Career Development Blog

In Career Chat, Disney Exec Says it’s a Small World—So Be Sure to Network

Anonymous — Tue, 10 May 2022 14:21:08 +0000

In Career Chat, Disney Exec Says it’s a Small World—So Be Sure to Network Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/10/2022 - 08:21

Women in Finance club welcomes two leaders to campus to share insights on career success.

Clark Jones (Acct’91), a vice president at Disney, answers a question from a student in the back of the room. ‘In your career, don’t be afraid to take chances and make moves,’ Jones told students at the talk, which was presented by the Women in Finance club. Below right, Jones and Connie McCallon (far right), a director at the company, meet with students following the formal discussion.

Connie McCallon remembers her first big promotion at Disney like it happened yesterday.

She was having a career conversation with Clark Jones (Acct’91), already an executive with the company, who asked her if she was ready to try something new.

“I was comfortable where I was, passionate about what I doing, and just didn’t know if I was ready for a bigger role,” she said.

Jones clearly saw something she didn’t: The next day, he called her to tell her she was changing roles, from a senior manager leading the sales finance team to leading the resorts finance team.

“It was one of the best things that happened to me in my career,” said McCallon, now director of site operations finance at Disney. “I needed an advocate, a leader like that, to show me I had the potential to do more.”

That was just one of the career lessons McCallon and Jones, a senior vice president and site CFO at Disney, offered to about 100 students attending a careers event at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.

‘I love opportunities’

Jones held up McCallon’s story and used it to share his own outlook on career development, which he summed up in three words: “I love opportunities.”

“In your career, don’t be afraid to take chances and make moves,” he said. “I firmly believe anyone can do anything for a year. You do it a year, if it doesn’t work out, you move on to the next opportunity.”

The two Disney executives shared lessons from their own careers before doing an extensive question-and-answer session with the Women in Finance club, which co-sponsored the talk with Leeds Student Government, and students in the audience. It was just the latest career-focused event that allows Leeds to tap its extraordinary alumni base and unique location, in Boulder’s entrepreneurship hub, to provide invaluable experience and perspective to business students.

“It is one thing to hear from people at a Fortune 500 company, but it is another thing to feel the passion that one has for their work.”

Molly Galloway (Fin, RE'22), president, Women in Finance

Molly Galloway (Fin, RE’22), president of Women in Finance, said McCallon “encompasses everything that women should aspire to be from a personal and professional standpoint.”

“It is one thing to hear from people at a Fortune 500 company, but it is another thing to feel the passion that one has for their work,” said Galloway, who created the club from the existing Women in Finance Forum. “That is abundantly clear about both Connie and Clark—they truly love what they do.”

Some of the highlights Jones and McCallon shared with students:

The value of networking. Students asked several questions about how to network effectively. “It’s easy to talk about it, harder to actually do it,” Jones said. “But I’ve never met an executive who didn’t love to talk about themselves. And I’ll give anyone a 30-minute meeting if they go to the trouble of tracking me down. You better come prepared, though.”
Push your leaders. When it comes to hiring, “we look for people who will challenge the status quo,” McCallon said. “We love questions—that’s how we all learn, that’s how we make the business better. Curiosity is very important.”
Update soft skills. “What you all went through in these past two years—as hard as it’s been, there’s been a lot of value there,” Jones said. “We still have a lot of virtual meetings. The need to communicate, collaborate, work on projects and innovate virtually is not going away.”
Keep learning. Both McCallon and Jones earned graduate degrees while working. “Get your MBA—there’s a ton of value to it from meeting people with such a diversity of experiences,” Jones said. And, he added, as a leader, “surround yourself with people who are way smarter than you. When it comes to my team, my job is to get out of their way and get hurdles out of their way. If I let them run wild, they can accomplish anything.”

Audience members also asked questions about their hardest days, what excites them about work and how to set boundaries as early-career professionals. A particularly interesting question was how to build an inclusive culture, at a time when more businesses are paying attention to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.

“For me, I’m on my own journey when it comes to diversity and inclusion, and learning as I go,” Jones said. “The best way to be a leader in this space this to open yourself up. Be vulnerable to making mistakes and be empathetic toward those you are trying to lead.”

Galloway said she was thrilled Women in Finance was able to offer career insights to its members and other guests.

“This entire event—and particularly the Q&A session—proved there is more to life than just checking the boxes,” she said. “Meeting new people, sharing our life experiences and trying to inspire the people around us is what matters, and I believe that every student at Leeds is capable of doing exactly that.”

Why Leeds Undergraduate Business Programs Career Development

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5 Tips for Managing Your Career Journey During Unprecedented Times

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 17:21:20 +0000

5 Tips for Managing Your Career Journey During Unprecedented Times Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/26/2020 - 11:21

Kate Minnihan

With recruiting going virtual, it can be easy to forget the importance of networking with new employers and preparing for your life post college. With these simple tips, you’ll be able to reprioritize your career journey and make the most of this unprecedented year.

Invest in yourself

Going virtual means more access to more resources. Find a skillset you want to build and take the steps to grow your knowledge in that space. It could be learning a new language, familiarizing yourself with a new software, passing a certification, and the list continues. Consider using LinkedIn Learning which provides ��Ƶ students, faculty, and staff with a free membership, or check out myTrailhead through Salesforce.

Familiarize yourself with the different types of employer engagements

Employers are still hiring and looking for top talent! Check out Handshake for more information on career events and fairs. Explore what ones look interesting to you, and be sure to attend. Many companies track who attends their engagements, and you neve know what connections you might make in the process.

Get your LinkedIn profile to All-Star status

Since most recruiter connections will be made virtually, it’s easier than ever to share your digital identity with them. Many platforms allow you to link your social accounts to your profile, making it easy to drive traffic to your LinkedIn page. By taking the time to ensure your profile highlights your interests and accomplishments, it can be one key way to stand out among other candidates.

Practice your presence

Common feedback from employers engaging with students remotely is that they lack enthusiasm and perceived interest. When participating in recruiting events, be sure to remain engaged and ask questions when applicable. It’s no fun for a presenter to give a pitch to a bunch of blank, muted screens; stand out by showing up as an active participant. Struggling with focus? Try meditation for building up your ability to remain present during virtual sessions.

Utilize your network

As a Leeds student, the Office of Career Strategy serves to support you along your journey. Looking to connect with a specific company or for tips on how to stand out? Schedule a meeting with your career coach or drop by the employer relations virtual office hours (email hireatleeds@colorado.edu for the link). Take advantage of the resources around you to ensure you’re on track for success and making the most of this unique recruiting season.

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It's Personal: Crafting Your Narrative

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 20:58:45 +0000

It's Personal: Crafting Your Narrative Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 07/02/2020 - 14:58

Makenzie Olaker

Tell me about yourself. We’ve all been asked this question at some point or another, and we’ll all be asked it again. Especially as business students, this age-old question will arise at interviews, networking events, and career fairs.

At first thought, this question may seem like it has an easy answer. We quickly draw out our identities and experiences that rise to the top of mind as important: educational background, gender, race, regionality, major, and the list goes on. We then wrap ourselves up into a 30-second elevator pitch and present it neatly with a bow to employers. That’s powerful, but what happens after those 30 seconds?

‘Tell me about yourself’ is more than one question requiring a 30-second answer, it’s the way you show up for an entire conversation, the personal narrative that you share.

Making your personal narrative more… well, personal.

Since I’m asking you to get personal, I’ll model and share a story.

I’ve been to a lot of retreats and completed a lot of activities, but one stands out in particular. My colleagues and I each had to write an ‘I Am From,’ made famous by Kentucky poet laureate George Ella Lyon. I chalked the activity up to an unsophisticated reflection upon learning that high schools around the nation were completing this exercise; however, we were asked to do so much more than identify what physical location we came from. I was urged to dive into details of traditions, familial and communal influences, experiences, and identities that were like my nose, constantly present and therefore invisible unless I was intentionally setting my eyes upon it. Reflecting on the experience, I can see the similarities and differences that appeared in my colleagues’ poems, but what stands out is how deeply shaped each of us were by where, both culturally and physically, we were from and the unique way it affected the way we ‘show up’ in spaces. I realized that out of my many identities and experiences, being a queer, white woman who has been influenced by generations of Appalachian culture is the dominant lens I wear when showing up in a space. It took years of self-reflection, vulnerability, and reshaping of my mental framework to develop a narrative that felt authentic, positive, and something I felt proud to share. While I don’t have to share my identities in every conversation, getting more personal with myself has allowed me to better craft my narrative to be a powerful and helpful tool to share my mission and vision in conversations, the workplace, and in my personal life.

I share this personal experience with you to vouch for the creative process of exploring how your history, experiences, and identities are influenced by upbringing, perceptions, the community that surrounds you, and the systems you live within. So, dig in, explore, and get up in your own business.

*If you’re like me, a template may help guide you through this thought process. Take 20 minutes to check out George Ella Lyon’s poem and guide. You may have done this same activity in high school, but I urge you to take it a step further and think about how it affects your experience as a business student.

I know where I’m from. Now what?

Like me, some of us will have to grapple with realities of our stories we don’t like while others may find comfort thinking about where we’re from. I’ve crafted some questions that may help you reflect that stem from Lent, Brown and Hackett’s Social Cognitive Career Theory¹ (I’m pulling the research out on you now, folks!):

How does where you’re from shape your self-efficacy, or the belief that you have in your abilities?

Maybe there are identities and experiences you hold that affect your self-perception in ways that you didn’t fully realize. Are there ways you can shift your thinking to tell your story differently?

What are your outcome expectations, or your beliefs about what will happen if you perform a certain behavior?

People often participate in activities that they believe will result in positive outcomes, rewards, and self and external approval. Have you ever considered how your previous experiences and the identities you hold affect this? Perhaps your gender affects the major you choose or maybe your long-line of business-owning family members praise your entrepreneurship path.

How do your self-efficacy and outcome expectations affect the goals you set for yourself?

Our self-efficacy and outcome expectations directly tie into the goals we set for ourselves. And as I’ve shared above, the narratives we tell others, and, more importantly, the narratives we believe about ourselves affect our self-efficacy and outcome expectations. We don’t have the power to change our history or certain identities, but we do have power in shaping our personal stories.

Let’s tie this all together.

Your elevator pitch may not have changed much from completing the exercises above, and I wasn’t expecting it to. What I do hope evolves from your reflection is self-awareness about how you show up and increased intentionality in your narrative after that 30-second introduction. When you’re sharing that random story about where you grew up or why you chose your major, remember that there is power in an authentic, chosen narrative that will affect the way you perceive the world and how the world perceives you.

I’d love to hear how where you’re from is shaping where you’re going. Tell me about yourself.

Mak Olaker

Program Manager, Women’s and Leadership Programs

mackenzie.olaker@colorado.edu

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Clearing Your Mind While Navigating Your Career

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 18:38:32 +0000

Clearing Your Mind While Navigating Your Career Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/05/2020 - 12:38

Erin Doty

You chose to read this article based off the title, or maybe someone told you to read it. Regardless, you chose to read this and that’s a positive step forward. It’s good you’re here. Read through the following and pay attention to what you experience.
Do you wonder, “How am I supposed to know what industry I’m interested in?” “When I get an offer, how do I know if it is a good offer?” “My friend already has a job, I must be behind. Am I even going to get a job?” “What if I make the wrong choice?”
Are you sick of hearing “congrats on graduating how exciting!” because you don’t feel that excited?

Did you nod your head yes, maybe widen your eyes, or feel a knot in your stomach?

Take a deep breath in, let it go.

These are normal questions to think about and feelings to experience. Know you’re not alone. As a career counselor writing this, I meet with up to 12 students a day and just about every senior expresses some of these concerns. When you transition from college to career it is likely to bring up a range of emotions. You are ending a major chapter and beginning a new one, you are transitioning to new stage of life. You may feel sad college is ending, scared of what is to come, comparing yourself to your friends, excited about the potential opportunities. It is okay to feel these emotions all at the same time, and it is okay to grieve college ending and to feel uncertainty transitioning into what is next.

Experiencing your last year of college, taking classes, participating in extracurriculars, working, balancing friends and family, and navigating your job search is a lot going on all at once. Trying to make a choice of what you want to do and what is important to you in a career can add to feeling overwhelmed. Here are some tips to help navigate your career path.

What do I want to do next for my career?

If you’re having a hard time figuring out what you want to do after graduation, prompt yourself with questions and do self-reflection work such as journaling on paper or in your phone, or meditate. Ask yourself:

What problems do I want to solve?
What is important to me when I think about a job offer?
What strengths do I bring?
How do I want to help this business?

If you’re having a hard time thinking about which job to choose, maybe think about it in another perspective:

When was the last time you made a big decision?
How did you make that decision?
What steps did you take to decide?

Maybe you made a pro/con list, talked to family and friends, or meditated on it. You can use those previous tactics to help with the current decision you are making.

If you find yourself resistant and not wanting to do self-reflection work, ask yourself “why?” or “what is my fear?” Are you worried about being a failure? Letting your family down? Making the wrong choice and ruining your life?

Again, take a deep breath, and let it go.

These are questions you can answer if you’re willing to dive deep within yourself. And, if you’re having a hard time with these questions, consider going to see your Career Coach at Leeds, or a counselor/therapist in general.

Three more steps for a clear mind

If you feel overwhelmed searching for jobs online, set boundaries for yourself. Maybe only search for jobs 3 days a week, or apply to 3 jobs a day, or search for 15 minutes a day. Remember you are job searching for what you want to do next, not what you want to do for the next 20 years of your career.
Comparison to others is killer. For example, if you see your friend and assume they have it all figured out because they got a job offer and you haven’t even applied yet; you may start to question your competency and choices. Sound familiar? That comparison will kill your motivation! Tabitha Brown would tell you to stop doing that, and mind your business. Instead of comparing yourself and being hard on yourself, accept and know you’re on your own journey. This is your life. Which means you have total control over what you do with it. If you decide a year from now a job isn’t for you, you have total freedom to switch paths.
Remember to engage in self-care. It can look like remembering to eat three meals a day, talking a walk, watching your favorite show, or meditating. It doesn’t have to be a big, luxurious act, you can take small steps in how you take care of yourself. And remember to breathe.

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3 Ways to Boost Your Skills

Anonymous — Wed, 06 May 2020 19:14:04 +0000

3 Ways to Boost Your Skills Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/06/2020 - 13:14

Brooke Lloyd

Are you lacking motivation during this crazy pandemic? Don’t worry you are not alone! Many students are feeling lost, overwhelmed and trying to figure out what they could do this summer to build their skills and keep learning. Look no further, I have some awesome tips and tricks that you could do to learn, grow and evolve as a student this summer without having a full time internship.

1. LinkedIn Learning

As Leeds Business student you have free access to LinkedIn Learning which offers over 100 free online courses to advance your skills in Excel, learn programming or adobe creative suite, take courses on strategic & critical thinking, time management fundamentals and how to communicate effectively. These online courses are great ways to add technical and power skills to your resume which employers love to see!

Learn more

2. Informational Interviews

Informational interviews are another great way to stay motivated this summer. Start connecting with family and friends who are in positions that you are interested in learning more about. Have conversations, learn what they do on a daily basis, and try to figure out if that is career you want to study at Leeds School of Business. The link below gives you a list of questions you could ask during your informational interview.

Learn more

3. Virtual Workshops

Virtual workshops are a great way to interact with professionals and learn how to develop your skills as a college student. At Leeds we offered several virtual events such as how to navigate virtual interviews, resume reviews, city chats with alumni in various city and states. Virtual events are going to be big this summer and fall. You could find all Leeds Virtual events on Handshake, or explore LinkedIn. They will have plenty of virtual workshops for students this summer to gain knowledge and information on various topics from interviewing, networking and managing your time.

As mentioned above, you are not alone! In order to stay motivated you need to connect, and put yourself out there. This is a great time to be creative, think outside the box and have conversations with business professionals!

Go Buffs!

Your Career Coach,

Brooke

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Leeds Shadow Days: The How and Why

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:44:10 +0000

Leeds Shadow Days: The How and Why Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/18/2020 - 11:44

Kate Minnihan

With the goal of increasing experiential learning opportunities for students, Leeds established a Shadow Days program in 2017. Starting with offerings in the Denver metro area, students could request to explore a specific industry area and then be matched with an employer volunteer willing to host them for a full or half day to gain an insider’s perspective. With much success, the program has since expanded beyond Colorado and become an integral part on a few of the Leeds Career Treks. Through incorporating Leeds Shadow Days in the San Francisco and New York treks, it has provided an opportunity for students to experience a day in the life in the industry of their choosing, as well as envision a career in a city they may be considering moving to post-graduation. One student who recently participated on the San Francisco Career Trek said, “I really enjoyed the shadow day, I actually think that it was my favorite part of the trip. I found it the most valuable because it felt like we had an opportunity to really get to know the other person and how they got to this point in their career. My strongest connections were made through it and I got to learn so much.” Not only do Leeds Shadow Days provide valuable insight, but they also help students connect with individuals that can support their career journey in the years to come.

The way Leeds coordinates its Shadow Days program is by reaching out to alumni and employer partners requesting anyone willing to volunteer their time to host students. From there, a form is sent to students encouraging them to apply and share a bit about what they hope to gain from the experience and any specifics on the type of host they’d like to be paired with. If it’s clear they are eager to participate and willing to commit to the experience, students are then matched with an employer host who then coordinates with them regarding expectations and how to prepare. By requesting feedback from student participants, as well as reaching out to employer hosts post Shadow Day, it creates a sustainable model that encourages future promotion and participation from both stakeholders.

As one Denver Shadow Day student participant shared, “My shadow day was absolutely awesome. I don’t know if I’ve ever learned so much in one day. Seriously it was probably the best learning experience I’ve ever had.” With the ability to simultaneously help students build their network and explore a career area of interest, Leeds Shadow Days provide immense utility. By being able to showcase this to potential volunteers, as well as students considering applying, it helps them gain insight into what to expect, as well as best promote the value in the program. Similarly, it exemplifies how and why an experiential learning opportunity like Leeds Shadow Days can supplement a student’s learning experience.

For any questions on how you can get involved or build a program like this at your school, please email leedscareer@colorado.edu.

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Buffs Take on NYC

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 17:48:43 +0000

Buffs Take on NYC Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/10/2020 - 10:48

Christine Amendola

Amanda Hansen, Associate Director of Employer Relations, scouted top companies to make the trek to New York City a great success. In her sixth year of coordinating this phenomenal experience, she visited alumni and recruiters from Snapchat, Spotify, Fendi, HelloFresh, Braze (pictured right), Birchbox, Tiffany and Co., GeistM, Tower Research Capital and DAS 42. Her recruiting efforts led to the New York City trek expanding into two industry tracks: Marketing & Technology and Fashion & Media. Over 40 students traveled with our office in December of 2019 and thoroughly enjoyed their company visits. One student even landed a summer internship with LinkedIn by taking advantage of this connection. We are so thankful for Amanda and her team's hardwork to make the career treks a one-of-a-kind experience!

“This was single handedly the best thing I did with my time while at Leeds."
- 2019 Career Trek Participant

Learn more about Career Treks

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Meet Jane Miller: Founder of JaneKnows.com

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 21:24:06 +0000

Meet Jane Miller: Founder of JaneKnows.com Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/09/2018 - 15:24

Mackinsey Kinder

After 30+ years of corporate experience in executive positions at companies like Frito Lay, Heinz, Hostess and Rudi's Organic Bakery, Jane Miller authored Sleep Your Way to the Top (and other myths about business success) in 2014 to help others learn from her experiences and her mistakes. Today she runs JaneKnows.com, an online career resource center for young professionals climbing the corporate ladder. Jane is an accomplished CEO, career expert, public speaker, and author, helping you build a meaningful career with tips, tools, and truths.

In her experience Jane found it's often soft skills, not technical skills, that foster gender inequality in the workplace. There is a lack of understanding of the differences in personal attributes amongst colleagues with diverse work styles.

Jane is an accomplished CEO, career expert, public speaker, and author, helping you build a meaningful career with tips, tools, and truths.

Jane suggests professionals, particularly entrepreneurs, surround themselves with a "personal advisory board." Create a team of honest and supportive people who can be trusted to offer good advice, but more importantly, offer candid feedback regarding soft skills such as tonality and communication style. These areas can have a significant impact on professional success, but are often avoided or not discussed in a constructive manner within teams and by managers.

Your advisory board should possess a complementary skill set that allows the entrepreneur to focus on their strengths. When pitching ideas, entrepreneurs should not be deterred or intimidated by questions that challenge their product, ideas or abilities. Instead, Jane encourages you to be confident in you communication, and in the depth of your knowledge and understanding of your product or service. She stresses that entrepreneurs should not be afraid to table questions for later follow-up if you don't feel certain about their answers.

For more practical career advice presented in a fun and sassy tone, visit JaneKnows.com.

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