Randy Brandoff reflects upon some common misconceptions that young professionals have about the interview process, employer expectations, and general career topics.

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Randy offers his perspective on some common myths in the workplace. The first is that a student’s GPA is a prospective employer’s top priority. Randy believes that while your GPA matters, extracurricular activities are also extremely important because employers are looking for well-rounded candidates. The second belief that many students have is that the undergraduate major in college dictates what job and career they will pursue. However, Randy discusses that while there are some industries where this might be the case (architecture and engineering for example), generally he doesn’t agree. For example, there are countless liberal arts majors excelling on Wall Street. What you study in undergrad does not limit you to a specific direction; and the same applies to internships. Commonly, internships help people understand what they want and don’t want to do through gaining real life experience. The third perception is that the success in an interview comes down to whether the interviewer asks the right questions that allow you to showcase your strengths. Randy completely disagrees with this statement – a successful interview, he believes, comes down to the preparation you did, practicing before the interview, and having confidence during it. The next myth is that in an interview, the candidate needs to show how the company fits into his or her career goals. While Randy appreciates hearing how an employment opportunity fits into an applicant’s personal goals and life story, he finds it more compelling when the candidate discusses what they will bring to the company. The final general assumption is that a company will train a new employee and start them out slowly. According to Randy, this is very unique to the situation. There are some businesses that have long, formal training programs but the vast majority of companies cannot afford them. Instead new hires are quickly trained and expected to add value immediately. His final piece of advice to young professionals is to be yourself and to make who you are shine through during an interview.

Randy Brandoff is the Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer for Marquis Jet. He joined Marquis Jet, the leader in private jet cards, as the Company’s founding employee and has been active in every aspect of start-up and growth phases. As CMO, Mr. Brandoff is the primary connection between Marquis Jet and its clients, focused on creating and managing profitable growth while engendering continued high customer retention. He is responsible for the successful development and implementation of Marquis Jet’s marketing and branding strategies and accountable for revenue, margin and market share performance. Prior to joining Marquis Jet, Mr. Brandoff was an Associate at The Argentum Group, a New York-based venture capital firm. Prior to joining Argentum, Mr. Brandoff was a Business Analyst with Deloitte Consulting LLC. Mr. Brandoff received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Marketing (“AEM”) from Cornell University. He is on the board of Young at Heart, benefiting the Babies Heart Fund at Children’s Hospital at New York Presbyterian. He and his wife Dayna reside in New York City.

You may contact him at: randy.brandoff@gmail.com

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James Connolly discusses interview tips and career advice that help young professionals “look beyond the obvious” and leverage their existing skills and abilities.

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James explains that many young professionals struggle to distinguish between obvious observations and the insights that those observations provide. For example, Nike observed many Chinese basketball players playing outside, and this is what James calls an obvious observation. But, outdoor courts are very different in the way a shoe interacts with hardwood floors in comparison to concrete, and so the insight that Nike came up with was that the Chinese players needed more durability in the outsole of their product. This insight has helped Nike establish itself as the top basketball brand within China. James then applies this idea of “looking beyond the obvious” to job searching and interviewing. For example, he suggests that students can utilize a class project for something more than just a grade. He recommends that students tailor the project to something that could be offered as business experience during an interview. He recommends that we move past the dejected feeling of not having enough work experience to utilizing all the things in our life and applying them to better ourselves in the job search process. We have to be willing to take an honest and critical look at ourselves and need people around us that will give valuable feedback. His suggestion is that these people must be a balance between people we like and people who will give us the advice that is hard to hear.

James Connolly is a product line manager for Nike’s Global Men’s Athletic Training Apparel business. He is responsible for the product creation engine that creates essential training silhouettes for athletes in american football and baseball. In addition James’ oversees both the men’s and women’s LIVESTRONG apparel assortment. This assortment has helped create more than $80,000,000 in revenue for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and its fight against cancer. Prior to Athletic Training James worked as both a Product Line Manager and Associate Product Line Manager for Nike’s women’s training apparel business. His education includes a BS from Cornell University’s Department of Applied Economics and Management. While attending Cornell James was a member of the track and field program and continues to stay involved with the running community through youth coaching.

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Steve Rushmore discusses the importance of a cover letter and how it can make a difference in the application process.

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Steve explains that cover letters are your introduction, and allow you to have a creative approach to quickly describe who you are and what you can do for the employer. Steve reads the first paragraph of every cover letter, but only about 5-10% of the cover letters interest him enough to finish. A bad cover letter focuses on what the company can do for the person rather than what the person can do for the company. Steve advises that it is also very important to know who to send the cover letter to; it must be addressed to a specific person. The cover letter should also have a specific goal such as a specific job offering within the company rather than just any position the company can offer. In addition, Steve urges that the applicant must have researched enough to know what the company does, where the company is positioned, and that they must have a burning desire to work with the company. He then wants to understand how the applicant’s skill level will fit into the company, with specific examples about the applicant’s background and how their skills will help the company achieve its goals. His last bit of advice is that the key to a great cover letter is to show that you are applying for a position to help the company achieve its goals. Steve also provides examples of good and bad cover letters to help listeners better understand their impact.

Steve Rushmore is the president and founder of HVS, a global hospitality consulting organization with more than 25 offices around the globe. He directs the worldwide operation of this firm and has provided consultation services for more than 12,000 hotels throughout the world during his 40-year career. He was one of the creators of the Microtel concept and was instrumental in its IPO. Steve is a partner in HEI Hospitality, LLC, and a hotel investment fund, which makes him one of the few hospitality consultants that actually invest in and own hotels. HVS, which Steve founded in 1980, has provided consulting services for thousands of clients in all 50 states and more than 60 foreign countries. Steve has a BS degree from the Cornell Hotel School and an MBA from the University of Buffalo. He holds MAI and FRICS appraisal designations and is a CHA (certified hotel administrator).

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In this podcast, Patricia Fripp gives advice on how to formulate effective presentations for interviews or the boardroom.

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Patricia Fripp, a sales presentation expert, urges that presentation skills are important because at the beginning of your career, how you present shows how good you are for a job. It doesn’t matter how good you look on paper, you need to be able to present your ideas well. She explains that there are three ingredients for every type of presentation: (1) Decide on the structure of your presentation. What is it you want to say and why does the audience care? Provide specific proof. (2) Script the opening for brevity and specificity. (3) The last words must linger; never use a closed question. She also suggests putting ideas and remarks together into a conversational style with shorter sentences and a spoken rhythm. The more you practice, the more it sounds like you haven’t practiced. When speaking or presenting to a senior manager, start with your conclusion right up front and get to the point. She refers to it as “report on the deals, not the details”. To rise above the competition, interview the company thoroughly to be well prepared for the interview. Show how you can add value to the company. Finally, she has a content rich website that includes free information such as a special report on the 12 Mistakes Sales People Make in the Presentation.

Patricia Fripp is an award-winning speaker, sales presentation trainer, and executive speech coach. Fripp delights audiences, electrifies executives who speak, and transforms sales teams. Meetings and Conventions magazine calls Patricia “one of the country’s 10 most electrifying speakers.” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance says, “Patricia Fripp’s speaking school is the sixth best way you can invest in your career.” She is also the author of Make It! So You Don’t Have to Fake It and Get What You Want.

www.fripp.com

 

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Paul Joseph explains how to leverage a telephone screen into a face-to-face interview. He also provides tips to utilize the telephone more effectively when conducting a job search.

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Paul sees a telephone screen as an opportunity for you to proactively sell yourself. In using the telephone to either ace an interview or be proactive in job searching, it is important to do your homework first; research the company and interviewer to understand what they are looking for, and also know your value proposition to market yourself as a candidate for the job. For the phone interview, enter the conversation with an objective in mind and sell yourself. Paul also reminds interviewees to engage the interviewer by asking similar questions back, and therefore develop a more personal connection. Similarly, initiate a phone call after sending in a resume to develop a personal relationship, giving you a competitive edge.

Tiffany Norwood gives 10GoodMinutes listeners advice on salary negotiation from two perspectives: first as an employee working for large multinational corporations, and now as an employer in the area of information technology.

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When discussing salaries, Tiffany Norwood can speak from experience as both an employee and an employer. Before you even begin to negotiate salary, arm yourself with information on the value of the position and how it aligns with your experience. Do a lot of research and compare your position against certain parameters such as the size of the company. Get a good sense of the market value of your position and then set the expectation at the interview of what you would consider to be a reasonable pay. Even though you may feel it is taboo to discuss salaries during an interview, ask about the salary range, and if it is lower than you expected, offer the information that you found during your research and ask if their range is flexible.
The employer will react differently depending on how you bring it up the issue of salary. It is more effective if an interviewee is speaking from the perspective of the market value and demonstrates the value of the employee to the customer than just from a personal point of view. Speak from the perspective of the company rather than from your own perspective.

Diane Darling dispels common myths about networking, and explains how students and young professionals can use networking to get ahead. She discusses what people should be doing in order to effectively network, and states why young people need to give themselves more credit for networking than they do.

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Diane defines networking in two ways: building relationships before you need them, and the transference of trust. When you are trying to network, you should focus on what the other person can gain from making contact with you. It should be a symbiotic relationship, rather than just transactional. Diane encourages students to always research guests that are visiting campus, and to go through a faculty member to make alumni connections. Diane also emphasizes the importance of having an online presence, such as on Facebook and LinkedIn. Students should also purchase the domain for their name and set up a simple one-page website.
How do students overcome nerves when networking? Diane says that students should practice by networking with less important people first. Students could also try taking an acting workshop to become more comfortable with speaking in public. Diane also notes that students are getting a lot more experience in networking than they give themselves credit for, such as in group projects. She suggests finding a “networking buddy,” who is interested in the same industry, but who has complimentary skills. Finally, Diane reminds students to help people connect with each other, and to make an effort to stay in touch with contacts.

In this podcast, Sharon Dauk gives advice on career strategies in a tough environment from her perspective as both an executive coach and industry professional. Her unique perspective lets people see what it’s like on both sides of the interview table.

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Tough times can present opportunities, and Sharon suggests that creativity is key. First, try and figure out what you are good at. Even though the big names in investment banking may not be recruiting right now, find other companies that have similar characteristics and seek them out. Networking is very important, and you have to present your value proposition – what are your passions and what will you bring to the table. Sharon believes that hard economic times can increase entrepreneurship. She graduated during a downturn in the economy and ended up starting her own investment firm.
How can a student stand out in an interview? Sharon suggests that you should be yourself and show how you are going to dedicate yourself to making the business successful. Attitude is just as important as skills. Sharon remembers a particularly good interview with a student who asked questions about how their participation would benefit the bigger picture. People are hiring you to do a job for them and achieve something they need. Present yourself as providing a solution to that problem. From a corporate point of view, someone who seems really ready to work is more attractive than someone asking about work-life balance. From Sharon’s experience as a coach, she suggests doing more research outside of the interview to find if the work-life balance would be right for you.

Sharon Dauk gives advice on career strategies in a tough environment from her perspective as both an executive coach and industry professional. Her unique perspective lets people see what it’s like on both sides of the interview table.

To download this podcast, click here
 
Tough times can present opportunities, and Sharon suggests that creativity is key. First, try and figure out what you are good at. Even though the big names in investment banking may not be recruiting right now, find other companies that have similar characteristics and seek them out. Networking is very important, and you have to present your value proposition – what are your passions and what will you bring to the table. Sharon believes that hard economic times can increase entrepreneurship. She graduated during a downturn in the economy and ended up starting her own investment firm.
How can a student stand out in an interview? Sharon suggests that you should be yourself and show how you are going to dedicate yourself to making the business successful. Attitude is just as important as skills. Sharon remembers a particularly good interview with a student who asked questions about how their participation would benefit the bigger picture. People are hiring you to do a job for them and achieve something they need. Present yourself as providing a solution to that problem. From a corporate point of view, someone who seems really ready to work is more attractive than someone asking about work-life balance. From Sharon’s experience as a coach, she suggests doing more research outside of the interview to find if the work-life balance would be right for you.

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.