To help students seeking jobs or internships, representatives from Northwestern Mutual visited with SUNY Oswego students and gave tips on how to network properly and to build a brand.
The presentation was hosted by three representatives from the company, Managing Director James Dexter, a recruiter, Magic Washington and Director of Recruitment Jillian Kashuba. For Dexter and Washington, the connection to Oswego is personal, as both are graduates of SUNY Oswego. Dexter said he was “very excited to stay connected to SUNY Oswego.”
“It’s really important to kind of understand the purpose of networking and your personal brand, who you are and how to put that out there into the world,” Kashuba said.
One of the main things that Kashuba stressed in regards to networking was that students should not be afraid to put themselves out there.
“A lot of people get intimidated by networking,” Kashuba said. “Don’t be afraid, when you’re networking … to introduce yourself.”
Johnson agreed with Kashuba saying that they do not want students to be “robots,” and they should not be afraid to speak up.
“As recruiters, we’re not robots, so we don’t just always want to hear about you,” Johnson said. “Ask us questions about ourselves, about the opportunity, make it conversational and just be as human as possible.”
Kashuba also discussed the importance of preparation. She said that, as a recruiter, she looks for students who approach her with clear preparation and awareness of her company.
The group recommended that students stay in touch with recruiters after the fact.
“You don’t just meet someone and then never talk to them again,” Kashuba said. “Remember their name, write down their LinkedIn profile, get their email address, send a thank you note, whatever you can do to make your presence known and build that rapport and that relationship.”
The presentation also discussed the importance of maintaining a LinkedIn page.
“LinkedIn is a very under-used tool, in my opinion,” Washington said. “A lot of people really don’t know how to utilize it to the best of its ability. It’s a very powerful tool if you use it correctly.”
Kashuba said that LinkedIn can work as another form of a resume, as well. By being able to enter your qualifications and activity, as well as sharing things that are important, a student can paint a picture of themselves to potential recruiters. She recommended that students send personalized messages to recruiters, stating their career intentions to those they wish to connect with.
The presentation also discussed how to create and maintain a personal brand.
A personal brand statement should be no more than one sentence, according to Kashuba and should show recruiters “this is who I am, this is what I’m looking to do, this is my story.” It can be made by listing your unique attributes and your career goals.
When building a personal network, Kashuba stressed the importance of having strong “centers of influence,” which she described as people that one can reach out to, in order to build the network.
“I’m still in contact with a tremendous amount of people that I’ve worked with in the past,” Kashuba said. “Keeping and maintaining that network and building it as big as possible is really, really important.”
The presentation also spent an extensive amount of time discussing how to ensure you will have success in virtual job or internship interviews. The first piece of advice that the group gave was to “set your scene.”
“Don’t be in a Starbucks where it’s super loud, don’t be in the middle of the street in New York City,” Kashuba said. “Be in a quiet environment.”
Dexter added that he has interviewed several people who have chosen to utilize a virtual background containing their interests, accomplishments and their personal brand.
“It creates really easy talking points for the person interviewing,” Dexter said. “You can put your school logo in the background, you can put something that you’re passionate about in the background.”
Dressing properly was also noted as one of the most important parts of the interview. Kashuba said that despite the fact that “we’ve got this work from home, school from home thing going on,” that dressing up for an interview should still be the norm.
Body language was also mentioned as an important part of interviews. With the rise of Zoom meetings, one can be more cognizant of their own body language, as they can view themselves on the screen.
“There’s no reason to not be smiling,” Dexter said. “Just be happy, it’s the best language.”
Kashuba also stressed the importance of practice. She recommended that students practice an interview with their peers.
“Interviews can be very nerve-wracking, and I find that the more you prepare, it’s just that much easier to go through,” Washington said.
They also recommended that students enter an interview with questions prepared.
“When you’re getting interviewed, you’re interviewing the company as well,” Dexter said. “You should be going into it thinking, ‘I get to interview them just as much as they’re interviewing me.’”
After the interview, there is at least one more step, following up, which again is a way to market yourself in some respects.
“[A follow-up message] gives us a glimpse of what we might be getting if you’re added to the team,” Dexter said.
Kashuba added to this, saying that a thank-you note can go a long way after an interview is complete.
“You can have even just the most generic thank-you note ever, I don’t care,” Kashuba said. “Sending something that says, ‘Hey, I’m really excited about this opportunity, thank you for taking the time out to speak with me’ goes a long, long way.”
William Rogers | The Oswegonian
