

Lauren Chance is a current sophomore at Lawrence University double majoring in Business and Entrepreneurship and Music, also minoring in Spanish. As a Career Peer Educator (NES, VPA), an Admissions Student Ambassador, and an EPIC Orientation Leader and Peer Mentor, she has a passion for helping others. Lauren aspires to work in arts administration focusing on marketing or event management. Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn.

A Current Lawrentian’s Experience Interviewing

Through Big Interview, I had the opportunity to “interview” my fellow Career Peer Educators at the Career Center. We all recorder ourselves answering the sample interview questions, and then we were tasked to each write an article about our experience.

Throughout all the interviews I looked at, the strongest answers were always concise. That’s a huge challenge, especially on the fly in the middle of a conversation. Rambling is way easier than trying to slow down and think. However, slowing down is probably the best thing you can do. When you are more conscious of what you’re saying, you can make sure what you’re saying is relevant.

As well, being able to tie your ideas together is great. If the question is “what is your greatest strength?”, and your answer is “kindness”, you should consistently be relating your kindness to the workplace and how it is used as a strength. That sounds redundant, but it is really easy to just go on a tangent about how nice you are. Then, the employer doesn’t get the chance to see how your strength is actually applicable to what you would be doing.

Confidence is also a huge thing! And honestly if you aren’t feeling the most confident, faking it until you make it is a real thing. Interviewers judge your everything. Your clothes, attitude, tone of voice, and even how you sit matters. You want to exude confidence from the second you enter the building. There are some small ways one can implement this into practice. Smiling is a big one! Smile at the interviewer, the person who hands you your coffee, everyone. The way you walk matters as well, and walking with a smile automatically shifts people’s perception of you in a positive way. Some other quick ones would be walking straight, use a strong handshake, and don’t be afraid of eye contact. In my experience, one of the biggest things that exude confidence is being yourself. No one has fun in an interview where the interviewee is robotic and too curated. Find ways to show them your personality, while maintaining professionalism. It isn’t as hard as you’d think!

Nowadays, many interviews are online. In that case,obviously some things change. You have to keep the interviewer engaged! The easiest way to do that is with your words. Avoid rambling as previously mentioned and focus, really focus, on what you are saying. Not so much so that you’re speaking in chunks, but so that you are concise. Don’t be afraid to use your hands when you talk, as it can help the interviewer stay engaged, but monitor it. You don’t want to be flailing your arms or using hand motions where it doesn’t make the most sense. It takes thought and practice with intentionality to understand it, but this is also not as difficult as it seems.

If the thought of recording yourself and watching it back makes you not the happiest, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Big Interview is a great tool for interviewing, and getting comfortable with feedback. All of my coworkers that I interviewed through this platform are people I see everyday. It really wasn’t weird watching their responses. If you keep a professional mindset, you really can get a lot out of it. I highly encourage you to give Big Interview a try!

Good luck Lawrentians!

MBA Research: Helpful Resources

When it comes to researching specific programs for your post-graduate experience, it can be incredibly overwhelming. However, there are a few resources that make it easier. To start you off, here’s two!

1. Fortune (Best Business Schools and MBA Programs for 2026)

Link: https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/

This page goes through the top 72 schools and programs for business based on a few factors. These factors are cost (out-of-state), starting salary, acceptance rate, and average GPA of their undergraduate students. Here, prospective students can picture themselves at the respective school and can compare their information with the pieces listed.

2. QS Global MBA Rankings 2026: United States

Link: https://www.topuniversities.com/mba-rankings/united-states

This website is in a similar format, but includes some additional information one might also want to know. You can see several scores based on return on investment, entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes, employability, thought leadership, and diversity. This allows you to look at some other important values while researching.

I hope you find some benefit while sifting through these. Good luck Lawrentians!

HR Forage Simulation: What to Expect

Job simulations can be extremely valuable tools for getting a feel of what life would look like day-to-day in a specific field. I recently did the HR Forage Simulation for a company called GE Aerospace. I had an HR internship my senior year of high school, and it wasn’t the best experience due to some issues within the specific company. However, Human Resources has always seemed like a viable pathway for me, as one of my majors is Business & Entrepreneurship. I enjoyed this simulation, and it felt like the perfect balance between practice and reality. Without any spoilers, here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect for the three tasks.

Human Resources is an area that is all about internal relations. Payroll, uniform orders, access to different buildings, ordering supplies, hiring new employees, you name it, HR does it. The simulation definitely showed this, and you hear directly from several HR representatives through videos, keeping things personable. When thinking of internal relations, you have to communicate directly with your employees. For the first task, you deal directly with this and have to think about communication and receptiveness.

The next task is slightly different. There are specific methodologies or processes that many companies live by. HR has to hold everyone to those standards, and lead by example. This is what you get to work on!

The last task is the most technically challenging, at least in my opinion. HR assists with making decisions related to promotions and pay raises, yet there is always a method to the madness. There are certain formulas that are used to calculate these decisions. And, you have to take different factors into consideration, such as experience and time in their respective role. You directly take this on with assistance from GE Aerospace.

Overall, the simulation was short, but sweet. You gain valuable information, in what took me a little over an hour. Good luck Lawrentians!

Lawrentians & The Trout Museum Art

The Trout Museum of Art is something all current Lawrentians know of, as it shares a building with West Campus. But, what do they do? And how can current students get involved?

Mission statement: The Trout Museum of Art connects all people through visual art experiences. We support artists, nurture creativity, and cultivate dialogue that strengthens art education and enriches the cultural life of our community.

Values: Inclusive, Creative, Authentic, and Curious

Vision statement: We lead a state-of-the-art museum that serves as a vibrant center of connection, where people come together to experience the power of art.

What they are: An art museum focused on inspiring and connecting the Appleton community. They feature many exhibitions (sometimes featuring Lawrence faculty!), classes, amd events for the public. They also have a drinkery on the inside and a wonderful study space right when you walk in.

How can a Lawrentian get involved?: They offer plenty of internships! Let’s dive deeper.

Who should apply?: Juniors and seniors are preferred, but anyone can apply! As well, students interested in museums, arts management, education, marketing, publishing, retail, or events/Art at the Park should apply. No museum experience is required either, just a curiosity and passion for the arts!

All you have to do is look on their website, scroll down until you see “staff and careers”, and there you go! Good luck Lawrentians!

Non Profit, Education, and Social Impact: Entry Level Jobs

Getting into your desired field can be intimidating. However, for NES (non profit, education, and social impact), it’s easier to get started than you might think. Let’s start with the first part: N.

The nonprofit world offers many opportunities for those new to the field. People with almost any major or background can start working in the nonprofit realm. Program or Event Coordinator positions are always available, where you assist an organization with running their events or programs. It takes a team to get things off the ground, so these positions tend to hire frequently. Additionally, nonprofits always need help with raising money, so working in the fundraising department or grant writing are good options as well. Finally, internal operations always need support. Working in operations helps ensure the organization runs smoothly, keeping every moving part on track.

Now, the E. Education is a field that always needs more hands. For education majors, you will complete student teaching before your time at Lawrence ends, which allows you to earn the proper licensing to teach at any school (depending on the grade levels you’ve worked with). For those who have not student taught, substitute teaching doesn’t require as many qualifications. These roles are often last-minute when a teacher is sick or away for an extended period, and long-term substitute positions are also available. Almost every school offers various after-school programs. Helping run these programs, whether to keep kids engaged until parents arrive or to provide homework help, lets you gain experience in education with minimal qualifications. For those wanting to work with young children, local preschools or daycare programs frequently need more staff. Basic training is usually provided by the company. Finally, tutoring at places like Mathnasium is another option.

Lastly, the S! Social impact is a field dedicated to creating equity and fairness in society, and there are many ways to get involved. Working in Community Outreach lets you engage directly with local populations to support marginalized groups. Roles in Nonprofit Advocacy allow you to influence policy, raise awareness, and organize campaigns for social causes. If you enjoy research, becoming a Policy Analyst or Research Assistant can help organizations gather and analyze data to drive social change. Legal Aid and Public Interest Law careers focus on providing justice to underserved communities, while Social Work or Case Management positions allow you to directly support individuals and families facing systemic challenges. These roles provide meaningful work while contributing to a fairer, more equitable society.

There are always options when it comes to finding a job. Getting started is not as scary as it might seem!

Interviewing 101: Advice from Amelia Anderson ’14

I had the pleasure of interviewing Amelia Anderson ‘14 about her experience in interviewing intern candidates. While she is the current Director of the Bennett Prize and Curator of Women’s Art, this was during her time at EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association). 

The first piece of advice Amelia gave was to dress nice and don’t worry about overdressing. This is seemingly simple, but it really means a lot. In an interview, first impressions matter. You get about 20 minutes at the most to impress your interviewers, and they start analyzing you from the moment you walk in. By dressing up, even if it seems to be “too much”, you make a good first impression that you’re professional and you care about the position. Simple things such as making sure your shirt has no wrinkles, making sure it’s tucked in, and swapping your flannel for a clean button up can truly make a difference.

With first impressions, handshakes also matter. Some may think of handshaking as a bit old fashioned or even not as common since Covid-19, but making sure you have a strong handshake shows confidence. Walk into the room with your head held high and radiate confidence! Going to the interview, make sure to print out a copy of your resume, or a few in case you have multiple interviewers. In theory, they should already have read your resume and/or they should have it with them during. But by you handing it to them, it shows you’re prepared. 

Anderson also added that interviewing is kind of like dating. And when you really think about it, it’s very true. First impressions are crucial and the smallest things can make you wish it was over. It’s also about finding the perfect fit, for both parties. You want to make sure as an interviewee, you ask questions. What is a typical day in this role like? What is the work culture amongst the workers? What specific attributes would make someone successful in this role? These are some of my personal favorites, as they go deeper than “how much would I be paid?” (though that is important) and you can learn a lot from the interviewers’ answers. 

Now, what questions would they want to ask you? When I asked Amelia, she had a couple really strong ones that came to mind. How do you handle stressful situations? What was a time you had a conflict with a coworker and how did you fix it? Describe a time when you feel like you failed. These questions are all about your personal responses to situations you would likely encounter at some point in your employment. They want to know if you have conflict resolution skills as well as the ability to learn and grow from mistakes. In your answer, try and focus on the result and what you learned, and how you would apply that to the specific position you’re interviewing for.

Lastly, interviewing is all about you. In my conversation with Amelia, we talked a lot about truly being yourself. You need to come off as more than just another body in the workforce. Humanize yourself. Amelia brought up talking about your interests outside of work. Think about your hobbies and the things you enjoy. Find a way to connect with the interviewer on a professional and personal level. For me, I love to get my nails done, so I always go out of my way to comment on the nails of the person talking with me. Usually then they notice mine and then we have a good two minutes of conversation. Obviously this doesn’t work for every interviewer, but something like that is good to have under your sleeve. 

Overall, interviewing can be stressful and anxiety-inducing. Hopefully, Amelia Anderson’s advice eases that, even if just a little. Always remember to just be yourself and give it your all.