Real-time business simulation highlights students' career readiness

Central Michigan University students connected with top employers across the country during the 11th annual ERPsim Competition on March 23. 

During this competition students showcased their skills in SAP, the leading enterprise resource planning software. Throughout this full-day experience, students worked in teams to compete in a business simulation and incorporate real-time data to make decisions to run their company more efficiently.   

For many students, the competition served as an all-day job interview. Corporate recruiters attended the event to mentor teams and take note of how students work together, overcome obstacles and apply technical skills along the way. 

Approximately 20 percent of the 180 students participating earned a scholarship and several students received an internship or job offer on the spot. 

Hayley Bachelor, a former ERPsim participant and CMU alum, said “the connections I made through the College of Business Administration and through participating in the ERPsim Competition led me to receive my first job out of college at Dow.” 

For the first year a networking event sponsored by Americas SAP User Group allowed additional opportunities for students and employers to connect and build relationships beyond the ERPsim Competition. 

Corporate mentors from Haworth shared, “The event allows us to see students' passion, excitement and willingness to learn as we look for future employees to add to our team.”