Follow your passion and find your fit.

I am told those are the keys to a successful career. With so many intriguing career opportunities, where should a girl begin? So, I trekked to Washington D.C. (on my own dime, of course) to confirm my passion and attended a career fair the size of three football fields, well maybe not three but it was huge! For two days, I walked up and down the aisles talking to representatives from financial services to food and beverage manufacturers. For a moment, I thought my dream job would be working in waste management. Before you laugh, the company had a cool booth…the employees performed concert worthy karaoke and everyone in the vicinity had a good time. Then reality had set in and I remembered those critical words “follow your passion and find your fit”, so I moved on.

Here are some tips I learned along the way:

Know your story. I can remember that phrase being echoed by business school students, admissions representatives and corporate recruiters alike. At the time, I thought it was a no brainer…I knew where I came from, where I was educated, what job I was currently working and why I wanted to go to business school. So, as I drafted my admissions essays I wrote what some would consider “my story”; an individual with insurance experience looking to pursue a marketing career. That was my story and still is to this day, but I like to think of it as my personal testimonial. I propose changing the dictum from “know your story” to “know your personal testimonial.” Think about it…a testimonial conveys positive evidence of a product’s value; in this case the product is you. I am not suggesting audacious bragging; just stressing the importance of knowing who you are and what value you can bring to a given school, company, organization, etc. Knowing your personal testimonial may help you determine what organizations best align or “fit” with who you are.

Be open to explore. Goizueta provides opportunities for current students to discover their career preferences through online assessments, industry panels, networking events and individual coaching. While these tools provide ample opportunity to explore different career paths, it is important to keep in mind your personal testimonial and what will fit with you. While I knew I was considering marketing, I was tempted by the allure of Wall Street and attended several corporate presentations and events. As I thought about my personal testimonial, I could see how my experience could align with a job on the Street, but would it be a good fit for me? Sometimes it is difficult to know where you could thrive without actually being there. It is important to speak with people in the industry, from a broad spectrum of companies, to know which types of organizations would work for you. Be open to explore and when necessary, know when it may be time to return to base camp.

Follow your passion and find your fit. At the end of the day, stay true to who you are because recruiters can tell when you are putting on a show. Remember to give your personal testimonial and make sure the values you are proposing align with the benefits sought by the school, company or organization. Goizueta has many tools to help you refine your testimonial, executive presence, and target company list but only you will know if a given company will lead you on the right path. These tips have helped me tremendously and I hope they will help you on your journey.

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