knowing your strengths as a job seeker
TRANSCRIPT
Pedro Gonzalez, Director of Employer Relations Moore School of Business
KNOWING YOUR STRENGTHS AS A JOB SEEKER: BUILDING THEM FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
What are your top 3 skills?
Value Proposition
Not likely to change over time
Linked to 80% of all interview questions
Narrative Content
What employers want
Skill #1 Skill #2 Skill #3 Skill #4 Skill #5Communication Teamwork Technical Leadership Managerial
Oral Communication
Adaptability Quantitative Analysis
Integrity Manage decision-making process
Listening Skills Ability to value opinion of others
Qualitative Analysis
Drive Manage task environment
Written Communication
Cross-cultural sensitivity
Core business knowledge
Innovation and creativity
Manage strategy and innovation
Presentation skills
Ability to follow Technology Ability to inspire Manage human capital
Negotiation Delegation Specific language
Strategic vision Manage administrative activities
MBA skills by level of importance as required by employers for mid-level jobs
Deal Maker: Core Competencies
Communications
Experiential learning
Self-awareness
My Professional Insights on
Employability
Core Competencies of Employability• Objective: Speak confidently and concisely about yourself,
your experience, your goals• Practice Stream: Mock interview, career coaching,
workshops, toastmasters• Outcomes: More effective interview performance and
improved networking skills
Verbal Communications
• Objective: Direct work experience and performance feedback
• Practice Stream: Co-ops, internships, class projects, • Outcomes: Personal accountability and skills development
Experiential learning
• Objective: Realization of strengths, weaknesses, and expectation setting, ambition planning
• Practice Stream: Diagnostic tools, successes, failures, life!
• Outcomes: Ownership of your development narrative and confidence in conveying value proposition to employers
Self-awareness
Career Life Cycles:
40s –beyond: Reputation
30s: Track Record
Part 2: Networking
The essential life-long skill for business success
Why Network?
?Buckets• Job Search• Business Development• Knowledge Sharing• Stay connected/Making
yourself available to others
Motivation for Networking
Reciprocity of Networking
My Needs• People will know who I am• People will know what I have to
offer professionally• People will think of me for a job
vacancy, a new business partnership
• People will seek me out for my professional opinion
Others’ Needs• They need to find a good
candidate for a job vacancy• They need to find an expert
on a topic• They need to complete a
project
What’s in it for me?
Expectations
Short-term
Long- term
Why am I networking?
Who do I need to know for my immediate
needs?
Who do I need to know for my
overall professional development
Who do I network with?
Friends & Family
Classmates
Current/former co-workers
Alumni group(s)
Knowing your immediate network
How do I expand my network?
USC Career Events
Business Community Events
Career Fairs
LinkedIn Groups
Knowing your potential network
Where to network
LinkedIn Corp. Facebook Pages
Alumni Pages
Affinity Groups
Professional Groups
Recruitment Messages/Hot Jobs
Undergraduate Professional: Societies, Fraternities, Sororities
Thought Leaders
Company NewsMarketing Push
Moore School Identity: Ethnic, Gender
Top social media sites
Networking Follow Up
Connect on LinkedIn
Informational Interviews
Periodic email on academic
progress or job search
progress
Share an article of
relevant/mutual interest
The Ask…I applied for a job at your company ,
please pass along my
resume …
I have a contact, now what?
Message Who Am I Top skillsIndustry
Interest/Knowledge
Current Events Business News/Trends
New Technology Behaviors
Active Listener
Concise Communicatio
n
Temperature check
Graceful entrance and
exit
What’s your story?Practical network behaviors and messaging for Live Networking
Thank You