How to be an outstanding candidate
Know the market — and yourself — to impress prospective employers
When Keith Cowing, MBA '10, heard about the Business Insider blog's contest to improve the profitability of social-news site, Digg.com, he decided to throw his hat into the ring. His entry — a thoughtful, innovative, solidly put-together PowerPoint presentation suggesting the site sell ads on its home page and let users vote on winning ads — won the contest. Cowing soon found recruiters and entrepreneurs knocking his door down. "I was worried about investing too much energy in a competition where I had little chance of winning," says Cowing. "But I decided it was worth the risk, and I got lucky." Cowing will work at the Business Insider for a few weeks this summer before his internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers starts.
Cowing's experience shows that, even in today's challenging job market, there are opportunities for talented, motivated individuals. "The opportunity is in proving that you can create your own playbook and execute your own ideas," he says. "If you can do this, you can differentiate yourself in an environment where the old rules don’t apply anymore."
Put your talents on displayNot everyone can find a high-profile business competition to enter, much less win. But the good news is that you can find opportunities to showcase your talent and carefully market yourself as an invaluable resource to potential employers — and, in so doing, present yourself as a great candidate.
Communications consultant Jodi Glickman Brown, MBA '02 [www.greatonthejob.com], suggests a tactic similar to Cowing's — displaying your capabilities to companies in your industry of interest. "I would offer to craft a short-term internship, write an article, or start a blog about the industry, so that I became a thought leader or got some traction in the world I wanted to break into," she says. "The blog concept allows you to become a thought leader pretty easily. At an interview, you can point out that you’ve been following and writing about the industry, and getting acquainted with the major players, for months."
Define your brandSuccess in job hunting starts with good marketing. And that requires finding suitable niches for yourself. "More than ever, individuals need to seek opportunities in industries, companies, and jobs for which they are a perfect match," says Karin Ash, director of the Johnson School's Career Management Center. "Now is the time to ask, 'Where could I best contribute and add value? In what environments am I most successful?'" adds Johnson School Alumni Career Advisor, Lynne Allen.
Finding the answers to these questions requires, first, a thorough knowledge of your capabilities and values. "What matters to you? What marketable skills do you have? What is your brand?" asks Allen. "What sets you apart from other people with your background?"
Glickman points out that your "story" is essential to convincing interviewers of your employability. "If your story is like everyone else's, you need to explain how you're different; if your story is different, you need to explain away the difference." Glickman worked in the Peace Corps before attending the Johnson School, and then wanted to break into investment banking. Her story? "I had spent years working in the public sector; in business school, my absolute favorite classes were finance and strategy. The overlap led to banking."
Find your nicheDiligently research organizations that interest you, and look for roles that will suit you. "Think about the environment and culture, and about your talent and skill set," says Glickman. "If you're a great communicator, you should think about sales — maybe not about being an equity research analyst where there won’t be a lot of one-on-one personal interaction."
Cultivate relationships. "I would spend as much time networking with as many people as possible, really understanding those businesses and what fits with your personality and your strengths," says Glickman. Scott Goodfellow, finance manager with Procter & Gamble, suggests finding alumni currently employed at your target organizations. "Take them out to lunch, and ask them everything & what they did and didn’t like, what the career path is like," he says in an interview with Romi Kher, host of Cornell’s weekly career advice podcast, "10 Good Minutes"
At the same time, don't limit your network to people at your target organizations. Someone outside your company of interest may have contacts within the company, for instance, or may have great ideas for other opportunities. "Networking is not initially job hunting. It's building relationships," says Allen. She tells of a Johnson School alumnus in his 50s who had worked for decades for sell-side firms, who wanted to move to the buy side. "But his experience was all on the sell side, and he was older than the typical person who gets into the buy side."
He networked heavily with people on the buy side, asking their opinions and advice on where he could be useful. Through networking, and revamping his resume, the client was able to identify the traits that best fit with his target employers. "He redefined himself as someone who had transferable skills," says Allen, adding that he ended up at a buy-side, high-yield hedge fund.
Show me the valueOutstanding candidates, like Cowing, are those who bring immediate value to their prospective employers. "You want to say, 'I won't just add to your overhead — I can come in and solve a business problem that you're facing,'" says Glickman. Since employers are looking for flexible, adaptable types who can hit the ground running, she suggests positioning yourself as someone with many universal skills. "You want to say, 'I'm a quick learner, I'm great working with teams, I'm a big-picture thinker, or I've been great at spotting trends,'" she explains.
Your resume must showcase measurable results. "Make sure that you're listing goals and achievements," says Deborah Matson, MBA '87, managing director for Links Recruiting (Hong Kong). And, before an interview, prepare a few solid examples of how you applied leadership skills in the past. "That's where people usually fall down," says Goodfellow. "But if you went through your resume and thought, 'Where was I a leader? How would I explain this in 30-60 seconds?' you'd come up with answers that say, 'I did this, taught this, learned this, and even though I left that company, it still lives on past me.'"
Matson also suggests researching the employer's competitors. "Be able to demonstrate that you understand the industry at a high level and know how you can contribute."
Responsiveness to a prospective employer is vital, too. "Candidates need to be motivated, flexible and interested in the job they are interviewing for," says Matson. "It is important to try to understand corporate culture and connect with an interviewer, not just on job skills, but on the intangibles that are important in challenging times — teamwork, the willingness to work outside of your job description if necessary."
Show what you can doGo above and beyond to single yourself out as a candidate. As a follow-up to an interview, for example, offer to help address a prospective employer’s business problem. "Offer to work on a part-time or consulting basis, or say, 'I have some thoughts for you on this topic that I'd be willing to provide,'" says Glickman.
Putting in volunteer hours is another wonderful way to stand out. "Serving on a board of directors for a nonprofit is a great way to volunteer with a limited time commitment," says Glickman.
As non-intuitive as it may sound, the current weak economy also offers great opportunities for exploring alternative paths you might not have considered in boom times. "It may be the ideal time to work on the business plan you've been thinking about for years," says Ash. "Now might be the time to work or live abroad — start an Internet café in Asia or build houses in Latin America," adds Glickman. "When you come back, that experience makes you a far more interesting candidate."
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