The Seidman ERP Program News
Ten students tour the Deloitte Chicago office sponsored by Enterprise Systems Student Union
March 01, 2019
Ten students tour the Deloitte Chicago office sponsored by Enterprise Systems Student Union
Written by: Maria Zimmer
Each semester the organization sponsors a company tour for the students to travel to one of the many companies who recruit from the ERP program. Previously toured companies include, but are not limited to Cardinal Health, Accenture, Cargill, and Elli Lilly. Through involvement in ESSU, students gain a deeper understanding to how ERP plays a pivotal role in organizations whilst networking with industry professionals and gaining business acumen. The student organization compliments the globally recognized SAP Alliance University.
On the crisp morning of February 15th, ten GVSU students braved the windy city streets of Chicago to navigate to the Deloitte Office on South Wacker Drive. Upon arrival, the students were greeted by GV Alumni, and current Business Technology analyst at the firm, Nick Zomer. Zomer generously organized this event alongside the current VP of ESSU, Maria Zimmer.
The tour consisted of four primary components and was facilitated by several additional GVSU Alumni and University Champion, Eric Koch. The morning started with an information session on Deloitte Consulting and the opportunities within Enterprise Technology Transformation at the firm. Many of the alumni outlined the experiences they have had since joining the firm, speaking to both projects and the impact the job has had on their life outside of work.
After learning more about the firm, the students were split into two groups. The groups got paired with Drew White and Cade Butch for an office tour. Together, they walked through the beautiful green space that boasts of iconic views of downtown Chicago. The Chicago office is the largest office for SAP and is showcased through the impressive size of the office. Being a Friday, the office was bustling with consultants who otherwise would are at their client the first four days of the work week.
Following the tour, students were enlightened on Business Chemistry; a data driven approach to observing and understanding the differences in people’s personalities and their approach to work. Not only did this inform on the impact our business style has on our lives, they learned how to effectively identify each other’s business styles and successfully interact with the various styles.
Student Valerie Kozak reflected on the business tool, “The Deloitte culture is focused on continuous professional growth and encompasses a high level of self-awareness, which I really appreciate and value as I learn more about what the firm and culture truly offers”.
The afternoon wrapped up with informal networking and getting a surprise visit from Merry Kweiter. The US Enterprise Operations Talent and Inclusion Leader. She was very excited to see a room of intelligent driven students experience the office first hand.
When leaving the city, the students reflected on the motivating experience, recognizing the importance in falling in love with what you do, the emphasis on personal development and how important it is to nurture our strengths. Through attendance, students developed a stronger relationship with Deloitte whist developing friendships among the fellow students.
“The GVSU Deloitte recruiting team was thrilled to invite the ESSU to Chicago Deloitte for an Office Visit, it was not only a great opportunity to share our knowledge on a career at Deloitte but also to provide students with comparisons to industry careers; the conversations were rich and full of energy. Our partnership with the GVSU MIS program continues to be fruitful, it is unique in that students exiting the program have a “step-up” compared to their counterparts and are often project ready before their peers thanks to a deep focus on ERP systems and hands-on experience at the program. We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with the GVSU MIS program and ESSU!” – Nick Zomer