Alumni and other professionals share real-world career experience, job-search advice with current Nicholas students
One word: ‘Networking’
On January 7th, a group of Nicholas School alumni and other professionals shared advice on careers and job-hunting with current Nicholas students at the Employer Perspective Career Conference. This year’s conference was the third such event hosted by the Nicholas School’s Career & Professional Development Office to give our MEM and MF students a chance to connect with employers from various sectors.
This year, 36 professionals from North Carolina and around the country – including 17 Nicholas alums – gave their take on crafting effective resumes and cover letters, what employers are really looking for in interviews, how to handle salary negotiations and professional etiquette. Eighty-five students hung on every word, appreciative of the chance to hear insiders’ perspectives on how opportunities arise within their organizations and what the hiring process entails.
The day-long conference kicked off with a keynote speech by Jamie Harkins MEM’09, sustainability specialist for the city of Boulder, Colorado, who emphasized the importance of networking – a theme reinforced throughout the day. Participants then broke into panel discussions with professionals representing the government, business/industry, consulting and nonprofit/NGO sectors. Lunchtime break-out sessions gave more time for students to network with employers around topics such as conservation, resource planning, water resources, climate, communications & stakeholder engagement, waste & recycling, and land management strategies. Afternoon workshops focused on practice interviews, what makes a candidate rise to the top, and a “you be the hiring manager” role-playing exercise.
The consensus among our alumni and other employer-representatives: Even if you do everything in your power to plan out your career, you can’t know exactly where you are going. The one thing you can control is who you know, and you can use those connections to your advantage.
Esi Waters MEM ’13, corporate sustainability manager at Norfolk Southern, said “It is really important to network among classmates. When you leave the Nicholas School, that will be another network to rely on.” She noted that she frequently calls on fellow alumni and former classmates who were strong in certain subjects when she needs a specialist for her job or has a question in a specific field.
Other pearls of wisdom: the importance of being flexible and multi-faceted (“Take classes outside the Nicholas School when you can”); of tailoring each application to the specific job (“Understand that company, what that company is passionate about, and convey that passion in your resume and cover letter”); and of loving what you do (“Don’t worry too much about starting salary. Find a job that you can really be passionate about and the rest will fall into place”).
Alumni who took part in the conference really enjoyed the opportunity to interact with students and share their insights. Robert Phocas MEM/JD’98, Charlotte’s energy and sustainability manager, spoke for many when he said, “I had a great experience at the Nicholas School and want to support it as much as I can. I believe these types of events are invaluable for students to understand and prepare for the working world.”
