I know it’s been ages since I last posted a Xanga entry, and for that I apologize.  It was my intention to continue posting after returning from Europe, but I have never made it a priority.  However, I just bought a laptop to help with completing schoolwork while I bounce between Kansas City, my apartment, and the campus- and that will make it much easier to accomplish things like updating this old Xanga website.

Lately, my life has consisted of school (I’m taking 17 hours this semester- my last semester), work (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I’m at DeMarche in KC from 8:30 – 5:00), and recently, interviewing (yes, looking for a REAL, post-school job!). 

The interviews have been interesting- to say the least.  My first real interview was for a financial analyst position with a national investment firm.  A few of the questions asked by that recruiter:

“Why are manholes round?”

“When a clock is showing 3:15, what is the degree difference between the hands?”

“How many computers do you think there are in the state of Texas?”  (Other versions of that question asked to my friends were how many TVs in Kansas, or how many ships in the Pacific Ocean)

I didn’t actually get asked any of those.  I was the first interview of the day, and apparently the interviewer ran out of time or something, as we didn’t make it to any of the interesting stuff.  We got stuck on valuation questions- how would you value a company?  How do you determine a target stock price for a firm?  What multiples would you use to compare a company to its competitors?

We discussed that last one for a long time- we went in depth over the ‘TEV/EBITDA’ multiple.  (Total Enterprise Value / Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization)  It tells you the amount of net operating income as a function of enterprise value (long term debt + market capitalization + excess cash).  He wanted me to explain what it meant, why it is useful, what a good multiple would be in certain industries and why, and what a company might do to improve theirs.

My impression was that the interview had gone quite well, but I heard back from the firm, and I was politely thanked for interviewing, but not invited back for the second round of interviews.  I think I made a mistake in asking questions about the workload- he talked about 65 hours being a light week at the office, and how he’d been one of the first to leave the office at 7:30 the night before.  Yikes!  And I think my ‘Yikes!’ moment might have shown on my face.  Oh, well.

The second interview I had was with a large, multinational communications company headquartered in Kansas City.  The position I was interviewed for was a consulting position in a technical division- not something I’m necessarily interested in.  However, the way this company recruits is kind of general at the beginning, then if they decide you’re worth pursuing they interview you repeatedly until they find a position for you. 

That interview consisted almost entirely of behavioral questions.  For example, “At (company name) it is often necessary to work in groups.  Sometimes, people don’t always get along with the others in their group.  Please describe a time you had to work in a group and had a conflict with another member.  Discuss the conflict, and how you handled it.  How was it eventually resolved?”

I hate those questions.  It always takes me a few seconds to think up an example, and it causes an awkward pause.  Regardless of how I answered the questions, I think the woman liked my resume.  Unfortunately, she was really hard to read, and we didn’t ever truly click.  I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get to go to onsite interviews with that company, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

My third interview was with an international transportation firm.  Cargo, not people.  I didn’t know very much about the company, but after researching it discovered many awards.  It has been named the most impressive company in Kansas City, over a number of more recognizable names, and just won the award for most respected company in the nation in its sector (beating out DHL, FedEx, and UPS).  The position is ‘pricing analyst’, and would entail setting pricing strategies for its shipping services.  Most of the job would be long-term projects, evaluating where to set prices for bids for large shipping contracts.  Needing to be the low bidder but also ensure a profit margin for the company.

I think that interview went very well- it consisted of two 30 minute interviews with two different men, both of whom seemed very excited about me, my resume, and the position they were offering.  Granted, they both seemed to be very excitable people in general, but I took it as a good sign.  Now I just have to wait for a response.

Monday I interview with a healthcare IT firm- a company that hires dozens of KU business grads every year.  I know several people currently working there, and one who has accepted a position for this summer.  We’ll see how that interview goes- it’s another situation where I think the company would be really awesome to work for, but I’m not necessarily thrilled about any of the positions they’re offering.

Applications that are pending include two government finance jobs, another investment bank analyst position (not as intense as the 1^st, I hope), and two corporate analyst positions.  Most of those applications close March 1^st, and will be scheduling interviews after that.  Hopefully I’ll make it at least to the first round of all of those.

In other news, Anthony and I had coffee with my aunt Dominique this afternoon.  She was just passing through Kansas City with her cat and worldly possessions as she moved from Wichita to Georgia!  I was thrilled to be able to see her before she left Kansas.  Hopefully my budget will be such that trips to see my family in Georgia become more feasible in the near future.  Ahh, the dreaming that takes place when there’s a chance of having some disposable income in a few short months!

Unfortunately, I must sign off- I have some schoolwork to get done before Anthony and I leave Black Dog (the coffee shop) to watch an episode or three of LOST.  Anthony had wanted to watch the show when it first started, and I told him I thought it looked terrible.  Well, as it has grown in popularity we’ve become interested in it, but felt like we couldn’t just jump into it in the middle.  So I bought A ‘Season One’ on DVD for Valentine’s Day.

I promise I will try to update this on a semi-regular basis.  Emphasis on TRY.  Hope you’re all having a great day!

P.S. to Mimi and Papa- I know you had both probably given up on me ever posting here again, but I told you I would… eventually.  So here goes!  Love you both!

P.P.S.  Couldn't resist sticking my all-time favorite photo from Europe up here- Anthony and I in Paris, in case you couldn't tell!  It's my desktop background on my laptop... always makes me smile.  And always makes me miss Europe...

I'm sorry for keeping most of you in the dark, and I'm very sorry for making so many of you worry about my welfare (thanks for the E-mails, though!).  The big surprise is: I'M HOME!  A month or so ago I was looking at how much time I had scheduled for traveling after classes, how little money I had left in my bank account, and how much I wanted to get home and see everyone, and I changed my plane ticket to May 6th.  I arrived in KC late on the 6th, stayed the night in Lawrence, and Anthony drove me down to Wichita to surprise my mum on her birthday!  She was quite surprised and burst into tears when she opened the front door and saw me.

I had still intended to travel to Budapest and Prague, but the lost railpass made that impossible.  So my last week in Europe was spent in Sicily, where I'd been for fewer than 24 hours in March.  I was able to spend time with my Australian friend Katie, and met a number of American students at my crowded hostel.  The weather was lovely, and I burned myself by spending too much time on the beach.  I wish I'd been able to see those other cities, but I suppose they'll still be there on my next trip to Europe (according to Laura, that will be in the summer of 2007... I need to start saving now). 

Back in the states I'm still adjusting to life in Kansas.  I'll be up in Lawrence Wednesday through Saturday to visit friends and participate in Stop Day festivities and, of course, search for a summer position.  I'm hoping to use some connections in the accounting department to land an internship with one of the big firms in KC.  To my advantage is my ability to work through the school year, with my schedule for fall containing classes only on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, or E-mail me if you know of any accounting/finance intern openings (a long shot, I know).

I look forward to seeing you all shortly, and sharing more of my stories in person!  Give me a call, KU people, and let me know where you'll be Thursday night!

Quick update:

This morning, while most of you were asleep (the exception being Anthony, of course, who finds it amusing to E-mail in the middle of the night) my semester ended.  I am officially in my final year of college (undergrad at least).  Crazy.  Unfortunately, my summer is not off to the best start.

I had purchased a railpass for eastern Europe as a cost-effective way to hit the cities I want to see.  Said railpass is still somewhere in the Italian mail system.  Right.  Of very little use to me there.  And as a result of strict rules and regulations about the use of such passes, not much I can do about it.  So instead of being on a train to Budapest right now (my intention) I am attempting to contact my friend in Florence about a return visit.  My thought is I can dart down there for free (still have Italy railpass), bum free lodging, hang out with Tyler for the weekend, and hope my pass arrives by Monday, when I can take off for Budapest.  We'll see.  Rule number one when travelling abroad: be flexible.  I still have plenty of time left (booked my flight home for May 15th) to roam about in the east.  Que serà, serà! (in l'italiano: Che cosa starà, starà!  Like I've been saying, the languages are similar).

So... classes are finished, Monica is here, and we've both got the flu.  Yep.  Exciting, fun-filled weekend in Italy together.  Actually, we had a lovely time Thursday evening, Friday, and Saturday, and then spent all day today napping together, and sharing cough drops and a box of tissues.

Last week was crazily busy.  I found out that I am not being offered a position in Chicago, so a very delayed frantic search for a summer job has begun.  (If anyone knows of anything, please E-mail!)  I had a number of projects and papers to finish, and evening activities to participate in.  Dinner with Scott Newton (my professor) and Dr. Al Ringleb (director of our program) was great.  They took the 8 of us who'd won that problem analysis case challenge out to the restaurant that I had eaten at on our first advisory group night.  They recommended their favorite dishes to us, and I had an amazing dinner, with the requisite accompanying wine and tiramisu.  After the dinner, to celebrate having finished my BLAW project, I went out to the Orchidea and then to Giuseppe Verdi for some dancing. 

Thursday entailed attending classes and handing in projects, then we had our final program gourmet dinner.  It was in a nearby villa, and this time the evening began with a cocktail hour.  It was supposed to take place in the gardens, but the constant cold drizzle eliminated that option.  So we had our mimosas (flavors included passion fruit, strawberry, and kiwi) indoors, with an incredible assortment of hors d'oeuvres.  The actual dinner part was good, but not on the same level as the first two.  However, that didn't stop the evening from being the best one.

Everyone was excited about our last evening all together (many people opted to travel this weekend, since tomorrow is Liberation Day and there's no school or finals) and had saved their dressiest outfits for this night.  Awards were handed out that the students had voted on, funniest student, best shopper, most knowledgeable about Europe, etc.  After the awards, someone left the sound system on, and someone else popped in a CD of some dance music (read: hip-hop).  Before the professors knew what was happening, the students (most of whom were a bit tipsy after the large number of mimosas, two types of wine, and many bottles of prosecco had been consumed) had flooded one part of the room and were dancing.  It was a great evening.

Upon returning to the PDG, I found Monica had just beaten me to campus.  She dropped her stuff in my room, then joined a group of my friends and I at the Piazza (bar near campus that many students frequent, myself excluded- I don't care for it; too expensive and no atmosphere) briefly, then we continued on to the 'seppe for a second night in a row.  We had a lovely time dancing, went home late, and then Moni and I spent some time catching up.

Friday I had a quiz in Italian (easy), then my class learned how to sing the famous "Volare" (which then ran through my head for the next 24 hours) and ate tiramisu that my professor had made for us.  She was wonderful- really made the class enjoyable and went out of her way to help us learn about Italy.  We were all rather sad to have that class end.  I grabbed Moni from my room for lunch in the cafeteria, then had to attend finance.  We napped when I got out of class, then got a group together for dinner at the Orchidea.  It turned into an evening at the Orchidea, and everyone had a little too much wine and started dancing there (not a dancing venue).  Let's just say Monica got to know all of my friends really quickly as a result of their drinking two nights in a row.  After the 'dilla closed, we joined some friends in my neighbor's dorm room to listen to some music and dance some more. 

Since we got to bed late (again) we opted against the 8:00 am bus to Bassano, and caught the 10:15 to Castelfranco to get the train to Venice there.  We were joined by Kerem and another dozen or so CIU students who looked rather hungover.  Moni, Kerem and I set out exploring the city (my last time there for a while!  ).  Kerem soon grew weary of our shopping, and set out on his own.  I was on a quest for a Carnevale mask for Anthony (he decided he wanted one after we had attended), and was popping into every store we passed.  Unfortunately, the one he'd loved was gone from the store at which it had resided, and there were no more like it to be found.  (Sorry, Anthony- maybe we could find a similar one online?)  We rendezvoused with Kerem in St. Mark's Square at 4:00, took a few photos, then found a market and purchased some snacks.  We wandered until we found a little piazza with a big stack of those elevated walkways they cover Venice with when it floods (which it has been doing frequently lately in light of all this rain) and perched on top of them.  We had a lovely time sitting and eating and people watching for a bit, then made our way to the train station and caught the next one to Bassno.

Having missed dinner in the cafeteria, we dined for a second night in a row at the Orchidea, then Moni and I opted to call it an evening.  We were contemplating running down to Florence on Sunday, possibly staying the night, and wanted to get an early start. 

We got our early start: both up and showered and on our way to the market in Crespano at 8:30.  With sniffles and sore throats.  So after a little shopping we returned to campus and napped until lunch.  After we ate we went back to bed and slept until 5:00 or so.  It was cold and rainy and gross outside, so a day in the dorms wasn't a bad option. 

Hopefully the weather will be nicer tomorrow so we can do something very Italian before Moni must return to Germany.  Having her here is a fun taste of what next year will be like when we're living together... makes me excited to return to Lawrence! 

And now I must attempt some studying, as I do have exams looming.  I hope you're all healthier and experiencing better weather than those of us in Italy.

I'm too busy for a real update, just wanted to scream "YAY!" at finishing my business law project.  It took entirely too much of my time lately.

Tonight I'm headed out to dinner at the expense of my prof- anytime you can avoid cafeteria food at no extra expense life is good.

Last for today: a directed message to someone.  If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.