2nd Years CMC Blog

The Targeted Approach

2009-04-27T13:32:00.004-04:00

The April 27 issue of BusinessWeek includes the weekly article from Jack and Suzy Welch, which this week is titled "Crazy for the Job".

Quick summary...they offer 3 recommendations about job searching in the economic climate:
-You can settle for any job
-You can start your own business
-Or, you can be pushy and creative, which is their preferred approach. They advise to "pick one or two places where you've always wanted to work and repeatedly make your case in the most creative, appealing and persuasive way you can."

The April 13 issue of Fortune highlights How to Get a Job and is online at this link http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/storysupplement/flyp/index.htm
-The advice is somewhat similar..people getting the jobs aren't necessarily the most connected..they're the most creative.
-The article cites the Bureau of Labor Statistics that although 2.5 million new workers were laid off in January, 4.4 million new workers were hired.
-Sending out a ton of resumes is not looking for a job. The author also promotes a much more targeted search. Examples are offered on creative approaches to persuade that targeted list of companies to hire you.

Important Update to Your Resume Book

2009-03-30T09:04:00.002-04:00

We will continue to urge students to actively work your networks, even if you apply to jobs listed with any of the vendors described in this blog. Just this week, I heard from two students who did a masterful job of networking in their respective fields and ended up with seemingly impossible jobs to obtain given the stiff competition. Both of them said they did endless networking and the job offers came from contacts that were 3-4 degrees of separation away from their original outreach.

As I mentioned last week, we partnered with 2 additional vendors that reach out to companies for MBA job postings. There is no cost for OneWire and a reduced monthly cost for Doostang. OneWire primarily targets financial services firms to post jobs and find matching resumes in OneWire's database. If you would like to have your resume searched by financial services firms, sign up at onewire.com.

Many of you are already using Doostang, a job listing resource only available to students in the top 20 MBA programs. If you would like to join for the first time, or upgrade to a premium account at the discounted rate, please sign up in the CMC. We will send your contact information to Doostang and you will receive the link to the partner page.

And, this week the CEO of MBA Highway, www.mbahighway.com, an MBA job and internship search website followed up with me about referring you to his company's website.

MBA Focus will be providing free access to your resumes to a select group of companies through April. If you are seeking a job, it is a good time to update your resume in MBA Focus or to upload one if you have not done so already. To be reminded of instructions contact the CMC.

Job Success Factors

2009-03-22T14:02:00.003-04:00

If you already have a job – don't miss Jodi Glickman's '02 presentation on April 7 when she will focus on critical communication skills and other success factors on the job. Jodi is an outstanding presenter.

If are seeking a job you will also benefit from Jodi’s presentation as her rules of thumb apply to all communicators...and, you will soon have a job! I hope you are paying close attention to the deadlines for job listings in CJ Online and on JohnsonJobLeads-L. One of our alumni who responded about posting positions for the San Francisco Just About Jobs event wrote:

"These are such difficult times it breaks my heart to think of all the talented, hard working and dedicated graduates who are having trouble entering the work force in a capacity that honors their attainments. I wish you, the students, the best of luck and urge you not to despair or give up, because, I firmly believe, the hard work you've put into your education will ultimately be rewarded."

The MBA Project Initiative has attracted over 30 companies considering hiring students on a short term basis after graduation. Look for more details soon.

Saving resumes in pdf format

2009-03-09T13:41:00.003-04:00

Since reaching out to so many contacts about posting jobs and participating in the three Just About Jobs events, we have heard back from a few alumni and we'd like to share their thoughts:

One alumnus told us recently that he had taken a new position at a real estate investment firm. He said this about his success in finding his job: "Fortunately, I was able to network into my current position through a series of personal relationships. Kind of a long story but there were a million phone calls and emails before something stuck."
-It is important to be persistent.
-Don't give up if a contact doesn't return your phone call or email. Try at least three times.
-You can forward your original email, indicate that you know they are very busy and may not have read your previous email, and that you are still interested in talking with them.

An alumnus, who is reviewing resumes for Just About Jobs in San Francisco, made this suggestion for students: "One piece of feedback I would like to send to students: please save resumes in pdf format. A lot of the resumes I have looked at use a table in Word to help with formatting; however, when viewed (in Word) electronically, the lines are overwhelming and detract from the content. This makes a bad impression, especially at a company where simplicity of design is one of our core values."

If you haven't considered working for the government, you may be interested in this article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20090218/bs_bw/feb2009bs20090216831796

Dean to Speak at Careers 2.0

2009-03-02T12:33:00.003-05:00

In a tight job market, your success will depend largely on you utilizing your resources, including what we offer in the CMC. Career 2.0 is a new program designed to connect you with other students and CMC staff to support you in your job search. This week Dean Joe Thomas will focus on the issues facing International students. He is about to leave on a trip to Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and Korea, where he will request that alumni provide job leads and assistance to our students. In Careers 2.0, Dean Thomas will also address the current job market in the context of the many cycles he has experienced in his 40+ years at the Johnson School, and he wants to hear about your experiences. We invite you to join in this interactive session. As always, we are eager to support you. (4:30 p.m. in B-11)

Just About Jobs in SF and NYC

2009-02-23T09:34:00.002-05:00

Stay tuned for details about the next two Just About Jobs events in San Francisco on March 19 and NYC on March 27. We are experiencing the tough job market first-hand as we reach out to contacts and learn about hiring freezes and layoffs. It is slow going, but we are persevering and learning about job leads.

For the next two and a half months, the CMC staff will be intensifying its outreach efforts to uncover job leads. To provide 49 students with interviews in Boston, over 120 companies were contacted by email and phone. We are making the same effort in San Francisco and NYC. CMC staff are also searching for MBA jobs listed on company web sites,following up with phone calls to find the company contact, so that we can help match students to appropriate listings. Other initiatives include periodic emails to all of our alumni, domestically and internationally reminding them to provide us with job leads. As Joe Thomas suggested in his most recent email to students, the CMC also encourages students to contact former employers to inquire about job opportunities and summer '09 short-term projects. You may be able to help connect a classmate. If you have accepted a job and continue to be contacted by companies, ask if you can refer a qualified classmate.

Come to Careers 2.0 on Tuesday at 4:30 and learn how others led a successful job search, as well as how Charles Hamilton '04 navigated the start-up world.

Starting Your Own Business

2009-02-16T08:27:00.003-05:00

The time may be ripe to pull out your business plan and get serious about starting your own company, or joining a start-up. When jobs are flowing and compensation is too good to pass up, many students defer their dreams of starting a business. Now it may be ideal, especially if you aren’t able to obtain the job you were pursuing. Charles Hamilton '04, who was recently appointed Entrepreneur in Residence, came to the Johnson School from a non-profit. He used to sit in my office and lament about the cultures of the large corporations recruiting on campus. He didn’t want to fit into that environment. When he graduated, he stayed local and became a serial entrepreneur. You can email Charles, through Outlook, to set up an appointment with him.

As of last Friday, there are 13 companies participating in Day in the Back Bay in Boston. The CMC is leasing a bus to transport as many of the 50 participating students who don't want to drive on their own. Recruiters invited 33 second years and 22 first year students to interview. We're hoping a number of job offers result.

Careers 2.0 will meet again on Tuesday, 4:30 in B-11. If you're seeking a job we hope to see you there to share contacts and best practices concerning the off-campus job search.

Layoffs and Jobs

2009-02-08T14:46:00.003-05:00

We are all hearing of friends, alumni, former colleagues who have lost their jobs in the last 6 monts. It seems the news has been worse since the start of January. Yet, students are still getting job offers. Companies, while hiring fewer in number than last year, continue to tell us they cannot afford to have an empty pipeline. Even though they are laying off experienced workers they know they have to bring on new talent if they are to be sustainable. If you are seeking a position, join us on Tuesday at 4:30 for our weekly Careers 2.0 forum. A couple of your peers will be available to address what worked for them.
Best,
Karin

Careers 2.0

2009-01-26T09:27:00.000-05:00

The CMC is launching a new weekly career program beginning Tuesday 3, February at 4:30 PM in room B11. Careers 2.0 will be open to both first and second year students seeking employment. This will be a forum in which students can help one another find contacts and discuss job search strategies. Members of the CMC staff will facilitate the discussion and take notes. At 5:30 the format will shift to a studio session in which students get assistance in using LinkedIn and other databases and receive feedback on cover letters and other employment-related correspondence.

We are hearing from employers, and from students managing off-campus job searches that many companies are doing just-in-time hiring. Although it is always important to expand your network and keep in touch with contacts you have established previously, it seems that many employers will not make offers until you are ready to begin work. It will make your searches easier in April and May if you have already established your interest in the company.

Stay in touch, too, with your career coach and CMC advisor – let others know about your progress.

Best, Karin

Reading and Posting Job Leads

2009-01-18T09:50:00.005-05:00

JohnsonJobLeads: The new Officers of the Career Action Group (CAG) came up with the idea for a job leads listserv. Different from CJ Online where actual jobs and job descriptions are posted, JohnsonJobLeads, is a listserv to share company web site or job board positions that might help your classmates or to post leads from colleagues, friends, or family. Even if you have already accepted a position, you can still be helpful to your peers. All resident students have been subscribed and we hope you will participate. You can opt out.

Careers 2.0: The CMC is holding weekly sessions, Careers 2.0, beginning February 3, a forum in which students can help each other find contacts and discuss job search strategies. Following each forum will be a brief "studio" session where students can get assistance in using LinkedIn and other professional networks, and receive feedback on cover letters and other employment-related correspondence.

MBA-Nonprofit Connection: You may recall I mentioned that the CMC had purchased a subscription to the Nonprofit Connection. The MBA-Nonprofit Connection (MNC), founded in 1995, is a national nonprofit organization that facilitates the placement of business school students and graduates in nonprofit jobs. It serves as an extension of the career services offices of its partner business schools. For more information, please visit www.mnconnection.org. We have already posted a number of these jobs and more will be sent to us each week. Look for them in CJ Online.

Just About Jobs: There is an information session this Wednesday at 4:30pm in B-10. Learn how to manage the process of the three off-campus interviewing events in Boston, Bay area and NY.

Change at the front desk: Marcie Kopko, the smiling person who usually greets you each day in the CMC will be working behind the scenes for the first month. Victoria Kelly is coming up to speed quickly and will help to answer your questions.

This is the first week of interviewing for the spring internship recruiting season. It is also the week of a historic presidential inauguration. Stay tuned.

Best,
Karin

Positive Thinking

2009-01-11T11:25:00.004-05:00

I'm thinking optimistic thoughts about 2009, especially in regard to the job market for the Class of 2009. Why optimistic in the face of the many negative media reports? Because employers like to hire positive thinkers, especially when faced with challenging business conditions. For those of you seeking full-time jobs, I encourage you to meet with one of the CMC advisors and/or speak with your assigned alumni coach soon after you return to campus, for the purpose of reviewing your job search strategies. Pay close attention to the CMC emails concerning Just About Job events in Boston, NY and the Bay area. You don't want to miss resume deadlines for these interviewing opportunities or the application deadlines in the CJOnline off-campus job listings sent to you weekly.

If you need financial assistance for your off-campus job search, there are limited funds available from a previous gift made by the Class 2003.
-If you obtain an off-campus interview, a portion of your travel expenses can be subsidized by the gift.
-You will need to meet with me to present the business purpose
-Funds will be distributed only once transportation receipts are provided.

Reading the NYT last week, I started with the Education Life section, one of my favorites. There was Brent Simon's wine collection highlighted in a slide show of student entrepreneurs. Congratulations, Brent. I've been reading the education section for many years and this is the first time I read an item about a Johnson School student.

Finally, I hope you find time to enjoy your last semester as an MBA. Take advantage of these few months at Cornell and go to the theater, basketball and hockey games, climb up the bell tower before a concert, visit the 6th floor of the art museum and take in the view of Cayuga Lake and get to know classmates better.

Best, Karin

Have a Happy New Year with Jobs!

2008-12-08T09:03:00.003-05:00

According to the data in CJ Online, 40 percent of your class have recorded full-time offers, and most likely, closer to 50% actually have offers. Nationally and internationally, unemployment figures are rising and we are hearing from an increasing number of alumni who have lost their jobs. We are aware that some of you are facing quite a challenge in finding desired opportunities. As you know, we started a career coaching program this term and over 70 members of your class have been matched with coaches. More of you will be matched in the coming weeks. And, to help you gain additional interviewing opportunities, for the first time we are holding three different Just About Jobs events: two in February, in Boston and New York, and one in the Bay area in March. Pay close attention to the JAJ emails when you return to school in January. To kick start your off-campus job searches second semester, the CMC will initiate weekly meetings with all students who want to share their experiences in the job market. CMC staff, invited guests, and students can share advice, lessons learned, contacts and other job leads.

In the meantime, enjoy your time off and have a very healthy and happy New Year!

Best, Karin

Sharing Generously

2008-11-21T15:50:00.005-05:00

The following tips are from Keith Ferrazzi's book Never Eat Alone. They are good reminders for the November and December holiday breaks.
1.Feed people: There's no better way to be generous than by inviting a friend or colleague who may be alone during the holidays to your Thanksgiving dinner. It is an opportunity to build network relationships.
2. Make introductions: Introduce people from different parts of your life who might benefit from knowing each other. It is an ongoing puzzle, matching up the right people and the right opportunities. Never hoard your relationship equity.
3.Become a knowledge broker: Share information, by blog, by email, by Twitter, over lunch or however else. Focus on sharing information that helps people solve problems, however broadly defined.
4. Tell a story: Sharing your history is always a generous way to give something of yourself to a friend or colleague. Telling a real story about your past - with a beginning, middle, end, and maybe even a Kleenex moment - is even better. They will be happy for the glimpse of what makes you tick.
5. Mentor and get mentored: Perhaps the only thing you can do that is more generous than serving as a caring, consistent mentor to someone is asking someone else to mentor you - and then working your hardest to make them proud.

Don't forget to participate in the "Success With Off-Campus Recruiting" program scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on December 2. Learn how to use LinkedIn more effectively and hear from classmates that navigated a successful off-campus search to land a position.

Have a great holiday.

Best, Karin

Coaching Network Grows

2008-11-17T08:23:00.004-05:00

As of Friday, 70 of your classmates have been matched with alumni career coaches for on-going advice, support and connections. They are providing feedback on emails, cover letters and your pitches. My biggest challenge is finding consultants with the time to coach-I am still searching for consultants to be matched with four students.

Members of the School's Advisory Council and I speak regularly about the job market. They are becoming increasingly concerned, as we all are, about this extraordinary economic environment. From where they sit, they see it getting tougher very quickly. They will be sending you a series of messages starting this week.

The CMC recently purchased a subscription to the MBA-Nonprofit connection. The MNC network of participating schools includes many of the top 20 programs. Beginning in February, you will gain access to job listings from nonprofits that recruit MBAs to help them strengthen their management and advance their missions. I was advised by the Cornell graduate who manages one of the MNC programs to wait until February to join as the organizations that post jobs now want the positions filled now.

Last week I watched a Swiss film titled "Vitus" that portrays a kid who struggles between his parents' dreams and his own. It's a good film and I mention it here because one of the movie lines is memorable: Referring to the stock market, the underage genius pianist portrayed by a real life genius pianist, also plays the stock market. He says, "It's great-where else can you earn 1000 percent and only lose 100 percent?" It's a good perspective to have during present market conditions.

Best, Karin

Act Now

2008-11-10T09:03:00.005-05:00

This week a number of individuals I respect, who have daily contact with employers as service providers, offered gloomy reports on the speed of recovery from the current economic crisis. How that translates for you is to devote intense focus on your job search NOW rather than 3 months from now. The sooner you clarify your career path, effectively communicate your pitch and network of possible leads the greater success you will have before May.

Two more Industry Guides were completed by the Management Library in cooperation with the CMC. You can now find the Marketing and Finance guides, in addition to Consulting, at the link in the Nav bar below. I urge you to use them. You will find very valuable information and links to resources that will facilitate your job search.

A recent speaker at the Stock Pitch Competition offered a list of what he seeks from job candidates. I highlighted a few that are absolutely appropriate to any field:
-In this environment "Stay calm and stay focused"
-Show your enthusiasm for your intended field by participating in related clubs and activities
-Be competitive. He wants winners and people with the ability to:
o See the big picture
o Sell ideas
o Sort through a huge amount of data
o Employ the right amount of skepticism
o Be creative. Come up with your own ways to evaluate situations.

Coaching Network
I am still trying to match up 9 students with consulting alumni for career (job search) coaching. If you would like an alumni career coach in any other field, please let me know now. We want to match up second year students before moving to the first year class.

Best, Karin

Companies Pursuing Cornell JS Students

2008-11-02T15:50:00.005-05:00

Some bright news among the dour headlines broadcasting layoffs across the country. The American Expresss lead MBA recruiter called me on Friday to emphasize that despite the 10 per cent staff cut, the company will continue to hire new talent from the Johnson School to ensure their leadership pipeline for the future. All full-time offers to their interns are also being honored. We continue to positive news from our recruiters. I'm not trying to sugar coat the tough job market. Just reporting on the facts to keep you current with what we are hearing from employers. Do I think it will get worse as the year progresses? Yes. Do I think you are in a great position? Yes. You have developed a set of skills and will have an advanced degree from one of the best institutions in the United States. Employers go to great lengths to hire Johnson School students and alumni. The following companies have purchased our resume book this year. If you are seeking a job in one of these companies, I suggest writing to them and let them know you are aware they purchased the resume book and you want to inform them of your genuine interest in the company.

Resume Books Purchased by: Adobe Systems, ADP, Aetna, Alghanim Industries, Amazon, American Capital, American Express, AT Kearney, Avery Dennison, Bain & Company, Bain Capital, BASF, Booz & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Capital Group, Capital One, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Dell, Del Monte Foods, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Eaton Corporation, ECG Mgmt Consulting, Eli Lilly and Company, EMBARQ, Emerson, Ernst & Young, Fidelity, GE, General Mills, Goldman Sachs, Google, Hal Investments, HSBC, Humana, IBM, InBev, Intel Corporation, Johnson and Johnson, JP Morgan, Kaplan, KPMG, Lazard, L.E.K. Consulting, Lehman, Liberty Mutual, Limited Brands, L'Oreal USA M&T Bank, McKinsey and Company, Medtronic, Moelis & Company, Morgan Stanley, Nationwide, Noble Partners Group, Procter & Gamble, PG&E, Philips, PIMCO, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, PRTM Management Consultants, Reliant Energy, Roche Diagnostics, SAP, Silverpoint Capital, Staples, Target Corporation, Travelers Personal Lines, UBS, United Airlines, Wellington, Western & Southern Financial Group

Best, Karin

Myths and Facts about the CMC

2008-10-26T16:19:00.002-04:00

When I inquired of your Class why there was very light attendance at some recent briefings and the Class of 2002 program, I received 27 thoughtful responses. Most responses, 93% in fact, expressed appreciation for the programs and resources provided by the CMC. Students explained that the same evening of the panel, there was a 24 hour take home exam, a VC class, a team project due the next day and much off-campus networking occurring on Fridays. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question.

I would like to address two issues that surfaced:
Myth One: If students enter their offers into CJ Online, the CMC will not continue to help as they search for the "right" job. There was a sentiment expressed that we want to push students into any job to increase employment statistics.
Fact One: The number one goal of the CMC advisors is to help students manage their careers now, and learn how to manage them for the future. It serves no purpose to push you to take a job you do not want. Doing so would result in reneging on offers when the right job came along, or, a very short tenure with an employer that ultimately hurts the relationship between the company and the School. Companies select their target schools based on the yield of acceptances from a campus and the track record of alumni in the school. Without a successful track record (alumni promotions), they do not even consider adding a school to their recruiting schedule. The only reason we want you to enter your offers is that we must report offers according to the MBA Career Services Council Standards for Reporting Employment Statistics. We are required to report offers and acceptances. We want you to find a job that engages you, one where you succeed because you are excited about the work you perform.

Myth Two: If you enter your information in CJ Online the information will not remain confidential.
Fact Two: There has never been a breach of confidence with the information entered into CJ Online. It is a contained database. Only one person in the office, Donna Fleming, has direct access to the raw data. She maintains strict confidentiality and only provides aggregate reports.
Finally, I am pleased to report that the employers are expressing delight in the preparedness of the students interviewing on campus. Congratulations! The only area commented upon for improvement is to do more original research on the companies rather than just asking questions about the most recent press release. Try formulating questions from the Chairman's letter in the company annual report.

Best, Karin

On and Off-Campus Recruiting

2008-10-19T12:36:00.002-04:00

I want to congratulate so many of you who are connecting with alumni and other contacts, obtaining interviews in a tough job market. It has been gratifying to hear about your successes.

On-Campus Recruiting
Interviewing on campus begins this week. The following tips are intended as a last minute refresher and are what I hear most often from recruiters when they provide feedback:
-Have at least 2 PAR examples ready for the top skills desired by that company.
-Be very clear about your short-term and long-term career goals
-Without being arrogant, offer your responses with confidence and persuasiveness
Remember to check in at the front desk to double check on the room location and the name of the interviewer. There is zero tolerance for "no-shows".
Good luck!

Off-Campus Recruiting
The CMC web page Navigation Bar, Off-Campus Job Search link, http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/career/off-campus.html provides a brief list of resources to help you progress in your off-campus search. And, if you want an off-campus Career Coach send me an email and we will make sure you get a match.

Best, Karin

How Did They Do It?

2008-10-13T09:21:00.005-04:00

Please take advantage of the opportunity to hear members of the Class of 2002 describe how they managed a job search in a dramatically down market. This class observed a strong economy crumble after 9/11 and the spring economic meltdown. Many consulting offers were rescinded. Those who had been promised early sign-on bonuses never received them and some students were out of work for months after graduation. Yet, many students successfully managed a job search. This will be an interactive session. Come with your questions. This event takes place in B-5 at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 16.
Over 70 practice interviews will take place this Friday in NYC with alumni in diverse industries. At the close of the day, alumni and students are invited to a reception at the Cornell Club before returning on the School-leased bus to Ithaca. This should be a helpful interaction coming directly before on-campus recruiting begins.
Remember to complete the exercises in the Career Workbook,"Getting Down to Business". By now, you should have completed the Marketing Plan on pages 13-17, and reviewed the business correspondence on pages 17-22. For those of you conducting an off-campus search, the Networking and Executing Your Job Search chapters on pages 28-39 will provide helpful tools.
If you do not have a job offer and have not yet been assigned an alumni career coach, please let me know your industry and job function preference. I will try to match you with someone aligned with your interests.

Best, Karin

The Advantage of a Career Coach

2008-10-05T14:36:00.014-04:00

Sixty percent of your class completed the summer internship survey sent to you when you returned to school in August. I contacted each of the students who didn't expect a full-time job offer from their internship, and inquired if they would like to have an experienced professional as a career coach to provide support, advice, contacts and to help keep them on track. The coaches are former deans, associate deans, consultants, members of the School's advisory council and other alumni. As of last week, 48 students had been matched with a coach aligned with their field of interest. If you would like to take advantage of this great opportunity to be matched with a coach, please send an email to me with your job/industry target.

In addition to the Career Coaches, I have hired two local professional coaches, one who specializes in communication/interview skills and the other in executive coaching for various communication/leadership issues. Because of their limited availability, I will make referrals based on career coach or CMC advisor referrals.

Some of you have asked about the Cornell Alumni Directory access. You were provided access last September. Go to www.cornell.edu/alumi web page, click on Cornell Alumni Directory. If you have never used it before, click New User and enter your netID and 7-digit Cornell ID Number.

Despite the turmoil in the markets over the past few weeks, I continue to hear about students receiving job offers and obtaining interviews through their off-campus job searches. You have so much to offer employers!

Best, Karin

Your MBA Investment

2008-09-29T08:12:00.002-04:00

This week, I heard from 6 alumni who reached out offering to assist students with career issues in one of the most dramatic weeks we have experienced in some time. That says a lot about the Johnson School community. Our alumni are accessible and willing to help the School in so many ways. Some of these alumni have been matched with students for practice interviews on October 17 in NYC and others as career coaches. I shared an email with a couple of the career clubs from an energy trader in Houston, urging students to think more broadly about their career options and preferred locations. He also attached a few current job openings. Your investment in your MBA education allows you to become a member of this great student/alumni network.

If you have not completed your career marketing plan on pages 13-17 of the CMC Career Workbook, now is a great time to do so. It is really helpful in clarifying your thoughts and getting more specific with your action steps. It will help your CMC advisor or career coach to more effectively assist you to reach your goals.

I just finished Randy Pausch's book, The Last Lecture. This is the former professor at Carnegie Mellon who died last year at a young age of cancer. Much of what he wrote is memorable, but I especially liked this quote from Seneca, a Roman philosopher: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity". I'm sure some of you have read or heard that quote before. In this economy, it is especially telling as you never know where that opportunity is lurking, but you can be sure it is there.

I also saw the movie Man on Wire this weekend. This is the story of the Frenchman who walked the wire attached to the roof between the World Trade Center buildings. He lived what Walt Disney espoused, "if you can dream it you can do it".
If you did not fill out the summer survey about your internship/offer status, and you would like to be assigned a career coach who will stay in touch with you throughout the year, please get in touch with me. The coaches are former deans, faculty, consultants and some alumni.

Best, Karin

Negotiation...Concession or Compromise?

2008-09-22T08:20:00.004-04:00

This Wednesday, at 8:00 a.m.(!) I will be conducting a program on how to effectively negotiate your offers in a challenging job market. It will be less of a program and more of a discussion with those of you who attend. Come prepared with scenarios that you would like to negotiate. I will provide tips and you can also learn from the successes others have had.

I also want to give you advance notice that the School will once again be providing buses for trips to NY. The buses will leave Thursday evenings and return on Friday evening over the course of 4 weeks, beginning the end of October. Students will be expected to pay a percentage of the cost. Sign-up information will be provided to you soon.

Any questions about the market? Other issues on your mind? Send them my way and I will respond in the next blog.

Best, Karin

Talk to Me!

2008-09-15T08:04:00.004-04:00

I'm enjoying writing this blog, and a number of you have told me you are reading it and are pleased with the new web site. When you are inspired, please dialog back to me on the blog. That is the purpose, to provide information and allow you to comment or ask questions. Others in the class probably have similar questions and the online exchange can provide helpful tips. Jack and Suzy Welch in BusinessWeek come to mind. Last week the CMC held the Job Search Readiness program for your class. About 50 students heard what programs are planned for the year for your class.

October 16 - One of the first programs is a scheduled panel of alumni from the Class of 2002 who will discuss finding a job in a challenging market.

October 17 - NYC bus trip. We will match participating students with alumni in the same field. Depending on the number of participants, we’d like to set up two practice interviews for each student.

Extended Advising Staff: former faculty and deans have offered to meet with students seeking coaching and contacts. We will align students with these volunteers by field.

Professional coaches who live in the Ithaca area have been hired to work with students who desire intensive interview training. You can also work on other issues such as career focus or networking phobia!

For other programs, see the slides I sent to the class on Friday, September 12. If you're seeking a job in Atlanta, look for the item about Atlanta companies in the Off-Campus Job Search link of our web site's left side menu.

Tell me what's on your mind about the job market, interviewing, networking or offer negotiation.
Best, Karin

'09 CMC Blog

2008-09-08T07:45:00.003-04:00

With the unemployment rate the highest it has been in the past 5 years, what is really happening with the job market for MBAs this year? Are you struggling with whether to accept an offer and cut off your options, while at the same time cognizant of predicted limited hiring? Are you feeling a little rusty on your pitch and PARs?

Recruiting statistics are just about on par with last year. Hear about this and more on Thursday, September 11 from 6:00-8:00p.m. in B-09. The CMC is holding a 2nd year student Job Search Readiness program when CMC advisors Steve Calk and Cynthia Saunders-Cheatham will lead an interactive session on presentation and networking. I will provide an update on recruiting and employment statistics and inform you of the programs planned for you this year. Randy Allen will provide concluding remarks. See you there!

Cornell Career Services is sponsoring a Career Fair this week. It is intended for undergraduates, however, you are welcome to attend as long as you refrain from elbowing them out of the way! I don’t have a list of the employers. You’ll have to pick up a handout at the entrance of Barton Hall.

Career Fair Dates:
September 9, 2008 (10:00AM - 3:00PM)
September 10, 2008 (10:00AM - 3:00PM)

Location:
Barton Hall - Cornell Campus, corner of Garden Avenue and Campus Road

Overview:
The annual Career Fair Days provide an opportunity for Cornell students to meet with representatives from over 250 companies over a two-day period, in one central location

Best, Karin

'09 CMC Blog

2008-09-01T21:19:00.005-04:00

-Have you ever had your pitch reviewed by an improvisation actor? One of the first-year students is offering to provide coaching on your updated "pitch" for use with employers. He promises not to turn it into a comedy routine and he is very skilled at providing constructive feedback. If you're interested, let me know.
-We have replaced the MBA Career Guide that you received last year with a newly redesigned workbook. It has many useful exercises that can help as you refocus your career direction and job search. They are available in our office.
-If you'd like to read the recent issue of MBA Jungle, it can be found online at: http://www.eyemag.se/core/showpage.php?PROJECTNR=2709&SITEID=daf1b
-You can find online copies of resumes from students in prior classes. Look for the information under the FAQ link below, left sidebar menu.
See you at the Career Fair on Thursday...the employers want to see second-year students, not just first-years!
Best, Karin