7 Tips to Get the Best Out of College

Posted on October 8, 2012 by b4iapply

Another college year has started. You are excited about the opportunities college can offer you both academically and socially. At the same time, you are thinking about your increasing student debt and whether you will be able to find a job when you graduate.

Here are 7 tips to help you increase your employability while you study:

  1. Develop a network. Talk to all your classmates. These are the friends who will be the7 Tips to Get the Best Out of College cornerstone of your network later on in life. Make sure you stay connected after you graduate.
  2. Go to office hours. Meet your professors. They are there to support you and guide you. Build a good rapport with them. They are a great source of advice and information.
  3. Choose your major early. Identify which career path you want to follow and become an expert in it. It is not just getting good grades. It is about being up to date with all the latest developments in that field.
  4. Lead a club in the sector you are interested in. You will learn a lot about organizing events and you will make relevant contacts along the way.
  5. Develop your communication skills (both spoken and written). Take every opportunity to present irrespective of whether you like it or not. Practice makes you better.
  6. Attend industry events. Go to the events organized by your school. Talk to employers in your chosen field. Ask them questions about their jobs. Take their contact details and follow-up with them.
  7. Take every opportunity to work in the field you want to pursue. The benefits are many; you will get some experience under your belt, you will find out whether you really want to pursue a career path in this area, and you will build important connections.

By following these 7 simple tips, you will have a competitive advantage versus your peers by the time you graduate.

You will:

  • have clarity about the career path you want to follow,
  • be able to demonstrate specific experience and knowledge to potential employers,
  • have a good network in the field of your choice who can support and advise you.

Needless to say: have some fun too.

If  you have any more tips on how to get the best out of college, please let us know.

Korina Karampela is the founder of b4iapply, author of 2 books, consultant and speaker. She worked in senior positions in the pharmaceutical industry for 12 years and has an MBA from MIT Sloan. Her blog b4iapply is recommended by The Guardian for professional development.

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What is the Role of Higher Education?

Posted on October 1, 2012 by b4iapply

There was a lot of discussion following the appearance of David Cameron on Letterman’s Cameron on Letterman's showshow on Wednesday September 26.

The incidence gave me the opportunity to discuss the role of higher education in an article published in Huffington Post.

It is called “David Cameron on Letterman: Which Test did he Fail?”

I’d be interested in finding out what you think.

Korina

Korina Karampela is the founder of b4iapply, author of 2 books, consultant and speaker.

Posted in b4iapply to college, b4iapply to uni, Career Advice, Higher Education, Link education with career | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Does Your First Job Impact Your Long-Term Career?

Posted on September 27, 2012 by b4iapply

Meet Alan – the Graduate. He recently got his degree in Business Management. He studied a general subject so he doesn’t have to be tied to a specific career path. He started applying for jobs a month ago. He has been sending 5 applications a day. He still doesn’t have a response yet. He plans to increase the number of applications to 10 a day.

Alan is not the only one who follows this strategy. Many recent graduates do.

It’s a numbers game, they say.

Well, I don’t think so.

There is no doubt that it is very competitive out there. However, if you just change the name of the recipient company on their cover letter without even knowing what the company actually does, you may not go that far either.

As  Einstein said “insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.”

Also, the first job is an important one. Not only because you learn how to be Does your first job impact your long-term career?professional, work in a team and understand yourself better. Your first job is important because it puts you on a career path that you will probably follow for much longer.

Take Alan for example. If he ends up finding a job in the automotive industry, he most probably will stay in that industry for many years to come. On the other hand, if he gets a job in telecommunications, then his career will move to a different direction.

A more targeted approach will increase the probabilities to land a job in the area you want to pursue. So, what do you need to do:

  • Find out the sector you want to work in (Is it health care, technology, education, etc? Note that when a sector is growing, personnel is needed and opportunities arise.)
  • Research the job postings from the companies in this sector and find out for which you are qualified and why you are a good fit for these jobs. Apply for them after customizing your resume and cover letter accordingly.
  • Network, network and network. (Do you know anybody who works in the sector of your choice? Can a friend of your parents/mentor/professor/ university alum introduce you to somebody in that company? Is there a chance to do an internship there?)
  • Listen to feedback and make necessary changes. When you talk to people who work in the companies you are interested, ask them to review your resume/cover letter/elevator pitch. Remember: big companies have processes to follow so don’t expect them to give you a job on the spot. However, they can help you position yourself better.
  • Be flexible. Tweak your strategy as you go along. You may have to move to a new city or go for a not so well-know company.

It is up to you to decide which strategy you want to implement for your job search. Note though that getting off to a good start is key to your long-term career success.

Do you agree that your first job is important for your long-term career? Let us know what you think!

Korina Karampela is the founder of b4iapply. She is the author of ‘b4iapply to college’ and ‘b4iapply to uni’ for the US and the UK respectively. She is a former pharmaceuticals executive and she has an MBA from MIT Sloan. Her blog http://b4iapply.com is recommended by The Guardian for professional development.

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How to Spot a Bad Mentor

Posted on September 21, 2012 by b4iapply

Everybody is praising the benefits of mentoring. The mentees get a lot of guidance and the mentors become better educators and leaders. Big corporations have established structured mentoring programs. Entrepreneurs also advocate the importance of these relationships.Yet, we hear many stories where mentoring went really bad.

So the question is: Can you spot a bad mentor?

In general, avoid people who fall in the following categories:

  • Egomaniacs – who believe that they are the best, they know everything and you are How to spot a bad mentorvery lucky to be part of their network
  • Bossy – who demand you agree and follow any piece of advice they give you
  • Manipulative – who are happy to mislead you or sabotage you for their own purposes
  • Incompetent – This is a no-brainer. However, sometimes they camouflage themselves as knowledgeable and approachable. Be aware!

A good mentor will offer good advice. They will have an understanding of practical issues and how to get round them. This is important for both entrepreneurs and corporate people.

In order to get a good mentoring relationship, invest time to find the right person.

Talk to people you respect. If there is chemistry, ask them if it is ok to get their thoughts on a couple of issues. Start slow. Assess the advice they give you. If the relationship progresses well and there is interest from both parties, you may want to give it a bit of structure; e.g. catch-up every once every three months.

It is also important to think what you really want to get out of the relationship. Do you expect your mentor to be your advocate for your next exciting project or promotion? Or  do you want someone who can act as a sounding board and give you big picture guidance?

I am a big fan of the latter. I had two great mentors while I was working at Eli Lilly. They were more senior than me and they worked at very different regions. Hence, they were able to advise me on what experiences I need to get under my belt, how to best position myself and how to navigate the corporate culture. These relationships were based on trust and respect. They became stronger and even more useful to me when I left the company.

If you are more interested in finding a sponsor within the company, be aware of the corporate politics that go with it. You may get the support of your chosen mentor but not of his internal competitors.

Also remember:

  • your direct supervisor (or his/her manager) cannot be your mentor due to potential conflict of interest. If your mentor becomes your manager, then you need to put an end to the mentoring relationship.
  • you may get more than one mentors. It will be useful to get the perspective of someone who doesn’t work in the same company. Also, if you plan to change careers or set up you own on business, get a mentor in the new path you plan to pursue.
  • don’t pay for mentorship. If you do, consider it consulting – not mentorship.

The bottom line: Mentoring relationships can be very beneficial as long as you find the right person.  You know now how to spot the bad ones.

Did you have any bad mentor experiences? What happened? It will be great if you can share your learnings.

Korina Karampela is the founder of b4iapply, author of 2 books, consultant and speaker.

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Long-Term Career Planning: If I Were a Genie…

Posted on September 12, 2012 by b4iapply

Let me tell you a short story about long-term career planning.

A friend of mine called me just a week ago to ask for some advice. She spent the first 20 minutes whining about her company; she was promised a bigger area, a pay rise but none of this was materialized yet. She was frustrated. She was keen to start looking around.

Then, I asked the dreaded question; ‘What do you want to be doing 10 years down the line?‘ The answer was typical; ‘I don’t know. Life if unpredictable. I cannot think that far ahead.’

I have heard a variation of this answer so many times so I was prepared. I paraphrased thequestion. ‘If I were a genie and I had the power to grant you everything you wish, how would you like to be in 10 years? Professionally, personally, socially, the full picture.’

Long-term career planning

How would you like to be in 10 years?

For some reason, people find easier to start thinking about their long-term plans in this context rather than in the pure analytical, rational, step by step way. It is a bit like daydreaming and it feels good. Similar to the question ‘What would you do, if you win the lottery?’ but with much higher chances to become reality than the lottery win!

If you want to have a go at it, I suggest you address all elements of our life – not only your career. For example, think:

  • in which city or country do you want to live,
  • whether would you like to be married, in a relationship, or single,
  • in which sector would you like to be working in,
  • whether you prefer to work for a big corporation or have your own company,
  • how do you want to spend your free time,
  • etc.

Visualize how you would you like to see yourself in 10 years so you are happy with the outcome. If you know this, you will be able to make better short-term decisions about your career moves and your life in general.

Write down your thoughts. Read them again in a couple of weeks or in a couple of months. Make any changes you feel appropriate. When you have decisions to make, go back to your notes. Does the next move you consider brings you closer to what you want to become? If yes, go for it. If not, think again.

Don’t worry if your long-term goals change. It can happen. It is not only that life is unpredictable, we also evolve as personalities. The long-term career goals I had in my 30s are very different to the ones I have now.

The bottom line: Don’t limit your long-term planning only to your career. Think big picture. Get prepared in case a genie appears in front of you!

Korina Karampela is the founder of b4iapply, author, consultant, and speaker. She has held senior positions in the pharmaceutical industry for 12 years and has an MBA from MIT Sloan. Her b4iapply blog is recommended by The Guardian for professional development.

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