Author: Sime Curkovic

I have had several students ask me about Industry 4.0 or Supply Chain 4.0 or Digitization of the Supply Chain

I have had several students ask me about Industry 4.0 or Supply Chain 4.0 or Digitization of the Supply Chain

I have had several students ask me about Industry 4.0/Supply Chain 4.0/Digitization of the Supply Chain.  Most students simply want to know what it means and how it will impact their majors.  Please first watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkn71KMqNwM Notice in the video that I repeatedly said a huge part of Industry 4.0 will be taking all the "manual" processes that exist and "automating" them using "technology" so that they get done better, faster,...
The Covid Job Market for College Grads

The Covid Job Market for College Grads

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KEbg2FTat4&t=1s The Covid Job Market for College Grads. Business majors & supply chain degrees during covid, 2021 + - YouTubeThe Covid Job Market for College Grads. Business majors & supply chain degrees during covid, 2021 +www.youtube.com We are in a V shaped recovery it appears.The 916,000 jobs gained in March exceeded economists’ predictions and nearly doubled the gains seen in February, bringing the unemployment rate down to 6%. However, the economy...
Negotiating a job offer

Negotiating a job offer

Please watch this video on negotiating a job offer (i.e., your starting salary)... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDWwq2mKY0I&t=67s From a former student several years ago regarding a job offer he received... ...They first offered him $48,600 and he negotiated it up to $52K.  That is a 9% bump!  Many people have to work a few years to get a bump like that.  Your first promotion might only be a 15-20% bump and that could take...
A 401(k) for a New College Grad? Yes!

A 401(k) for a New College Grad? Yes!

Do new college grads really need to participate in a 401K Retirement Savings Plan? Yes!  I spend around 15-30 minutes on this in class because my students need it. When they get their job offers, I ask them to look over this part (they usually need help). Please watch this if you want career mobility & financial independence in your 40s & beyond. In order to achieve this, you will need to...
Should you brag about your school if you have something to brag about? Yes, if it is related to your major and you suspect that most people might not know.

Should you brag about your school if you have something to brag about? Yes, if it is related to your major and you suspect that most people might not know.

Top Universities for Supply Chain Technology Education in 2017 (WMU ranked #2, UM #7, MSU #12) I do wish more of our students understood how highly ranked our ISM program was.  I also wish students did more to promote and market the rankings.  For example, could the below be built into your E-mail signature, resume, LinkedIn profile, etc.?... "WMU Integrated Supply Management (ISM)...Nation's best undergraduate SCM program (Gartner); 2nd in...
Is your degree from an accredited college? Does it matter?

Is your degree from an accredited college? Does it matter?

The WMU Haworth College of Business is among a group of fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide that are accredited at both the undergraduate and graduate levels by the AACSB International—the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business AACSB is like the "ISO 9000" of business colleges globally.  AACSB accreditation is a rubber stamp on HCOB that says we have processes in place that ensures you get a quality education. ...
Female SCM students and professionals (the opportunities are endless)

Female SCM students and professionals (the opportunities are endless)

Here is a great read for female SCM students & professionals Another great read for women in the field, just click For every $1 made by a man in the state of Michigan, women earn $.76 (used to be $.66). That is around the ninth largest gap in the country (we used to be third worst).  Shame on Michigan even though progress is being made. People say it is because...
UC Berkeley’s Fastest-Growing Class Is Data Science 101 (Negotiation just passed Data Science at WMU)

UC Berkeley’s Fastest-Growing Class Is Data Science 101 (Negotiation just passed Data Science at WMU)

This is why a predictive big data analytics class should be a required class for every major... Note, we knew all this at WMU way before Berkley and MIT and we also did something about it way before them.  Yes, we did this before Berkley and MIT.  https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-berkeley-its-big-data-on-campus-1541066401?emailToken=8643daf9ec2e86b33102a27604b64ce762w30y7HQaTkKHCgbFxtN64RShXsPgaLTugBhhRUshrl+eqQiKJqxyELUO9XgDJakvdWukP9NNf5yLDQ2td5wQ%3D%3D&reflink=article_email_share UC Berkeley’s Fastest-Growing Class Is Data Science 101www.wsj.comThe university has created a division to study the science of mining the tidal wave...
This means your major is very very very important…Tomorrow’s CEOs Will Come from an Unlikely Place: The Supply Chain

This means your major is very very very important…Tomorrow’s CEOs Will Come from an Unlikely Place: The Supply Chain

The article below says..."...it’s clear that supply chain professionals are poised to become the most powerful executives in the world..."Note, this article was written before covid.  Multiply the above statement by a factor of at least two.  I think you might have picked a great major and/or career path.  http://fortune.com/2018/12/11/ceo-supply-chain/ Tomorrow's CEOs Will Come from an Unlikely Place: The Supply Chain | Fortunefortune.comWe live in a world in which customers...
Will Bitcoin be a part of your career?

Will Bitcoin be a part of your career?

Note, I wrote this about Bitcoin over 6 years ago.  I was kind of right and kind of wrong.  Note, I also never bought Tesla stock.  Come on man, a one car company with one factory that uses batteries when gas is only $2-3/gallon? Well, Tesla stock today is at $719 per share and one year ago it was $150 per share (it was $43 in Summer 2019).  People that...