In mid-March, Kellogg’s Women’s Business Association hosted a week of programming dedicated to embracing the power of gender diversity. The full list of programming is listed at the end of the blog post, but below are a few of my favorite highlights.
Getting mission statements right | MBA Learnings
We recently looked at a few mission statements in our Values Based Leadership class:
Wal-Mart: We save people money so they can live better.
Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad: Our vision is to realize the tremendous potential of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway by providing transportation services that consistently meet our customers’ expectations.
Dow Chemical: To constantly improve what is essential to human progress by mastering science and technology.
As we went through these statements, our comments were around the following ideas:
Advice for joining a startup
Are you looking to join an up-and-coming startup? Considering building a startup of your own? Hearing advice, tips and lessons from startup founders and representatives can be an invaluable tool for you, no matter where you are in your thought process.
More than 50 startups were at Northwestern University yesterday for the 2015 Startup Career Fair. We turned to many of those companies to get their thoughts on things people should think about as they consider joining a startup, or potentially building one of their own.
The second-year ride
The winter quarter just ended at Kellogg and this means that my MBA journey only has three more months left to completion. Ever since my second year began, my mind has been turned on to reflection mode, capturing memories, absorbing experiences, wondering what is left to do and what I may have missed out on.
At Kellogg, one of the most popular student acronyms is FOMO – Fear of Missing Out. It is touted to incoming first-year students as a warning not to overreach yourself. Kellogg’s halls are teeming with opportunities to engage with and the sheer number of choices often overwhelms new students.
I believe that we only use FOMO in half the relevant settings. It is equally appropriate for graduating second-year students, but for the opposite reason. For us, it is not so much about overextending. It is about making sure we cover as many bases as we can before we leave. In my opinion, second year is all about checking items off your bucket list and ensuring that nothing gets left behind.
5 tips for recruiting the best startup talent
More than 50 startups will be at Northwestern University on Wednesday, April 1 for the 2015 Startup Career Fair. As students from across the University prepare to meet with entrepreneurs and startup recruiters in hopes of landing a position, we turned to Linda Darragh, Clinical Professor and Executive Director of the Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative, for tips for entrepreneurs looking to hire the best startup talent. Even if you are not attending the fair, the content can be applicable to all entrepreneurs looking to hire top talent.
Leadership advice from female executives
In the United States, women represent just 17% of the boardroom. For a woman seeking to get a leg up on the competition, an executive MBA program can provide the momentum needed to move from capable manager to C-level leader. Not only does an EMBA refine existing skill sets and grow new abilities, it leads to… Continue reading
6 things to think about before interviewing with a startup
More than 50 startups will be at Northwestern University on Wednesday, April 1 for the 2015 Startup Career Fair. As students from across the University prepare to meet with representatives in hopes of landing a position at one of these startups, we turned to Kellogg’s Career Management Center for tips and advice that students should keep in mind for the event. Even if you are not attending the fair, the content can be applicable to anyone pursuing a new job.
A letter to an incoming MBA student | MBA Learnings
Around this time last year, once the realization that I was going back to school sunk in, the immediate question that followed was – how do I get prepared? I was, after all, going to be spending in excess of $200,000 without accounting for the loss of income in the next two years.
This had better be worth it.
My plan of action was to do three things – read books on the topic, check out the blogosphere and speak to as many people as possible. So, I did just that.
I found three resources useful – the “Case Studies and Cocktails” book was pretty hands-on, the famous Stanford letter to incoming students was reassuring and the 108 tips on the MBA Excel blog was very useful from a logistical point of view.
I did, however, feel a few things were sorely missing.
And, on top of that list was a way to “frame” the MBA experience. Great frames help us cut through the noise and understand what matters. And, given we likely have a hundred thousand capable folks jumping into expensive MBA programs all over the world, I found myself wondering if we could do a bit better in preparing them for the journey.
Luckily, I stumbled upon a first version of the “frame” I craved in my first three weeks thanks to two wonderful people – an insightful professor who taught us business analytics and a dear friend. Their insights made all the difference to my experience in the past eight months, and I’d like to share them with you.
As with my essay on internship recruiting, I’d like this to be comprehensive, so this will be long.
I hope it will be worth it.
Congratulations to our Round 2 admits
We say it every year, but today is one of our favorite days in the admissions office.
The Lego, the heart and the ladybug: 3 lessons for personal leadership
Taren Rodabaugh ’16 (EMP 100) is the Chief GIS Service Delivery officer at Harley-Davidson Motor Company. In her role, she handles all information technology resources required to define, design and deliver technology solutions that align and support the Harley-Davidson’s strategic direction. Taren shared advice given to her when she took on her first leadership position.
Two degrees, two networks, one incredible experience
For my partner, Drew, and me, the road to Northwestern had been a long and challenging one.
When Drew applied to Kellogg, we were serving as Peace Corps Volunteers in Benin, a small country in West Africa. We had been waiting for the acceptance call all day when Drew came to find me and told me we needed to talk.
My heart sank.
As I opened the door after him, I looked up and saw him holding a piece of paper that read, “We’re going to Northwestern!” We both immediately started jumping up and down, hugging and laughing – reactions I hope most have.
Drew was invited to pursue a JD-MBA, a dual-degree program at Kellogg and Northwestern Law. We could not wait to get to Chicago for the start of our new adventure.
Lessons learned from internship recruiting | MBA Learnings
I hated looking for a job in my final year at university. It is one of those profoundly painful processes that I really wouldn’t wish on anyone. It seemed to bring to surface all my insecurities and really made me question if I had done anything of note in the past 20-odd years of my life.
So, when I decided to study again, one of my objectives was to understand how best to approach looking for a job. We’re in an age where we’re constant job seekers. Whether it is seeking an internal transfer within a company we work for or whether we’re looking for a role in a different company, it is clear that our age is one of many jobs, roles, careers and companies.
In that sense, looking for an internship at school felt like a perfect laboratory to test how this process ought to be approached. I’ve decided to break the whole process down into three main steps, catalogue my process and then share what I learned. I’ve attempted to bring it all together in one post. It is long. I hope it is worth it.