september business leaders talk · j. maureen henderson (forbes nov 2016) the temptation,...

September Business LeadersTalkHonest Career Advice

Darrel Kasper and George WunderSeptember 18, 2019

TCNJ Business Leaders Talk – Honest Career Advice (GW/DK) Page 1 of 7

Darrel KasperAssociate Director, Sales OperationsNovartis Pharmaceuticals [email protected]@gmail.com

George WunderDirector of Data AnalyticsSKF [email protected]@gmail.com

Quotes and thoughts:

J. Maureen Henderson (Forbes Nov 2016)The temptation, especially for young employees, is to identify with their jobs and/or their bosses,without understanding that loyalty doesn’t necessarily run both ways. Bosses get fired or move on.Companies restructure and layoff. There are no guarantees that your devotion won’t be rewardedwith a pink slip. Tying your career fortunes too closely to someone else’s limits your own mobilityand decision-making power. It renders you myopic and dependent on factors outside your control,which is no way to build a successful path through life. There are times you will want to align withothers and/or follow the lead of someone you believe to be a capable leader, but, even in thosemoments, make the choice consciously and make sure to preserve your own identity and autonomyin the process. Keep your boss close, but your own career closer.

Lou Holtz: Do what’s right. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Be the best you can be.Stay grounded in what matters – family, friends. And, doing work that matters. Your job is not yourlife.

Margaret Mitchell: “Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect”.

Mark L Mika: “Always accept good fortune with grace and humility”.

Some things that really matter, like love or job fulfillment, joy, love of life, self-confidence, skillsets… these things take time. Sometimes you can expedite pieces of it, but the overall journey isarduous and long. If you don’t ask for help and learn, you might fail. Don’t go through life withoutjoy or fulfillment!

Motivation and the 5-second rule: 95% of your behavior is triggered by your feelings. Everyonegives advice about what to do, nobody tells you how to take the critical first step and beat thefeelings that stop you.

If you don't feel like doing something - you won't, unless you are pushed. This is how all humanbeings are wired. The 5 second rule is how you push yourself. Self-doubt, procrastination,overthinking, perfectionism, feeling not good enough and holding back are actually HABITS. Youtaught yourself. And you can break it.

The moment you have an impulse to act, share, speak or start something that is tied to a goal - youhave five seconds to move before your brain kills the impulse to act. It's the ONLY way to break thehabit of doubt, hesitation and holding back. It's not a rule to be destructive or impulsive, it is a toolyou can use for action tied to a goal. As soon as you have an impulse tied to a goal and you feelyourself start to hesitate - start silently counting down 5-4-3-2-1 and then GO. That's it.


George WunderDirector of Data Analytics – Sales OperationsSKF [email protected]@gmail.com


“TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF” (the dreaded first question). No reason to fear it!

Hiring managers want evidence of two things when asking "tell me about yourself":your maturity and your authenticity.You will succeed with this question when you are self-aware and empathetic.What to do: tell your life story as it relates to doing well in this job. Give personal and preciseexamples.Empathy: What is the interviewer thinking: What is it about me that s/he cares about? Are you acultural fit?Do you have values similar to that of the group you'll be working with?

Don't be a phony. ("I'm intense/laid back/social/solo worker", etc. better to be honest)Don't fear the question. Practice at home. Time yourself to keep it to a couple of minutes max.

Links:

Cameron Keng: Employees Who Stay in Companies Longer Than Two Years Get Paid 50% Lesshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/cameronkeng/2014/06/22/employees-that-stay-in-companies-longer-than-2-years-get-paid-50-less/#41e540b3e07f

Lizz Schumer: Why You Should Hire a Financial Planner, Even if You’re Not Rich - The New YorkTimeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/smarter-living/why-you-should-hire-a-financial-planner.html

Darius Foroux: Price's Law - Why Only A Few People Generate Half Of The Resultshttps://dariusforoux.com/prices-law/Price's Law says that 50% of the work is done by the square root of the total number of peopleparticipate in the work. What does that mean to us? Look at your current profession. Are you in aposition to create substantial value? If the answer is no, move on to a different place where youCAN.

Darius Foroux: Don't Change Yourself. Improve yourself.https://dariusforoux.com/be-yourself/

Frank Chaparro: The perfect résumé won't get you the jobhttp://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/the-man-likely-to-be-the-next-ceo-of-goldman-sachs-says-the-perfect-rsum-wont-get-you-the-job-heres-what-will-2018-3-1018620719

Mark Abadi: Experts say too many people suffer from a delusional belief about their careershttps://www.businessinsider.com/modern-career-path-2018-7

Lori Goler, Janelle Gale, Brynn Harrington, and Adam Grant:The 3 Things Employees Really Want: Career, Community, Causehttps://hbr.org/2018/02/people-want-3-things-from-work-but-most-companies-are-built-around-only-one

Amy Gallo: The Condensed Guide to Running Meetingshttps://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-condensed-guide-to-running-meetings-973666280




Benjamin P. Hardy: How to Know if You’ll Be Successfulhttps://medium.com/thrive-global/22-ways-to-know-if-youll-become-brilliant-and-successful-at-what-you-do-f72b333e436a

Here’s an example of the perfect resume, according to Harvard career experts:https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/10/an-example-of-the-perfect-resume-according-to-harvard-career-experts.html

Here’s an example of the perfect cover letter, according to Harvard career experts:https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/23/example-of-the-perfect-cover-letter-according-to-harvard-career-experts.html

Firmin DeBrabander: Should Work Be Passion, or Duty?https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/should-work-be-passion-or-duty

In general, Harvard Business Review has a great selection of articles for young professionals.




Saving for Retirementtl;dr G & D’s advice:

● Get a financial advisor after you land that first real job. Your advisor can help you with a numberof financial issues beyond investment choices. Understand how they charge fees and youshould shop around like anything else. A place to start is wherever your family invests. Initialconsultations are free

● Seems likely taxes will rise over time to pay national debt and to meet the demands of creepingsocialism. Your starting salary will therefore likely be in a lower tax bracket than the bracket you’llbe in at retirement. On these assumptions, a Roth IRA is better for you for now. As your incomerises over time, consider Traditional IRAs for taxation diversification and the possibility of taxsavings

● Whatever your company is willing to contribute to your IRA through “Matching Contributions”,make sure you are also contributing at least that amount. It’s the best safe investment you canmake in your 20s and has a huge return over time. The farther you are from retirement, the morevaluable this is

● Save NOW. Do the math, you’ll be working 30-40 years… a simplistic model to play with is at:https://www.saving.org/savings-bonds/saving.php . Of course avg stock market returns > 5%annually...

● If your expenses meet or exceed your earnings, change your lifestyle. Aim for a 6-month cushionof cash

Excerpted from Ryan Guina https://cashmoneylife.com/traditional-ira-roth-ira-for-young-investors/Should Young Investors Choose a Traditional IRA or Roth IRA?

Retirement Plan Options – 401k, Traditional IRA, and Roth IRA● 401k: Contributions are tax-deductible now and taxed when withdrawn in retirement● Traditional IRA: Contributions are tax-deductible now and taxed when withdrawn in

retirement● Roth IRA: not tax deductible now and not taxed when withdrawn in retirement

Tax-advantaged retirement plans have specific rules regarding when you can make withdrawals,and there are contribution limits and income limits for some of these plans, which may affect youreligibility.

● Retirement account withdrawals may be subjected to early withdrawal penalties● Roth IRAs have specific income limits● Traditional IRAs are only deductible if your income falls below a certain limit

Should Young Investors Choose a Traditional IRA or Roth IRA?Consider a Roth IRA. [why?] Let’s start with taxes. You’ll earn less now than later, so you’ll likely bein a lower tax bracket now. Many people speculate that taxes will rise, and a Roth IRA provides ahedge against future tax rates because they offer tax-exempt withdrawals. A couple other benefitsinclude being able to make penalty-free early withdrawals under certain circumstances and nominimum distribution requirement, as is found with Traditional IRAs. The main advantage of aTraditional IRA is the tax break now, which can help reduce your tax bill. This benefit is alsoavailable with a 401k plan.




Which Funds, How Should You Invest, and Where?Your financial advisor can help you. Define your investment goals, then determine your risktolerance. From there, you can settle upon an asset allocation that you are comfortable with.

Where to open your IRA. You will open your 401k plan through your employer and fund it viapayroll deductions. You will need to open your IRA through a qualified custodian, which couldinclude an independent financial advisor, a bank, a discount brokerage firm, or a mutual fund house.

There is No Right or Wrong Way to GoI am partial to investing in a Roth IRA when you are young and in a lower tax bracket. Taking a taxbreak now won’t give you a substantial benefit. The long-term growth potential that compoundinterest provides could supercharge your Roth IRA – giving you a substantial nest egg for tax-freewithdrawals from in your retirement. In the end, you will need to go with the plans and investmentsthat best meet your needs and your risk tolerance. Best of luck, and congratulations on getting off tosuch a great start!




Nothing ventured, nothing gained

ACTION BEST CASE SCENARIO WORST CASESCENARIO

You call your Visa or Mastercardcustomer service and tell them you’reconsidering cancelling the card dueto the annual fee (assuming there isone)

They offer to waive the annualfee and/or give you someadditional benefit such as alower APR or access to a newpromo

Nothing has changed

You put an advanced directive inwriting and give a copy to your family

You don’t need it but your familyhas peace of mind. note: there arefree templates on the web for this

Your family suffers thehorrific emotional wringerof deciding how or if youlive or die and underwhat circumstances

You submit a resume for a positionwhere you don’t appear to meet thequalifications

The job description is overblownand you’re actually well qualified.Human Resources contacts youfor an interview

Nothing has changed

You tell your employer you havelimited overtime availability due topersonal life circumstances

They stop asking you to doovertime constantly and you getyour life back

You discover what youremployer really expectsa 40-hour week to beand you plan your nextmove

You ask a senior person inmanagement if they would be willingto mentor you

They say yes and you getexclusive advice on how tobetter your situation

They say no but areflattered and will referyou and remember youlater for your drive andinitiative

You bring a relevant or generallyimpressive research paper you did toa job interview

The interviewer is impressed andyou have differentiated yourself It doesn’t get used

On a job website where you bothattach AND copy/paste a resume intoa text box, you copy the jobdescription under the copy/pasteversion

The robot that scores yourresume rates you higher. Theinterviewer only sees the resumeyou attached anyway

Nothing has changed

You articulate in a non-annoying wayyour career goals and skill sets to thepeople you work with.

You are remembered for newopportunities. Supervisorsunderstand you are aspirational

Nothing has changed

You have a job, but look online forjob opportunities anyway You find a better opportunity

You foolishly do this in amanner that youremployer can track

You create a Linked In profile andadd connections. You include thelink on your resume. You connect torecruiters and headhunter types

Your resume gains credibilityand you demonstrateprofessional aspirations. Youare able to highlight all thedimensions of your employabilitywithout the constraints of aresume

You are ignored orspammed or phished(so, use a new specialemail address just for yourprofessional life)

Fall 2019 Advice for TCNJ Students George Wunder and Darrel Kasper

Courses totake (GW)

6:10 -6:15

5 Public speakingTeamwork orproject mgmt (ex.strategic mgmt)

Leadershiplessons (incl.failure)

Excel PowerPointAnything forPC/Mac skills

Personal finance /consumereducation

EconomicsAnything youhave personalpassion in

GraduateSchool (DK)

6:15 -6:25

10Does your fieldrequire amasters?

Do you knowexactly whatyou'll do with thedegree?

Masters = BS orBA a generationago… nearlymandatory tomove high in acompany

Have workexperience andknow yourspecific goal(s) forthis education

Don't go straightto grad, try w/in 5yrs (waivers =saving $). DKwaiving coursesstory

Find a companythat subsidizesyour continuingeducation. DK$175 total coststory

You will get an Aor B if you showup and try. GPAis irrelevant

Grad schoolchoice flowchart:

1) For specificcareer passions,find a schoolthat's top 10 inyour field(s)

2) For $$ in jobnegotiations,choose nationalreputation (Ivyleague)

3) For a slightentry edge,choose for localfamiliarity (ex.Penn State)

Otherwise (andoften) grad schoolchoice isirrelevant - pickbased on cost andconvenience

Resume (GW)6:25 -6:35

10Looking for a jobis a job. Treat itlike one

Cover internettracks prior toapplying. Stealfrom LinkedIn forresume phrasing,key words

Do not choosenontraditionalformats onresumes. HRoften reads forspeed

Do somethinginteresting? Writeit down.Interviewers mayuse as anicebreaker or tomake inferences

Cover letters - yesdo them, but nothey probablywon't be read

Have a GPA b/n 3and 3.9. If majorGPA is higher, OKto use that. Noone really cares

Robots score +engines findbased on wordchoices. Humansrarely see pre-filtered

Online researchgives criticalcontext. Don'tcyberstalk.

Do not spendmoney on aresume writingservice... resumeformat is prettystandard.

Includequantifiableresults. Do notbullet point jobdescrip./duties

Proper English, noslang, no emoji orexclamationpoints

Customizeresumes to fit theposition. Whatare the keywords?

Interview (DK)6:35 -6:50

15

Bring copies ofyour resume.Know thecompany andposition -Preparationmatters

Arrive 15 minutesearly. If you areoffered water,coffee, etc. it's OKto accept butdon't expect alatte. Nothingwrong withdeclining.

Admin asst isworthy of equalrespect, as is thereceptionist oranyone else youthink can't "help"you. They can.(Darrel story)

Be yourself, butdo not beremembered foryour choice ofclothing. Turn offyour phone.

You are beingjudged at alltimes whenonsite. Drivinginto the lot, whilewaiting in thelobby, etc.

An interview maybecome informal -demonstrate'likeable' and'motivated'.Don’t be so atease that youdiscuss yourbinge drinking

Answer honestly -the answer youthink they want isnot goodstrategy. Do notmisrepresent -you won't foolanyone once onthe job

But, BS skills -practice them.e.g. "Why are youlooking for a newjob", spend timeon personal devand growth, noton how yourcurrent job sucks

The career pathquestion OK, solong as you focusother Qs on thecurrent job. Bringat least 15-20questions to ask& pick 3-5

Look people inthe eye. Getbusiness cards orcontact info fromall you interviewwith, plus theadmin assistant.

Send thank youemails at aminimum. Makethem each a littledifferent.

Negotiate foryourself.Understand "totalcomp". For offers- get an offerletter (it spellsout what you'reagreeing to)

Less or not helpful: Statistics, Calculus, Theory of ____,any "general ed" requirement. Most learning (even atTCNJ) not used in the working world


Career Growth(GW)

6:50 -6:55

5

It's not the lastjob you'll everhave... (DK)

6:55 -7:05

10

You will likelyhave 15-20different jobs(every 2 yrs) inyour career andwork at 8-10differentcompanies (every5 years) (DK - 9companies)

Industry /Company / Role /SalaryPick an industryyou love and startat the bottom.

Know yourworkstyle typepreferences. (ex,Myers Briggs,small company vs.large, casual vs.professional)

Titles don't meanmuch, althoughsome people willact like they do.Good on resumesthough

No, you are notready to be amanager straightout of school.Progression likelywill be morelogarithmic thanlinear

You move up theladder more bynetworking +good attitudethan hoursworked orproductivity

LIFE IS NOT FAIR.Neither is work.Promotions,raises, andattention do notalways go tothose doing thebest and mostwork - promoteyourself!

Advancement +bigger raisesoften come fromleaving. But ifyou find a placeyou mesh with -the grass is notalways greener

Some managersare terrible attheir jobs. Beconstructive inhow you dealwith them.(Darrel story)

Take what youcan fromsuboptimal jobs,making it usefulto your careerprogression

Email and IMEtiquette (GW)

7:05 -7:15

10

Understand thevalue of CYA(cover your a**)emails. Forrelaying badnews, phone it

No need to send“thank you” onlyemail responses,say it in person

Have aprofessionalautosignature, nofamousquotations,emoji, etc.

Brevity in emailsand IMs ispreferred. If it'sfaster to call, call.

You have noguarantee ofprivacy at theoffice

Limit exclamationpoints, emoji,nonstandardfonts. how r u?not good :(

Use the bcc linevery judiciouslyand infrequently

The rules of"reply all" in worksettings apply.Don't emailsomeone tocorrect theirmisuse of "replyall".

Keep emotionsout of businessemail, no matterhow tempting

Considerprecision on thesubject line ofemails, or as if itwere going to bethe headline ofthe NYT

Observe others'emails and IMs toget a flavor forhow the culturebehaves

emails and IMsare forever

Keep in touch with professionalcontacts from previous jobs.(Following on LinkedIn or Facebookdoesn't count)...... The businessworld is small and incestuous - youwill likely run into the same peopleat multiple stops along your career.Look for mentors

Ensure an email chain doesn't loseany attachments. People prefer tokeep just the latest email in a chain

When forwarding, read the entirethread to ensure finger-pointing,confidential or otherwise off-color/inappropriate commentary arescrubbed

Use your personal devices forpersonal things. Some businessestrack keystrokes and browsingactivity

Corporations are not designed toovercome your shortcomings anddifficulties.

Many corporate environments are(still) about the numbers and lessabout individual talents you bring

Incremental gains take too long. Goto the experts first to learn how andwhen to skip steps

Your inner critic prevents you fromseeing how positively others viewyou and your work. Be aware!

If your background and skills and previous work experience seems lost inthe day-to-day work shuffle, it pays to remind those around you.Sometimes it can lead to greater work opportunities and promotions


Meetings -Attending andRunning (GW)

7:15 -7:25

10

Don't show uptoo early. Beready to go ontime, others willappreciate it eventhough they maynever reciprocate

Bring a notepad.Don't take outyour electronicdevice unlessthat's the norm

As time permits,intro yourself 1:1.First + last name,plus who youwork with or for,and your dept ifit's not clear orobvious

Are you a Type-Apersonality?meetings willsuck, and you’llsuck at meetings.They won’t meetyour expectations

Do you have"resting bitchface"? Smilinghelps reinforceeye contact andcounteract thenegativeimpression.

OK to ask aquestion unlessit's going to wastetime. If high-levelexecs attend andthat's not thenorm, ask later

You can declinemeetings. Onlygo to meetingsyou need to be in,unless there's apolitical reasonyou need to bethere

If possible, insiston ways tocollaborate thatdon't require sit-down meetings

Avoid presentingin the timeslotbefore or after along break orlunch. Ifunavoidable,keep it brief

Avoid distractionsand thetemptation todoodle or look atyour phone, evenif others do it

Usually less ismore.

Do a run through toensure slidestransition the wayyou talk. Practicewith a mirror

With PowerPoint,expect zombies +the "email us theslides" laziness.Try a blank slide ifyou want theirattention

Look people inthe eye. Listen!Make sureanswers showyou understandtheir questions.

Never showpeople up orembarrass in agroup. Ever.Even if theydeserve it

Deliverables andcompletion dates!The worstmeetings =nothing changedfrom the previousmeeting

You don't have tofill the allottedmeeting time. Ifyou manage tofinish early, endit. You will beloved

FinancialAdvice (GW)

7:25 -7:40

15Get a financialadvisor and makea plan

Get end of lifedocuments(advanceddirectives at aminimum)

Buy low, sell high.Or buy & hold.Stocks are goodlong-term.

Treat work-lifebalance as $$when comparingjob offers

Get annual feeswaived on creditcards.

Save more now,live better later.

Aim for a six-month $ cushion(minimum), keepliquid in case ofemergencies likejob loss

Pay credit off infull or before 0%interest expires.It's not Monopolymoney!

401k max out...Every raise youget - divert half toyour 401k. Rothor Trad dependson tax

Save as much asyou can early.Your 45 year oldself will thank youfor starting whenyou’re young

Spending as muchas your making?you’re doingsomething wrong.Get budgeting

Credit Unions

General Adviceand Wrap UpThemes (DK)

7:40 -7:50

10

Establish your own personalwork/life cadence early in yourcareer. You can climb the ladder justfine by not sacrificing your first bornand life to the company

Get passion out of your life... notyour job. Pick a job you are good atand can make money at, but getpleasure out of life

You never know who’s related,dating, or best friends outside ofwork. Be careful what you say andwho you say it about. Insecurity iseverywhere (DK examples)

If you work with emotional people,know that you cannot meet theiremotional needs, as they areinsatiable and will be drawn toempathy

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Youdon't know everything

Take advice - you need it. So do yourcoworkers, but do not offerunsolicited. Look for mentors!

Do not compromise your personalvalues/ethics. Also, have values andethics

Know when to draw the line - don’tlose yourself or your family

Working long hours may lead peopleto think you goof off during the day,don't know your job, or just areinefficient. Do not compensate forslackers

Courageous Communication...practice this every day (Unemotionaland Professional)

A job pays bills and hopefully givessome enjoyment/ satisfaction alongthe way. A job doesn’t define you. Ifit’s too stressful, rethink your choice


General Advice

Not everyone hasseen yourresume, and youwill not see theirs

Dress a little nicerthan the officestandard,consistently (butmake sure you fitin...)

Unless you're anIT guru, don't fixeveryone else's ITproblems.

Decorate yourcubicle minimally -you're likely toleave work earlier

Keep workspaceprofessional, it’s areflection onyou… cautiouslycreative if youmust expressyourself

Fear of BetterOptions (FOBO):Don't let itparalyze you. Thegrass isn't alwaysgreener

Politics, religion,race, genderdiscussions... Justdon't.

Don’t use foullanguage whereyou can beoverheard

You move fasterthan yourenvironment.Look steps ahead

Kill your enemieswith kindness.Don't argue withidiots. Play wellwith others.

Understand whatothers do in youroffice and how itcontributes tooverall output

Don’t get suckedin to the well-poisoner club – atoxic employeecan spoil thebunch and youdon’t want to bemisidentified asan accomplice tooffice negativity

It’s always goodto take onadditionalresponsibilitiesbut know yourlimitations. Theworst thing youcan do is tooverpromise andunder-deliver.

Get back tocustomers ontheir requests. Ifyou can't answer/deliver in a timelyfashion, let themknow you'reworking on it andnegotiate atimeframe

Companies wantproblem solvers.Understand theinterpersonaldynamics of anoffice problem.Discuss with yourmanager privatelyfirst.

Understand whoyour customersare bothinternally andexternally andtreat them withrespect anddignity even ifthey haven'tearned it

Do not provideevidence toconfirmsuspicions aboutyour generation'swork attitudesand affirmationcraving

When do I go to Graduate School?(Years After TCNJ)

NeverOver 105-101-5Immediately

What is the Cost of Graduate School?

Participation Trophy

AA-B+BB-

Career and Job Evaluation

Salary

Title / Role

Company

Industry

LEAST

MOST

Importance

Career Progression

CONTACT US!!!

Darrel Kasper

Associate Director, Sales Operations

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Company

[email protected]

[email protected]

George Wunder

Director of Data Analytics

SKF Inc.

[email protected]

[email protected]

september business leaders talk · j. maureen henderson (forbes nov 2016) the temptation,...

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