So who were the big winners at the Oscars, the Grammys, and the Super Bowl? It may just have been the suits on Wall Street.

If you’re looking toward a career analyzing what makes Wall Street tick, you might want to look at a growing trend that links big annual TV events to making money on the Big Board. It’s a strange phenomenon, but researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire have found that there’s big money to be made by investing in the stocks of companies that advertise during the Super Bowl. The same trend seems to be taking hold for advertisers on other annual major TV events like the Academy Awards.

[Read more →]

An old adage has it that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. But with the advent of the Internet that’s no longer the case, and business students can see their careers derailed even before they get started because of bad publicity on the Net.

What’s worse is that these students may be the ones responsible for tarnishing their own reputations.

When deciding on someone to fill a position, HR directors are increasingly turning to the Internet to track down information about applicants, googling you without your knowledge.

And what do these searches reveal? Many HR directors privately admit that they turn down many otherwise qualified candidates for internships and paid positions as a result of something disturbing they read on an applicant’s MySpace page, for instance. Though these HR directors will never tell you the job went to someone else because of something they found objectionable about you on a site like MySpace or Facebook, you can expect to be turned down for one job after another simply because hiring managers feel that you are a bad influence, a disruptive force, a personal of questionable character, or someone who might spend more time surfing the Net than working. [Read more →]

Do you really need that business degree? Or could you make due with the knowledge alone? If you’re a self-motivated learner, OpenCourseWare lets you get quite a business education using nothing more than a good library and a computer.

OpenCourseWare is free and open online publication of high quality educational materials offered by some of the top universities in the world. Many high ranking schools are putting entire courses online. You can easily download syllabi, reading lists, labs, assignment, and exams online. Streaming video lectures are even available for some courses.

It’s all free for the taking. No pesky registration or prerequisites required. [Read more →]

I’ve written that a business internship is really one long interview. Here are some tips to make sure you make a good impression before, during, and after your internship so that your experience can be more than just a summer job.

The Bare Necessities

These may seem basic, but reminders never hurt. You don’t want anything to detract from your job performance. What your boss an coworkers should remember about you is that you had a great attitude produced quality work product, , not your edgy shoes, chronic tardiness, or that bout with mono.

[Read more →]

Are you getting your name around on the Internet? You probably spend a lot of time online already, but are you making the most of that time? Are you getting known as the go-to guy or gal in your profession, laying the groundwork for getting a job–or getting a better job?

You don’t have to be an established professional to make the Internet work for you. In fact, if you’re a business student you can start building a solid business reputation right now by using the Internet effectively.

[Read more →]