Kendell Brown
Associate Director of Professional
Development in Graduate Career Services

You are thrilled you got the offer you’d been gunning for, but you look around and see a friend frustrated because she missed out on not just her top choice, but also her B-tier and C-tier options.

She has to start the dreaded off-campus search.

How can you help?

It’s acceptable to do some commiserating, but that really doesn’t help your friend land something. Here are some ideas that will really help.

Regular check-ins: As you know, looking for a job can be exhausting. The reality is that it’s not any easier when the search moves off-campus. One of the best things you can do is regularly check in with a friend and see how things are going. It will show your friend that you care, but even more importantly, it will work to ensure that the off-campus search is maintaining momentum. The jobs are out there, but they don’t come knocking on anyone’s door. Weekly chats with your classmate will remind her that she needs to keep this a priority.

Help your friend define what she wants: Sometimes when someone starts doing an off-campus search, target companies and contacts may not be that familiar with MBA’s and what we mean when we say “financial analyst,” “marketing strategy,” etc.  All the person at the other end of the email/phone call hears is “I want a high paying job doing blah, blah, blah.” Help a friend think through what they really want to do and then help them come up with a concise way to say it.  “I’m looking for a strategic assignment that allows me to work with divisional and/or corporate leadership to identify, analyze and execute key growth initiatives designed to drive value for an organization.”

Mock interviews: You are well equipped to conduct a mock interview. Ask questions that you got in your interviews. Be honest and provide actionable, constructive criticism.

Don’t:  “That was a pretty good answer. I’m surprised you haven’t gotten anything yet.”

Do:  “I got a sense of what you wanted to get across, but I think a stronger answer would have provided more detail about the exact steps you took to get the project finished ahead of schedule.”

Review/revise a resume: By now, everyone has worked on an academy project, if your friend is a career switcher help her include a bullet or two on her resume that shows some relevant (to where she wants to go) experience.  It will help recruiters see a commitment to the new career direction.

Get away from the b-school bubble: Take your friend out for some fun.  While it is unlikely hanging out at Nick’s is going to help someone get an offer, sometimes you wake up with a clearer head and renewed vigor after having sunk a “Biz”.

Kendell Brown is the Associate Director of Professional Development at the Kelley School of Business in Graduate Career Services. Kendell and her team meet and coach hundreds of students, alumni, and corporate partners on tried and true recruiting methods, interviewing tactics, and career management strategies, while staying in tune to how these areas are changing and evolving. Email Kendell at kendbrow@indiana.edu. 

Earlier this month, we welcomed 140 students from 35 schools to the Kelley campus to compete in the fourth annual National Diversity Case Competition. The energy in our building was hard to describe.

As faculty liaison Mikel Tiller recently put it: “These bright, energetic young minds, bringing their own unique perspectives to bear, are a huge source of energy and direction for us. How can anyone ever learn anything by embracing sameness?”

We’re proud of our all-freshman team, Vineyard Consultants, for taking 1st place. They were up against upperclassmen in teams from Yale, Berkeley, NYU, and Wharton, and they didn’t take that lightly. They spent time building their case over winter break, and just before presenting they went into an empty room and danced out their nervous energy.

In the case, Vineyard Consultants were asked to identify a fashion-forward brand that Target should partner with to target Hispanic shoppers. They landed on a brand partnership with Julia y Renata, a growing Mexican designer brand that is well-known in Mexico, Spain, and parts of Latin America.

Vineyard Consultants are:

• Maya Caine, Information Systems and Business Analytics major, French minor
• Mica Caine, Information Systems and Security Informatics major, French minor
• Thomas Dougherty, Economic Consulting and International Business major, Chinese minor
• Keiondre Goodwin, Economic Consulting and International Business major, Chinese minor

Three team members sat down to reflect on the NDCC, their first case competition and certainly not their last.

Talk about your case. What business solution did you present to the judges?

THOMAS: Target really wanted to find a partnership or method to connect to these women, as they are a growing demographic. The design brand Julia y Renata was already popular across the world, and we felt with the right spectrum of marketing, they could capture the customer loyalty of all types of Hispanic women in America.

MAYA: Our partnership with Julia y Renata will entail a women’s ready-to-wear diffusion line that will be specifically tailored to Hispanic women. This line will accommodate sizing for pear-shaped, curvier, and petite sizing which are more common among Hispanic women. Another large part of our recommendation is recreating the women’s clothing section to be more boutique style and engaging to female customers.

KEIONDRE: Our solution encompassed how Target could recruit these designers and various marketing strategies such as Hispanic media outlets, celebrity promoters, and an expansion on the current line.

You faced tough competition from Berkeley, Yale, Wharton, and other top-ranked schools. Were you nervous? How did you handle your nervous energy?

THOMAS: Heck yeah we were nervous! Instead of letting this dominate us though, we recalled our team chemistry and focused on the goal. Our team chemistry was really strong, and this enabled us to turn this nervousness into motivation which carried us through the competition.

MAYA: To shake out any nerves before the final round, we went into an empty room and blared music and danced all around the room. Although it was a pretty unconventional way of preparing for our speech, it got us extremely pumped to present.

KEIONDRE: Seeing the names of Yale, Wharton, and Berkeley was slightly intimidating, but also exciting. Personally, it gave me more motivation and made me aware of the level at which we were competing.

Did you learn anything about yourself? Did this surprise you?

MAYA: From this experience, I have learned a lot about what I would like to do in the future. This role of consulting for Target has influenced me to consider consulting as a future career. I was not very surprised by this because I have competed in other case competitions and I have also enjoyed them.

THOMAS: I found out how much I liked to let loose, and how important that was. If I wasn’t able to open up and be myself around my team then I wouldn’t have suggested many of the ideas that I did, many of which were vital in our presentation.

KEIONDRE: I learned how much I enjoy and value working and leading a team. It’s a fantastic feeling to be able to motivate your team members and help them shine to their fullest potential and in turn have them support you the same way. This surprised me a little, because I tend to let others do the upfront leading and motivating, but I really enjoyed taking on that type of function leading up to our final presentation.

What did you learn about collaboration and working as a team?

MAYA: With this case heavily involving fashion, my sister and I took on most of the research dealing with the designer. We are religious watchers of America’s Next Top Model, so we were more familiar with the fashion jargon than our male teammates. This whole experience has taught me that the success of any team lies within each team member’s ability to deeply dive into an aspect of the case that resonates with their interests, skills, and passions.

THOMAS: Every good team is brutally honest. They’re honest because they care, and learning to build on each other is fundamental.

KEIONDRE: I realized how essential it is to have great team chemistry. I believe our team chemistry and trust in each other’s natural strengths are what allowed us to be successful.

How many hours did you spend preparing your case?

THOMAS: Oh Jeez, don’t get me started.

KEIONDRE: Let’s just say syllabus week wasn’t a week to relax and cruise back into the swing of things. We hit the ground running after having done research and collaborating even over winter break.

You’re all freshmen. Where do you go from here? What goals have you set for yourself in the next 3-4 years?

THOMAS: The bar is high, no doubt. From here, we want to build on what we’ve learned, fix our mistakes, and follow what we’re passionate about (once we figure that out). In 3-4 years, I hope to be working for a company that can give me something new every day, and something that builds day after day.

MAYA: Since Mica and Keiondre are on the Kelley Student Diversity Council, Thomas and I plan on joining as well. This way if we do not compete next year, we can still be a part of NDCC. We have also made plans to compete in some other cases in the future.

KEIONDRE: Within the next couple of years, I hope to delve deeper into business and discover how I can fully use my skill sets in business and foreign languages to pursue internships and a job that I am passionate about.

What advice do you have for teams in next year’s NDCC?

THOMAS: Meet with professors, and go above and beyond with your information and research. Make sure you double-check everything and make your proposal as feasible as possible. The final test is looking at it and deciding if you could see it in the store tomorrow. Once you’re there, make it look good.

MAYA: My advice is that the success of any presentation lies within the details. Aside from researching the specifics that surround our presentation, we went the extra mile to add unique details. Some of these extra details being a designer “lookbook” and an appendix including cost breakdowns for the judges.

KEIONDRE: I would suggest that the competitors truly consider the case from the perspective of the company’s executives. They’re looking for real, feasible plans they can actually implement.

Congratulations to all schools who placed in the NDCC this year:

1st place – Indiana University
2nd place – University of Washington
3rd place – University of Southern California
4th place – University of Pennsylvania
5th place – Emory University
6th place – University of Georgia
7th place – Penn State

Runners up:

Purdue University
Florida A&M University
Yale University
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
New York University
Hampton University- Official
Washington University in St. Louis

Mike Schmeckebier Associate Director, Graduate Career Services

When a job search ends, I always love getting the phone call that the person has not only received a job offer but that they’ve received multiple job offers.

I can only think of a few things that make you feel better than knowing more than one organization wants you and your talents on their team. After I share words of congratulations, give high fives, and we talk through deciding which offer to accept, I always end with a surprising question:

How are you going to stay in touch with the people you turn down?

When I’m on the phone with a client, the dialogue after that question usually goes something like this:

Client: silence

Me: Hello, hello, are you still there?

What do I mean by staying in touch with the people you turn down? 

And why would they want to stay in touch with you? You’re turning them down, after all, and that step is hard enough.

Keeping in touch with the people you turned down isn’t as crazy as it sounds. An interview process that leads to an offer is intensive. You share a lot with the people who interview you. Chances are high that good relationships were formed.

These people liked you enough that they were willing to make you a colleague, which means they probably like you enough to stay in touch.

Employers understand the hiring process. They understand that you can only work at one place. They understand you are making the best decision for you. If they’re upset about anything, they are disappointed they didn’t get you.

Some of those people might leave that company for a new position. You can figure out all the reasons why that might be good for you. They wanted to hire you now, so chances are very good that they will want to hire you again in the future.

All of this is under the assumption you turned down the offer in a professional way. If you fail to do that, then all bets are off.

So, how do you stay in touch with an employer you turned down? 

My best advice after you professionally and properly turn down the job offer is to do the following:

1. Connect on LinkedIn with every person you formed a relationship with during the interview process, if you haven’t already done it.

2. Once you do that, send them another brief note expressing gratitude and wishing good luck.
Let things lie for 5-6 months and enjoy your new job.

3. After about six months, identify a couple key people from the interview process and send them a note with an update on how things are going for you and asking how they are.

4. Once you get past the one year mark in the new job, and if you live or work in the same area as those job offers, invite those same people out for lunch, coffee, or a drink just to catch up. Do this once or twice a month, individually, until you’ve hit everybody. If you don’t live in the same area, make it a phone call or email exchange instead.

5. Once you complete that cycle, those people are officially in your network and you should treat them accordingly going forward.

Too often we leave out this vital pocket of people to add into our network. Take the time to do it, because turning down an offer might one day turn up a job.

Kendell Brown Associate Director of Professional Development in Graduate Career Services

Since it’s the start of the new year, I’m relating this post to the tradition of making resolutions. My annual resolution is to lose weight—shocking, considering it is the #1 resolution made by American adults. Perhaps it’s yours, too. The #2 resolution for American adults is to get a new job, and since you’re still reading this post, you obviously have an interest in some aspect of career management.

There is a lot of overlap between my resolution and various aspects of career management. I’ve been all over the Internet picking up tricks and tips that will help me lose the weight this year. And I’ve got to tell you, every website, celebrity trainer, and P90X success story says the same thing: Make a public commitment, set measurable goals, plan ahead, and make a lifestyle change.

Let’s take a closer look and compare a successful weight loss plan to a job search.

Making a public commitment

Weight loss: From what I’ve read, the first step in deciding to lose weight is revealing my weight loss goals to family and friends. A public announcement will make me accountable to others and create a stronger commitment to the resolution.

Job search: If you’ve resolved to get a new job this year, you should also let family and friends know.  If your brother-in-law’s company is hiring, how will he know to pass your resume along, if he doesn’t know you’re looking? And if you want to make an internal move, don’t be afraid to tell your boss.  She knows your skillset and what’s happening around the organization.

Setting measurable goals

Weight loss: If I skip lunch and dinner today, the scale reading will be less tonight than it was this morning. But a more helpful goal is: Lose 1 pound each week by eliminating soda, working out 3 times each week, and switching to Meatless Mondays.

Job search: Apply to lots of postings on Indeed.com—Yes, this is a goal, but it is one that will likely cause you frustration. Instead, try goals like:

• Re-read performance reviews. This will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses.
• Conduct two mock interviews weekly, so you’re prepared for the inevitable.
• Research five companies per week, so you have some idea of where you’ll fit and where you won’t.
• Create a posting for your perfect job. If a real posting doesn’t align with at least 80% of what you’ve written, don’t apply.

Planning ahead

Weight loss: It’s time for me to start packing a lunch and some healthy snacks, so I’m not tempted by the office candy jar.

Job search: If you are fortunate enough to be currently employed, now is the time to job search. There’s nothing like the luxury of time.  An effective job search (a search that results in a job that you really want) doesn’t happen overnight.  I’ve been a career coach to lots and lots of people and none of them have had a job just fall into their laps. So figure out where you want to be in 6 months or a year, and create an actionable plan to get you there.

It’s a lifestyle change

Weight loss: Ok, I’ve heard it tons of times and I’m sure you have too – no diet, workout regimen, or cleanse will lead to permanent weight loss. The only way to keep weight off is by making a lifestyle change. Cutting out Diet Coke this month, but drinking it again next month isn’t gonna do it. If you train for a half marathon, run the race and then stop running, the weight comes back (I know from personal experience).  So what I’ve come to realize is that losing weight shouldn’t be my resolution for 2015. Instead, I should focus on eating better and exercising long term.

Job search: One thing you’ll hear from GCS over and over again is the importance of networking. You know about networking, right? Getting and staying in touch with people, building a rapport with them so that when the time comes they’ll put in the right word with the right person, etc. Well, networking should not happen just when you are actively searching. Networking should happen all the time. If you are regularly in touch with people, they get to know you, your skill set, and your interests. That’s all valuable information for someone to have about you when they are thinking about whether you match up with a job they know about. Networking is the most important tool in anyone’s job search toolkit.  So networking is not a one-time thing—you should make it a lifestyle.

Kendell Brown is the Associate Director of Professional Development at the Kelley School of Business in Graduate Career Services. Kendell and her team meet and coach hundreds of students, alumni, and corporate partners on tried and true recruiting methods, interviewing tactics, and career management strategies, while staying in tune to how these areas are changing and evolving. Email Kendell at kendbrow@indiana.edu. 

From all of us at the Kelley School of Business in Bloomington and Indianapolis, we wish our Kelley family and friends a warm, safe, and peaceful holiday season.

Spread the joy by sharing this video with anyone and everyone whose holidays can be made brighter by IU’s beautiful sights and sounds.

Startup Weekend Bloomington gave teams 54 hours to launch a startup that would change the world.

Two of the three winning ideas were led by IU and Kelley School of Business students. The 1st place winner, CareBand, is a wearable wandering management solution for people with dementia. The 3rd place winner, SwapBeat, is a social commerce platform to buy and sell instrumental music between producers and recording artists.

CareBand and SwapBeat have moved on to the Regional track of the Global Startup Battle, and voting will determine which two ideas in the US Central/East region will move on to the global competition.

Voting ends tonight.

CareBand is a wearable wandering management solution for people with dementia. The CareBand team is Scott Trepper, Andrew Jones, Claudia Maria, Adam Sobol, Vince Rowold, and Chris Chu.

SwapBeat is a social commerce platform for buying and selling instrumental music between producers and recording artists. The SwapBeat team is Mary Catherine Burns, Askar Akhmetshin, Sanjana Nayak, Chris Williams, Natalie Lamm, and Francis Mejia

CareBand‘s Adam Sobol and SwapBeat‘s Christopher Williams sat down to answer a few questions about how ideas are born, and what makes a winning idea.

You had 54 hours to create a product/service from scratch. What were your steps?

CareBand: Last year at Startup Weekend, I pitched CareBand but there was limited interest. Over the past year, I continued to work on the idea, gained information through networking with professionals, and filed for a patent. With my continued persistence, I was fortunate to have a sense of the target market, the intended product, and the specific technology to allow the product to function. With this knowledge, the focus throughout Startup Weekend was on the business aspects. We considered the key components of taking a product at its prototype stage to market. This included gaining knowledge in many avenues including manufacturing, marketing, sales, operations, and distribution. We really enjoyed the suggestions and feedback from Kelley faculty and others who acted as mentors throughout the weekend. Using the information we already had, as well as our newfound business knowledge, we were able to create a comprehensive pitch.

SwapBeat: We began by using the lean startup model that the Startup Weekend leaders recommended. By using this model we were able to articulate our goals for the weekend and create the necessary steps to ensure success. With our vision in mind, we then divided up tasks that best suited each member’s skill set. Responsibilities included creating surveys for customer feedback, developing a marketing strategy, and designing the actual SwapBeat website.

What inspired your ideas? Why instrumentals?

CareBand: The idea was sparked during a discussion with my father, an internal medicine doctor with a specialty in geriatrics. We were watching the local nightly news, which highlighted an elderly woman who had gone missing due to Alzheimer’s (a type of dementia). I was intrigued about how this could occur. My father explained the illness and its characteristics of causing wandering behavior. He explained that dementia is a slow regression in the cognitive ability of a person, and it is not preventable, curable or easily slowed. After some additional research, I discovered that more than 35 million people in the world suffer from dementia. Also that more than 60 percent of these people will wander during their time with the illness. I knew there had to be a solution. With my technical skills and creative thinking, I dreamt up CareBand as a way for people with wandering tendencies to stay safe living in their homes.

SwapBeat: I’m a music producer and recording artist by trade. I realized that there was no authoritative marketplace for the exchange of instrumental music. The current transactional system is inefficient, requiring artists to use several websites to conduct a single exchange. This realization birthed SwapBeat.

How did your team come together?

CareBand: After pitching the idea at the beginning of Startup Weekend 2013, many participants came over to discuss the idea. I was thrilled to have provoked more interest. When teams were being formed, I was able to choose assets for the team. I had in mind the specific skill sets that the team needed and was able to piece together a strong team.

SwapBeat: It was honestly very random. At Startup Weekend we were able to choose to collaborate with whomever we wanted; it just had to be an idea we felt passionate towards. This worked in our favor because everyone on the team shares a love of music and has some sort of music industry knowledge. We are lucky it worked out so well.

What are your team’s strengths?

CareBand: I firmly believe that people are not interested in what you do. People are interested in why you do it. The people helping with the project understand the reasons for the creation of the technology. They share my vision in seeing how this innovative product has potential to help the thousands of people suffering from dementia. The team understands that this creation allows caretakers of those with dementia to have peace of mind. This alignment in ideology is a true driving force in the success of CareBand.

SwapBeat: The SwapBeat team thoroughly represents the term “cohesive.” The skill sets we each possess are vastly different but complement one another. They include everything from coding to marketing to structuring a business plan. What sets SwapBeat apart, though, is the passion each member has towards the project. For us it doesn’t even seem like work.

What makes a good idea?

CareBand: Ideas are not developed overnight; they take hours of thinking and discussion. Someone once told me to approach ideas by figuring out what makes the idea bad. It took me a long time to appreciate this advice. I have come to realize, though, that entrepreneurial minded individuals are constantly coming up with new ideas, and they often believe that each idea they come up with is a great one.  However, it is when you contemplate an idea for a few days and analyze it from different angles that you truly understand if an idea is worth pursuing.

SwapBeat: A good idea is one that becomes a reality. Many people talk about good ideas they have but don’t actually take steps to create the product or service. This is not the case with SwapBeat. We set goals, we have weekly meetings, and we get stuff done. None of us see failure as an option at this point.

Why should people support yours?

CareBand: CareBand aims to increase safety and independence for those suffering from dementia. It is an innovative tool to assist caretakers in monitoring wandering behavior. There has been infinite effort on this project and it will continue until the idea can become a reality. Many people are ailing from this difficult disease. CareBand has an opportunity to minimize associated challenges.

SwapBeat: We have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. Artists and producers alike have told us that this would be a marketplace they use frequently. We already have a lot of support, and for that we are grateful. We want to show the world how efficient SwapBeat will make the online transaction of instrumentals.

CareBand and SwapBeat both are competing against ideas from these cities. Voting ends tonight for the regional track of the Global Startup Battle.