by Angela Copeland | Sep 14, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter
How to use your academic experience to land a corporate job
There’s an issue that has come up a number of times since starting my business. Job seekers who are looking for a job for the first time in their 30s or 40s find it tough to know where to start. This is a very common occurrence for those who have spent their entire careers in academia or research.
They’ve gone to school for many years without stopping. At the end, they have a long list of awesome accomplishments. But, because a full time corporate job typically isn’t one of them, the thought of going down this path can be very daunting.
I was recently interviewed by Fast Company on this very topic, because they’re hearing about the same issue!
If you find yourself in this situation, with mainly academic experience, here are a few of my tips for writing your resume for a corporate job.
- Leave out your GPA. In the corporate world, it’s rare that anyone will want to know your academic grade point average.
- Get your own e-mail address. Using your school’s e-mail for job applications just makes you look young and inexperienced.
- Keep your resume short and sweet. One or two pages is the maximum length a resume should be. Corporations don’t have time to read a 10 page CV. Be concise.
- Use plain language. There will inevitably be people who read your resume that don’t have the same impressive credentials that you do. Write your resume in such a way that a human resources pro or a recruiter could understand it. They’re often the first person to screen your resume. And, if they don’t understand it, you’re dead in the water.
- Don’t list every publication you’ve ever been in. Or, if you do, consider a format that’s readable. A long bibliography written in a highly technical format is rarely appropriate in a corporate resume.
- Be aware of your formatting. Your resume should have a consistent look and feel throughout.
- Use bold to emphasize important things. But, keep it to a minimum. Use it to highlight important parts are your background, such as your titles.
- Include internships, speaking events, and leadership activities. Although you may not have been paid, these activities provide students with valuable experience that translate into the working world.
- Include class projects. It may sound silly, but very often, professors give you real life problems to work on. Sometimes, you even get to interface with the companies to solve them. Again, just because you weren’t paid doesn’t mean your experience doesn’t translate. Include these pieces of your work to show your future employer what you can do.
- Save your resume as a PDF. So often, when we e-mail our resume to someone else as a Word document, the formatting gets all mixed up. Keep things simple and save your resume as a PDF before you send it.
Once you get your resume ready, it’s time to head out and find a job. Although good for research, the internet is not your ultimate answer to landing an interview. Take the time to network and get your feet wet in the community.
And, when you do land an interview, keep in mind that the most important thing in terms of hiring is can often be whether or not the employer likes you – rather than your degree. Take the time to both refine your personal brand, and work on being relatable. Show up to interviews looking polished and be approachable.
At the end of the day, you want to package up your years of academic prowess into an intelligent, relatable, refined brand.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Sep 14, 2015 | Job Posting
Nike is seeking a Director of Operations in Memphis, TN.
As the Director of Operations, you’ll direct the development and implementation of the annual operations business plan to align with regional and global logistics objectives. You’ll research, design and implement innovative processes and procedures that will foster improvement of the logistics operations and service. You’ll educate staff on statistical methods for process and performance assessment and analyze performance data for the purpose of driving key decisions around service, operations and overall logistics. You’ll also facilitate and encourage continual improvement processes focused on making the operation more effective and flexible. You’ll select, motivate, develop and evaluate our Operations Management team, including recruitment and selection, person-to-person developmental, performance reviews, salary administration, professional/managerial training and Human Resource Process implementation of managers. You’ll build and maintain an interdependent relationship with all functional areas within the facility and engage in cross-functional collaboration with all supply chain functional groups.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Nike job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 13, 2015 | Job Posting
Siemens is seeking a Sr. Director, Strategic Account Executive in Memphis, TN.
Lead service sales efforts for Strategic & National Accounts in collaboration with Customer Service teams to drive Siemens growth. Key contributor to overall service sales, leading direct interaction with customers and partners in the Strategic Corporate Accounts organization. Primary role is to drive profitable service sales into large Integrated Delivery Networks (IDN) and key accounts regionally.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Siemens job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 13, 2015 | Job Posting
Intel is seeking a Marketing Campaign Manager in Plano, TX.
In this role you will be playing a key role within the Field Marketing organization, requiring close integration with Inside Sales management, Product Marketing, other internal stakeholders and external vendors in call and demand generation campaign development and execution. You will lead the development of campaign training materials and will conduct training sessions as needed, both in group and individual settings. Finally, you will set and measure KPIs and report results to various stakeholders, including senior management.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Intel job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 12, 2015 | Job Posting
AT&T is seeking a Lead Marketing Communications Manager in Dallas, TX.
As a Lead Marketing Communications Manager, you will lead the development of marketing communications security portfolio programs to increase the profitability of company security products and services through the utilization of various marketing tactics. In this position, you will lead the development, execution and monitoring of integrated communications programs on behalf of the security portfolio in support of the strategic business objective. This position is considered the foremost expert within the marketing communications discipline, with a knowledge of the cyber security landscape and an acknowledged authority within the organization. Responsibilities include marketing, content creation, communications, program planning and design services.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the AT&T job posting here.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 11, 2015 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Work Stress is Bad for Your Health.”
If you’re feeling stressed at work, it turns out it may actually be bad for your long-term health. Researchers from Harvard and Stanford found that work stress can be as bad for you as secondhand smoke.
Joel Goh, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Stafanos Zenios teamed up to analyze 228 studies to come up with their findings. They looked at 10 factors, including things like low job security, long working hours, low levels of fairness at work and high job demands.
They then measured how those factors influenced multiple things: self-diagnosed physical and mental health, doctor diagnosed issues and death. Surprisingly, the analysis was able to predict our future health issues as much as if we were exposed to secondhand smoke.
In fact, over 120,000 deaths and $190 billion in health care costs every year are attributed to stress from the workplace.
It’s interesting to think about how seriously we take smoking, but how normal work stress seems. When stressed, many people turn to thinks like cigarettes, food and alcohol. Those behaviors can lead to increased health problems.
To read the rest of my column, and find out how to reduce your work stress, visit the Memphis Daily News website here.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 11, 2015 | Job Posting
Houston Community College is seeking a Director, Corporate Training in Houston, TX.
Develop high-visibility networks in the community by attending business events, association, and community meetings. Develop strategic partnerships on behalf of CT and the College. Work with the grants office to write, deliver and administer training grants through the Texas Workforce Commission. Responsible for profit and loss (P an L) for corporate training area. Develops budget for CT as well as benchmark financial ratios. Manage budget and work with the Division’s Financial Analyst to produce effective and timely reports.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Houston Community College website here.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 11, 2015 | Job Posting
CBRE is seeking a Regional Director of Facilities Management in Memphis, TN.
Under general direction, holds full accountability for the site operation, cost management, service delivery and front facing services across the client’s healthcare facilities. Provides personal leadership and effective management for a wide range of hard and soft services activities as well as provides oversight of on-site Facility Directors. This role serves as the liaison between the assigned site teams and the customer. The position holds primary responsibility for assuring that customers recognize the role of GWS in the performance of their on-site team. It is also responsible for holding the Facility Directors accountable for meeting standards, achieving technical service delivery excellence, meeting financial objectives, attaining high customer satisfaction and loyalty, and meeting the goals and objectives of both GWS and the customer. Ensures improvements are achieved and maintained and a proper balance is achieved between responding to client requests and maintaining GWS high standards and cost effectiveness.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the CBRE website here.
by Jeffrey Pfeffer | Sep 10, 2015 | Advice, Guest Post
People spend a lot of their time at work, people often find friends on the job, and what people do is an important source of their social identity and status. Simply put, work matters. Consequently, the conditions of work matter, too. Work can be an important source of stress and strain in people’s lives, whether that stress comes from long working hours, work-family conflict, the economic insecurity that derives from the threat of layoffs or fluctuating wages and hours, or not having control over one’s work environment.
Not surprisingly, I and some operations research colleagues have found that toxic workplace conditions are as harmful for mortality, having a physician-diagnosed illness, and self-reported physical and mental health as exposure to second-hand smoke, a regulated known carcinogen. We also estimated that approximately 120,000 people a year die from workplace conditions—and I am not talking about physical exposures such as accidents or harmful chemicals—and that the workplace is responsible for almost $200 billion annually in incremental health care costs.
I am writing a book on this issue of the workplace and human sustainability. Although there is enormous epidemiological evidence on this topic, I am seeking personal examples of how people’s work has made them ill and/or stressed. If you are willing to share your story or example, contact me at pfeff@stanford.edu to explore setting up a (recorded) telephone interview. I can offer you anonymity if you so desire, and if requested, will also not mention the name of your employer.
Sharing your story can help bring the problem of harmful workplaces to light and just possibly stimulate employer and policy interventions to limit the physical and economic damage.
Dr. Jeffrey Preffer
Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University where he has taught since 1979. He is the author or co-author of 14 books.
by Angela Copeland | Sep 10, 2015 | Job Posting
FedEx Express is seeking a VP Flight Operations in Memphis, TN.
To provide overall executive leadership of domestic and international aircraft operations to ensure the safe, efficient use of aircraft and ensure that utilization of all resources are in compliance with international and federal aviation administration regulations, corporate objectives, and the alpa collective bargaining agreement; to examine and act upon strategic opportunities to ensure continued efficient and effective flight operations. To establish and maintain two-way communications with the pilot work force and their designated representative to ensure the safe, legal and reliable operation of all FedEx Express trunk aircraft.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the FedEx Express job posting here.
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