Caris Hurd, BBA 2006
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Pre-professional Internal Audit Co-op, IBM
In her early days learning to read on a Commodore 64, Caris could never have imagined that her MIS summer internship would take her across the globe. Although she has been familiar with computers and technology throughout her life, Caris had trouble finding the business route at UT that suited her and experimented with MIS 304: Introduction to Business Programming in search of a minor. The class sparked her interest, and MIS became her McCombs home.
After interviewing with two other companies, Caris met with IBM's recruiter and had the most comfortable interview of her life. "We were laughing with each other and just having a really good time." She was offered an internship position in internal audit for IBM. Her work took her from Armonk, New York, to Milan, Italy, to Seoul, Korea all during one summer. Working with a team of talented IBM employees, Caris validated controls and verified data integrity and access restrictions for several of IBM's internal applications.
"Meeting and working with people from different cultures really opens your mind." In Italy, the work atmosphere was very relaxed, with an afternoon siesta and an hour and a half for lunch. In Korea, she worked grueling twelve-hour days. Caris' communication skills were tested during conference calls that often involved more than ten IBM personnel, sometimes from four countries.
Caris thinks MIS students should grasp the conceptual aspects of applications and learn to understand the general ideas behind the design, but "diving in and asking questions is how you really learn." She currently enjoys the challenge of Professor Konana's MIS 373: E-business System Development. Recruiters love talking to her about this course since it applies so well to current company needs. Caris suggests that students entering the work world should be (1) prepared to get along with a wide variety of people, (2) humble and ready to learn, and (3) open to new experiences.
Caris' main goal in life is to be happy in her career, eventually starting her own company in a foreign country. While not in classes, globe-trotting, or dreaming about her future, Caris plays volleyball, knits, and plays with her Chihuahua, Dexter.
