Tag Archive for: career

My experience having a mentor was one that I will absolutely never forget and cherish so much! For that reason, I hope that you continue reading today to find out exactly how YOU should go about finding informal mentors in your network, within your workplace, or even in an academic environment.

Finding Informal Mentors…

  • Use Your Network: The easiest way to meet new people and make those connections is through those that you already know! Whether this be a past professor, manager, coworker, family member, or friend, using your mutual connections creates a direct pathway towards your new “mentor.” Something as simple as a quick email may lead to a long-lasting relationship. So, do your homework and search through the connections you’ve already built to begin identifying new companies, roles, and titles that interest you and that you’d like to learn more about!
  • Reach out for Coffee: The first and most important step in cultivating a mentorship is reaching out! Always remember that people love talking about themselves, their past, and their successes and would be more than happy to share those parts of their career with you. No matter who you are reaching out to, it is crucial to send an introductory email, text, or call explaining who you are and how your interests compliment there own. Especially if you are connecting with a professor or student, stop by their office hours or meet up for a few minutes after class!
  • Come Prepared: Just as you are benefiting from their information and guidance, make sure that they are benefiting from you as well. While this does not mean to bring gifts or other presents, we highly encourage you to do your homework before chatting. You should know about their background, interests (as simple as a LinkedIn search!), and current role before sitting down. That way, you can breeze over the general questions and get to the good stuff. By showing that you’ve done your homework, you are indirectly confirming your interest in their profession and appreciation of their time.
  • Stay Connected: Mentorships don’t just happen overnight. In fact, the most valuable relationships take some time to cultivate until you can truly feel comfortable and confident in seeking complete, honest guidance. Keep this person up to date with your accomplishments, new roles, successes, and even challenges! You’d be surprised how much a quick phone call allows people to stay in touch through time.

Informal mentors come in all shapes and sizes. So, what are you waiting for? Go out and find one today!

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list!

Be sure to avoid these easy-to-make mistakes while networking!

Entering the business world can seem daunting! However, one of the best parts of pursuing a career after graduation is your ability to relocate anywhere in the world that interests you. Today, we’re here to introduce you to and point out some of the best places to do so in the United States. So, if you’re looking to gauge some pros and cons of certain cities in the US today is the perfect day to keep reading!

Best Places to Start a Career…

  1. Denver, Colorado
  2. Boston, Massachusets
  3. Seattle, Washington
  4. Austin, Texas
  5. Nashville, Tennesse

Each of the cities presented in the list above proves a fantastic place to move to after college for a plethora of different reasons! For example, if you are someone who highly values the importance of a work-life balance, we encourage you to pursue a new opportunity in Denver. As a city with some of the best resources for nature exploration, restaurants, a young environment, and many other pros, Denver is an up and coming location that students are flocking to! Additionally, Boston and Seattle are home to so many headquartered companies that you are nearly guaranteed to be able to explore a vast array of business leading companies in a short period. While this cities are large and bustling, they are great locations to explore if you are someone still looking for a community feel and ability to find a small-town group in a large place! Finally, Austin and Nashville hold several similarities. While they are both some of the fastest-growing cities in the country, they each behold phenomenal weather year-round and a young, unique vibe. Especially for those of you country-lovers, check out these cities post-graduation! They each possess fantastic social opportunities, restaurant and bar scenes, and fast-growing companies providing a young, enjoyable culture.

Special Reference to…

  1. Chicago, Illinois
  2. New York City, New York
  3. San Francisco, California

We chose to group these 3 and add a special reference to their opportunity as we view them more as “OG’s” (in millennial terms). They are each, and constant, fantastic locations to choose from no matter which industry you may be pursuing. We want to pay special attention to encouraging those of you technologically interested individuals towards San Francisco (of course, for Silicon Valley!), the makeup and fashion-oriented young professionals towards New York, and a mix of the two towards Chicago! Although the cost of living in these cities often superceeds the vast majority of the United States, they provide opportunities that you simply will not find elsewhere!

We hope that just from this read you can understand that no matter where you end up, each city possesses a fantastic list of reasons why it proves beneficial to move to and spend a few years building a professional presence within! If you have any subsequent questions, feel free to direct them to [email protected]!

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs!

Check out our recent blog to find out what you should look out for before accepting a full-time position!

If you’re a college student or recent graduate applying to a full-time position or internship, I want you to take a moment to acknowledge your value in today’s workforce! You are among the top talent entering each industry and bring with you a plethora of unfounded knowledge based on a new digital age. In understanding the intelligence and talent you behold, I hope that you weigh the aspects of a job offer than I present to you today. Keep reading to find out…

What to Consider In a Job Offer:

  1. Salary and/or Hourly Wage: Although it may feel daunting to discuss money as a student or hopeful intern, it is important to be aware of the typical pay of an employee of your age, major, experience, commitment, geographical location, etc. We encourage you to utilize online job resources such as Glassdoor.com to try to gauge what a typical salary of someone in your same position should be expecting. Additionally, if you are under the impression that you may be shorted (potentially through conversations with an advisor, mentor, or colleagues), it is crucial to understand the pay you are foregoing for the offer at hand. Pay may not be your highest priority, but if it is, this is super important to look out for!
  2. Benefits: Evaluating the benefits associated with your offer is undeniably one of the most vital aspects of your offer (especially if you are searching for a full-time role). However, I am directing this more towards interns because… believe it or not, there are several benefits to think about (even if not monetarily based!). Some of the most valuable include:
    1. Networking Events, Ability and Encouragement to Connect with Company Leaders
    2. Intern Events to Stimulate Relationship Building Among Your Co-workers
    3. Mentorship Opportunities
    4. Autonomy in Choosing Your Role … Depending on your industry of choice, this one may waiver. However, if you are focused on an area of business that provides diverse roles (such as Marketing), we encourage you to inquire about your ability to voice your hopes and desires for your role and what you hope to take away at the end of summer.
    5. Volunteer Work
    6. Internal Networking and/or Coffee Chats with Employees
  3. Full-Time Role: Especially for those of you entering your senior year after next summer, it is key to begin thinking about what your life may look like if you choose to work for the company you are accepting a role within. Can you see yourself working here after graduation if given an offer? Is this organization part of a loose “5-year plan”? Will this company help you achieve career goals or aspirations?
  4. Lateral Movement: We encourage you to begin your career within an organization that will allow you to pursue a variety of goals within its own walls. The last thing we hope is for you to accept a role and have second thoughts after a few months. For that reason, we hope that you try and visualize all of the opportunities that come with every company. Is there room for you to move around and try some different roles before committing to a long-term position?

These are only some of the many components of a job offer to think about before accepting! We hope you are beginning to create a mental list of everything valuable that you hope for in your new role.

Missed last weeks article? Find out the Top 4 Difference Between Large and Small Companies here!

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list!

As the summer is coming to a close and internships are winding down, we want to talk about questions you should be asking your mentor! Mentors are full of useful information, stories, and connections! Maybe you spent the whole summer avoiding asking them anything- but now is your last chance! Continue reading below for some great questions!

Stories: People love to tell stories. Stories can help you get to know someone and learn about their career! Your mentor probably has a lot of stories if they have been in their career for a long time!

  1. How did you land your current role?
  2. Did you envision this is where you would be?
  3. Can you tell me about a difficult boss? How did you handle it?
  4. What is the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned and how is it valuable?
  5. Can you tell me about a setback and how you recovered?

Situations: Talking about real-life situations that have happened is a great way to learn. You can ask your mentor specific questions regarding the situations they have been through. Use this time to ask them about a situation you are going through, so they can help you navigate through it.

  1. I’m considering a career transition. What do you see as the pros and cons?
  2. What advice can you offer on how to progress in my career?
  3. How can I bring up difficult conversations with my boss?
  4. Who are the people in this organization I need to align with so I can achieve success?
  5. How do you successfully stay connected with key people who do not work in the same office or area?

Self-Awareness: Having self-awareness can help you improve your work performance. This can provide you with some insight into how others see you in the work place. Your mentor is a great person to talk about this topic with because they will tell you what you need to hear, but also give you advice on how to improve.

  1. Where do you see my strengths and what should I focus on to improve?
  2. How do you think others perceive me?
  3. How am I viewed by leadership?
  4. How could I have communicated my ideas more clearly?
  5. What do you see as some of my blind spots?

Skill-Building: Everyone has room to improve, even mentors! You mentor has most likely spent their whole career improving and mastering their skillsets. They are the perfect person to ask for specific examples and strategies to build your skills!

  1. How do you approach risktaking?
  2. What new skills do I need to move ahead?
  3. How can I become a more assertive negotiator?
  4. How can I become better at managing people who do not report to me?
  5. How can I enhance my public speaking skills?

Mentors can provide you with so many advantages. If you have a mentor, take advantage of it! Use this list of questions (and add in your own too!) to get as much information as you can. Soak it all up and take notes! The best way to learn is to learn through others.

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list!

Read our article here to learn why mentors are a must-have!