Getting Down To Business Workbook 2018-2019 - Cornell Johnson
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Getting Down To Business Workbook 2018-2019
Table of Contents
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Networking
Mapping Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Student Council Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Requesting the Informational Interview—
The Networking Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Preface Sample Outreach Emails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Introduction to the Career Management Center . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Informational Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Thank-You Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Overview MBA Career Fairs - Get Face Time with Recruiters . . . . . . . .33
The MBA Job Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6 Should You Attend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Before the Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
The Process At the Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5 Steps to Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 After the Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Step 1: Self-Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Exercise: Understanding Your CareerLeader® Results . . . 7 Follow-Up
Exercise: Introspective Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Thank-You Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Welcome
Exercise: Job Envy vs. Job from Hell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Thank-You Letter Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Step 2: Explore Your Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sample Thank-You Email Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Step 3: Focus! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Step 4: Make Yourself a Strong Candidate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Offer
Step 5: Convince Employers that You’re a Great Candidate . 9 Evaluating and Negotiating Job Offers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Individual Career Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10 Exercise: Evaluating Your Offers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Accepting or Declining an Offer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Getting Noticed
Strong Personal Presence and Professional Image . . . . . . . . 11 Appendix A
Introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 List of Resources and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
MBA Résumé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 CareerLeader® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 The Johnson Career Management Center (CMC) is pleased to present the
Keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 CareerBeam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 2018–2019 edition of the “Getting Down to Business” workbook. This book has a
What to Omit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 JConnect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 proud legacy — we have in our archives a copy of the “1991–1992 Career Services
Formatting Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Johnson Talent System (JTS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Handbook” — and our principles remain unchanged: Like our predecessors,
What to Include . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14 Management Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-40 we empower students to manage their job searches and offer tools and advice
Sample Résumés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Capital IQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 relevant to the current market.
Résumé Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Bigdough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Cover Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Vault.com Online Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
This reference tool and workbook is the companion to our CMC and Career Work
Cover Letter Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 GOINGLOBAL Career Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Group curricula. Read it completely as soon as you receive it so that you know
Sample Cover Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16 JPay+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
what it contains and how it is organized. Then, refer to it often as you plan your
Student Spotlight: Yuxin (Livia) Liu, MBA ’16, ILR ‘16 . . . . . 17 MBAExchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
career search, prepare for interviews, and evaluate job offers.
Other Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Be Prepared
Each student has a different learning style. Therefore, the CMC has developed
Problem-Action-Result (PAR) Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Appendix B
an integrated career management program in collaboration with clubs, faculty,
PAR Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Sample Résumés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41-46
Cynthia Saunders-Cheatham alumni, library staff, and the students themselves. You will have opportunities to
PAR Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20
202 Sage Hall talk privately with experienced advisors, to discuss your job search in small work
Interview Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Appendix C
607-254-3375 groups, and to hear from CMC staff and alumni in large lecture halls. At every
Exercise 1: Know the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Sample Cover Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47-56
ccs86@cornell.edu point, we want what you learn in one setting to be reinforced by what you hear in
Exercise 2: Know the Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
other settings and by your own hard work and practice.
Know the Interviewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22
Exercise 3: Research the Interviewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Types of Interviews and Sample Questions . . . . . . . . 22-25
Being admitted to Johnson means that you have the skills and background to
Student Spotlight: Vikas Panghal, MBA ‘16 . . . . . . . . . . . 23
succeed in your career search and to make a strong contribution to the Johnson
A Note About Phone and Other Virtual Interviews . . . . . 26
community. On behalf of the Career Management Center team, I welcome you, and
Interview Follow-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
I am excited to partner with you in your quest for a rewarding career.
Company Research Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Company Research For Career . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Go Big Red!
Warm regards,
Cynthia Saunders-Cheatham
Executive Director of the Career Management Center
1
Student Council Welcome
Symone Williams and Harrison F. Jobe
Student Council Co-chairs
Welcome to Johnson! We couldn’t be more excited for
you to join our community. The MBA journey requires
many moving parts and involves support at all levels,
from your peers, second years, the Career Management
Center, and alumni — we’re all invested in your success. What is your favorite part of the recruiting process?
This workbook is just the beginning, but it will provide
you with many valuable resources from industry experts, My favorite part of the recruiting process is seeing our
recruiters, and members of the Johnson community. As on-campus efforts result in a pool of candidates that we
you begin this process, remember to stay true to yourself have a hard time choosing between. Student talent and
— we’re all rooting for you! enthusiasm is inspiring and makes my job interesting
and rewarding.
Symone and Harrison
Student Council Co-Chairs Nicole Bigarani, Principal Program Manager, University
Talent Acquisition and Strategy at Genentech
What do you look for in consulting recruits?
Recruiting for us is essential. We are not saying “buy
our product.” We are saying “buy us.” People are our
product, and we are only as good as our people. We need
smart, interesting people who are constantly throwing
us on our heads. I want someone on my team who is
going to challenge me.
Alyssa Casey, Business Strategy Manager,
Accenture Strategy
2 3
Preface Overview
Introduction to the Career Management Center The MBA Job Search
Johnson’s Career Management Center (CMC) provides • Publishes reports that allow students to The job search starts as soon as you become a Johnson student. Very soon
outstanding, personalized customer service to alumni, understand the success of prior classes and the after arriving in Ithaca — and often before — you’ll be meeting alumni and
students, and corporate recruiters to facilitate the history of our relationships with leading employers corporate recruiters and will be expected to make a good impression.
best possible matches between our students and • Collaborates with student clubs and Student
alumni and potential employers. Our mission is to Council so that everyone’s efforts to aid students Below is an internship search timeline for students in the Two-year
help students and alumni develop careers that will is maximized MBA program.
provide long-term satisfaction and growth and to help August
companies identify candidates who can enhance and • Selects and trains second-year Career Work Group Discovery
promote their success in the marketplace. leaders and organizes the groups • August — Throughout • September and October
June September
• Understands and develops best practices in career Career
orientation, you’ll be meeting — The CMC will host short,
The CMC is committed to helping each student: management through participation in the MBA
Internship
Preparation classmates and learning team- intensive workshops so that you
Throughout
Career Services & Employer Alliance building skills that should can practice key skills essential
• Identify a career path that is consistent with his/ The year
serve you for life. You’ll also for a successful job search
her interests, values, and abilities CMC’s main office is located in 202 Sage Hall, though
Check JTS
Jan. - Feb. often Oct. - Nov. meet alumni and be exposed to • October and November
• Create a plan for finding the job on which that some advisors have offices outside the suite. The office important information about
Interview Practice — Second-year students will lead
career can be launched is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on weekdays. Students career paths small functionally focused Career
• Present himself/herself as a strong candidate in may drop in whenever the office is open to schedule an December
• Early September — You will Work Groups so that you can
the marketplace appointment to speak with a staff member at the front Apply sign up for a Career Work Group further practice skills needed for
desk. Students may make appointments with advisors
based on your functional and securing and acing interviews in
We expect each student to be committed to: by using the Scheduling Assistant feature of Outlook
industry interest. Career Work the field you’re pursuing
or by dropping by and asking a staff member at the
• Fully examining his/her capabilities, interests, First-year MBA career cycle: Groups are groups of five or so • December — Many internships
front desk to schedule a meeting. We can be reached
values, and traits
The first year of your MBA program will help first-year students led by second- filled through on-campus
via telephone at 607-255-4888, email cmc@johnson. you lay the foundation for your post-MBA year students who work on all recruiting have application
• Developing and managing a plan to find a job and cornell.edu, or the web at www.johnson.cornell.edu/ career. From core classes, core teams, and Career
matters of career preparation, deadlines in December. Many
launch a career Career-Management. Work Groups, everything happens in due time
to prepare you to excel at your internship and including résumés, pitch, net- investment banks may actually
The CMC communicates regularly with students get the job you seek in the fall. That being said, working, and mock interviews conduct first-round and final
In keeping with our mission and in recognition of the some internship interviews will occur in the fall
varying needs of our clients, the Career Management through the Career Network News (CNN) e-newsletter. • Early September and interviews in December
before on-campus recruiting at summer MBA
Center offers a range of services. The CMC: This is our primary mechanism for announcing continuing — The CMC hosts
diversity conferences, virtual briefings, and • January and February
workshops and programs and reminding students other off-campus events companies will host. company briefings in which — Interviews take place on-
• Offers confidential one-on-one meetings with of various application and registration deadlines. It’s you’ll have opportunities to campus for summer internships
professional advisors important to make a habit of reading CNN. The CMC meet alumni and learn about
will also share opportunities and announcements a company’s organization, • Throughout the year
• Manages on-campus recruiting bringing
through JConnect via the Career Management products, career paths, and — Jobs will be posted on
companies to campus (and virtually) for briefings
Residential group and other industry specific CMC culture. Most companies offer Johnson Talent System (JTS)
and interviews
interest groups. Be sure to follow us on JConnect and post-briefing receptions so that that will be filled outside on-
• Provides online tools for self-assessment, skill- subscribe to the daily digest in order to have the most you can speak personally with campus recruiting
building, researching companies, identifying recent information available daily. For some events, we representatives • June — You begin your
contacts, and preparing for interviews expect students to register through CampusGroups;
• Also in September — Clubs summer internship!
• Hosts workshops to teach job-search skills and this will be clarified when programs are announced.
will welcome you as new
provide opportunities for students to practice in a Many tools that you’ll find useful in your job search are
members and offer valuable
safe environment posted in JConnect under Career Management Center.
assistance and support in your
There you’ll find the recruiting calendar, diversity
• Engages outside speakers to augment our training job search
conference dates, and substantial content related to
and to inspire job seekers
job searches in particular functions. You should become
• Organizes support for students attending career familiar with the organization of CMC content in
fairs hosted by third parties JConnect so that you can find material quickly when
• Cultivates relationships with alumni and you need it.
corporate recruiters
4 5
Step 1
Self-Assessment Understand Explore Focus Make Convince
For students in the One-year MBA program, a general timeline looks like this:
Self-assessment is the first and possibly the most List five of your high-match careers.
important step in planning your career. You are more
• Orientation in May — meet alumni and learn about likely to be happy and fulfilled in your vocation if it is Make some notes about business cultures that are
During orientation and early a company’s organization, based on your interests, values, and skills. MBA grad- consistent with your values, skills, and interests.
coursework, you’ll be meeting products, career paths, and uates often choose their careers based on what they are
• Based on your CultureMatch results in www.
classmates and learning culture. Most companies offer “good” at, but the most important question is “What
may careerleader.com®, reflect on the culture of the work
team-building skills that post-briefing receptions so that interests you?” You probably fall into one of three
Discovery environment you just came from. Do the results
should serve you for life. you can speak personally with categories, all of which can benefit from self-assessment:
explain why you were happy or unhappy with the
JUNE SUMMER You’ll also hear from alumni representatives
• Clear idea of your goals culture there?
Job starts Career and be exposed to important • October — Application
Preparation
Throughout information about career paths • Idea about a few industries or job functions you • Based on your results, in what types of corporate
deadlines for many full-time
The year
might consider cultures will you be happiest or most productive?
• Throughout the jobs filled through on-campus
Check JTS
NOVEMBER often SEPTEMBER
summer — The CMC will host recruiting occur in October • Unsure where you fit best • Based on these results, what industries and job
a series of short, intensive work- • November — Interviews functions are you most interested in pursuing?
Interview Practice
shops so that you can learn about If you’re in the first category and have a clear idea of
take place on-campus for
OCTOBER and practice key skills essential your career plans, you’ll use self-assessment to help Exercise: Introspective Questions
full-time jobs
Apply for a successful job search. link your interests, values, and skills to the job you’re
You will participate in mock • Throughout the year seeking. For the other two categories, self-assessment Spend some time thinking about the following:
interviews and functionally- — Jobs will be posted on can help clarify one or even a few career directions that
Johnson Talent System (JTS) might appeal to you. If you are a career switcher, self- • Describe one or two of the most important experi-
focused Career Work Groups
One-year MBA career cycle: that will be filled outside on- assessment will be particularly valuable in ensuring ences in your career. Why were these experiences so
The career cycle for a One-year MBA is similar • Early September and campus recruiting important to you?
that you’re headed in the right direction! The following
to the first-year cycle, just a much faster pace. continuing — The CMC hosts
• June — You launch your exercises can help you in that process. • In your work experiences to date, of what accom-
company briefings in which
post-MBA career! plishments are you most proud and why?
you’ll have opportunities to Exercise: Understanding Your CareerLeader®
Results • With whom have you enjoyed working, or not? Why?
For second-year students in the Two-year MBA program, the timeline aligns • Think about the individual tasks of past jobs. Which
with One-year MBA students from early September on. Based on your www.careerleader.com® results, write did you find engaging and inspiring? Which did you
down your three main interests, top three motivators, not?
and top five abilities. Ask yourself:
The process • What are your three strongest business interests
Exercise: Job Envy vs. Job from Hell
5 steps to success Understand Explore Focus Make Convince
(per the Detailed Summary)? What are your thoughts (Adapted from Discovering Your Career in Business by
about why these came up as your strongest Timothy Butler and James Waldroop)
Shortly after arriving at Johnson, 5. convince employers that you’re interests? Do these interests relate to the work you
did before? Do they reflect your current interests? Imagine your ideal job. What features of this job make it
you should start developing a sound a terrific candidate. attractive to you? Why? Describe your ideal job in detail.
plan for conducting your job search. • What are your three most highly valued work rewards Where are you working? What is your day like? What are
The process of finding a job is basic You will likely work on the fourth (per the Detailed Summary)? In previous jobs, how
and fifth steps at the same time, your interactions like throughout the day? What are our
in theory but requires energy and were these met? Most jobs involve making trade-offs main activities?
persistence to implement successful- and continue to work on the fourth among different rewards. Which of your highly
ly. In broad strokes, it is a five-step step even after accepting a job. If a valued rewards are you willing to defer for now? Now recall or imagine a work situation that was or
process: summer internship does not turn Why? would be particularly distasteful to you. What tasks or
out quite as well as you hoped, you circumstances did or would you dislike the most? Why?
1. understand your goals, values, may revisit steps one and two in the • Review your abilities and reflect on your five
greatest abilities. How could you apply them in Be as specific as possible about what you dislike about
and skills fall of your second year. The path is this job.
not always linear. your post-MBA position?
2. explore your options
• Are there any inconsistencies or tensions between If you are having difficulty getting clarity about
3. focus on a job function that This manual will be your guide for your interests or abilities? For instance, you have a your interests, values, and skills, discuss your www.
best suits your values, interests, most of these steps and is intended weak interest in creative production but put a high careerleader.com® results with a CMC advisor and
and skills to be used by every student seeking estimate on your ability to be creative. How is this try to attend a career self-assessment workshop. You
4. make yourself a strong employment. It will complement possible? This example highlights the difference may find it helpful to read Discovering Your Career in
candidate CMC training programs and your between an interest and ability: We are skilled at Business and complete Chapter 3 exercises.
Career Work Group. many things that we have little interest in actually
doing as a career
6 7
Step 4
Understand Explore Focus Make Convince
Make yourself A
strong candidate
Much of the work in making yourself a desirable research about what that job entails for that particular
employee lies outside the direct purview of the Career employer.
Management Center.
As a student, you will develop knowledge and acquire
To be a strong candidate, you must know the industry. technical skills through coursework, Leadership Skills
This is particularly important if you are looking for a job Programs (LSPs), Managerial Skills Programs (MSPs),
in which you would be managing products or marketing and hours of practice and review. For many jobs, this
campaigns. In those cases, you should be familiar with will entail becoming an expert user of PowerPoint and
industry trends and leading products. Many technology Excel, or mastering case frameworks, or developing
companies, for example, expect candidates to be users of strong stock pitches. Immersion faculty and Career Work
their services and products. The Management Library (see Group leaders can offer advice on skills you’ll need.
Appendix A) can teach you how to research industries
you’re targeting. Employers look for candidates with strong “soft” skills
in communication, negotiation, time management, cross-
You should also understand the role(s) you want to fill. cultural understanding, and teamwork. These skills will
step 2 If you explored your options, you already have a good come through your coursework, LSPs and MSPs, club
Understand Explore Focus Make Convince understanding of typical MBA roles. When applying activities, and some CMC programs.
Explore your for a specific role, you may need to conduct additional
options
Ideally you should understand most of your options events. To thoroughly explore all options, prospective
Step 5
Understand Explore Focus Make Convince
when you apply to business schools, and the exploration and new students should: Convince employers
can continue after you are accepted and through the • Pay attention to descriptions of job functions offered
first weeks of school. The leading job functions that in www.careerleader.com® that you’re a great
MBA students fill, typically, are consulting, one of the
several areas of finance, consumer product marketing,
• Attend Career Path presentations by CMC staff
during Orientation
candidate
and technical product management. New graduates are • Attend alumni career panels hosted by the CMC
especially drawn to leadership-development programs during Orientation When you’re focused and confident that you are framework. Once you are focused, you can use Dalton’s
that allow them to continue to practice in several • Speak with second-year students, alumni, friends, developing skills needed to succeed on the job, you should recommendations to create your own list of companies.
functional areas before specializing. family, and colleagues about their jobs develop a plan for actually looking for a job. We urge all
• Read biographies of successful businesspeople, Johnson students to read The 2-Hour Job Search by Steve Other tools that you will need in your search will be
We urge you to be open-minded about job functions in industry news, and various guides to job functions Dalton and to follow his recommendation for developing described in this section. The order in which they are
the first few weeks at Johnson. You might be surprised and industries a list of companies at which you’ll look for opportunities. described may not be the order in which you will need
by what you like and don’t like in coursework or in • Attend corporate briefings hosted by the CMC Ideally, students should read this book once before to create them or use them, but you should understand
interactions with professional clubs and recruiting • Read Vault’s MBA Career Bible, available online arriving at Johnson to become familiar with the all of them.
through the Management Library
the ICP
Step 3 Individual Career Plan
Understand Explore Focus Make Convince
Focus!
To be successful in your job search, you need a well- will help you organize the plan for your job search. Your
thought-out, systematic plan for targeting people, ICP is not a static document. It will change over time as
Your joint efforts in exploring interests and under- Even traditional MBA roles, such as investment banking companies, and positions. In the job search, you are a you learn more about the job function you’re targeting or
standing the MBA job market will soon lead you to or consulting, are highly competitive. Inevitably even “brand.” You are packaging and selling your unique as your personal interests and needs change. The “Target
decide what kind of job you want to pursue. The more well-prepared students are excluded from these jobs. qualities and attributes. Therefore, you need to be very Company List” will flow from the exercises in The 2-Hour
focus you demonstrate, the more likely you are to be specific about what you are looking for and what you can Job Search.
successful in your job search — to a point. Some job For these reasons, we urge all students to have backup offer. This template for an Individual Career Plan (ICP)
functions pursued by MBA students are highly refined plans. A good backup plan may be just a more roundabout
or are in areas with little turnover, which means there route to your original goal, or it may be different goal.
are few job openings in a given year. This is a good topic for discussion with a CMC advisor
or your Career Work Group leader.
8 9
GETTING NOTICED
Strong personal presence and professional image
We have all read about first impressions and the impact • Get in the habit of keeping a neat and mature
they can have on your professional success. Most personal appearance on any day when you are
professionals agree that within two minutes you have likely to meet a recruiter, alumnus/a, or company
already been evaluated. Some argue that it happens even representative
faster than that — within seconds. People evaluate your • Practice a firm handshake with both men and
appearance in its entirety. They observe your demeanor, women. Ask friends and CMC staff if it is too firm
mannerisms, and body language, and even assess your or not firm enough
grooming. Within seconds, you have moved from being
a neutral candidate, assessed only by a résumé, to a • Remember to have eye contact during your
probable or improbable candidate. You might argue conversations. If this does not come naturally to
that you have the best skills among all the potential you for personal or cultural reasons, ask a CMC
candidates. But you will never get to prove that if the staff member or CWG leader to prompt you until it
initial impressions you make are poor. Yes, a candidate becomes natural
can overcome a bad first impression, but it is an uphill • Smile and be expressive when you are introduced
battle. If you are impressive in the first two minutes, to someone
research has shown that interviewers will give you the
• Read How to Win Friends and Influence People by
benefit of the doubt on the more problematic parts of
Dale Carnegie. Carnegie’s book has been the classic
your résumé. There are two reasons for this. First, people
guide for business behavior in the United States for
prefer to hire people they like — people who will get
more than 50 years. Even if your interviewers do
along with the team and not strain the social fabric.
not practice the ideas in this book, they know that
Second, regardless of your initial position, you are being
good professionals do. Read this book and use its
assessed on your ability to make a good first impression
suggestions
on clients. That will help close sales and result in greater
customer satisfaction. The bottom line is that if you fail • Read How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes. This
the two-minute test, you will likely have a long and is a newer book that is particularly useful if you
difficult job search. don’t have a lot of experience with the well-heeled
in finance, consulting, and C-level circles
Here are some tips to help you make a good first — and
lingering — impression. • Practice! Practice informally by putting these ideas
to work with your friends on a day-to-day basis. Be
sure to ask for their evaluations
Sharon Bois, Director of Strategy and Analysis, Corning Incorporated
10 11
GETTING NOTICED GETTING NOTICED
Introductions MBA RÉSUMÉ
The manner in which you introduce yourself is critical in Use the following template and examples to help refine The purpose of your résumé is to draw the attention of descriptions, browsing trade organization materials, and
leaving a strong first impression. Your self-introduction your pitch. Consider creating a couple of versions, since recruiters so that you will be invited for interviews. Your reviewing company web sites. This is an important step to
is often referred to as your “pitch.” Your pitch should you will need to adjust your pitch for different industries résumé is an essential tool in your job search. Not only is it follow. Often, a live person does not review résumés that
be succinct, memorable, and relevant. You will use it at or functions. read by employers seeking candidates for open positions, do not pass through the computer screening process. It is
corporate briefings, at networking events, in conversations it is also used as a “calling card” when you meet people important to get through this screen.
on planes, or wherever you want to quickly summarize You will see variations of this model, some of which are in your field. A great résumé describes your achievements
your unique qualifications and career aspirations. It is quite effective. Develop a pitch that feels natural and and skills in such a way that readers can quickly under- What to Omit
an art to be able to use your pitch in a way that sounds comfortable to you and that you think strongly conveys stand your strengths and easily infer your interests. The standard professional résumé in the United States
genuine and fluid and not overly rehearsed. your energy, character, and interests. does NOT include any of the following:
The standard Johnson School résumé is a one-page
document summarizing your education, professional • Photo
Component Purpose Example 1 Example 2 Your Pitch experience, related skills and interests, and personal • Height, weight, or other physical features
interests. Employers in business favor a straightforward, • Marital status
Introduction Identify who “Hello. I’m Jane Smith, a “Hello. My name is José reverse chronological-order document. Therefore, we
you are first-year MBA student at Mendez. I am a first- • Objectives
discourage using a “functional résumé” format. For the
Johnson at Cornell.” year MBA student at • Executive summary
JTS résumé database (still sometimes called a résumé
Johnson at Cornell.” “book”), you are required to use the template we have • Citizenship (but you may include work authorization)
prepared. This same template may serve you well Formatting Specifications
Background Establish a “I have a strong “Before MBA school, I
throughout your career.
foundation for operational background worked for five years in • Use one sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” paper
credibility (Can in telecommunications.” operations management The résumé is not written in complete sentences, but in • Use a clear, simple font, such as Arial, Palatino, or
include a key in the auto industry, short phrases. These phrases should convey a lot in a Times Roman
achievement. where I led global cross- few words. Insofar as possible, the phrases in the
Often leads functional teams to • Use a 10-, 11-, or 12-point font
“professional experience” section of the résumé should
to further improve quality and • Margins should be 1” or 1.25” all around
summarize your achievements. Begin these phrases with
discussion.) delivery.” strong past-tense verbs, such as achieved, managed, • Do not use oversized type for your name or change
coordinated, led, oversaw, and facilitated. Whenever type size or style within the document; stick to one
Your Story Connect the dots “This is where I gained “In my company, font style for a clean, crisp appearance
(No more than exposure to strategic I noticed how the possible, quantify the results of your work: e.g., did you
reduce costs, increase sales, reduce lead time, reduce • Section headings should be in the left margin
three points. planning, by participating brand team analyzed
Points should in merger and acquisition the consumer, market, staff turnover, or improve client satisfaction ratings? • Use bold or italic to highlight schools, titles, or
be relevant to activities. It was in these and competition and Edit ruthlessly and annihilate all unnecessary words and company names
the position.) activities that I became used this analysis to sentences. • Use a list format with bullets to set off short
very interested in solving improve marketing, descriptive phrases
broader business problems KeyWords
communication, and
and developing a sense What to Include
product design. This Most employers use computerized scanning systems to
of connection between resulted in significant • Name, email address, and preferred telephone
strategy and operational search for keywords in the thousands of résumés they
sales and market-share receive. To maximize your chances of scoring with these number. For your email address, use your Cornell
capabilities. That’s why…” email unless there is a good reason to do otherwise;
growth.” systems, incorporate keywords and describe your work
experience in a manner that is meaningful to your target for example, if you are sending your résumé to
Career Goal Express “I’m pursuing a career in “That’s why I am pur- Google, use your Gmail address for your résumé
your goal management consulting.” suing a career in brand industry. Develop your keyword list through research
management. I want to conducted in informational interviews and by reading job • Education — List institutions and degrees in reverse
have a stake in setting chronological order, including the month and year
marketing strategy at you graduated or expect to graduate. If space allows
What do you look for in a strong resume?
a consumer packaged and these are notable, also include:
We typically look for résumés that highlight interest in our
goods company.” industry, such as being a member of the healthcare club or on o Majors, minors, concentrations, Johnson School
Fun Fact Differentiate and “I like to visit “I like to surf.” a healthcare track. We also look for previous experience immersions
(optional) make memorable foreign countries.” at biotech or pharmaceutical companies, as well as achieve- o Honors and awards
(Often leads to ments. Someone who has won scholarships or case compe-
o Named scholarships
titions can make a strong case for themselves on paper
more questions and o Excellent GPA
without having previous healthcare experience. Overall, it’s
a conversation.) being able to display that you have some type of vested inter- o GMAT, in some cases
est in working for a company that is passionate about patients. o Special programs and study abroad experiences
Nicole Bigarani, Principal Program Manager, University
Talent Acquisition and Strategy at Genentech
12 13
GETTING NOTICED
COVER LETTERS
• Work experience — Jobs held are listed in reverse résumé to secure an assistant brand manager position Most, though not all, employers require applicants to should include in the final paragraph a specific next step.
chronological order. Include name of company, job with Ocean Spray. submit cover letters with their job applications. Your Read your letter carefully and correct any misspellings
title, and dates held cover letter is an extension of your résumé and reflects or errors. If you are applying for a job at company X,
o For companies that are not well-known, add a Kristen Edwards, MBA ’16 — Kristen is a veteran of the your knowledge of a specific employer’s needs. It make sure that you refer to company X in the body of
short description including industry, size, and U.S. Army who served eight years of active duty. During should demonstrate that you are able to communicate the letter and that the letter is addressed to a person at
target market her service, Kristen led an aviation company, a medical clearly and concisely, that you are sincerely interested that company. It is a good idea, as well, to use a filename
evacuation team, and collaborated with local forces and in this particular job, and that you are well suited for for the electronic version of the letter that names the
o Convey achievements in concise descriptive international teams through several deployments in the job. Employers look for enthusiasm for the industry, company. In the rare case that the letter is going by
statements using strong past-tense verbs; for Afghanistan and Iraq. Kristen leveraged her background company, and position. Because employers’ needs postal mail, it should be printed with black ink on high-
a list of verbs to try, see www.livecareer.com/ and leadership experience to land a product manage- are different, you should write a unique cover letter quality paper and your signature should be in black ink.
resumes/samples ment internship with Amazon in summer 2015, which carefully tailored to each individual employer.
o Demonstrate results, not just tasks and later converted to the role of senior product manager. Cover letters go wrong in several common ways,
responsibilities Read every job description carefully and make sure including the following:
Brett Lester, MBA ’17 — Brett is a veteran of the U.S. that you address in your cover letter the primary skills
o Quantify results as much as possible required for each role. As much as possible without • Having the wrong company name or contact
Marines Corps who served six years of active duty with
o Write for the reader by identifying skills useful in writing in a stilted manner, incorporate the exact words person’s name in the cover letter. This happens
a background in intelligence and civilian experiences in
the position for which you’re applying and citing used in the description so that your letter will pass more frequently than you might expect. We are
finance and project management. Brett recruited for a
examples of achievements that demonstrate automated scanning and keyword search systems. all guilty of this kind of oversight, but it is always
consulting internship and accepted a position with Ernst
those skills embarrassing nevertheless
& Young’s performance improvement strategy group.
COVER LETTER FRAMEWORK • Over-the-top or cliché language. Don’t say that
o If you are a career switcher, make sure the
reader understands the significance of your Elizabeth Luckey Suspanic, MBA ’17 — Liz used her A cover letter typically comprises three parts: you’ve always had a passion for the durable goods
accomplishments and can imagine you résumé to leverage four years of knowledge in marketing manufacturing industry if you don’t truly love
transferring your skills; avoid jargon and international experience to secure a summer 1. Introduction: Capture the employer’s interest! washing machines and dishwashers
position with Colgate-Palmolive in the Global Marketing Identify the position for which you are applying, • “It’s all about me.” Make a case for how you can
• Languages, including level of proficiency Development Program. tell how you found information about the job, and add value to the company; do not simply expand
• Professional affiliations or certifications describe your interest in the position. If appropriate, on the ways that the company can help you develop
• Community service Zachary Raynor, MBA ’16 — Zachary’s résumé helped you may even identify second-year students or your career and enrich your life
to successfully secure a summer associate position with alumni that you know there.
• Athletic and/or artistic interests Goldman Sachs in 2015, which later converted to a full- For additional information, your Career Work Group
2. Specifics: Explain how your qualifications relate to
• Hobbies that you can discuss knowledgeably time private wealth advisor position. the opportunity. Include examples of measurable leader can review your letter and offer suggestions.
results from past jobs that make you a particularly Also, books on cover letters are available in the Career
• Interests that distinguish you and catch the eye of Résumé Review
strong candidate. Management section of the Management Library. In
the reader
particular, we recommend Cover Letters That Knock ’em
When you have developed a good draft of your résumé 3. Closing: Ask the employer to agree to a date for the
Sample Résumés Dead by Martin Yate and the Vault Guide to Résumés,
by following these guidelines, ask your Career Work two of you to meet for an interview. In cover letters for Cover Letters, and Interviews, which is available online
Group leader to review it and ask three or four peers on-campus interviews, say that you look forward to
In Appendix B you’ll find good examples of one-page through the Management Library. If English is not your
with experience or familiarity with your target job seeing him/her when the employer comes to campus.
Johnson résumés from the following Johnson students first language, seek assistance from the international
function to read it as well. Career Management Center
and alumni: writing assistant.
advisors will usually make time to look over résumés Before you start to write your letter, answer the following
but prefer to see them after some work has been put into questions to yourself for each cover letter that you need SAMPLE COVER LETTERS
Anton Beckerman, MBA ’16 — Anton is a Russian-born
them. At some point, however, you will be receiving to write.
Israeli who came to Johnson with ten years of experience
increasingly idiosyncratic feedback, and you will have to In Appendix C you’ll find good examples of cover letters
in the technology industry. Focusing his search on big- • Why did you choose this industry?
stop making changes and upload it. from these Johnson students and alumni:
name tech firms and well-funded startups, Anton
secured a marketing operations internship with Autodesk, • Why are you interested in this company? Caroline Lefwander, MBA ’16 — Caroline entered
Keep in mind that for purposes of the GradLeaders résumé
which later converted to a full-time offer. Anton is not “book,” you will have one active résumé in the system • What about this position appeals to you? Johnson with an interest in consumer packaged goods
authorized to work in the U.S. that will be visible to any employer who purchases the and successfully developed this cover letter to obtain a
• Why should the company hire you?
Johnson database. You will receive an automated email brand management internship with Reckitt Benckiser in
Grace Coriell, MBA ’16 — Grace entered Johnson with message when your résumé has been approved by a Before you send your cover letter, ensure that your letter summer 2015, which converted to a full-time offer as an
more than eight years of experience in nonprofit and CMC staff member for the book. Later, for any particular is carefully tailored to each individual employer. Each assistant brand manager. She is not authorized to work
for-profit enterprises. She interned at Johnson & Johnson job for which you apply through JTS you can upload a letter should demonstrate your knowledge of the target in the U.S.
as a consumer marketing MBA summer associate. When unique résumé tailored to that job. company and position. Also, make every effort to address
Grace returned to campus in the fall, she developed this Janaki Palaniappan, MBA ’16 — Janaki used this cover
your letter to a person by name instead of to “Dear Sir/
letter to obtain a summer internship with the Accenture
Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern.” Your letter
Development Partnerships program.
should fit easily on one page, be well-organized, and
14 15
Student
Spotlight
Thomas Palmer, MBA ’14 — Tom wrote this cover letter Arnav Sawhny, MBA ’15 — Arnav relied primarily on Yuxin (Livia) Liu, MBA has a number of professional skills that can perfectly
for his successful application for an equity research focused networking as he was targeting a niche industry ’16, ILR ‘16 meet company needs; however, some students,
position at JPMorgan Chase. in which most companies do not recruit on-campus or Livia received the Ki Kon especially international students from very different
sponsor work visas. He used this letter for successful Chai MBA ‘57 Graduate cultural contexts, often underestimate the importance
Frederick Rollins, MBA ‘16 — Frederick is a graduate of application for a summer internship with LVMH in New Scholarship merit- of interpersonal skills. Companies do not hire people,
the One Year MBA program who landed at L.E.K. York. Arnav will be working at Deloitte in Amsterdam based award and has a but people hire people. When a recruiter talks to you,
Consulting after graduation. This sample cover letter was after graduation. background in media, they are not only looking for a candidate with superior
used to apply to PwC. marketing, and consumer skills but are also searching for a future colleague who
Peter Slowik, MBA ’17 — Peter entered Johnson with packaged goods. While can hang out with them — no one wants to work with
Yana Routshtein, MBA ’15 – Yana held a summer five years of experience in consulting, seeking to pivot living in Beijing City, a person who is aloof and boring.
internship at Verizon and used this letter to apply for a into investment banking. He developed this cover letter China, she served as a
permanent position with Deloitte, where she accepted an to secure an investment banking summer associate communications and The second thing I think is really important is to take
offer. Yana is not authorized to work in the United States. position with Citigroup. marketing officer at The initiative and build connections, as many as you can.
Jennette Saltsman, MBA ’15 — Jennette entered Johnson Nature Conservancy. I secured my second summer internship with a giant
“Johnson Student,” MBA ’16 — Johnson has a summer
as a career-changer, seeking to leverage six years of pharmaceutical company through networking, despite
2015 internship with Deloitte. He used this letter to
experience in consulting and supply chain operations. At Johnson, she served as co-president of the Greater the fact that I didn’t have healthcare industry experience
apply for an internship with GE and received an offer.
She successfully developed this cover letter to secure China Business Club and oversees a variety of activities, and they had rarely hired international candidates.
a position as a retail leadership development intern at Mary Zabriskie, MBA ’15 — Mary worked for IBM in such as organizing career development seminars for Here’s how it happened: I attended a roundtable
Amazon, which converted to a full-time offer. summer 2014 and accepted a permanent role with Intel Chinese students as well as raising Chinese cultural conference at the ILR School and met the company’s
after graduation. presence through traditional festivals, cultural intro- chief human resources officer. He told me that he
ductions, and performances. didn’t have a position available but that I should keep
in touch with him. After being admitted to the MBA/
As an energetic student with strong entrepreneurship, MILR program, I wrote to him immediately, and he
Livia leveraged past experiences along with new skills responded within one hour with a summer internship
learned at Johnson to successfully develop an innovative interview opportunity. I know lots of us feel awkward
marketing strategy in the 2014 Battle of the Brands about reaching out to strangers — don’t be. Think of it
competition. Her team sold 240 cans of cat food to the as a chance to make new friends and learn insights from
student body and won first place in the competition. these experts — and keep trying.
Livia immersed herself in numerous practices at What advice do you give international students who
Johnson, helping various types of companies solve real- are seeking employment in the U.S.?
world challenges, from launching a new product for GE Get outside your comfort zone and learn as much as
Healthcare and developing a marketing strategy for a possible about the U.S. Before arriving at Johnson, I
local media startup in Ithaca streamlining operations read Ethnic America by Thomas Sowell and watched
systems for a family-owned company in Colombia. She America: The Story of Us, which is a 12-part, nine-hour
hopes to become a well-rounded general manager with documentary-drama television miniseries. This helped
a human resources focus after graduation. me build a deeper understanding of the United States,
such as its spirit, reasons for the “American Dream,”
This summer, Livia will serve as an intern in the Human why the PC is super vital in the U.S., and so on. This
Resource Development Program at Bristol-Myers Squibb understanding helped me to adapt to society, the culture,
in Princeton, NJ. She previously served as a marketing and the people better, since I had never studied or lived
and business strategy intern at CareerCoach.com. in the U.S. before.
Share your experiences with recruiting in the U.S.
What did you learn? What helped you be successful?
As a dual-degree MBA/MILR student, I had two
summer internships. The most important skill during
recruiting is to be likable. Every Johnson student
Alexandra McCants, Vice President Human Resources, Emerson
16 17BE PREPARED BE PREPARED
PROBLEM – ACTION – RESULT (PAR) STORIES PROBLEM – ACTION – RESULT (PAR) STORIES WORKSHEET
A typical 30-minute first-round interview will include • The action you took (told in 1–2 minutes)
several questions designed to assess how you behave in Tell me about a time that you
various kinds of situations; these are called behavioral • The result (summarized in 30 seconds Problem Action Result
demonstrated/dealt with/had:
interview questions. An example might be: “Tell me Explain why this result was significant to the
about a time when you disagreed with your boss.” It’s organization
best to anticipate these questions and be prepared with
Most of your PARs should be work related. Nevertheless,
clear anecdotes. Worked in a Team,
feel free to incorporate good stories from outside the Especially a Cross-Functional
PAR stories will help you immensely in preparing for work environment. Consider extracurricular activities, or Global Team
these interviews and in creating your résumé. You school, and volunteer work. In all cases, your stories
should develop at least two stories for each skill that is should be concise, clear, and specific.
critical for the job for which you are interviewing, as the
Review the following sample PAR stories — one on
interviewer will often say, “Give me another example.”
leadership and one on teamwork — then complete your
Showed Leadership
For each skill, develop the following: PAR worksheet on the following page.
• A description of the problem or situation
(explained in 30 seconds). Be sure to state the
impact of the problem on the organization, since
it might not always be evident to an outsider
Took Initiative
Problem-Action-Result Stories – Samples
Tell me: Problem Action Result
To turn our business around, I focused on Developed a Creative Solution
three key action steps:
In my role as Center 1. Built team motivation by creating short-
Manager for Score! term incentives—such as free dinner if
Educational Centers, I had we hit month-end targets
to lead my team toward
2. Increased sales efforts by capitalizing Increased revenue by 14% in one
Sample 1: a profitable business. We Quantitatively Analyzed a
on existing opportunities—meeting year; membership grew from 300 to
Leadership had been losing more Situation
with parent coordinators to set up 380 members in one year.
customers than budgeted
for, and we really needed presentations at school fairs
to move in the right 3. Held more frequent training sessions for
direction. assistant teachers to improve skills and
quality of our service, which affected our
long-term business and brand
Taken a Controversial Stance
I led a cross-functional team that included
market research, advertising, direct
I was tasked with fielding, marketing, email, public relations, sales,
The study was well received by
writing, packaging, and events, and external marketing agencies.
the public and our clients. The
then promoting my Work was divided, based on individuals’
marketing campaign produced
company’s annual U.S. strengths. We maintained constant Had to Persuade a Group
almost 30,000 visits to our website,
study of employee benefits communication through a weekly status
which is double the traffic from the
trends. This study is meeting and smaller meetings among
previous year. Web downloads, site
Sample 2: viewed by my company’s work groups. We celebrated success and
registrations, and visits to other
Teamwork institutional business as recognized the contributions of members
research studies posted online also
one of the cornerstones of the team on a regular basis. And even
increased. We also received feedback
of its intellectual capital though I was technically leading the team,
from one or two sales associates who Effectively Used Verbal and/
offering and is meant to I did not hesitate to roll up my sleeves and
said the study and the supporting or Written Communication
raise awareness of my make contributions of my own; since I had
sales materials helped them make Skills
company as a thought experience with this kind of study before, I
sales.
leader. managed the writing and creative layout of
the study in addition to my oversight duties
as project manager.
18 19BE PREPARED
INTERVIEW PREPARATION
A job interview can be a life-changing event. Most first- have worked in this company. Ask them for their
Tell me about a time that you round interviews for MBA candidates are only 30 minutes perspectives on the position and make notes about
Problem Action Result long, so it’s critical that you are ready and confident and their responses
demonstrated/dealt with/had:
able to make a strong positive impression quickly. You’ve • List the key skills and attributes the company is
worked hard to get to this point by focusing on your seeking in candidates for this role. Refer to the job
interests, researching job functions and industries, description and to the conversations with people
networking, and conducting informational interviews. who have worked there. Make notes about how you
Overcame a Difficult Situation You cannot go into a job interview with the plan of meet those requirements
improvising or being spontaneous; you must be prepared.
Exercise 2: Know the Company
Many recruiters tell us that the impression you make in
the first two minutes can be the lasting impression of the • Research the company in publications such as the
remaining 28 minutes. Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, Factiva,
Failed and LexisNexis. Make notes about the latest news
To provide a crisp and confident presentation, you need
to know your direction and skills and be able to argue • If the company is public, read its annual report,
that you are focused on this role. You must understand particularly the Chairman’s Letter to Shareholders.
the job, company, and industry. And insofar as possible, This letter will reveal something about the
you should know something about the interviewer company’s recent successes and failures, as well as
so that you can try to relate to him/her and ask good its strategy. This information should drive several
Set and Achieved Goals
questions. This is not always possible, since the CMC of your questions. Make notes summarizing this
usually does not know in advance who is coming on information
campus to conduct interviews. • Continue conducting research to answer the
following questions about the company. Consider
As you prepare, try to reach beyond the job description resources such as Datamonitor Reports
or title to reflect a true understanding of the job tasks and
Managed Conflict o Who are the company’s competitors in
responsibilities. The most successful candidates speak to
several people about the position in order to develop a good this industry?
understanding of it. Your questions in the interview will o What differentiates the company’s products
reflect more than a superficial knowledge of the position. from its competitors’ products?
The art of the interview lies in providing convincing o What are the industry trends?
Handled a Disagreement with
a Co-worker proof that you are indeed a good fit for the firm. Every o What are the greatest challenges the
interview ideally becomes a two-way conversation. You company faces?
should convey your excitement in the form of stories
o What are the greatest opportunities the
about past experiences; these are the PAR stories that you
company faces?
have been practicing. An interviewer also wants to see
your excitement through your body language — your o What does the current sell-side analyst community
Faced an Ethical Dilemma eyes light up, you’re on the edge of your seat, your hands believe about the company and its prospects?
move. When two people being interviewed for the same
The Management Library at Johnson is a tremendous
position have roughly equal qualifications, the one who
resource for uncovering information on companies and
appears more passionate gets the job. Passion can even
industries. For more information about conducting
trump qualifications. And, the interviewer is more likely
research through the library, see the Appendix.
Worked with Upper
to converse with you than fire question after question
Management when you show commitment to the job and company. Know the Interviewer
Exercise 1: Know the Job Companies usually do not tell the Career Management
Center in advance who will be representing them as
• Contact up to three alumni at the company and ask
interviewers. However, for second-round interviews and
them to explain their perspectives on the position.
interviews taking place off-campus, you often will be
Made a Major Presentation (Reference the Company Research Guide on page 33)
informed of the identity of the interviewers.
• How does this job fit within the division?
• Where does the division fit within the company? Knowing the interviewer will help you connect with
him/her during what can be a stressful situation for many
• Search the Johnson School résumé database and/or
www.linkedin.com to see what people in your class
20 21You can also read
