Published by Shelbi Tierney on Tue, Sep 15, 2015
The Importance of Networking
Kyle Warren
Aviation Managment and Operations
I have gone through college knowing the definition of networking but never really devoted myself to pursuing it beyond just attending some of the many career fairs offered by Western Michigan University and College of Aviation. This of all changed during the summer of 2015 when I was selected to receive a scholarship from UPS titled the Aerospace Management Scholarship.
My love of Aviation began with my father before I was even born. My dad, Jeff Warren, was selected by the navy to take the aviation exam for officer. Unfortunately because he was color-blind he could not become a pilot. I have since decided that I want to one day be able to fly with my father as payment for raising me to be the man I am today.
The UPS Aerospace Management scholarship came along with a lot of added perks. The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals host a conference every year and I was fortunate enough to attend the convention for free this year, due to the USP scholarship. The OBAP community paid for me to stay at the Crystal Gate Marriott where the convention was hosted and also paid for the ticket to the OBAP convention including a career fair for people in the OBAP community looking for jobs. This event allowed me to meet with representatives from Southwest, Executive Jet Management and UPS. I was also able to give my resume to companies including Southwest, UPS, Flight Safety, Virgin America and Fed-Ex.
Networking for me began when Tom Thinnes, the Manager of Recruitment and Outreach at the College of Aviation, granted me the opportunity to volunteer with him and his team in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the EAA AirVenture Airshow. It was here that I had the honor of meeting Floyd Balentine, the director of the Ace Academy for the Twin Cities Branch. We talked for a while and exchanged cards and contact information. This is important because at the OBAP convention, I ran into him again and further discussed employment opportunities.
The OBAP convention exposed me to a lot of different networking opportunities starting from the moment I walked through the door of the hotel. The first day at the convention, before I even had the opportunity to bring my luggage to my room, I was introduced to Dominique Mosley, the area Human Resource Manager for UPS. After talking to him for a while, he gave me his contact information and asked me to meet him the next day for an interview opportunity. The next day, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Mr. Mosley and Rossille Delande, the Workforce Planning Manager for UPS.
The following day, I received a business card from Capt. James “Flash” Gordon in the middle of the seminar with a message that said to contact him later about a job. Capt. Gordon is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for OBAP. Later that evening, I contacted Capt. Gordon and he asked me to meet him. I felt very fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to meet with the Chairman of OBAP.
During the final day of the OBAP convention, I talked with a pilot who is an alumnus of WMU. Marcus was the president of the registered student organization MAAP* during his time at WMU. After we talked for a while, he offered me his phone number and told me to contact him if I have any questions about MAAP. Marcus was one of the original members of MAAP. In his third year of servicing for MAAP, he was selected to be the president of the RSO. Marcus gave me a lot of information regarding MAAP. He told me that it is an RSO that functions a lot like OBAP. MAAP is run by students and OBAP is run by professionals.
Networking this summer has put me in contact with a lot of potential employers. I will never forget what learned during the OBAP convention and I cannot wait to attend the next OBAP convention in Chicago next year. Networking is a vital part of the college experience and if done right, can solidify a job before graduation.
*Currently at WMU, MAAP is in the process of transitioning into an OBAP-WMU chapter and RSO. The goal of this RSO is for students can become a part of OBAP at the college level. For more information regarding OBAP-WMU please contact Dr. Beth Seiler at beth.seiler@wmich.edu.