SPS Students Virtually Network with Experts of Career Readiness Skills
March 15, 2021
SPS Students Virtually Network with Experts of Career Readiness Skills
By Edwin Raagas, Director, NYUSPS Wasserman Center for Career Development
The NYUSPS Wasserman Center has relaunched the Adapt & Achieve Networking Series in Spring 2021.
The Adapt & Achieve Networking Series gives students the opportunity to virtually build their network with peers and professionals from a variety of industries and concentrations in 90-min sessions. In small breakout rooms on Zoom, students meet with industry guests for informal conversations about the current state of their industry or focus area, ways to develop or utilize a skill, and other ways to “adapt and achieve” during these uncertain times in the wake of COVID-19.
This semester’s theme is “Career Readiness Skills for the Global Economy.” Skills covered throughout the series include: Revisiting Analytics and Strategy; Rethinking Communications; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Flexibility and Resilience; Global/Intercultural Fluency; Personal Branding; Leadership; and Career Management.
Each session gives students the chance to network with experts of a specific career readiness skill.
NYU Students: Be sure to sign up for a session on Handshake. RSVPs open two weeks prior to each session. Scroll below to see select insights from each session, and return for updates.
Guests: Tomantha Kyle (Senior Data Scientist, Analytic Marketing at PayPal); Sophia Rodriguez (Director of Strategy at The College Board; CAS and WAGNER Alum); Will Edmondson (Senior Director of Strategy and Development at Major League Baseball)
What are some areas within your industry experiencing current/emerging growth and hiring activity that job seekers should be aware of?
Analytics in all aspects of an organization (not just relegated to a research/business intelligence function), Ability to tell influence decision making with data
I would say true marketing analytics (understanding of marketing platforms/channels, attribution approaches) within performance based marketing programs is a current and emerging growth area. More and more companies are adding true KPIs and bottom-line impact to their marketing efforts, putting even more focus on measuring and optimizing.
The financial services sector is accelerating its adoption of digital technology. From a financial marketing perspective, companies are focusing on recruiting for digital marketing more than previously and are also placing a renewed emphasis on segmentation strategies. These two ingredients combined will enable them to capitalize on the direction of this online-heavy population of users, and better understand them in new ways.
As a strategist you are an internal consultant of the organisation. If an organisation has invested effort, time & money in an idea, they would want the strategist to help them decide is it the right thing to do and what should be the direction to move forward.
One long lasting effect of the pandemic for the Sports industry or large in person experiences is Digital Ticketing and a push in Digital Co-watching, students should look for those opportunities.
Beyond technical knowledge/hard skills needed for a specific function, what qualities or skills make someone successful in your field?
Understanding/defining the problem, Problem solving through a user-centric perspective, Asking good questions, Synthesizing complex data/insights into actionable takeaways, Leading without authority, Comfort with change, Curiosity
Inquisitiveness, Mentality of done is better than perfect, Long Term Vision and how to step into it (eat an elephant one bite at a time).
Being comfortable with the unknown, having an entrepreneurial spirit, and having a thirst to continually learn.
Being a data translator is a skill you should learn - if in any way you want a career in Analytics
Awareness around "who" is my audience is key to storytelling, and storytelling is a big part of Data Analysis.
One of the key skills employers look in candidates is their ability to hit the ground running, like begin at full speed
The field of Analytics is more creative than anyone can think.
Name some of your favorite resources to get information and updates in your field (ie. websites, blogs, associations, influencers, etc.)
NYTimes Upshot; Data Science Community newsletter (from NYU's Center for Data Science; Data Science Roundup by Tristan Handy (Fishtown Analytics); #dataviz twitter; Blogs such as Makeover Monday and Information is Beautiful; Meetup groups such as Data Visualization New York, Data Science & Analytics
I love seeing what wppromote is up to, Dan at Effin Amazing also gives some interesting talks!
marketwatch.com, bloomberg.com/markets
Guests: Brianna Gays (Head of Communications and Content at TripleLift); Cachet Prescott (Founder at Shift Matters); Sarah Riley (Account Director at Method Communications)
What are some areas within your industry experiencing current/emerging growth and hiring activity that job seekers should be aware of?
More than ever there is a need for comms professionals who can speak to a diverse audience and tell a company's DEI story. The tech sector is continuing to do incredibly well - especially for companies enabling the future of remote work long-term.
DEI, Head of Remote
Internal Communications, FinTech, Health Tech, etc.
In the worlds of HR, organizational development and learning and development, there is a great deal of opportunity in the remote work space. With the unexpected mass transition to remote work with the pandemic, companies and organizations are looking to understand how to best function in this space (given that it's here to stay in some way). Also, there is a great deal of opportunity in the ABIDE (access, belonging, inclusion, diversity, equity) space given that this is an area that has often been overlooked in the past. The need for these services, however, is only growing and finally getting some much needed attention.
Beyond technical knowledge/hard skills needed for a specific function, what qualities or skills make someone successful in your field?
Creativity is an essential skill for someone in the PR field. Willingness to ask questions, confidence speaking and presenting, research and organizational skills are also vital.
Transparency, accountability, creative thinking, communication skills
Strategic, big-picture thinker; remains calm under the pressure deadlines; student of your company's industry
Soft skills are a must in my field. From effective communication to emotional intelligence to mindset, your ability to successfully navigate the human side of the workplace depends on your ability to simply connect with other people.
Name some of your favorite resources to get information and updates in your field (ie. websites, blogs, associations, influencers, etc.)
PR industry sites like PR Daily and PRWeek are great for keeping up on which agencies have landed which clients, who rising stars are, and other industry trends. Tech and business publications (think TechCrunch, WSJ, NYT, etc.) are sites we read daily to stay up-to-date on news that relates to our clients.
Following industry leaders on LinkedIn (ex: Darren Murph)
Protocol, Morning Brew, HARO, LinkedIn
The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Association for Talent Development (ATD)
Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast
All Things (Un)learned podcast
Guests: Brian Helfman (Co-Founder & Chief Experience Officer at Startup Island); Michael Malone (Career/Executive Coach/Director at University of Georgia & Fortuna Admissions); Fareed Huda (Sr. Product Manager at Bottle Rocket)
What are some areas within your industry experiencing current/emerging growth and hiring activity that job seekers should be aware of?
Community building, HR / employee engagement in a remote world; technical and interpersonal solutions for the future of work and transforming education
Previously in person experiences have had to innovate to virtual, and this has allowed us to reach a wider audience. We won’t go all virtual - because some things can’t be accomplished virtually - but may stay virtual.
Beyond technical knowledge/hard skills needed for a specific function, what qualities or skills make someone successful in your field?
Strong interpersonal skills, empathy, global perspective and awareness, self-awareness, energy and time management, leadership
As you think about your career progression, consider how you spend your time as a student. Are you naturally structured or are you more unstructured? Do you work in bursts? Are you comfortable changing gears often? This is great personal information to know for you as you move into an office setting.
Being able to name and identify how I have developed and used my critical thinking and problem solving skills - and explain that in an interview, including results of the project - are great stories in an interview.
It takes a while to learn your core interests and skill set, but if you are able to take the risk and transition, be true to those interests and skills. Be intentional about your 5 & 10 year goals, so even if every step puts you in a temporarily uncomfortable position, you know the end goal is still in reach.
Name some of your favorite resources to get information and updates in your field (ie. websites, blogs, associations, influencers, etc.)
LinkedIn, Twitter, Newsletters
I highly recommend “The Art of Gathering” for anyone interested in designing experiences, events, workshops.
Guests: Ed Guarrieri (Vice President - Technology at CompuData, Inc.); Tim Zhang (Founder at Overseasy; STEINHARDT ‘18); Kate Blumenthal (Associate, Strategic Initiatives at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management; SPS ‘17)
What are some areas within your industry experiencing current/emerging growth and hiring activity that job seekers should be aware of?
Candidates entering the technology field should focus on cloud products and security. Integrating multiple cloud platforms securely is the future of the IT professional.
Beyond technical knowledge/hard skills needed for a specific function, what qualities or skills make someone successful in your field?
Flexibility, Emotional Intelligence, Effective Communication, Patience and Optimism
Resourcefulness. No individual knows everything in technology, but you need to know how to research and find solutions online. Being a good "Googler" is a major advantage in solving complex IT issues.
Name some of your favorite resources to get information and updates in your field (ie. websites, blogs, associations, influencers, etc.)
Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn, Barons | For Hospitality: Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International | For Finance: ACE Women’s Collective
Individual research of what the major players are developing for the future. Being involved in beta programs, tech previews, and early adopter programs allows you to learn and prepare for future products that may reshape the IT landscape.
Guest: Alexander Jader (CEO of ExecBeat Ltd.)
What are some areas within your industry experiencing current/emerging growth and hiring activity that job seekers should be aware of?
Economic change and the transition into blockchain technology
Beyond technical knowledge/hard skills needed for a specific function, what qualities or skills make someone successful in your field?
Curiosity, languages and and interest in culture and history
Guests: Yaolin Zhou (Senior Asset Management Associate at Keck Seng Group; SPS ‘14); Zahir Poonawala (Product Manager - HR at JSC Federal Credit Union); Paul Ortega (Principal & Founder at MotivationCheck)
What are some areas within your industry experiencing current/emerging growth and hiring activity that job seekers should be aware of?
Project Management in combination with Agile practices. Customer centric Product Management.
Beyond technical knowledge/hard skills needed for a specific function, what qualities or skills make someone successful in your field?
Multi tasker, people motivator, growth mindset, detail oriented, ability to communicate with cross-functional teams
Name some of your favorite resources to get information and updates in your field (ie. websites, blogs, associations, influencers, etc.)
Guests: Leesa D’Alto (Executive Communications Director at Facebook); Lisa Liu (Senior Director of Public Relations at Lividini & Co.); Glenn Meyer (Associate Director, Business Intelligence, Strategy and Analytics at Mindshare; SPS ‘13)
What are some areas within your industry experiencing current/emerging growth and hiring activity that job seekers should be aware of?
content and editorial, internal communications
Beyond technical knowledge/hard skills needed for a specific function, what qualities or skills make someone successful in your field?
someone who trusts their gut when making decision and can operate well under pressure
Name some of your favorite resources to get information and updates in your field (ie. websites, blogs, associations, influencers, etc.)
Twitter, Apple News, Clubhouse
Guests: Cindy Lam Pieroni (Senior Talent Development Specialist at Consumer Reports); Jessica Burke (Talent Incubation Programs Manager at Cisco); Jingli Cheng (Learning Strategist at Kobre & Kim)
What are some areas within your industry experiencing current/emerging growth and hiring activity that job seekers should be aware of?
Increasingly, companies are creating their own in-house services that were once outsourced to agencies - an action likely motivated by the need to cut costs.
HR Technology
Data Analytics
Employee Experience
Beyond technical knowledge/hard skills needed for a specific function, what qualities or skills make someone successful in your field?
A willingness to collaborate and change. The tech industry is everchanging, thus the recruitment and development of talent will constantly evolve to meet business needs.
Communication Skills
Resilience
Coaching
Critical Thinking
Strategic Thinking
Name some of your favorite resources to get information and updates in your field (ie. websites, blogs, associations, influencers, etc.)
Harvard Business Review (hbr.org)
Josh Bersin Academy (bersinacademy.com)
Association of Talent Development (https://www.td.org/)
