Countless hours, dozens of ideas and two profound proposals. Jordan Jensen, a student in the MSHRM program at the Mitch Daniels School of Business, worked with his team of five to win first place in the Purdue HR Case Competition. He also won the award for Best Q&A Responder.
Jensen decided to participate in the HR case competition as an “excellent opportunity to showcase my knowledge from the content I’m learning in classes.” The team was assigned a case looking for solutions on how the partnering company could develop effective approaches to benefit usage in their organization.
Jensen and his team knew the competition would be no easy task. They first tackled the central problems of the case. Jensen says that nearly half of their preparation included “brainstorming different ideas, researching data to back up our ideas, and then understanding how our recommendations would realistically be used in their business framework.” The team, consisting of five members, had to work together for over 40 hours to flush out ideas and solidify their recommendations for the competition.
The team approached the competition with purpose, trying to generate impactful proposals. “As the team came up with solutions, we needed to present our information in a succinct manner that prepared us to defend our recommendations and reasoning," Jensen says. "We poked holes in our arguments and had mental notes prepared on how to overcome those objections.”
The team collectively generated two solutions for the case competition prompt. Jensen credits their progress to the help of a STEM-focused university. “This lets us learn that the most powerful arguments are based on scientific research, and applying those to the problems we face today will increase our likelihood of success in the competition and beyond.”
One of the team's pivotal moments came the night before the competition. As the group practiced their presentation, Jensen said it became clear that the team was ready. He clarified that the team had the confidence and driven purpose necessary for their proposals to succeed.
On competition day, Jensen and the team presented their solution to the team of judges. He noted that each team arrived well-prepared, and he felt a strong sense of determination to succeed with his team. The day included the competition and networking opportunities with other students and judges after the presentations.
At the awards ceremony, Jensen and his team received first place in the overall competition, and Jensen accepted the personal award. Reflecting on the win, Jensen mentioned the MSHRM program for preparing them for the competition and the workplace. “The program teaches us to take on challenges and approach evidence-based decisions. I felt that each recommendation we made was backed up by reputable, science-based data that helped us secure first place.”
Jensen shares the importance of perseverance in achieving what you want, emphasizing that the long nights and countless hours were worth it. Although the team was nervous, he also shared not to be intimidated by authority figures. “I had that split moment where I realized the judges are just people. I think many times we psych ourselves out and become intimidated. I reframed my thinking to remember to speak clearly and convey the message that they wanted to hear.”
Jensen also recommends to any student to take the leap and try something new. “Right now, as students, we have the perfect opportunity to practice, take risks and learn. You may surprise yourself with how well you perform.”
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