OwenBloggers: Susan - MBA 2007

Coming to Welcome Weekend?

I'm excited to come back to Nashville for this upcoming weekend's Welcome Weekend.  The weekend, which "seals the deal" for many an aspiring-MBA, it's the best chance to picture yourself at Owen and in Nashville for two of the greatest years of your life.

What questions do you have? Let me know ahead of time in the comments below and I am happy to answer.  I can give you the perspective on the effect of an Owen MBA on your career now almost two years after graduating.

I can also share the really important stuff like where to live (buy or rent?), where to shop, eat, and catch a cocktail. 

Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Networking the Right Way

Since I don't get a chance to blog too much on OwenBloggers, I try to blog when there's something really important to share.  And I have definitely found a topic that hits close to home.

I know, I know, you all have plenty of experience.  You've got the CMC, and you've all networked before.  But over the winter holidays, I had a chance to connect with several alums during my travels.  And we all had the same tale--we'd recently been contacted by current Owen students who, well, need some networking advice.

It's not that alumni don't want to be contacted, we do.  But during my two years at Owen, I admit, I easily forgot what it meant to be working 40, 50, 60 hours or more a week.  Truly.  If I wanted to say "screw studying" and head to McDougal's I could.  And I miss those days like you don't even know.

But while I love my job, and like having at least one weekend day where I can do what I want, the reality of the corporate world is back with a vengeance.  I don't have a flexible schedule and it's hard to fit in appointments during the day when my calendar is almost completely booked as it is.  I share this not for pity, but just as a reminder.  Because it was easy for me to forget, and that manifests itself in many ways...especially when networking.

That's why I wanted to share a few insights my classmates recently shared with me when it comes to networking.

First, be realistic of someone's schedule. No one takes kindly on emails that assume we'll talk when you're available.  It's not that I am a CEO or anything, but when you ask for someone's help, ask for it on their terms. 

I follow that rule no matter who I reach out to: "willing to make myself amenable to your schedule whenever you have a chance."  One alum told me the story of a student who emailed him and asked if he had time during a 45 minute window that same day.  The student knew he had a interview--and clearly hadn't prepared. 

A second rule of thumb--do your research.  I would love to hire every Owen student I could but (a) my industry almost always requires industry experience and (b) the industry is one of the ones suffering most in the economy.  I have gotten a few emails where it's clear no research was done.  Just a search in the directory leading to an email.

Another suggestion-be understanding.  Right now I am so swamped, I have had to ask, kindly, networking contacts to reach out to me in Feb or March when the economy eases (hopefully) a bit.  Many of my fellow alums feel the same way--they want to take the time but can't.  Be patient.

Also, know that typically 1 in 10 networking requests are responded to.  I try to at the very least, email back anyone who writes me.  I want nothing more than to help.  But many people are honestly too busy, or just can't prioritize your request.  They don't mean ill will, they just can't.  So make sure you're broadening your contact list.

Finally, don't miss a call.  I had a student email me hours after we had scheduled a talk saying he was sorry (no reason given for why he never called) and when could we speak again.  That's just not fair.

I recently connected a student with a business partner of mine--he had found the contact through my LinkedIn list.  Here's the email he sent (and properly cc'd me).  It's polite, respectful and appropriate.  Take note:

Hello [name],

I hope you're doing well!  As Susan may have mentioned, I a am 2nd Year MBA
at Vanderbilt focusing in [XYZ].

If you have the time or inclination, I wanted to see if I could connect with
you about some of the work I am doing around [ABC].  In particular, I would love to hear your take on it from an [XYZ] angle, as well as hear about your experiences at [company name] itself.

Thank you for fielding the request and I hopefully look forward to speaking!

One thing the student could have done better?  Make the request worth the person's while. What can you offer them?  At the very least, play to their ego and show you've done at least a little research and read an article they were mentioned in or a blog they write.

I hope these tips help a bit--alumni want the school to be strong and for the most part (I can't speak for everyone) want to help.  But help us, help you.

By the way, I am now Twittering @DailyCareerTips so follow me there for some frank and honest career advice.

Experiencing Orientation...Again

Three years ago when I was at orientation at Owen, I turned 30.  Last week I turned 33 on lucky 8/8/08.  A few days after that, I spoke to the incoming MBA class at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and wondered if I'd ever again be so lucky.

Not that I want to start my MBA again, but there is something to be said for starting fresh.  That feeling you get when almost no one knows you, you can start over, make completely new impressions, and create a brand new path.

As I looked out onto that sea of 250 Georgetown faces, I was struck by how interested, how attentive and how wide-eyed they were.  Granted, it was only week one of orientation and math camp was in its early stages (apparently no b-school student can escape math camp), but that look of starting over was all over their faces.

There are few opportunities in life to truly start over. And even when we do, it's just as easy to shy away from anything new and uncomfortable.  So whether you are starting your first year or your second, go through your own orientation again. take the time to be wide-eyed and remember why you're there.  Even Dara Torres, who's in her 5th Olympics, looked wide-eyed on that podium.

One other thought, before the madness of school really sets in, don't forget to take advantage of where you are.  It's really easy to get stuck in the Owen building, maybe venture to Starbucks and SATCO and that's it. 

Perusing the Georgetown website in advance of my presentation, I found a section on life in DC. Having lived here since 1997 (with the exception of the 2 years I spent in Nashville), I constantly take advantage of all the city has to offer.  But I didn't as much in NashVegas.  So take a break, wander off campus, even out of Nashville.  It's the best way to forget math camp ever existed.

PS: Understand Jason Alba is coming to speak to you guys--I think you'll enjoy him. I did a teleconference series with him in 2007 and he wrote a great review of my book in May.

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Susan Strayer, Owen MBA 2007 | www.susanstrayer.com

Resume 101

Since I left Owen, life's been busy (probably not as fun, but busy).  The good news is that my classmates continue to get engaged to each other so it's a great excuse to get to see all of them on a regular basis! I'm serious.  Five weddings since I graduated!

But in addition to just keeping up with my classmates, I still get many requests for resume reviews.  Since I work in talent acquisition in my daily job and I still work as a career coach and advisor in my spare time, I love giving career advice, even if I can't always respond right away.

So I thought I'd come back to one of my favorite topics: resume 101.  Everyone has an opinion on resumes.  Your parents, friends, co-workers and Owen are all going to give you differing advice.  But from a hiring manager and recruiter's perspective, I thought I would share mine as brand new first years and returning second years embark on that full-time job search.

In November I wrote a guest post for The New York Times Career Blog that features a great sample resume with highlighted suggestions.  If you want a fresh perspective on how to look at your resume, it's a good place to start.  I also wrote a follow-up post: You Gave Me Advice on My Resume, Now What? that you might want to check out as well.

While you might like the approach I have taken with resume advice, I have spoken at a few business schools on career management and development across the years and there are always big debates on a few issues:

First, the format.  You've got to left justify everything or the Applicant Tracking Systems all companies use will distort your resume when it's uploaded.  Busy recruiters won't read resumes they can't understand.  Business schools like to put headers (Experience, Education etc.) in the left hand margin.  Mistake.

Second, the degree.  Business schools, of course, want you to lead with the school first and the degree second.  I think it should be the other way around.  After all, the recruiter cares first about the degree then about the school.

Third, the dates.  B-Schools like details and the dates on your resumes are no exception.  But resumes are marketing tools, commercials, and sometimes less is more. So take off those pesky months and just do years (2005-2008 rather than March 2005 - June 2008).  It helps to cover gaps and short work stints.  Less...is more.

Finally, the length.  If you have more than 5-7 years of experience you can go two pages.  And in some cases you should.  Never more than that, but the one page rule can be really limiting if you've been in the workforce for awhile.

As you get ready to start your intern or full-time search, don't forget to take ownership.  The search is yours to manage, get creative and work the heck out of.  If you don't own it, you won't see results.

I Didn't Have a Job Either

A year ago this week, I was in many of your shoes--graduating from business school, and thinking about how much I had grown across the past two years.  Now a year later, I am flashing back on how much I have grown yet again in a stretch-role right out of Owen and how I have found a place for a long-term career.

I chose a high-growth company because I wanted opportunity and fast-pace but I also wanted immediate impact.  But that company was hiring for people who could start right then, so I had to wait.  And, contrary to those terrible statistics that matter oh-so-much for rankings, I did wait until the bitter end (late May) to make that decision.   But it was the smartest move I ever made. 

Did I want to help Owen's rankings and get a job by D-Day?  Sure.  But when you take the time to make an investment like B-school, you have to make yourself the priority.

IMHO, the pressures from rankings forces business schools to force students to make a choice.  Sometimes that is a good thing, but oftentimes not, especially when it comes to just-in-time hiring, or, those positions that aren't so B-school cool (consulting, i-banking etc.)

While for some of you who are jobless right now, this position may not have been your choice, but stop and realize how much you have grown and learned...especially when it comes to what you want to do.  I already know many classmates who are ready or who have already moved on from that first job because they took a job too quickly. 

Many people don't fit the paths or companies offered on campus (like me) and many times, it is impossible to secure the right job by the rankings deadline.  Believe me (and everyone else now working again), it is more important to get the right job and take your time to find it than to be unhappy 6 or 12 months later.  If you're feeling lost, don't be.  Take action, and do your research to find the right fit.

That's not to say that those of you who took a job in October of last year made the wrong choice.  But the stress of others and the pressure we receive from key groups and leaders often makes us succumb to choice just because.  So before you start your job, ask yourself what your expectations are and make sure three months, six months later, those expectations are being met and exceeded.

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Finance grads: I have a position open you may be interested in.  Contact me if this sounds appealing--

"As a key member of the Corporate Finance Group, the Senior Manager will play an integral role in providing business research and analysis support to both individual locations and corporate customers. This role involves partnering with key stakeholders to proactively identify and mitigate risk and maximize asset values and profitability."

Branding Your Career...the iPod Way

Mike Figliuolo, the founder of thoughtLEADERS, was kind enough to ask me to guest post on his blog.  So I did, on my favorite topic: career branding. As usual, I make my case for branding the iPod way.  If you haven't heard me speak or wax poetic on the topic, <a href="http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com/2008/03/creating-career-brand-ipod-way-guest.html">check out my post</a> on the <a href="http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com/">thoughtLEADERS blog</a>.

Who's Tops in Customer Service?

Check out Business Week's latest list.  I was somewhat surprised at the list, given that I think Starbucks has faltered in recent years, the "Genius" at the Apple Store Genius Bar could barely understand what was wrong with my computer a few days ago, and Container Store didn't make the list at all.

The good news is my company made the list.  The bad news?  Not the top ten.

Going Without Starbucks ... Barista Morale?

If I were still a student, and I had a final tomorrow, I would not be happy.  Why? Well, the studying fuel that is so easily found across the street from Owen (or the two that are both two blocks from my office) won't be available tonight.  That's right, all U.S.-based Starbucks are closing.  If only for a night. 

While lost revenues may not seem brilliant to you finance types, Starbucks, recently facing some tough times in terms of growth and projections, has chosen this as a way to motivate their staff, clearly communicate their objectives and likely, boost that Barista morale. 

The press release calls it "a historic in-store education and training event" that is "designed to energize partners and transform the customer experience."  When you can communicate one message to all of your employees at once?  That's historic, and an opportunity.

Starbucks used to be known for its unique Baristas with great memories.  They knew their customers, knew their drinks and whipped 'em up faster than you can say Mocha-choca-lat-a-ya-ya.  But lately that's been diluted more than your average cup of joe.  Starbucks has lost the differentiation and gained commoner status.  That leads to business troubles, low morale, and creative executives wondering how to mass communicate a vision and mission that have fallen by the wayside.

What's the real message here?  Well, think about why Starbucks would forgo at a minimum, $5 million in revenues* just for some training?  It's more than that.  It's a chance to revitalize what used to be a secret weapon.  Here's hoping MBA students are starting to learn that human capital is king, and in the service business it will make or break your empire.

*Typical, major, completely estimable without real data MBA assumption: 7100 stores, 150 transactions in three hours at an average of $5/transaction.

Gimme Some MBA Love

It is Valentine's Day after all.  And what would Valentine's Day without a famous Owen second-year, showing some love? Business Week featured an article today about the dating scene and Business Schools and I must say Owen fares pretty well from my perspective--check out Owen's male to female ratio (almost the highest listed) in Business Week's slide show feature.

And I can't make too much fun of the picture.  I met my boyfriend at Owen (he graduated in 2006), and two classmates of mine are engaged to other Owen classmates.  In fact, when networking in my first year, I spoke to an Owen alum from the early 2000s who met his wife at Owen.  They loved it so much, they named their kid Owen.  How's that for a testimonial to an MBA experience?

Owen, Ahead of the Pack?

I had to laugh when I read this article in Business Week entitle "Imagining Apple's Future."  Some brilliant author asked four innovators (how do you get that title?) to think about what Apple's next product might be.  I read it.  Then I laughed. What has innovation come to?  At Owen we actually had classes where you didn't imagine what you might innovate, you actually innovated something.  Saw that end result. 

What was Business Week thinking?  Anyone can dream up some coolio ideas but there are so many factors that could keep it from suceeding--money, technology, the market--that these pontifications were boring.  And, kind of simple for such a magazine.