Helping Your College Students and Grads with Their

Helping Your College Students and Grads with Their Careers Webinar with Jim Citrin – April 8, 2016

Jim Citrin Introduction • Lead Spencer Stuart’s North American CEO Practice • 22 years, 600+ executive searches; 10, 000+ interviews • Previously at Mc. Kinsey and Goldman Sachs • Linked. In Influencer – 397, 000 Followers • Harvard M. B. A. ‘ 86, PBK at Vassar College, ’ 81 • Authored seven leadership and career-related books • 6 year trustee at Wesleyan University; 12 year former trustee at Vassar College

Getting Launched is Hyper-Competitive Institution Teach For America Harvard American Red Cross Applicants 57, 000 34, 295 67, 500 Acceptances 5, 700 2, 048 2, 900 Admit % 10. 0% 6. 0% 4. 3% Goldman Sachs Met. Life Morgan Stanley Johnson & Johnson 17, 000 151, 000 90, 000 180, 000 350 2, 464 1, 000 720 2. 1% 1. 6% 1. 1% 0. 4%

What Employers Are Looking For Today Source: Hart Research Associates Survey of Employers 95% The intellectual and interpersonal skills to contribute to innovation 93% The capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems 80% Believe every student should acquire broad knowledge in the liberal arts and sciences.

Advice for Parents… and Educators

Parents and Support DO! Be encouraging and supportive but equally honest and realistic. Recognize that this is a stressful time in your graduate’s life. DON’T! Don’t be overly critical; at the same time don’t try to sugarcoat the challenges and make the task of getting a job and launching a career seem less arduous than it is.

Parents and Job Search DO! Provide guidance on how careers really work and how to approach the job search. DON’T! Don’t do the work for your grad. It is both counterproductive and important that he or she learns—and grows—by doing.

What Students Need to Build Successful Careers They Need to: #1 Build Strong Relationships #2 Understand Career Tradeoffs #3 Interview Well #4 Take Action

#1 Build Strong Relationships Remember: • Business relationships are also personal relationships. • Focus on the success of others. • Most jobs are gotten through personal referrals. • Cultivate mentors.

Relationship Building 70% of all jobs are found through networking: • Build a quality relationship • Reconnect with old friends • Focus on “super-connectors” • Seek to help others • “The Franklin Effect” - Ask a small favor of someone The 3 Magic Words!

Parents and Relationships DO! Use your contacts… especially as advocate/mentor. DON’T! Forget to help friends' children and get honest feedback.

#2 Understand Career Tradeoffs

The Tricky Topic of Money There are 2 Ways to Think about it:

#3 Interview Well • Practice, and Repeat. • Don’t just answer questions; tell a narrative. • Research hiring organization and hiring manager. • Prepare and ask insightful questions.

Parents and Interviewing DO! Encourage your grad to practice take as many interviews as possible; mocks and real; help prepare questions. DON’T! Insist that they rehearse in front of you (awkward!).

#4 Take Action Students Need To: Know their skills and what they are looking to do: • Solve Hiring Company’s Problem • Perfect Elevator Speech • Computer Science, Big Data, Genomics Literacy • Supplementing humanities with tech and engineering levels the field

#4 Take Action (continued) Engage with Career Centers: • Solicit advice early and often, enroll in programs, leverage internship opportunities, get connected with alumni Be creative about getting their foot in the door: • Find connections for introductions (Linked. In, alumni, family, friends) • Differentiate candidacies through projects, research studies, etc.

Getting Off to the Right Start In a New Job • First impressions are lasting ones • Be An Effective Communicator • Become An E-Mail Master • Make Yourself Visible • Ask Questions • Establish relationship with your boss • High quality work = Your “ticket to play"

Four Guaranteed Success Strategies • Focus on the Success of Others • Don’t Quit • Play to Your Strengths • Be a Learning Animal

You’re a Knight, not a Bishop Often Better to move laterally Make a move to… • Even backwards; sometimes • Transfer to a new industry • Build skills outside of work • International How to know when: • More prestigious • Growth rate of compensation plateaus • Start-up • Loss of respect • Greater compensation

Parents and Timing DO! Start these discussions early so that your son or daughter can see what’s possible as early as freshman year. DON’T! Don’t wait until the last minute.

! e e r F & Helping Your College Students and Grads with Their Careers