Career Diversity

1. Send "TOUs" or thinking of yous. Share articles of interest or relevant news stories. Keep your mentor's projects and areas of influence on your radar so that you can weigh in periodically on thought-provoking topics. You can even set up Google alerts on her key clients to make sure you're the first to see breaking news — then pass it along and make sure she's "in the know" too.
   


2. Provide insight into the rank and file of your organization. By definition, you are more junior (in terms of age or experience) than your mentor. Senior leaders often feel out of touch with the cubicle culture and lack meaningful interaction with the front lines of their organization. You may be able to share reactions of your peers to a new corporate policy or change in organizational structure. Giving your mentor feedback or insight into employee morale is a great way to give back.
   


3. Help with extra-curricular activities. Perhaps your mentor does a lot of college recruiting for the firm or runs a leadership development program for women. Why not offer to accompany her on a recruiting trip, sift through resumes in advance or bring her ideas of guest speakers for the leadership program?
   


4. Buy 'em lunch. At the very least, if you really struggle to find ways to add value, take your mentor to lunch or dinner. Even if your mentor tries to foot the bill, be firm and generous in your offer. Let your mentor know that you appreciate his help and it's your pleasure to be able to return the favor in some small way. A nice glass of wine or good steak goes a long way toward building good will.

MLT Career Prep Coach's Corner
How's Your Industry Knowledge?
By: Rosalie Schraut, MLT Career Prep Coach

In today’s market, there is an expectation that candidates will be more knowledgeable than any company has seen in the past. However, are you reading the right news, reviews, and blogs that make you competitive? With so much information available on the web, is your source reliable? Or are you reading for fun and not bolstering your understanding of the industry? It doesn’t take much to build your acumen in any area, just a little time.

For those who have little time…a major newspaper with a comprehensive business section is best.

- The New York Times has very good coverage of everything from banking to advertising to science and technology. www.nytimes.com

- The Wall Street Journal may turn many people off, but it is a great source of all things business www.wsj.com

- The Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com

If you have a bit more time, you should delve into industry trades, such as Ad Age, Brand Week for marketers, or Automotive News for those in the auto industry. If you aren’t sure where to start, you can ask your mentor what they read.

Finally, there are blogs and op-eds on just about anything. Since these are opinion based, you should keep a critical eye on them.

MLT Career Prep Coach's Corner
Are you getting the word out on “Brand Me?”
By: Rishal Stanciel, MLT Career Prep Coach


How many times have you heard that networking is the key to a successful job search? Well it is absolutely a true statement. According to most job search studies, 65% of new jobs are secured via networking. Personally, I have secured 90% of my jobs over a fifteen year professional career through networking. When I consider that talking to people at my target companies about “Brand Me” and my career goals has led to over $1MM in income, it has really convinced me to be a strong advocate for the art of networking. Literally sharing “Brand Me” with my friends and colleagues, has resulted in securing key positions in my target companies. This has certainly made me a believer in the statement that networking is the key to a successful job search. You might ask, “How do I network “Brand Me?”

In the job search process, it is simply the method of GETTING THE WORD OUT about “Brand Me”. You must communicate who you are, what you have to offer, and what you are looking for to the right target audience in order to facilitate a successful job search. Your primary target audience is comprised of the hiring managers within the companies on your “hit list”. Your secondary target group represents individuals that can connect you with the hiring managers within the companies on your hit list. Just like with any brand marketing plan, you must identify all of the right vehicles to communicate your message to your target market and execute the plan. Your message can be distributed to your target audience in many ways including your 90 second pitch, cover letter, resume, introductory email, phone call, Linked In, Facebook, and any other creative way to communicate “Brand Me”.

Now that you have identified your primary and secondary target audiences and how to reach them, the next step is to Just Do It! This means talking to everyone you know about “Brand Me”, and effectively delivering your message succinctly and effectively. Ideally, you should have 20 to 30 conversations a week on a continuous basis with your target audience. If you are able to talk to everyone you know about your brand and ask them about who they know at the companies on your hit list, then you have effectively extended your network. This type of Word-of-Mouth Advertising is critical to any job search. In essence you have extended the reach of “Brand Me” and greatly increased the number of touch points against your target audience. This represents the art of networking. The ability to effectively network has as much to do with your Brand Identity message as it does with the vehicles utilized, and the persistence of your messaging.

Lastly, tracking the results of your job search plan is very critical. The results of your job search plan should be systematically monitored so that you can continue to evolve your plan, as well as utilize key learnings for future job searches. A simple Excel spreadsheet with your target audience, hit list, and touch points should assist in accurately tracking your results.
In summary, these are the five steps to Networking “Brand Me”:

• Develop the right Brand Identity message—Who are you?
• Determine the right target audience—Hiring Managers & People that know them at Hit List companies
• Decide on the right vehicles to communicate effectively
• Just Do It-Get the word out!
• Track Your results & Maintain your records for future searches

MLT Career Prep Coach's Corner
Professional Ethics
By: Lakshmi Ramanathan, MLT Career Prep Coach

We hear the term “ethics” bandied about in Corporate America today- and often understand it to relate to the ethics of doing business; the code of conduct an organization follows as it deals with customers, shareholders and other constituents. And rightfully so.

However what I would like to put forth is a personal code of ethics that I think each of us should adhere to as we engage in the professional world- as we deal with recruiters, colleagues, clients, etc. You have a sense of self, a sense of personal integrity that you need to be true to. And the reality is you bring this personal self to work- and so it is an essential part of your professional self.

It is easy to ask why when we have witnessed several instances where questions have been asked about the ethics of how companies operate. For instance I have had students ask me why it was important for them not to renege on an offer when companies rescind offers. Or why it was necessary for them to tell a recruiter in plain terms that they didn’t receive a full time offer at the end of a summer internship- especially when there wasn’t a chance that the recruiter would be able to access that information. Questions definitely worth considering.

I go back again to the thought that it is important for you to be true to yourself- because that is the kind of professional you want to develop into as you progress through your career. That is the kind of mentor you want to be when it comes time for you to turn around and lend a helping hand to those following.

And then again from a purely pragmatic perspective, this is a small world we live in- and you never know who will turn up where. So it is smart to be sensible and ethical in your dealing with others- as the recruiter at the company you interviewed with today can turn up at another company you might be pursuing a little while down the road!

Career Prep Coach's Corner
Cover Letters Matter!
By: Angie Temming, MLT Career Prep Coach

Surprisingly, some candidates actually question the value of a cover letter. As a Career Coach, my question is “Why not?” As one of possibly hundreds of candidates, your cover letter is another grand opportunity to position yourself for the employer and role. It’s also a great way to showcase your solid writing skills and demonstrate your knowledge of the organization. In fact, a good cover letter should supplement, rather than regurgitate, information already offered on your resume.

In developing robust examples for both a cover letter and job interview, think in terms of SAR = situation + action + result. While resumes present actions and results, an effective cover letter also describes the pre-existing situation, challenge or goal; why you decided to take action; and how you did it. For example, your resume may highlight your university, major, graduation date, GPA and relevant coursework. Instead of reiterating much of the same in your cover letter, share a specific class project, your approach and what you’re now capable of doing as a result of this effort. If you worked on a team, even better – cite your role and specific contribution. Similarly, consider leadership and professional development activities listed on the resume. In your cover letter, provide more detail, like why you pursued and/or were selected for such an endeavor; your goals and how you went about reaching them; and the overall impact on the organization and/or your value as a candidate.

In respect to structure, use the same font size and type as on the resume, stick to one page and vary sentence construction to convey a mature writing style. In your introduction, state your purpose for writing the letter; mention the name of a referral, if applicable; and succinctly position yourself as the ideal candidate in one to three sentences: “With X, Y and Z, I believe I am strong candidate for this position.” The next two or three paragraphs are the heart of the letter where you’re expected to share specific examples mentioned above. In your close, again summarize your value as a candidate; express your excitement about the opportunity and eagerness to arrange an interview; and thank the employer for their time and consideration. Last, but not least, proofread your work, because a grammatical error will go undetected by spell-check and could cost you an interview.