Peter discusses how his book’s message applies to listener’s lives and careers. He hits on topics such as the fear of failure, the pressure to find career passion, and why success is what you make of it.

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Show Summary Coming Soon!

Emmy Award-winning musician Peter Buffett has an acclaimed career that spans more than 28 years as a professional musician, composer, philanthropist and author. He began his career as the musical mind behind many of the early MTV bumpers of the ‘80s, and the climactic crescendo in the memorable “Fire Dance” scene in 1990’s Oscar winning film Dances with Wolves. From 1987 to present, Buffett has released 15 records, and has been signed to such labels as Narada, Epic and Hollywood Records. He now owns two independent labels, BisonHead and BeSide Records. Buffett’s latest venture is his inspiring new book, Life Is What You Make It. Personal and revealing, instructive and intuitive, Life Is What You Make It is about following passions over conventions, transcending your circumstances or status, taking up the reins of your destiny, and living life to its fullest.

http://www.peterbuffett.com

http://www.peterbuffett.com/books

Pre-purchase the book here.

 

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Lauren shares some tips, strategies, and resources that can help with the internship process.

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Lauren is called the “intern queen” because she held 15 different internships during her 4 years at college. This helped her learn much about herself and her interests. All her internships had some media aspect to them, but in different fields which helped her narrow her likes and dislikes. As Lauren states, internships help you learn how to conduct yourself in a professional environment, learn administrative and technical skills, learn how to manage conflict, dress appropriately, and how to converse with company clients. She then shares some internship tips. For example, she suggests keeping the resume focused on the position you are targeting. Even with 15 different internships, she would not put more than 3 or 4 very relevant internships on her resume. As a personal strategy, she created her “Intern Queen Dream List” with the 10 companies she wanted to work for. She would research each company, and then block out her time to apply for all of them at once. She would then follow-up with each company, something she recommends to all listeners. She suggests that you have all your materials ready before you begin: template resume, template cover letter, and letters of recommendation. She recommends that after every semester or internship, you ask for a letter of recommendation so that you always have something that is relevant and current. A great resource for students is her website (link below) with over 500 employers that are still looking for interns for spring and summer 2010. She recommends that you apply for at least 10 internships each semester. Lauren says that the important thing to remember is that she built InternQueen so that she can be the person to guide you through your internship process, and she is very excited to have the opportunity to help you.

Lauren Berger is called “The Intern Queen” after completing 15 internships during her 4 years at college. Berger is CEO of Intern Queen Inc., an internship destination site where employers find interns and students connect with internships – all with the personal touch of “The Intern Queen”. Lauren was just named #5 on BusinessWeek’s Annual “Top 25 Entrepreneurs 25 and Under” List. Her website currently gets approximately 25,000 unique visitors each month. The site also features Lauren’s Blog: I AM INTERN – providing internship advice for employers, students, parents, and professors. She has recently placed students with The Academy Awards, NBC Universal, Nielsen Business Media, Clear Channel, and many more.

http://www.internqueen.com
 

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Jim Cassio describes what green careers are and walks listeners through some resources and opportunities.

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Jim explains that green jobs refer to jobs that are good for the environment, but it is difficult to determine what exactly this constitutes. A green economy requires sustainability and a full understanding of what it takes to preserve and protect the environment. Green jobs can be even more competitive than others, and require significant education and training. One misconception is that green jobs are available to anyone who looks for them, but reality is that they are in fact very competitive. Another misconception is that green jobs exist in only one or two industries, when in fact they can be found in all industries. Green jobs are not significant yet but the number is growing and the variety is wide. Jim believes that it is important to understand that green jobs exist with any employer who is committed to being environmentally responsible, even non-green companies. A resource people should use is the nonprofit sector because it offers very important educational and networking opportunities for those interested in green careers. Working as a volunteer or unpaid intern and expanding your skill set, gaining experience, and up to date knowledge, can be very beneficial in getting a green job. Another resource is Jim’s free electronic publication, “The Green Careers Resource Guide”, which can be found on his website. Jim’s expresses that it is important to recognize that you can green your own career rather than having to switch to a different career to be green. Think about what you can do to make your current career and employer greener.

Jim Cassio is a career information and workforce development consultant and author of the Green Careers Resource Guide and Green Careers: Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future (with co-author Alice Rush). Jim has been commissioned to conduct hundreds of labor market studies over the course of his career and has published numerous research reports, occupational resource books, and training directories.

www.cassio.com

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Kai Robertson discusses industry trends, interview tips, and general career advice in the non-profit world. 

Kai Robertson has over 20 years of experience in the food industry and has spent the last eight specifically focused on promoting more sustainable business practices. This has included helping companies understand their environmental footprint, strengthening relationships with stakeholders, and speaking frequently to industry and executive audiences about why sustainability matters to the food industry. Most recently, Kai was Director, Business & Industry, Food and Agriculture Sector at World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Prior to joining WWF in 2006, Kai was at Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business as Director of Food & Agriculture where she directed the day-to-day management of CI’s relationship with Wal-Mart and was heavily involved in shaping Wal-Mart’s environmental sustainability strategy. Before CI, Kai directed private sector initiatives at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an organization dealing with pesticides and food safety, farm policy and other key issues related to public health and the environment. She also spent eight years at the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the leading supermarket trade association in the U.S. Kai began her career in investment banking and has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kai-robertson/0/339/2b0

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Larry Robertson discusses what people can learn from successful entrepreneurs and how to apply it to their careers, which he discovered while interviewing many entrepreneurs for his book, “A Deliberate Pause”.

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Larry defines a deliberate pause as that conscious moment when we open our minds, wonder why things are the way they are, and question how life could be better. Many entrepreneurs, practice this to the extent that it infuses with their life choices. He also discusses how there is no formula to success. People are very used to approaching things with a predetermined process, but good ideas and the ability to evolve into something meaningful doesn’t come with a formula. Successful entrepreneurs, for example, create a career that is molded closer to who they are and don’t worry about following a formula. They have a very driven quality about them because they feel that failure is not an option. Entrepreneurs have a unique capacity to see patterns where others don’t. They then see opportunity to make a difference in the world, and also see that no one else is doing anything about it, and so they feel a strong need to do it themselves. There is a unique undertaking and commitment that anyone can practice in their own careers. Larry also urges that people must define their own metric of success and determine what success means to them in their own terms. If you use someone else’s metric for success, once you reach the goal, you may not feel accomplished or fulfilled. Larry ends with giving us three things about successful entrepreneurs that can be applied to any career: (1) entrepreneurs don’t look at money as the primary driver as to where to focus their energies; there is always something deeper that drives them, (2) entrepreneurs are constantly engaged in and personally connected to what they do, and (3) entrepreneurs have given themselves the freedom to think differently, to question, and to search for ways to create value.

Larry Robertson has spent two decades in the entrepreneurial universe in roles ranging from advisor to investor and many in between. In 1992, he founded Lighthouse Consulting, which, appropriately, guides entrepreneurial ventures, their leaders, and those who invest in them. Larry frequently lectures on entrepreneurship at Georgetown and Cornell Universities and is a recognized expert on entrepreneurship in public, private, and academic forums. He has recently written “A deliberate pause: Entrepreneurship and its Moment in Human Progress” that reflects his views on the topics of entrepreneurship and human progress.

http://web.me.com/adeliberatepause/A_Deliberate_Pause/The_Book.html

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In this podcast, Jeffrey Greene speaks about affinity groups and their value to listeners as it relates to networking and career opportunities.

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Jeffrey explains that an affinity group is a group of individuals that share a common interest, such as ethnicity or a field of study. Common affinity groups relate to academia, where students get together to discuss about different issues and learn from one another. Joining an affinity group is not about landing a job at a particular company, it’s about what you learn while you are in it. An affinity group can help you develop organizational skills, problem solving skills, and leadership skills. Also, they can potentially help you get a job, but not because you are in it, but because of the role you play in it. In addition, affinity groups help you meet professionals in your field and help you get a better understanding of all the career possibilities within your field. Employers utilize affinity group by using them to identify diverse talent and key in on students that are exhibiting leadership and problem solving roles. Kraft as a company uses them to identify long term candidates, full time employees, and interns. Some affinity groups that Krafts associates with are MANARS (Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences), NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers), and is looking into others such as the Society of Women Engineers. Finally, Jeffrey discusses how affinity groups are a great networking tool because you can meet both professionals in a certain field of study and also other students who can share important bits of advice. The show ends with Jeffrey explaining how affinity groups have affected her in the past such as how the skills she displayed as the graduate V.P. of MANARS helped her land a job with Kraft.

Jeffrey L. Greene is a Sensory Scientist at Kraft Foods R&D in Glenview, IL. She guides product development by providing a clear understanding of the impact of certain ingredients, technologies, and packaging. Jeffrey supports the Cultured, Cream cheese, and Canadian
Peanut butter Business Units. Jeffrey obtained her B.S. in Biology from Xavier University of Louisiana. She has her M.S. in Food & Nutritional Sciences from Tuskegee University and her Ph.D. in Food Science from North Carolina State University (concentration in Sensory Analysis and Flavor Chemistry).

 

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In this podcast, Joni Lusty walks us through the critical interview process to help listeners get the jobs they desire.

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Joni begins by explaining that to best position yourself for the perfect job, you must first determine what that perfect job is for you. Picking the job requires looking at the entire offer, including continual education offerings, 401k, benefits, salary, location and long term potential. It is critical to think in the long term: what position do you want to hold in 5-10 years, and what type of experience do you need to achieve that. For the actual interview, she stresses that you need to heavily research the company, attend socials, talk to employees in the company, and gather specific stories and details to show the company that you are truly invested in the job. C Companies seek people who have long term goals and ambition, but they want candidates that are going to be committed to the profession for the long haul. Other than research and preparation, a spotless resume helps land a job; get opinions from many different people with different point of views to ensure than the resume will stand out. In addition, find out the type of interview you will have. Have a few stories prepared for behavioral questions; try to sound natural and sincere rather than rehearsed. Finally, at the end of the interview, make sure you ask questions to show that you are very serious about this as your career and your future. Avoid talking about salary and benefits, but ask questions around what they see the firm doing in the future, why the interviewer came to the company, and why they are still there. Joni’s last piece of advice is to have a great attitude, let your personality show through, be sincere, and have fun with the process.

Joni Lusty is a Campus Recruiter at Ernst & Young and has been with the firm for 10 years. Joni is responsible for EYs recruiting efforts for the PacificNorthwest Advisory practice. Before becoming a campus recruiter, Joni worked as Audit Manager with EY in the Salt Lake City office. She graduated with her Masters in Accounting at Brigham Young University.
Joni is very involved in a number of EYs internal initiatives include the local Professional Womens Network and Social Responsibility. Joni also serves on the board of directors for Worldwide Association of Performing Artists, a not for profit arts organization.

www.ey.com/us/careers

www.ey.com/eyinsight/index.html

EY can also be found on Facebook

 

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Author and speaker Dan Pink discusses his new book and career lessons that every young professional should be aware of.

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After studying manga, a type of Japanese comic, Dan Pink decided to deliver business wisdom to America in the manga format for a new twist on the typical business advice book. Dan discusses career planning, one of six main topics in his book. He says that although students expect their career to follow a linear path, this is rarely the case. Dan outlines two reasons we make a decision: instrumental reasons (you do something because you think it will lead to something else) and fundamental reasons (you do something because you want to do it). The people who really flourish make decisions for fundamental reasons, even though this can be very difficult. For example, if you choose a major in school thinking it will lead to one specific career choice, then you are limiting yourself. Dan asks listeners to find someone who is doing something really interesting and worthwhile and ask them how they got there, and nine times out of ten, they will not have followed a set, planned path. Dan thinks the secret to success is to use your strengths, instead of focusing on repairing your weaknesses. Career centers can play a huge role in helping people discover their strengths. Next, Dan discusses another of his theories: persistence trumps talent. A moderately talented, extremely persistent person will outperform an extremely talented person who is not very persistent. Dan’s final advice is to make excellent mistakes, meaning mistakes that come from high aspirations that provide a learning experience.

Sarah Keizer tells you what you need to know if you want to work abroad. She discusses the realities of working abroad, and discusses the opportunities and challenges.

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After college, Sarah started looking for jobs in upstate New York, but had to keep her mind open because of the recession. She ended up getting a job in Chicago that sent her to Europe, and then she joined ING, where her reach is global. Some obvious challenges in working abroad are language, money, and cultural norms. Other unforeseen challenges can be different ways of getting work done, different feedback processes, and different ways of relating to people. Also, when moving to another region or country, there are two types of adjustments people need to make: personal and professional. At first, everything is new, exciting, scary, but then you go through a personal transition where you get to know yourself and learn how you can deal with the new environment. In addition, you need to rebuild professional connections and support networks, and perhaps learn new technical skills. Sarah says that the experience stretches you incredibly and pushes you to grow. Some things to be aware of when working abroad are (1) if you are interested in an international career, let people know you are open to it, (2) even if you are monolingual, don’t limit yourself to English speaking countries, (3) recognize that it is a two-way investment – the move needs to benefit yourself and the company, (4) get to know the company and the culture before you go, (5) don’t sweat the small stuff – the move won’t go completely smoothly, (6) appreciate the experience and get to know the area and the language, (7) build networks in local and home countries and, (8) be open and prepared for anything and look to build yourself personally.

Jane Chin gives advice about career self-discovery in her role as a business mentor. She helps listeners answer the question “what should I do?”

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Jane informs us that many times when people ask the question: “What should I do with my life?” they are really asking the questions: “What do I WANT to do with my life?” Adults have spent their lives doing what people tell them they should do, but this is not fulfilling. Fear is a huge factor in why people don’t ask themselves these questions and work on switching careers. However, Jane asks listeners to think about if is it scarier to walk away from a comfortable life with a career that has a lot of time invested in it, or to live a life you don’t feel connected with. The pain of living a life you aren’t passionate about becomes greater than the fear. You should ask yourself three questions: What does success mean to me, what makes me feel most alive, and what does satisfaction feel like? Answer these questions on your own terms and not through other people’s definitions. Simply by asking these as a college student, you are on the right path even if you don’t know the answers yet. Go to Jane’s blog to get more resources and see more on this topic.

Baseema shares some tips on how to use the library as a career resource. She provides examples of what the library has to offer to people looking for career information.

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Baseema first dispels the myth that using library has to be a physical activity, but the library actually opens up a world of electronic resources. In this tough economy, students have to look beyond Google. Students should contact a librarian to use Career Search, a website that can generate a list of contact names and number in a certain business for a specific geographic region in under 5 minutes. Also, the Vault Career Guide, a subscription resource offered by career offices, is available through the Cornell Library. The two resources offer unbiased resources in a fraction of the time one might spend searching Google. Finally, Baseema informs us that the librarians can also help students develop the skills that are needed in business, such as creating a business plan. Students can even get this help directly through the Cornell website by clicking on the “Ask a Librarian” link. In general, the Cornell Libraries can help career search and help develop skills that students need when they start working. Baseema encourages all students to get online and Google their school library for help.

Al discusses the theory of Happenstance, and how taking advantage of unexpected opportunities can impact your career. Al explains how to take advantage of unplanned events and use them to advance your career.

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Al Levin, is the co-author of Luck Is No Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career with Dr. John Krumboltz of Stanford University. After seeing how unexpected events can make a huge difference in a career path, Al and his colleague came up with the theory of Happenstance. Al notes that this concept applies even more today, since technology, globalization and other rapid changes in the work place makes it more difficult to have a set plan. While many career counselors advise choosing a career goal and sticking with it, Al stresses the importance of taking advantage of unexpected opportunities that may not necessarily fit into your plan, giving examples from his own experience. For young professionals searching for jobs, Al suggests that young professionals need to be open to opportunities they didn’t plan for, since there will be opportunities if they are open minded than if they are focused on one goal. His three strategies for advancing your career are keep your options open and explore, take action even when you are not sure of the outcome, and go for the job, even when you don’t have all the necessary skills, because learning on the job is part of the process.

Annemarie Segaric shares strategies for getting a job when you have little or no experience, and how to change your career while still receiving a paycheck.

Jim Byrnes talks about the realities of a financial career in today’s economy. His advice is great for young professionals just starting their careers now, and explains what people can do to get ahead in the future.

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It is a tough time in financial services. Wall Street is still hiring, but competition is increasing, and salaries are decreasing. Jim suggests that students need to think about jobs in finance elsewhere or even in other industries. In this economy, more customers are moving to local banking because of their discomfort with the larger firms. In investment banking, there is a tremendous variety of smaller companies that can offer students interesting career opportunities with hands-on experience. Students will have to work a little harder to find and sell themselves to these smaller companies by focusing their pitch and working one-on-one with the company representatives. Jim thinks the salaries at these smaller companies are reasonable given the cost of living in the location of the smaller companies and will have more opportunities to move up in the company. However, students should think about their long-term career path, because, realistically, large firms are going to be looking for new MBA graduates, not people coming from these smaller companies.