LEVERAGING YOUR MBA FOR CAREER SUCCESS

Transcription

1 LEVERAGING YOUR MBA FOR CAREER SUCCESS JENNIFER L. JOHNSON DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES CAREER ACTION PLAN 1. Self-Assessment 2. Establish Goals 3. Create Vision Statement 4. Set Goals Turn your vision into reality! 1

2 SELF-ASSESSMENT Why did you decide to pursue MBA? Take inventory Talents/strengths Current competencies, skills, knowledge, experience What am I known for professionally - what do colleagues, clients, supervisors, etc. think of me? Core values Key areas of interest ESTABLISH CAREER GOALS What positions do you aspire to hold do you want to advance or change careers? Identify target industries, geographic locations and companies What is your target salary range and level of benefits you desire? 2

3 CREATE A CAREER VISION STATEMENT Consider education and career experience to-date Reflect your needs, interests and life goals Changes your mindset from What can I do with an MBA? to What do I want to do with my MBA? EXAMPLE: Within one year of completing the MBA program, I will leverage my five years experience in logistics to a management level position with a large manufacturing company in the Midwest. When Researching Career Opportunities, Consider Your personality Your strengths & weaknesses Your values Work environment Location Industry Job functions Career growth Salary requirements Stability of employer & industry Flexibility of employer Training & professional development Hours worked per week Work schedule 3

4 Build the Skills that Employers Desire View academic projects as more than just a grade Capitalize on opportunities to demonstrate leadership inside the classroom and outside Save samples of your accomplishments to include in a professional portfolio Understand how your experiences and skills will benefit your company/future employers (what makes you different from other MBAs?) Plan how you will communicate and/or demonstrate these skills during the interview process Refine Your Soft Skills Public speaking, listening skills, ability to engage others and assertiveness are critical to your success as a business leader Strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills = top soft skills that employers value but are often under-represented Use this time to step outside of your comfort zone to enhance any areas of weakness 4

5 Gain Experience! If you are not working in your chosen field plan to complete at least one MBA level internship in a role related to your career interest Be proactive register with Professional Practice Department and Career Services Seek out projects or new experiences in current position Don t risk being over-educated but underexperienced! NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK! Establish meaningful connections with faculty & university personnel Attend guest speakers, career workshops/seminars, career fairs Develop relationships with other students BE ACTIVE! Join student organization, attend WCBA events Connect with YSU alumni join Alumni Association Complete an internship Attend professional conferences Think strategically about social networking (i.e. LinkedIN) Keep in contact with your network on a regular basis 5

6 Prepare and Job Search Early! Begin early - the first semester of your second year Perfect your resume, cover letter, and references Practice interview skills with a professional Utilize a diverse array of job search strategies Be PROACTIVE Take advantage of university resources! CREATE AN ACTION PLAN S.M.A.R.T. goals that support your career goals and vision statement Consider short-term and long-term goals that will set the platform for advancement/career opportunities expand your professional network help you develop the knowledge, skills and experience needed for future career goals help you in your job search 6

7 EXAMPLES Learn more about advancement opportunities in my company Discuss with my supervisor Explore companies that utilize Enterprise Resource Planning certificate Web research Schedule information interview SAP specialist During next performance review Fall 2013 Become more versed in financial/budget management Concentrate electives in finance/accounting Ongoing EXAMPLES Identify skills, qualifications and experiences employers seek for Brand Managers Apply course work to current position Research current job openings Determine how you will obtain the requirements you are lacking Use current work project for class assignment Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Identify major employers in target geographic area Utilize Career Insider and other resources to build top 20 list Educate yourself on employers hiring practices Summer

8 EXAMPLES Identify skills, qualifications and experiences employers seek for Brand Managers Research current job openings Determine how you will obtain the requirements you are lacking Fall 2013 Complete MBA level internship Register with WCBA professional practice Spring/Summer 2014 Improve public speaking skills Join local Toastmasters chapter Fall 2014 EXAMPLES Expand professional network in healthcare management Join professional association Attend 3 events per year Follow healthcare management groups on LinkedIN Update resume to reflect MBA competencies/ experiences Schedule appointment with Office of Career Services Spring 2014 Fall 2014 Begin job search before program completion Register with Career Services/PenguinLINK Attend YSU Career Fair Fall

9 RESOURCES CareerInsider by Vault.com Actionable, relevant and comprehensive career information and management tools in 7 key content areas: 1. Industries/Professions 2. Employer research (insider intelligence) 3. Full-text Career e-books 4. Career advice articles 5. Internships/job postings 6. News and Commentary 7. Community Discussions Available starting Fall 2013 through PenguinLINK RESOURCES PenguinLINK Hundreds of job postings 24/7 access Post resume Notification of on-campus recruitment opportunities and career events Open to alumni Access from Career Services Website COMING SOON: One-click access from MyYSU portal 9

10 RESOURCES YSU Office of Career Services Individualized career counseling Career planning Resume/Cover Letter Review Job Search Mock Interviews All Majors Career Fair On-Campus Recruiting and Networking Events By Appointment or Walk-in Hours Dress professionally Bring copies of your resume Login to PenguinLINK for a complete list of participating employers! ALLMAJORS CAREER FAIR: Tuesday, October 8 10:00 am -3:00 pm Kilcawley Center -Chestnut Room Open to current YSU students and alumni Pre-registration encouraged (not required) Questions? Call Career Services at

11 SHOW, NOT JUST TELL! Resumes from applicants for an operations position in a toy company: 1. Managed eight reindeer. 2. Managed eight reindeer to distribute toys around the globe. 3. Increased 2012 global gift giving distribution by 60% by successfully hiring, training, and managing eight reindeer to distribute toys around the globe. Which applicant would you interview? JONES HALL ROOM [email protected] 11