Two weeks ago I posted from sunny Tampa. I trekked down for the weekend to visit Joe, my protégé from The University of South Florida. Joe and I were paired as a part of the College of Business Administration Mentor Program. He is a non-traditional student which means that after 16 years of work experience he entered College to obtain a Finance Degree. He is also the first in his family to graduate College. My role in this program is to help him in the corporate acclimation process, to help him make connections, and to be a sounding board as he redirects his career. Basically, it is networking on steroids. I am not there to direct his activity but to answer his questions and help him stay focused.
Joe’s last class Friday ended at noon so we planned for lunch at a nice Cuban Restaurant near the campus. My goal for the meeting was to get an update from Joe and to understand his current issues. Also, I wanted to brief him on networking meetings I was working to schedule. During the check-in part of our discussion, Joe told me that his current internship was going well. Although he has mastered the job and is making a positive impression with the employer which will likely lead to a job offer, he does not think this is the direction his career should take.
After the check-in I asked him if he had any particular questions. I was gratified to hear him say, “I would really like to learn about you and your career.” I was pleased because Joe had just demonstrated his understanding of networking 101. Seek first to know and understand the other party to the networking meeting. Joe and I were likely paired because I also have a Finance Degree so learning about my career path is relevant. The next 20 minutes was about me. I told Joe how I started out as a Financial Analyst evaluating capital investments, particularly around real estate development and soon thereafter moved into Strategic Planning. We discussed completing my MBA while gainfully employed and then moving into General Management where I rose to become senior executive for one of my employers. Finally, I told him of my rationale for leaving the corporate world to become an entrepreneur.
Joe’s concern is that the Finance Department is heavily focused on traditional careers in Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, and Securities, not necessarily of interest to him. I told him that my view of a Finance Degree is that it is a great foundation to make good decisions which would support him in whatever direction he took his career. There are many different paths one can take with a Finance Degree. That was an “ah-ha” moment for Joe. He began to see new possibilities unfold. Good progress since his goal is to leverage his career via a Degree, not to start over in an entry-level job. Finally, we discussed a strategy to use further internships to gain new experiences to help him choose a viable way to re-enter the job market.
I like working with Joe. He is highly motivated, intelligent, and confident, a powerful combination. His natural instincts for effective networking will serve him well. I am confident he will be successful as he has the attributes to be a great employee. I suspect that as he continues his networking efforts he will remember our discussion and gain insight from the backgrounds of his networking contacts.
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Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com