Become a Better Leader

Written by Shelby Oyer

In our weekly internship meetings, we’ve been talking about Jim Collins’ different levels of leadership. The highest and best level is a Level 5 leader. This type of leader is rather rare but always successful. Aiming to become this type of leader is a noble goal worth pursuing. Below are some characteristics of what makes a Level 5 leader.

1.   They accept the blame and glory. All too often we see “leaders” who are eager to accept the glory their team achieves, but are just as quick to pass the blame of failure onto others, rather than accepting it themselves. A Level 5 leader isn’t afraid to take the blame.

2.    They have both humility and will. Level 5 leaders know when to ask for help. They know when to turn to their team as well as when something is their sole responsibility.  

3.    They know when and how to build a team. These leaders know who to put on their team and who might need to leave the team. They also know when a team is necessary and how to utilize this team.

4.    They can encourage their team. They are able to build determination and confidence in their team in order to maximize its effectiveness.

5.    They aren’t always the loudest voice. Many Level 5 leaders remain in the background. They aren’t all about the publicity. However, some leaders achieve a Level 5 status and do stand in the spotlight often—but they don’t have to.

In your work and even your school endeavors, keep these characteristics in mind and aim to become a Level 5 leader. I promise you’ll be successful if you do.

Check out Jim Collins’ articles, books, and other Level 5 Leadership materials at: jimcollins.com 

Working Women

Written By: Janna Parke

I have been told that women are powerful. Women can make a difference, have made a difference, and will continue to make a difference. I’ve been surrounded by women who have worked their way to the top, despite the roadblocks. Although there are many women who have found the courage to take on the workforce with gusto, there is still a wage gap, glass ceiling, or people who are rooting against you. American women workers make on average 77.4 percent of what their male counterparts make in a year, that means they have to work 22.6 percent more days to make as much money as men, Hegewisch wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. This being said, I feel that women need to be aware of the potential difficulties in the workplace. Below are a few encouraging pieces of advice to follow.

My advice for women early in their careers is to establish themselves as a brand that can evolve over time. Figure out what your brand stands for and how your brand can adapt as you grow in your career. Those women who rely on superficial characteristics to create her brand identity are challenged in the future when maturity exceeds youth. Therefore, focus on your brand appeal and how your brand acts the part you want to be and not the part you are. — Alexis Josephs, vice president, East Coast sales and strategy, VEVO

To stand out and excel, especially as a woman in the business world, you need to lead. Think of yourself as a leader first, and a consultant, designer, engineer, etc., second. This will be the foundation that steadies you through the challenges you will inevitably navigate. It will also be the springboard to new opportunities. -- Traci Entel, chief human capital officer and partner, Booz & Company

Don’t feel the need to “act like a man” to get ahead. Women are skilled multitaskers and should use this skill to their advantage vs. their male counterparts. Also, women are emotional beings. This doesn’t have to be a negative. Utilize your emotional skills within leadership roles to build strong relationships with your peers and direct reports. — Jennifer Mathis, associate director, Starcom



This advice from a New York Times article is specifically targeted for young women in the workplace. I found it encouraging to see three pages full of women CEOs, directors, and other leaders who realize the importance of building the confidence of young women to dream big. In order to be big, you have to dream big.

For more advice or information on the gender gap, feel free to take a look at these articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/business/readers-advice-for-young-women-in-the-workplace.html?pagewanted=3&_r=0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/women-work-for-free_n_2775267.html

My internship abroad experience

By: Neysa Herrera Cuello

Leaving my country, my family and friends; living in a very different town from my natal Cartagena has been the scariest but amazing experience of my life.

The idea of moving to another country with a different language, style of life and a whole different system, creates a great deal of anxiety. The labor world will always be unknown and a bug source of fear for senior students expected to be in the labor market soon, even more if your first contact with that world will be in a country with different culture, norms and values in the work place. So, as a twenty years senior student from Cartagena, Colombia, that never had traveled out of the country without her parents before, my biggest fear was not to be able to adapt myself well in the United States and to function in a location that is thousands of miles away from my comfortable zone with friends, family and the system I am used to. It was a rare combination between fear and excitement.

It has been three months now since I started my internship in the Liberal Arts Career Development office and I can tell I have learned a lot more about myself in this three months than I did in the five years in my home university because of facing the unique and real challenge that this experience represents. Every day at my internship is a testing one, the fact that I have been able to go through the obstacles and learn from the mistakes I have made, has contributed to make me a mature person with an increased confidence in myself, capable to lead in a global environment respecting and valuing other cultures in order to learn from them.

The cultural immersion that this internship has provided me with a strong understanding of business practices and learn more about what it takes to be successful working abroad as well as giving me the opportunity to network with professionals in another part of the world.

Speaking about the benefits that this experience has brought to my life, I have to tell that not only I have gained professional skills in an international context, but also I have developed language skills related with business communication in the best environment possible – a place where I speak the language in real situations and I am forced to do it.

Interning abroad has provided me with personal life enrichment and fulfillment that I am sure it will stay with me for the rest of my life. I feel confident to sell myself in front of employers as the one asset that they are looking for, and I am not afraid to prove it. I believe that tomorrow’s companies need employers with the capacity to understand global environments, and this type of experiences give you that value in your Resume. My internship in the LACD office has been a continuously learning experience and a life training. It has been a journey where I have met very capable and skilled people who I have learned a lot from. Also, I have gained good friends. You don’t get all experiences at once by always living in your comfortable zone. My tip is: Take the chance, go out and explore the world by yourself! 

Unpaid pays more than you know

Written by: Bronwyn Huddleson 

Internships are seen as a key component of landing the job you really wish to have, a sort of bridge from college to career. A lot of internships can be completed through your college or university, many others in surrounding areas of your college or where you live, but one thing that seems to shy students away from internship opportunities is the pay. Most internships for college students, and for a lot of liberal arts majors, are unpaid. I, personally, in the past have skipped over many chances to apply for internships because they were unpaid. Who wants to go work for three months over the summer, or during the school year, and not be making money? Well, most people don’t, but more people are starting to realize that they should. The money is not what we should be concerned about yet, as students, because the experience is what is going to land us jobs, not money. 

I have learned that making connections and networking with people in many different fields and many different cities, has broadened my horizon for career options. Earning a career is a lot about what you know, but do not doubt it when people say you can get a job because of who you know. I had a 16 hour internship, just a couple weeks ago, and although it was short, it was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had that I can relate to my major and what I want to do after graduation. It was not paid in money, but in people and connections, I am building the ladder to success and adding more and more people to it. After this 16 hour internship I was told that I should apply for the full three month summer internship, (that would also be unpaid). Based on the people I met in just that short frame of time, I knew that it would be wise to apply for the three month long experience because I would meet a hundred more people, and it would be even more rewarding than the first time. Long term internships are a lot of work and it seems like something you should be paid for, but you are paid, just not with money. 

Since being an intern here for the College of Liberal Arts Career Development, I have met many more people to add to my network, and learned so much that I would not have otherwise learned on my own. Not only am I enduring many experiences, but I am developing a skill set for a wide variety of things, many outside of my major’s skills. I am learning things that are benefitting me in ways that a regular paid job would not. Although money is tight, it is worth it. I cannot work at my regular part time job very much, but the amount of time I spend working for my internship has paid me with much more than the money from my job would. I also know that when I put these two unpaid internships on my resume, they are going to be looked at far more closely than the regular job that may be paid but not in experience for the career I want to have. Even in person at an interview or when you are just making connections and telling people about your experiences, people are going to want to hear much more about the internships you had than the small part time job you had. They won’t even be concerned about whether or not you were paid in money. These are the things you have to think about when looking for internships, and deciding between the full-time paid job for the summer or school year, or the unpaid internship. The experiences you have, the connections you make, and the skill-set you build and portray are all important factors that come from those unpaid internships. These factors are not worth missing out on because you want to make money in the short term, because the long term career you earn from experiences like internships is much more rewarding and lasting. 

Death in the Workplace

written by Tanvir Rahman

As depressing as the topic of death is, it is something that can come quite unexpectedly which is why I wanted to write something about it. It is especially hard to handle when dealing with losing someone from work. Death in the workplace is hard to handle for some people and it is something people don’t usually have a plan for. I think it is important for professionals to be able to respond to as many situations possible. The loss of a co-worker is one of those things that can blindside an employee or supervisor.

Help Yourself

The first step when dealing with the loss of a co-worker is to make sure you yourself are in a good state to help others. The recovery starts with yourself before you can get back to work and help others recover. It is important to find an outlet whether that be a friend, family, or mentor that you can call on. This can be a stressful time so it is important to do healthy things like reading, exercising, meditating, or whatever best relaxes you. It is also important to give yourself time to grief but you should try to keep your routine as normal as possible. The death of an employee can bring on many emotions but providing yourself with the best self-care is important to prepare you for the steps ahead.

Help your Staff

Not only as a leader, but as a member of your workplace, it is important to help others around you deal with this difficult time. If you’re a leader it is good to gather everyone up and let them know of the passing of their co-worker. There will be an array of emotions. Allow your workers time to sit and talk. Your co-workers are going through the same hardship so it is good to share and reflect. Co-workers can use each other as community support. This is an important time to come together and help each other.

Pay your Respects

After the passing has processed, there should be an opportunity for closure. Things like holding a ceremony or planting a remembrance tree as a group. There should be some sort of event held as a group so that everyone can say their goodbyes. The key element here is to provide your team with some peace. Plan with the rest of your co-workers what works best.

Business as Usual

Getting back to work can hard, but it is important to keep moving on. Motivation and productivity will most likely be low for the next few weeks, but being patient and understanding will benefit the team. There are also many technological issues to deal with. Changing voice mails, forwarding emails, delegating work are all some of the little things that need to be taken care of as you would for a terminated employee. The former employee’s office space can be a sensitive issue as well. It would be helpful to brainstorm as a group ways to change the space. The goal here is to establish a comforting but appropriate change. The workplace can be a constant reminder to some people so it would be beneficial to communicate with your staff what changes would be best.

Conclusion

Overall it is important to stay as sensitive and sympathetic as you can reasonably be. Whatever you do, keep your staff or co-workers in mind. Do not leave your employee’s things untouched but also do not suddenly get a replacement. Eventually the company will get back to normal or even adopt a new normal. The leader of the organization is crucial in helping workers get through this ordeal. Although there are your co-workers to worry about, you should focus on getting yourself recovered as well. Do what is best for you. Find ways to relax and mourn. Remember that you have a group of co-workers dealing with the same issue and they can used as a community. Death is not an easy thing to prepare for but having some sort of plan in mind can ease the ordeal of death in the workplace. 

references: http://www.tlnt.com/2013/04/12/coping-with-death-in-the-workplace-what-you-should-do-to-get-through/

Networking Events? What's the Point?

By Shahd Khawaja

With all the networking events that take place at Purdue, from alumni meet and greets to graduate school panels, one is bound to take notice. Despite this, a thought may come to mind that questions the use of such networking events. One may ponder at the use of meeting people that will probably never remember them, or attend fairs that don’t contain the school they wish to join later on. The point is being missed and consequently, people miss out. Attending networking events allows you to exchange contact information with the guests of the event, and even if the person you exchange information with does not remember your name, being able to say that you previously met them at an event at Purdue will provide a valid connection. You may be applying for a position at a company one day and remember that you met someone at a networking event who works for that very same company. Your connection will be able to send you tips on how best to apply and you may have an advantage over other applicants. For fairs that contain schools you don’t wish to go to in the future, attending the fair will give you general information on what the best way to approach the application process is. Never miss out on such opportunities as they are what may make the difference in whether or not you’re accepted for a position in a company, or a place in a graduate program.

What You Need to Know Before Attending an Info Session

By: Maureen Corbett

It’s becoming more and more popular for companies to host info sessions. There are many reasons for this, some being that it is a way for companies to provide more details about their business to interested students than they would be able to at a career fair. Attending a job information session is a great way to show your interest in being employed with that specific company, as well as learn more about the industry. If you are planning on attending an info session soon, here are some key things you need to know before you show up:

1.       Dress Professionally

You don’t have to wear a suit like you would to an interview, but it is definitely essential to dress in business casual attire. You are meeting employees of a company you are interested in working for, so it is important that you make a good first impression. Conduct some research on the company’s culture before you decide what you’re going to wear. For example, if you are attending an info session for a company in the fashion industry, take the opportunity to show off your own sense of style.

2.       Come Prepared

Print off your resume, practice your handshake, and make sure you’ve spent at least 15 minutes prior to the info session browsing the company’s website. While these employers don’t expect you to know very much about the company, having some background knowledge will help you ask more informed questions.

3.       Take Notes

You’re not going to remember everything the employees talk about in the info session. Make sure you write down important deadlines, any tips they give you, and contact information of the people you meet. This is another great way to show them that you are interested in pursuing a position within the company.

 

4.       Use it as an Opportunity to Network

If the situation allows, make sure to personally introduce yourself to one employee after the info session is over. Take the time to express your interest in the company. Let them know why you think you would be a good fit for the position and ask any additional questions you may have. Hopefully you’ll stand out enough to land yourself a job!

Students, Start your Internship Engines

By Shelby Oyer

While it may seem entirely too early to be thinking about an internship for next summer, the scary truth is: it's not. Many companies are already looking into who they want to hire for next summer. Before you panic, while some companies may be looking already, not all of them are. However, it's still time for you to start thinking about where you want to be in the summer of 2014.

There are lots of great options out there for summer internships. Some are local, others are spread out all over the country. Some are paid, others aren't, and still others count for college credit. Some internships are even international. 

First things first, decide what you want. Where do you want to go? What kind of company do you want to work for? What do you hope to get out of the experience--a future job, money, credit, etc.?

Then, do your research. Search for companies in the location you want to be. See if they have internship listings on their website, learn how to apply, and make sure you know when the deadlines are to do so. Get a second opinion on your resume and practice your interviewing skills through LACD's Peer Partners to prepare yourself to become the best possible candidate for the company. 

If you're not quite sure what you want to do or where you'd like to intern, check out a career fair. There you can network with individuals from all different kinds of organizations and show them what skills you possess to see if they align with what the different companies are looking for. Check out the Alumni Meet-n-Greet Panel on November 19th from 6-7:30 in Beering 1284 for a chance to network with Purdue alumni. Be sure to attend Career Week from February 3-6 to brush up on your professional skills, especially the Career Expo on February 6th where there will be plenty of companies for you to meet and look into interning with. 

Below are several sites that are great for finding internships of all kind, even international. While you shouldn't be stressing out about finding a summer internship, you might want to start thinking about starting your search.

LACD Job and Internship Postings: http://www.cla.purdue.edu/careers/job_postings/

Study Abroad Internships: http://www.cla.purdue.edu/careers/study_abroad/

myCCO Internship Listings: https://www.cco.purdue.edu/Student/Internships.shtml

Color me Successful

Over the past month, my friends have been busy preparing themselves for career fairs, interviews, and other professional settings. I have watched them scramble to put together a presentable resume, portfolio, and prepare their social media properly. While working at LACD, I have learned the importance of having these things always ready: you don’t know who you will run into and when. Needless to say, my friends were having me proofread their resumes and I found them to be bland, basic, and boring. If this is what I am thinking, imagine what a recruiter would think while going through the never ending stack acquired over time.

The necessary changes that would’ve spruced up the resumes are a dash of color, personality, or design. I understand that not everyone is studying in Liberal Arts or they don’t feel comfortable taking that risk, but I am ready to take the risk and to create a resume that reflects my personality. If an employer doesn’t support creativity, then I don’t want to work for that employer! Here are some tips and ideas on how to get a personal color brand started for your portfolio, resume, and business cards.

• Select a color you can own: Color associations increase brand recognition and build brand equity. That distinctive blue box with a white ribbon announces there’s no ordinary bauble inside, but a Tiffany & Co. bauble. Colors mean something. Take the time to research colors and find a unique color that reflects your professional personality.
• Understand cultural significance: Because color connotations vary greatly among cultures you must be aware of positive and negative associations. In China green is used for stop while red means go because red is the national symbol of communism. Chinese brides wear red to symbolize fertility, whereas in the United States a white wedding gown symbolizes purity, the color of death and mourning in many Asian cultures.
• Consistency is king: Whether print, pixel or paint; on paper, screen or fabric, your palette should be consistent. Your logo should appear the same color on your business card as it does on your resume, portfolio, and other details. Take this seriously, but don’t over do the color scheme. I don’t suggest printing a resume on red paper, wearing a red suit, and handing over a red business card. This situation calls for a code red. Try to be subtle.
• Once you own it, really own it: Protecting a distinctive color is as important as protecting your logo, slogan, or other visual elements of your brand identity. Use this color to your advantage… make it your own. I didn’t see ONE resume with any personality, so if you try this color branding technique, you will stand out above the others.

Color won’t save you from having bad content on your resume, or from being a bad interviewer. Color will save you from being just another applicant, another face, or another boring resume. Don’t be fools: have your resume, portfolio, business plan, social media, and elevator speech prepared at all times. This is not a game, friends, this is the future.

By: Janna Parke

Take a look at this infograph regarding color choice! 

These tips were found in this article. This blog has a lot of great facts, figures, and information regarding color choices!
http://biznik.com/articles/color-yourself-successful

Life is a journey.

By Neysa Herrera

Few days ago, I met with a good friend of mine. We were talking about business and life. I love those sort of conversations. They make you re-think your ideas and philosophize about the path you are taking in life while you are drinking a warm cup of coffee.

She was telling me she was worried about her daughter Victoria because she is not sleeping enough at night. She barely eat because she has to be studying every time for an exam to be admitted in the medical school. Well, she is a nuclear engineer who is working on the cure for cancer. I don’t understand why she is so worried about her, it makes total sense for me. I know she wants to do huge things and change the world and I am sure she will. That sacrifice must be rewarded.

So, this is what I want to talk about here. Sacrifices are rewarded someday, some way and you will notice. But if you don’t make any, how do you expect to get want you want or live what you always have dreamed of? Life it is a path, yes! ... A journey.  It is a lane where you have to achieve things (goals) and make sacrifices to become in the person that you want to be. In your professional life, you have to follow a Career path that goes from your first day of elementary school ad that will last throughout your entire life.

In this journey every single goal achieved is not an ending but a beginning of a new adventure. The fun with it, it’s up to you. It depends on the passion that you have about your goals that makes you to be the best in every singles thing you do.

So, definitely your future it’s up to you; it’s up to the sacrifices you make along your career path. It’s up to your decision between having fun with your friends in a party or stay at home or in the library studying for your exams. Be aware that every single step, every single move counts for benefit or harm. You decide how you want those moments impact  your life.

Take the control of your life, of your career. Life is a journey but make sure you are the manager of yours. Don’t let life randomly kick you into the professional you don’t want to be. And always remember to advance yourself.

Just go for it

Traveling is second nature to some, while to others it is a foreign adventure.  For those who have traveled truly understand the importance of cultural diversity and the exploration and interpretation of it all. It can either help you or hurt you, and the way I see it is that it will help you if you do it, (if you travel), and it will hurt you if you don't. To travel is more of a learning experience than what most of us receive in a classroom, it shows us the real world and how we can adapt to it on our own. To be comfortable in the real world, you must be comfortable with the possibility of not staying in the same place for your entire life.  I do not mean that everyone must pack up and move from the town they grew up in, I am saying that everyone should pack up and adventure new cities and countries, new people and cultures, to be able to learn about the world around us.

Not only will traveling and exploring help with the understanding of ourselves and those different from us, but it will help us develop a better sense of direction for finding the career we belong doing. Many people give excuses for not traveling, such as they don't need to live anywhere else because they are happy where they are, or it's too expensive. These are excuses that are stopping people from becoming more intelligent and more personable individuals, it is closing there minds, rather than opening and broadening them. I have heard the excuses many times and I won't accept it because I know how much time, money, and other commitment it takes and I have been able to overcome these challenges due to its overall worth. The quality of life I feel after traveling and learning a new lifestyle and culture is powerfully worthy of everything that it takes to do it. College students think they don't have time to spend money and travel while they are in school, but they do not realize that they have twice as much time to do it now than they will in 5 years time after graduation. The experiences from traveling and exploring build your ability to work well in different environments and with different kinds of people. You grow to appreciate the diversity and the differences, rather than to dislike them and shy away from them. Embrace the changes, because life is about changing and it wouldn't be worth the trouble to work as hard as we are known to, in America, if we weren't able to be enjoying our work and learning from it so much, which is the kind of attitude we obtain as travelers and explorers of the country, and of the world. Don't stop traveling until you have seen all there is to see, and learned all there is to learn, while applying every bit of it to your life in one way or another, because consciously or subconsciously aware, the results are equally rewarding.

-Bronwyn

Mastering Your Inner-view

written by Tanvir Rahman

When it comes down to interviewing almost everyone freaks out and gets nervous, but over the years I have found some tips that can help get you more comfortable at the interview. There are many articles out there with many tips on how to interview but these are my personal tips that I have used and feel would benefit a lot of people.

Experience

Almost every interviewer looks for some kind of experience and I have found that the easiest way to get that experience is through clubs and organizations. Getting involved outside of class is one of the most important things to do while in college because it puts you in a work place scenario working on real life tasks and projects. The experiences and role you play in your club/organization can give you great work experience and also something to talk about during your interview. I often had big problems answering many interview questions but the more involved I got over the years, the more experience I made and became more able to answer those tough interview questions.

Your Inner-view

Another good thing to know for interviews is simply put, yourself. It is important that you reflect on yourself and ask yourself questions as to who you are and what you want. You need to know what are your strengths, weakness, and what you can bring to the company or job you are interviewing for. Most interviews are simply a time for the interviewer to get to know you and if you know what kind of person you are and what skills and strengths you have it will make the interview a lot easier for both you and the recruiter.

Practice

The biggest thing that will help you with interviews is getting enough experience and practice. The more you interview the more comfortable you will become at interviewing. When I first started interviewing I was always a nervous wreck but after every interview I saw myself getting better and better. As you interview more, you find it easier to put yourself in those situations. You also learn more about what questions are being asked and how you can better prepare for them in the future. It is never too early to start practicing and even mock interviews can help greatly.

So it is important to put yourself out there in clubs and organizations so that you can have some sort of experience. It is a simple easy way to find answers to those tough interview questions. You want make sure you know a lot about yourself because you’re in a way, presenting yourself to the interviewer. Make sure to practice and practice to get comfortable with interviewing making it easier to answer questions. Interviewing is all about conversation and talking about yourself. You want make sure that you know yourself well enough so you can master your inner-view! 

Advance Yourself!

Written by: Shahd Khawaja

Being a university student almost guarantees that you’ve heard of graduate school. Some of you are one step ahead and are considering graduate school. Even better, some of you have started looking into and applying for graduate school. Whatever your situation may be, the graduate school fair Advance Yourself will provide you with extremely important information that may help you decide where you’d like to go, how you’d be able to get there, how you’d be able to afford it and when the best time to attend would be. If you’ve completely ruled graduate school out of your to do list, at least make it an educated decision. Don’t miss out on something until you know all the details regarding it and are sure it’s not what you want. Advance Yourself will take place tomorrow October 3^rd Purdue Memorial Union, West Main Lobby. Panel- 9:30-10:20, networking with the universities: 11:00-3:00

Bring all the questions you may have with you and make the most of this opportunity! Hope to see you there!