I was asked to come back to speak to a class at Drexel by professor Jillian Hmurovic and couldn’t be happier with the level of engagement before, during, and after the session.
I took a look through the post-session survey and shared additional thoughts for popular topics. I’ve grouped them according to when I believe they’ll be the most useful by stage of life. What better way to spread the goodness from this class than to share here!
As an undergrad…
What courses and experiences were the most influential?
College was a time for me to try things that I wouldn’t normally try. During freshman year I was a copy editor for the Triangle, as a pre-junior I represented my class in the LeBow student government, as a junior & senior I played and coached multiple intramural sports teams, I even tried Gospel Choir for a couple of terms as a sophomore. It wasn’t just about trying things for myself, but also to meet people I wouldn’t have normally met if I stayed in my usual circles.
Regarding courses, nailing my capstones at the end of my college career was extremely important to set me up for success from a GPA perspective and maximizing my academic Marketing & Finance knowledge. Marketing, Organizational Psychology, Statistics (I have a love/hate relationship with Statistics, but I’ve settled on knowing enough to be useful and delegating/asking for help for the rest) are the typical classes you’d expect to hear. I also had a fondness for Public Opinion & Propaganda, Public Relations, and Economics classes that became more useful over time as they opened me up to thinking about the factors that impact decisions made by consumers (which is critical as a Marketer).
What’s the best way to build a network?
As a senior, a good college buddy of mine (Ryan) had an uncle (Joe) who needed some market research for a startup he was thinking about investing in. Since I was one of Ryan’s friends who wasn’t an engineer he thought I might be interested. I contracted with Joe, made some beer money, and then after the work was completed I went on with my life. Fast forward to graduation…it was a fun time for a few weeks, but I soon started having issues sleeping and was stressed out having seen my friends that I graduated with all starting their careers. I called Joe on a whim to see how he was doing and he asked if I would like to work with him. This set off a chain of events that eventually led me to where I’m at today.
Build your network now, don’t discount chance encounters, ensure people know who you are and what value you have (early on in my career I made it clear that I was willing to help wherever needed and committed to delivering value), have a script for different situations (job fairs, LinkedIn connection requests, etc.), do your best to leave a lasting impression, and don’t hesitate to reach out to people in your network if/when the need arises.
As a college graduate…
How to manage expectations
Checking in regularly on how well reality aligns with expectations is critical. Before getting hired, be clear on not just who you are today, but how the job you’re about to get fits into your future. After getting hired, having regular one on one meetings with your leader should be driven by you, not by the leader. Give them what they need to know so they don’t have any doubts about the consistency and quality of your work. If you need help, communicate what you’ve done to attempt to solve things on your own and what your desired outcome is.
There’s a huge difference in showing that you’re responsible by being consistently accountable than saying you’re responsible and expecting others to figure it out for themselves.
How to handle macro uncertainty
I hate to say this, but you can’t. Again, focus on what you can control, how what you’re doing today serves a future purpose, and surrounding yourself with people that you can trust.
I got laid off in 2019, but given my experience and network, I was collecting severance and my first paycheck at a new job at the same time.
Remember that network I mentioned you should be building earlier? For most of the immediate post-college career you’ll be doing the outbound calls for help, then one day, people will start calling on you for help.
How to adjust from trimesters to being always on
Personally, I wish I understood the value of time and recognized my limits sooner. I was a 5 year co-op, so at the end with 1 1/2 years of school straight I just wanted to get out. There was a cadence to the terms that I got accustomed to. Syllabus, test, midterm, test, final, and repeat. Post college there are times that I’ve felt like a drone. Days, weeks, months, quarters, years went by. Find those things outside of work that motivate you. Building/maintaining quality relationships, finding a hobby, getting out of your comfort zone, etc are all good ways of ensuring your work life doesn’t turn into your only life.
Build in time for rest (and actually rest) to recover your mind & body so you can perform as best as possible. Plan for days off if & when you can by getting your work done/ensuring there’s coverage so you can actually unplug. Some say it’s only a vacation if everyone else is also out of the office. There’s some truth to that, but take it back to your responsibilities at work and being crystal clear on expectations and take care of yourself.
As an experienced professional…
How do you identify companies that will help your career?
First, understand that no matter where you go, you will have good days at work and you will have bad days at work.
There was an inflection point in my career when I started looking at company mission statements first instead of looking at available roles first. Personally speaking, working at a company that aligns with your values makes those inevitable hard days at work worth it.
Also consider how the company can help you build your experience and your network. Companies that have unique challenges (e.g., reaching the right customer), scale (dozens of customers vs. millions of customers), and technology (Generative AI anyone?) should all be considered when evaluating where you’ll spend your time.