Career Advice from Business Professionals and Alumni
Below are career advice tips from the Marketing Department's Board of Visitors and recent marketing alumni Tim Lake. The Board is comprised of business professionals and executives from a variety of marketing related industries.
Tips from Alumni:
Tim Lake, Account Manager, Cisco Systems
Tim gives marketing students advice about making the transition from "backpack to briefcase" in the videos below - just click on each link to view:
What information can you offier help students today transition from "Backpack to Briefcase"?
How do you use your academic (marketing) skills today in a position that is not marketing?
What would you say are the most important skills to have in the working world?
Tips form our Board members:
Michelle Mixer, PHR, Group Training Supervisor, Enterprise:
Think about the last time you interviewed for a promotion or new career opportunity. Did you make the most of the situation? Were you aware of what your potential boss was looking for? Did you prepare a concise and organized packet and send a follow-up thank-you letter? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then you were probably not as prepared as you could have been and you might have jeopardized your chances of landing the job.Like any skill or talent, interviewing requires practice and patience. The more opportunities you have to interview, the easier the process will become.
From researching a new career opportunity to sending a follow-up thank-you letter, each part of the interview process is critical and needs to be precisely executed. It requires not only time but also strategic thinking because what you put into the process can determine whether or not you land the job.Be sure to use the resources and tools available at Career Services and also in your department or college. It is never too soon to start.
Joseph Parlapiano, Senior Manager, Vanguard
Tips for making the transition from school to a career:
- Think Broadly – Think of all the jobs vaguely related to your field. Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom and work your way up.
- Do Your Research – Put the same effort into researching a potential employer that you did in choosing to attend the University of Arizona.
- Get Help – Career services, professional contacts, family & friends can lead to opportunities.
- Stay Positive – Believe in yourself!
Be Ready for Success – Always give 100% and put yourself in a position to succeed.
One book that you might want to consider reading is “Never Eat Alone”. You will learn some effective ways to network and put yourself in a position for success. Learning these skills will be even more important after you begin working and want to learn more about your new firm.
Lisle Payne, Owner, Jackson Street Partners
Here is a great article posted in the Wall Street Journal on April 14, 2009 -- students getting ready to graduate should definitely read it! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123966126017514865.html
John Rosso, President & CEO, International Plastic Cards, Inc.:
Sign up to do an "informational interview" of all the companies you can who are looking for marketing or sales positions. These are no pressure situations where you conduct the interview to find out information about the company, jobs, or other information that will help you in your job search.The more opportunities you have to interview, the better you will get at interviewing, and the more possibilities for being selected for positions with those companies. Make sure you interview all types of companies, not just your top choices. You will come away with a lot more knowledge on how to interview, and you will broaden your opportunities.
Additionally, although it is an informational interview, dress professional same as a job interview and be on time. You should research the companies before hand so you can speak intelligently about the company and ask the right questions. With the internet it is now much easier to research companies on-line. Multiple interviews provide the knowledge and confidence that is most important to help you prepare for and land the job.
Some great books to read include: Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" ( a classic); Jim Collins' "Good to Great"; and Ray Considine's "The Great Brain Robbery". There are many more great books; however, these three will cover the basics.
Mike Shanks, Owner, Shanks DMG
Do you live by limitations you have for yourself or expectations others have for you? I've found that neither are reliable. Force yourself to do things you believe you cannot do and never let another person's perspective of you become your reality. Relish the experience that comes from living without fixed limitations.
Priscilla Wallace, Founder & C.E.O., Boomertising, a division of The New Marketing Network, Inc.
Check out all broadcast network web sites. Recently there have been several segments on various news programs that have focused on how to get a job. For example, this morning on NBC News/Chicago, Tom Gimbel, the Founder of The LaSalle Network, gave several tips specifically for for college graduates seeking employment including:
- Make a note of what you have been doing lately
- Build current contacts
- Be flexible
- Be selective
- Work for free
No doubt there are more tips and more information on the company's web site: www.thelasallenetwork.com. One comment Tom Gimbel made was that Chicago hasn't been hit as hard as other cities, and his company has jobs available.
Some additional tips are:
- In communications use "You," rather than "I." People are always more interested in hearing what you can do for them, rather than what you want them to do for you
- Seek to use action verbs in your resume.
- Remember that your resume is like an advertisement for "Brand You." Gear the summary part of your resume to have the reader understand what skills you have that would be of benefit to a business. Support your "claims" with examples of what you've accomplished in school or any jobs you've had.
I hope this helps. Best of luck to all.
For additional opportunities to network with Marketing majors, please contact Liz Howard at 520.621.3519.
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