David – Page 8 – Penn & Beyond

What’s In a Name?

By: David Ross

While considering employment options, it can be very easy to focus only on opportunities at “brand-name” organizations. When you think about it, the reasons for joining a well-known, established company are quite clear. Working at such a firm carries a certain cachet which can be a source of great pride. Well-known companies may provide excellent training programs to prepare you for future opportunities. Or perhaps employment with a highly-recognized firm provides that “stamp of approval” that resonates in the eyes of future prospective employers.

While these are all benefits to working for a widely-known organization, keep in mind that today’s “brand-name” may not be tomorrow’s. We live in a world today with a multitude of company mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies. There are countless stories of well-known firms from years past that are no longer in existence due to financial troubles or corporate malfeasance. (Remember all of those stores you used to shop at when you were younger that are just a distant memory?) As much as these now defunct brands developed their reputations over a number of years, their memories could very well fade over time.

Thus, joining an organization primarily for name recognition can be a risky proposition. If working for a well-known company appeals to you that’s great. There are many amazing jobs and internships at world-renowned organizations. But carefully consider all of the other elements of the work environment and experience that are important to you – for some people that may be autonomy over their work product, a collegial atmosphere or perhaps a having a variety of duties. While everyone has different preferences and interests, focusing beyond the “name” increases the likelihood your experience will be beneficial both today and for your future.

Leaving Your Comfort Zone Can Enhance Your Career Prospects

By: David Ross

Comfort. In theory, we have the tendency to gravitate toward things we are comfortable with or perceive as known commodities. Sure, it can be easy to stick with what you know and focus on perfecting your craft until you have your routine down-pat. Given this inclination, sometimes we can forget the importance of stepping outside of our comfort zone and the possibilities that go along with that.

At some point in time, we may have contemplated our career trajectory – enamored with those visions of assuming positions with greater responsibility and oversight. Perhaps you have a schematic or plan of your career direction. But have you stopped to think about how you will move from one opportunity to the next? Are you working on expanding and enhancing your existing skill set to prepare yourself for the future and new opportunities? Avoid falling into the trap of assuming that just because you’ve “put in your time” or “paid your dues” that you will seamlessly progress or move on to a more challenging role with additional responsibility. Don’t focus solely on obtaining the years of experience for the role you seek, but carefully consider the additional skills and qualifications needed for that desired position.

Whether you work as an intern or maintain part-time or full-time employment, think about the things you are comfortable with in your job, consider the tasks you struggle with and challenge yourself. Seek opportunities to stretch or expand your skill set and knowledge. Volunteer for projects or assignments unlike everything you’ve grown accustomed to – the more you develop your skills and abilities, the more flexibility you have to assume different employment opportunities in the future. Be confident in your ability to learn something new and trust that you are prepared to grow.

Remember, “new” and “different” is not always bad. When working outside of your comfort zone, you may surprise yourself and accomplish things you never would have imagined while simultaneously enhancing your career opportunities.

What Should I Ask Alumni?

By: David Ross

So you’ve just found that incredible lead and think this could be the big break you’ve been waiting for…there’s an alum working at a place of great interest to you. There’s just one slight problem – you’re unsure what to ask the alum and want to make the best impression possible. How should you proceed?

Carefully. Cautiously. Professionally. While there’s no “magic formula” here, you do want to think carefully and plan ahead before reaching out to alumni. Sometimes, I’m asked by students what are some questions to ask an alum? Here are a few ideas:

– Can you share your thoughts on how to best prepare myself for a career in (insert career here)? Sure, we’ve all heard about pursuing internships and making connections, but depending on the field you are interested in, an alum’s perspective on some of the more subtle or less mentioned skills that are valued can be particularly helpful.

– How did your Penn (and/or school at Penn) experience prepare you for your career? This question is a great way to really delve into the Penn connection you share and ways that you can leverage that experience.

– In your experience, what are some attributes of individuals who are most successful in (your field)? Not only will this question shed some light on what it takes to be successful, it may also be helpful to evaluate if a certain career field is a good fit for you personally.

– Are there any courses at Penn that you would recommend taking as preparation? A decision on what classes to take is up to each individual. However, an alum’s experience with certain courses he or she found helpful and useful may give you some new ideas to think about.

While asking questions can be a helpful way to begin a discussion with alumni, some individuals prefer a more direct approach and like to “cut to the chase.” Be careful with this as you certainly do not want to put an alum in an awkward position – especially if he or she does not know you. Think about it – would you recommend someone for employment at a company if all you knew about the person was based on one email or a phone call you received? Developing strong networking connections can take some time. And while it may not be easy to cultivate a contact, it’s very easy to make a bad impression in the process. Always keep that in mind.

Of course, there are many other questions you can ask alumni as well. But hopefully this gives you a few ideas to open the lines of communication and connect with alumni.

Practice, Practice, Practice

By: David Ross

Consider this scenario. You’ve just landed that coveted job or internship interview. The prospect of this new opportunity is exciting and you can already envision your first day at work. All that remains is a bit of interview prep, acing your interview and presto – you’re good to go.

So you figure you’ll do some homework to get ready for the interview – review a list of possible questions, research the company…you know, traditional interview prep. Often, people will ask me: how should I prepare for my upcoming interview? What specific questions will I be asked? Now, generally speaking, interviewers may ask different types of questions: fit questions, technical questions, behavioral questions, just to name a few. And certainly, the infamous “Tell me about yourself” and “Walk me through your resume” standbys never get old. But no one can ever predict exactly what questions will be asked by whom in advance. Believe me, if I could look into a crystal ball and reveal every single question you will be asked, I would. (If I could look into a crystal ball, to see the next winning lottery numbers, I’d do that too – but I digress.)

Given that interviewing is a skill that can improve with practice, definitely take advantage of opportunities to participate in a mock interview. Anyone can attempt to guess in advance how well they will interview – but at the end of the day, all that creates is pure speculation. Why not take the time to practice some questions and put yourself to the test? An added benefit of a mock interview is feedback on your performance. Are you tapping your foot inadvertently? Do you have a penchant for minimal eye contact? Inclined to use fillers (“like” and “um”) when you get nervous? All of these things can happen and have happened when candidates interview for positions. These tendencies all can be corrected – but that’s much easier when they are brought to someone’s attention.

Career Services provides a plethora of resources to help you prepare for interviewing – including mock interviews. So you have great resources already at your disposal. Just remember – practice, practice, practice…

Develop Your Expertise

By: David Ross

Consider your role in your organization. While we all have job titles and specific duties, some people are dubbed the “experts.” Are you known as an expert in your field? Is your knowledge and expertise utilized within your organization? Or do you have room for growth in your position and the opportunity to become an expert? While expertise is usually acquired over a period of time, here are some ways to further develop your expertise:

– Increase your knowledge about your profession and industry by joining professional associations and attending conferences and webinars. Joining professional associations provides the opportunity to keep updated with the latest trends and get a feel for best practices in your field. Attending annual or periodic conferences and webinars ensure that you remain up-to-date with information on an ongoing basis.
– Take advantage of any opportunities to research a relevant topic and give a presentation at local or national conferences. Any research you conduct as you develop your conference presentation will augment your existing knowledge base. By presenting your information to other industry professionals, you may be viewed as an expert in a specific area.
– Identify a topic or subcategory related to your work and specialize in that area. Sometimes it can be very overwhelming to focus on developing broad, widespread expertise. Start off with something more manageable such as becoming an expert on a system used in your company or learning the intricacies of one particular industry.
– Subscribe to (and read!) industry publications and articles. Trade journals, magazines and other periodicals can reveal salient topics, legal issues and other important information you can share with your organization to showcase your expertise.

Experts are valued and sought after by organizations. Think about ways in which you can enhance and demonstrate expertise in your field.