Professor Gail Cruise: Career Fair Prep

With the Isenberg Career Fair approaching, Professor Gail Cruise offers her advice for communicating professionally to recruiters in both writing and speaking. What makes communication professional? 

Writing Strategies and Tips:

• Clear and concise sentences: When emailing recruiters, it is important to have a clear focus and goal you would like to achieve by contacting them. Are you interested in an internship program they offer or scheduling an interview? Be specific!

• Provide evidence/support: Back up any qualifications you have in order to convince the recruiter you are a good candidate for the job and should be considered.

• Paying Attention to detail: Make sure that your email or letter is formatted correctly. Also check for spelling and that it is grammatically correct. This is important in order to make a good impression.

• Know your reader: By doing so, you appeal to your audience!

Professional Delivery:

• Body language: The best body language is standing tall, making good eye contact, and smiling. Make sure you are friendly and inviting to avoid nervous tendencies.

• Credibility: Who are you and why should we listen to you? Standing tall and dressing professional comes across as confident in a positive way which intrigues your audience.

• Engagement: When speaking with a recruiter, the delivery is key. Active listening, good eye contact, and asking questions keeps your audience engaged. 

These tips and strategies from Professor Cruise are extremely helpful when speaking with a recruiter and for communicating professionally in the workplace. This is all working towards, “Connecting young, powerful, and professional women.”

Continuing to be a Women in Business #Bosslady this Summer

Author: Maggie Mulligan

Happy last week of the 2018-2019 school year! As we enter the last stretch of final exams and summer 2019 approaches it is essential to think about steps that can be done this summer to keep us sharp, to build upon our skills and to continue to be a #bosslady this summer.

Revamp your Resume and LinkedIn

Take time this summer to reflect upon all of your accomplishments and put them on your resume or LinkedIn profile. Revamping can be anything from updating your GPA, adding awards or recognition, pieces of media that were shared about you or a club you were an active member of and of course sharing news to your network about upcoming internships for this summer and new leadership positions that you will be starting in the fall.

Get Certified

Getting certified can be intimidating at first due to the content and time commitment but is extremely worth it! Most online certificates are free and show recruiters that you are a go-getter and are motivated to learn on your own time. Examples of certificates that can be done online are HubSpot Academy, Google Ads, and Salesforce.

Build Your Network

Continuing to build your network this summer will help you keep in touch and updated with your fellow interns, classmates, Women in Business friends or favorite Isenberg professor. Not only will this help with building up your online network but also will be talking points for next time you see each other either in class or around UMass Amherst in the fall.

Keep Track Of  When You Go Above and Beyond.

When you go above and beyond your job description you deserve to be proud of yourself and should keep a record of it. Not only will doing this provide you with a history of what you did during your time a company but also will provide you with a multitude of answers for recruiters the next time they ask you to tell them of a time you did something innovative or above and beyond at a past job.

Reflect and Celebrate

 Take some time in the next few weeks to reflect upon what went well and not so well for you this year and write down what you hope to accomplish during the 2019-2020 school year. Often we go through our days without thinking about why we do things a certain way but taking the time to reevaluate will help with self-growth and efficiency. We all accomplished great things and worked hard this past year so make sure to take some well deserved down time before the 2019 - 2020 year begins!

2019 Summer Women in Business Book Challenge

 A personal favorite way of unwinding while learning this summer can be done through reading and can be done at the beach, while on a road trip or anywhere else that is well lit and peaceful to you. Aim to read at least one book a month this summer and use this challenge as a way to strike up a conversation with new faces at the first Women of Business general body meeting in September. Some recommendations for books this summer are:

●      #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso

○      Read if you liked the Netflix adaptation of the story of Sophia Amoruso and want to learn more about the real-life fashion entrepreneur and businesswomen, Sophia Amoruso. 

●      I Am That Girl by Alexis Jones

○      Read if you have ever doubted your purpose or are trying to discover what your passions in life are. Through I Am That Girl, readers will learn to speak their truth and how to #bethatgirl.

●      Brotopia by Emily Chang

○      Read if you are on the way to breaking the glass ceiling that women face everywhere from local small businesses to the Silicon Valley. 

●      Playbook for Success by Nancy Lieberman

○      Read if you plan on making success a part of your daily life. Hall of Fame Businesswomen, Nancy Liberman teaches readers that in and out of work, success is more than a title but rather a way of life.

The (Diligent) Days of Summer

Author: Nicole Keeley

As finals close in on us, I think it’s fair to say everyone’s to-do lists are never ending. With so much to be done, it can feel as though there aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s during these moments I always think about what I wish I could do if I had more time. Luckily, summer is right around the corner and gives us some time to pursue everything pushed to the way side during the semester. Regardless of whether you landed your dream internship, or are working a local summer job, here are some tips to make the most of your summer!

1. Set goals for the summer before leaving campus, and put together a plan to achieve them (S.M.A.R.T goals!!)

Summer is a great time to grow your technical skills, like working towards completing certifications that will make your resume stand out - whether that’s Salesforce, Microsoft, Adobe, Qualtrics, Python, Google AdWorks, etc. Looking at job descriptions for careers you are interested in can give you a good idea of which trainings are most relevant to the field you want to enter.

It’s also a great time to pursue opportunities where you can fine tune the soft skills you need to succeed in business. That could be as simple as sparking up conversation at your local coffee shop to work on your networking skill or starting a blog or instagram page to showcase your creativity and initiative.

While three months sounds like a long time, September will be here before you know it! So make an realistic plan and factor it into your schedule so that you don’t forget about it.

2. Network

Speaking of networking, if you are still trying to figure out what you want to do use time this summer to read up on careers you are interested in. Reach out to people on LinkedIn and schedule informational interviews. Especially if you will be traveling and have the opportunity to set aside some time to meet, these opportunities can serve as valuable connections or mentors for the future.

3. Save some money

If you’re anything like me, your online banking account is currently full of Uber, Starbucks, and Target payment receipts. Make an effort to budget how much you want to save this summer and what you want to save it for - to start chipping away at your student loans, money for the school year, or for a fun trip with friends. Be especially cognizant of your spending if the summer brings you extra money because it can be easy to increase your spending on unnecessary purchases when you have the means to do so. Also, look for student discounts - some places are sympathetic toward us broke college students!

4. Spend quality time with friends and family

While it’s sad to say goodbye to everyone at school, it’s so nice to reunite with old friends and family, if you are going home at all over the summer. Make an effort to catch up with people even if its been a while. It’s easy to feel like we are updated on people’s lives through social media, but nothing beats a great conversation catching up and reminiscing, and with great friends you will pick up right where you left off.

5. Rest

Summer can become just as eventful and busy as the school year so be sure to schedule some R&R. Whether to you that means yoga or binge watching Friends, remember to give yourself a break!

6. Stay active

The amazing weather makes summer a great time to focus on your health. If the gym is the last place you want to go in the summer, there are plenty of activities to get your heart pumping and muscles activated. Swimming laps in the pool, hiking, biking, and even paddle-board yoga (if you are near the beach) are some great ways to enjoy the weather, and get a workout at the same time.

7. Find summer reads (or podcasts!)

Start that book you have been wanting to read ever since it came out. Also, try out some new podcasts! If you have a goal to learn more about something, chances are there’s a podcast on it, and it’s great use of your time when commuting.

8. And, most importantly, have fun and enjoy summer vacation!!

Tori and Diana: Imposter Syndrome

What is imposter syndrome? It can be described as a feeling of fraudulence — there is no level of accomplishment which seems good enough to make your achievements authentic. It is the feeling that your accolades have not been earned and eventually people will discover the truth: you are a fraud. But the real truth is that a lot of very successful people feel this way. Check out this video for a bit more background on this feeling.

“What is imposter syndrome and how can you combat it?” by Elizabeth Cox on TED

We experience it because of perfectionistic standards, competitive environments, and lingering thoughts that we somehow don’t deserve to be where we are. So how can we deal with this sensation?

1. Work to accept that you played a role in your own success! Don’t forget that you are where you are for a reason: you got admitted to your college, hired for your job, or selected for your internship because someone thought you were qualified.

2. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy. Bring your best to the table and always be proud of accomplishing your goals, regardless of what other people have done!

3. Fake it ‘til you make it! If you seriously feel like you don’t deserve to be where you are, at least pretend you belong there. Over time, you’ll start to feel like everything is meant to be exactly how it is.

4. Talk to other successful people — they’ve likely experienced the same things as you, and it’s helpful to talk about it. Being able to see their hard-work may help you realize that you’ve worked hard too.

Ultimately, imposter syndrome is generally all in your head. It’s healthy to try and step out of that headspace and embrace your successes.

Random Acts of April

Author: Grace O’Malley

There's a phrase we heard time and time again growing up, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” which simply put is, “treat people the way you want to be treated.” Does this ring a bell? Of course it does, it’s the “golden rule.” Now think, how often do you live by this phrase, maybe not as much as you would like. That is okay, most of us feel this way. We are young adults, growing up in a world where we are in constant contact with each other yet barely making true connections. As human beings we tend to do what's best for us rather than what's best for the other person, it's a flaw I’m trying to break away from and I invite you to do so as well. How? Through random acts of kindness; both big and small. Here’s a list of a few ways you can brighten the day of any friend, peer, teacher, or stranger and hopefully yours as well.

1.Spark up a conversation in the elevator.

We have become too comfortable in today's society with gluing our eyes to our phones rather than making conversation with those around us. I invite you, even dare you if you are a shy person, to engage in conversation between peers in your next elevator ride. You may just make that other persons day. 

2. Pay for the next person in line’s coffee.

This one is a rather popular random act of kindness lately. I know as college students money can be tight at times, but this act truly can make a person’s day. We all know what a difference coffee can make in the morning, imagine how much better that coffee would taste if it were free for another person. In a simple act of kindness you can change the whole course of a person's day. My suggestion is, if you have a few dining dollars left around finals time, give this a try. The results leave both you and the other person with a good feeling inside. 

3. Write a “thank you” note.

In your down time, think of a person who really helped you grow as a person or helped you through a tough time. This person could be a teacher, friend, sister; the list goes on. Take a minute and gather all the words you wished to express to them but never did, and write it down. Thank them for having a positive impact on your life. A handwritten note goes farther than any “thx” text message followed by a “thumbs up” emoji.

4. Smile at a person when you make “awkward eye contact.”

The term “awkward eye contact” is relatively new because more often than not, we refrain from making eye contact with strangers as best we can. I’ve noticed, if I am walking to class I will make eye contact with a handful of students. I try my best to smile at the other person each time, but most of the time the other person takes my smile and greets it with a fast look away back down to their phone. This leaves me wondering if I was in the wrong to smile in the first place. Which goes back to treating people the way you want to be treated. I strongly believe a smile can make another persons day.

5. Hold the door open for the next person.

This is a given. How would you like it if someone slammed a door on your face? Granted you may not be fully aware someone is behind you sometimes, but take the extra step to look behind before you enter and make sure no one's there.

6. Toss out a compliment.

A compliment could be anything, this doesn’t have to involve looks. You could express to someone that you admire their study habits, or that you enjoy their taste in music. This simple act takes two seconds out of your day and leaves the other person feeling good and noticed as an individual.

To recap, be kind, be considerate of others, and be a better person. Spring is in the air, kindness should be too.