Welcome back to the Knockout Newsletter, brought to you by The Final Round. Every other Tuesday, we send you insight to help you knock out the competition, advance past the final round interview, and grow in your career.
Thank you for joining us in the ring. Letโs go.
Whatโs New?
Preparing for the Worst
You hear these ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ of employees working one day and the next day losing company access.
Imagine you work 2 years at a company, get laid off, and try to update your resume with all that you have done. Your mind comes blank. You know your role high level but it is hard to remember the more detailed aspects, the results, and the impact you made.
What should you do?? ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐: Google doc or Word doc that is saved on your personal email.
๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐: This can be a google doc where you document your specific role, what you have done, any numbers of results/impact, links to websites (such as a blog post), screenshots of your work, etc.
๐ฃ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ: You will utilize this work journal to update your resume and LinkedIn profile, and to answer future interview questions such as "Tell me more about your past social media manager role at X company". Note that you should only write down YOUR impact/results, and be careful to not write down any confidential or company-sensitive data.
๐จ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐: Try to update this doc every 1-2 weeks.
Remember, a work journal doesnโt have to be only in case you are laid off. A work journal is a great way to demonstrate your readiness for future roles, serving an asset valuable to everyone.
Spotlight Episode - Episode 19
In Episode 19 of The Final Round Podcast, AJ interviews Benjy Spiro, current MBA Campus Recruiting Manager at Walmart who has previously worked in Recruiting and Talent Acquisition at over 10 different companies including Goldman Sachs, The Walt Disney Company, and Accenture.
Benjy discusses the importance of extracurriculars at school, and why you should put less weight on your GPA. Below is a quick snip-it from the episode:
Your college GPA is not eligible or possible to change once you graduate. I do think academics is important because so many employers look for a good GPA when you start. When I say good GPA, I donโt mean you need to get a 4.0 but get a good GPA, a 3.0 and above I think is a good benchmark. Two to three careers into your job, no one will ever ask you for your GPA again or ever ask you for your SAT scores. But getting involved in extracurricular activities is so important because you can learn more outside the classroom than inside, and this is where you build your life experiences.
Making that Impact
Like Benjy Spiro mentions above, thereโs much more to college than good grades (and, for that matter, more to landing a good job than good performance alone). Sure, staying on top of your studies is essential to landing a good role, as many firms have GPA requirements. And yes, bringing value to the firm you work for is a major consideration future employers will look for. However, given the competitiveness of roles nowadays, demonstrating an interest in activities beyond work, as well as showcasing good social skills, are not just preferred, but necessary.
Especially in client-facing roles, demonstrating that youโre more than your job title is fundamental to building relationships with those you are working with. And without good, stable relationships, your clients may not have the trust in you necessary to want to work with you. And trust, according to many, is integral to the success of any business partnership.
So when it comes to improving yourself as a candidate, donโt just focus all of your time on technical or case-interview prep. Take the time to improve your social communication skills, including small talk unrelated to your desired role. Here are a few ways to improve your sociability, and help demonstrate your ability to communicate both in and out of a work setting:
Ask open-ended questions - donโt be afraid to engage in longer conversations, when necessary. It will show your interest in the thoughts and experiences of others, while developing your own ability to communicate as well.
Maintain eye contact - by engaging in good eye contact, youโll come off as more considerate and genuine. It shows you truly care about their input, and theyโll certainly appreciate yours more, too.
Listen more! - many people are so prone to providing their own opinions, they may miss all they may gain from hearing what others have to say. Not only is it polite, but it can also help develop your own arguments/thoughts as well.
Be knowledgeable - reading our Newsletter every other week will you gain some interesting talking points that could really help you shine in the social scene. Remember, developing interests in extracurriculars outside of work and business is also a great way to improve your social skills, too.
Business Buzz ๐
๐ข Disneyโs Struggle for a Deal
This upcoming week, Disney is holding a vote regarding pay increases. Many current workers, particularly cast members, have struggled to pay rent as a result of low wages amidst inflation and high rent prices throughout Orlando. As Jonathan Pulliam mentions, many of his coworkers have been forced to live in their cars. Though Disney plans on raising current wages through 2026 (beginning at $1 increases starting this year), Disney Unions are encouraging workers to vote no.
๐ Teslaโs Price-Cut Trouble
Tesla has implemented price cuts across their car models, with prices dropping as much as 20% this month alone. While Elon Musk says such has increased demand for Teslas, those unfortunate enough to have spent thousands more on their new Teslas just months or weeks before these cuts feel played. Vikas Khanna, who paid around $65,000 (excluding sales tax) for his Tesla Model Y in late December, says he โcan no longer trustโ Tesla, even despite his multiple purchases from the EV dealer. Though Teslaโs stock has risen just short of 40% this past month, itโs interesting to see how this backlash will impact consumers (as well as revenue) within the upcoming weeks.
โ๏ธ Striving to Make a Difference
Though tech startups have been letting go of workers like crazy, one sector has seen some sunlight amidst the darkness: climate startups. Arebeth Pease, who was recently laid off from her role as part of MasterClass, chose to move past a role in the tech sector. Pease instead favored a role in the climate mitigation sector, electing to work for SPAN, a firm producing smart home-electrical panels. With the main selling point to โslow the effects of climate change,โ Pease feels more satisfied working for a firm seeking to โdo work that matters.โ Itโs certainly interesting to see how this trend will affect companies like SPAN, and other firms seeking to help protect the Earth.
Why It Matters
Thereโs more than just layoffs going on in the career space. Union battles, price changes, and the growth of new sectors continue to influence the business landscape as well. Itโll be interesting to see how layoffs affect other business areas, and how both consumers and firms react to these changes. Stay tuned to see how the layoff trends, along with other factors like inflation, impact these areas and of course many more.
The Final Question
Are you going to create a Work Journal? Itโs time to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
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Written by Bryan Hanley; Edited by AJ Eckstein