You're Doing What With Your Major?

Spotlight on UK Alumna - Dr. Amelia Brown Wilson

Click here to check out Dr. Amelia Brown Wilson’s Career Spotlight video!

Major:  Bachelor of Science in Family Studies in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (December 2003)

Current Career:  I serve as the Director of Agritourism in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which is led by Commissioner James Comer.

Please provide a short summary of your career path from college to present.
After graduating a semester early, I began as a Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in Fayette County.  I learned about Cooperative Extension through a summer internship and enjoyed working with volunteers, as well as teaching life-skills.

While an Extension Agent, I pursued my master's degree in Agriculture, and my Doctorate in Higher Education. After earning my doctorate, I was appointed by James Comer to serve as the Director of Agritourism.

Describe your best boss/supervisor.
I have blessed with two wonderful supervisors.  Roger Sparrow was my District Supervisor in Cooperative Extension.  He was a wonderful mentor and someone who I learned a great deal from.
Kristen Branscum is my current supervisor.  She is such a motivator and encourages me to think outside of the box.  I think it is so important for a supervisor to trust an employee, as well as an employee to respect their supervisor.

What do you do for networking and professional development?
I enjoy meeting individuals through the UK Alumni Association.  I am also heavily involved with the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Alumni board.

What career advice would you give to students and alumni?
Never stop learning.  Every class that I took at UK, I learned something that I utilize on a daily basis.  Take every opportunity to meet with your professors outside of class.  They are excellent resources!

Favorite UK memory:
I was crowned UK Homecoming Queen in 2003.  The process was being nominated by an organization, chosen to participate in an interview, interview with a panel of staff, students, and alumni, and finally voting by the student body.  I was very involved while at UK and that truly helped me meet a diverse group of people.

Social Media Refresher

What should our online profiles look like?

Your online profile(s) should look like a positive and professional representation of who you are.

If you have multiple social media footprints (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), you want to be sure that they all tell the same story. Be consistent in your profiles to make it easy for your audience to quickly recognize your brand. 

According to Jobvite’s 2013 Social Recruiting Survey, 94 percent of recruiters use or plan to use social media in their recruitment efforts. Don’t put anything on social media that you wouldn’t want your boss, colleagues, clients and customers to see. LinkedIn is the No. 1 professional social networking site in the world. 

Think of your online profiles as a free self-marketing campaign. They are a representation of you and, in turn, a representation of how you would represent your company/employer.

What are some social media Do's and Don'ts?

Do keep it clean and professional.                   
Do showcase your good communication skills.       
Do clearly communicate your professional brand.       
Do regularly check your privacy settings.            
Do know the appropriate social media etiquette.  

Don’t neglect your account or let it misrepresent you.           

Don’t use social media as a platform for "venting." 
Don’t ignore the significance of your virtual identity.
Don’t give your employer a reason to fire you. 
                                                                                                                          

What are our professional networks saying about us online? 

This depends on how seriously we take our professional networks. It is important to know that employers and recruiters are using social media to research job candidates. Typically, people only include items on a resume that they want the employer to know about. By typing your name in a search engine, employers have an opportunity to learn even more about you…positive or negative. Be conscious to create a personal brand tailored toward your target industry.

What should we be mindful of when we use our social media accounts?

Be mindful of your potential audience. Google yourself and see what you find. “Recruiters are placing increasing importance on candidate social profiles and 42 percent have reconsidered a candidate based on content viewed in a social profile, leading to both positive and negative reassessments.” - Jobvite’s 2013 Social Recruiting Survey. 

Use social media to your advantage!

Mentors and Sponsors Throughout Your Career

According to the book “Your Career Game: How Game Theory Can Help You Achieve Your Professional Goals,” what we need from mentors and sponsors will change over the course of our careers. 

Traditional mentoring relationships, where a senior professional advises a junior protégée, occur early in one’s career. This can be in areas such as office politics, corporate culture, professional image, as well as any aspect of the job itself. Other benefits of mentoring relationships include role modeling, encouragement and strategic introductions. 

Sometimes mentors are needed to help fill a specific professional gap. Many larger companies even have structured mentoring programs where formal matches are made and regular check-ins are expected. These programs often result in higher company retention rates and greater employee satisfaction while those in mentoring relationships may land quicker stretch assignments, promotions and pay raises. 

Since drastic career changes occur through our lifespan, the mentor protégée relationship is no longer based on age but more on experience and knowledge that can be shared with those new to a company or field.

Directly asking someone to be your mentor can be awkward. Consider slowly developing a relationship. Invite a higher-level professional to lunch, to be a guest speaker or serve on a panel. Approach a respected colleague for professional advice or with a specific question. Be respectful of their time and open to their feedback. Always follow up with outcomes of previous advice or discussions. Be mindful of ways you can give back to the relationship, perhaps by reverse mentoring on new technology, some aspect of social media or sharing industry relevant articles. 

By mid-career, it is strategic to have sponsors or colleagues at a higher level who will use their influence to pull you along or advocate on your behalf. Often mentoring and sponsoring relationships are formed because individuals have a common interest (attended the same college, volunteered for same charity) or simply because junior members remind the more senior members of themselves.

By late career, we should seek higher-level professionals who can be brutally honest with us about our strengths and weaknesses, confront us about our failures and challenge our thinking. This is also when we need to be conscious of giving back and serving as a mentor. It can often be a rewarding experience and keep us from getting stale late in our careers.

Consciously manage your career and be strategic throughout career stages regarding what you need to maneuver challenges and be successful.

You're Doing What With Your Major?

Spotlight on UK Alumna Laura Minton

 Major:  Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics (2000)

Current Career: I currently work as an International Sales Manager for one of the top global logistics providers based in Copenhagen, Denmark.  I focus on new business development and assist small to mid-size companies develop more efficient international supply chains.

Please provide a short summary of your career path from college to present.

Along with many others, it was a love of horses that drew me to Kentucky.  Thus, upon graduating, I had the opportunity to work for an equine nutrition company managing their international shipments.  Through connections in the Equine industry and experience gained, I was relocated to Los Angeles to manage an office for a reputable international horse transport company.  After several years of transporting horses internationally… from breeding stallions, to movie horses, US Equestrian team, and many notable others, I came to a turning point where a decision was made to keep horses as a hobby instead of a career.  With years of international logistics experience, and many connections that were made along the way, I easily transitioned into a sales profession for a leading international logistics provider.  Every new assignment in my professional career has allowed me to gain more valuable skills, knowledge, and connections, which have enabled me to continue professional growth in this ever changing job market.

Describe your best boss/supervisor.

My best boss was a Regional Sales Manager I had some years back… his name was Jeff, and Jeff’s job was to make sure I was a successful at mine.  He was so much more than a manager, he was one of my many mentors I have met along my professional journey.  Jeff was a very positive and enthusiastic individual who taught me about the “wheel of life”. 

This wheel of life story was told to me once, but is something that will stick with me for a lifetime.  Basically Jeff explained that life is made of many facets (example: career, family, friends, relationships, etc).  Each facet of life is just like a spoke of a wheel.  ‘You’ are the center of that wheel and can control each spoke.  In order to make the wheel of life turn, each spoke must be the same length.  Hence you must put equal time and effort into each spoke.  As soon as one spoke gets too long or too short, the wheel will not turn smoothly.

What do you do for networking and professional development?

Networking is a must for building your own pipeline of contacts.  Residing in Southern California, there are many different professional networking organizations and functions to attend.  To name a few suggestions: your local UK Alumni club, Rotary, and National Association of Professional Women. 

One of my suggestions for professional development is Toastmasters International.  Many people associate Toastmasters with public speaking, but it is so much more than just speaking.  There are many leadership and life skills (both personal and professional) that you can learn from this organization.  Becoming a member several years ago to initially help with my sales, and this organization has proved so much more than what I ever expected.  It is highly recommended to find a chapter in your local area and be a guest at their meeting to learn more about how to get involved.  I wish someone gave me this advice when I just graduated college.

How would you describe a successful job search strategy?

In my experience with job searching, my advice would be to network.  It’s more about Who you know then What you know.  Of course, you’ll need to be able to live up to your resume and experience… but it’s meeting that one person who can make a connection for you, open a door, or is willing to give you a chance.

What career advice would you give to students and alumni?

Advice I would give regarding careers is to never stop learning.  Knowledge is power and will make you marketable.  I learned this from my 92 year old mentor, friend, and fellow Toastmaster, who always keeps surprising me with the things she’s still accomplishing in life.  Take a class, get involved in an organization, learn a new skill… Never Stop Learning! 

What I know now that I didn’t know as a student:

If I had $1 for everything that I know now that I didn’t know as a student, I could retire!  J

Favorite UK memory/class etc.:

Going back to a previous answer of mine about meeting someone who will make a connection for you, open a door, or give you a chance… This person was Dr. Loys Mather (retired).

When I was first thinking about transferring to UK from a smaller college, Dr. Mather took time to meet with me and helped in setting up a plan to make my transfer to UK smooth and easy.  Thus I graduated from this great university!  I owe much thanks and appreciation to my old professor and advisor, Dr. Loys Mather, for taking the time that day to steer me in the right direction.

Alumni to Alumni Job Search Advice

We recently posted the following question to the Official University of Kentucky Alumni LinkedIn Group: What job search tips would you give to recent UK grads?

Here’s what UK alumna, Lisa McMichael, director of Online Communications at Mercer University and freelance consultant/contractor, had to say:

Join and actively participate in:

·      Industry groups (meet-ups, online, conferences)

·      Volunteer organizations (serve on committees and boards)

·      Your local alumni group (game watch parties and serve on committees or fundraisers)

Use LinkedIn aggressively:

·      Grow your network of credible connections

·      Research and write frequent (worthwhile) updates so that your connections will benefit from your expertise

·      Mentor: You’re never too young or inexperienced for someone else to benefit from your expertise and knowledge.

Be creative. If there is a professional in your industry you want to know, don’t be shy about approaching him/her (through LinkedIn for example) and discuss how you might collaborate on a project such as an industry-focused paper/article or speaking engagement and be willing to donate your time for the “exposure.”

Cold call prospective employers to set up informational interviews and offer to buy her/him a cup of coffee for the time.

Be exclusive about posting your resume to a job board. Recruiters are most interested in working with “exclusive” candidates, not those who have resumes on multiple job boards.

Let your friends and family “circle” know you’re looking. Keep them posted on your progress with a monthly update.

Create a support group of 1-3 people you can turn to for advice and encouragement and do the same in return.

Continue to enhance your skills and knowledge with online training and workshops, podcasts and seminars. Add to your resume as “participation” and add an update on your LI page.

Give yourself a small reward each week for being diligent in your job search. Use good judgment and don’t spend a lot of money that you may not have.

Keep a journal and use it to express yourself and remain positive.

The New Face of LinkedIn

If you are new to LinkedIn, you may not have noticed, but if you’re a LinkedIn veteran, you’ve definitely experienced LinkedIn’s recent facelift. The interface has been given a complete overhaul. LinkedIn’s goal is to simplify the user’s experience. 

Here’s a summary of some of the recent changes:

Search bar: LinkedIn’s main search bar has been moved to the top center of the screen. This makes searching for People, Companies, Groups and whatever else you may search a bit easier to navigate. In the past, the search bar has been hidden among the other great features of the site and easily overlooked.

Menu: The menu choices have been rebranded. Among other changes, you’ve probably noticed that “Groups” and “News” are no longer designated menu options. LinkedIn has a new set of tabs at the top of the screen (just under the search bar). The five main tabs are as follows: Home, Profile, Network, Jobs, and Interests. Watch this short video highlighting the new navigation menu bar.
LinkedIn posted an article on its official blog addressing other changes that have been made to the top navigation links on the home page. Click here to check out the blog post. 

Messages & Notifications: Your messages (indicated by an envelope icon), notifications (indicated by a flag icon), privacy menu and help menu are more notably displayed at the top right side of the screen.

Contacts: These features aren’t as new as some of the above mentioned, but they are still worth noting. LinkedIn has given you the ability to track conversations, meetings, and notes on your contact’s profile. I’ve found this to be hugely beneficial when trying to recall specifics about when/where/or how I may have met or corresponded with my contacts. Take a look at this Contacts SlideShare for more details. 

The folks at LinkedIn are constantly coming up with new ways to enrich the user’s experience. Expect more changes in the future and keep an eye out on the Official LinkedIn Blog for updates: http://blog.linkedin.com/. LinkedIn is still the No. 1 professional social networking site. If you do not already have a LinkedIn account, I recommend that you create one. Over 93 percent of employers and recruiters use social media when sourcing candidates, more specifically, LinkedIn. 

If you’re looking for ways to boost your professional brand on LinkedIn, you may enjoy this infographic. 

Posted by Kelly Allgeier

Ace Your Next Interview

If you adequately prepare for an interview, the process will undoubtedly flow more smoothly. Employers often initiate contact with job candidates through a preliminary phone screen.  After you advance past the phone interview, you are typically faced with a series of one-on-one in person interviews, a panel interview, or a combination of the two. Before an interview, ask the employer about the format of your upcoming interview and the name(s) of your interviewers. This will help you know what to expect and mentally prepare for the interview road ahead.

Before the interview, be sure to do your homework!

Know yourself – Be able to confidently convey your value proposition. What sets you apart from other candidates?

Know the company and interview team – Research the company and your interviewers prior to your interview. Visit the company website, study their products and services, research current news and trends, look at the company LinkedIn page and profiles of your interviewers.

Know the position – Compare the job description with your resume. What does the position involve? Why is the position vacant? What is the typical career path for the position?

What to bring – Arrive to the interview with several copies of your resume, copies of your references, a list of questions to ask in the interview, and your business portfolio. (Possible items to include in your portfolio: samples of your work, sales charts/statistics, testimonials or thank you letters from former clients or vendors, CEU certificates, performance evaluations, writing samples.) Be prepared to do an on-the-spot exercise or activity or demonstrate a skill.

Practice, practice, practice – Review common interview questions and practice your response. Participate in mock interviews and master the art of answering behavior-based interview questions. Think about how to respond to tough interview questions (e.g.  Tell me about yourself? Why did you leave your last job? What is your greatest weakness?).

As your interview is coming to a close, ask permission to make a closing statement. This will give you an opportunity to thank your interviewers for their time and consideration, and summarize a few of your most relevant strengths for the position. Be sure to get each interviewers name and email in order to follow up with a thank-you note within 24 hours of your interview.

Interview advice from UK alumna, Alyse Caraccio, Sales Recruiter for Total Quality Logistics:

“Follow up! You can never be too assertive when pursuing a position. Staying in frequent contact with the recruiter or hiring manager shows initiative and interest, and will keep your name fresh in everyone's mind.”

LinkedIn Profile Checklist

A complete LinkedIn profile is more likely to get noticed by other professionals. You want to make sure that all of the sections on your LinkedIn profile are filled in and accurately describe your professional capabilities. According to Jobvite's 2012 Social Recruiting Survey, LinkedIn remains the dominant recruiting network, used by 93% of respondents. The majority of employers and recruiters undoubtedly have a presence on LinkedIn. When they view your profile, what will they learn about you? - See more at: http://recruiting.jobvite.com/company/press-releases/2012/jobvite-social-recruiting-survey-2012/#sthash.f460zCqQ.dpuf

LinkedIn Profile Checklist

  □    Photo

  Upload a professional photo. People like to hire people. Put a face to your name.

  □    Headline

  Include a professional tagline or subtitle that will be associated with your name. Use industry

  keywords and branding statements. What is your target profession or industry?

  □    Connections

  Build your professional networking database. More connections lead to more profile views and

  more ways to get your “foot in the door.”

  □    Websites, Twitter, Web Address

  Include on-brand personal/company websites and blogs. If you tweet relevant items, add your

  handle. Customize your public profile address on your LinkedIn profile and add it to your resume.

  □    Summary

  Similar to a professional profile on a resume, highlight your value. What are your main

  achievements? Plug in industry keywords and phrases.

  □    Skills & Expertise

  Add industry-specific skills and competencies. Note areas of expertise, program/system

  competencies (for example, C++.) Be conscious of hot industry skill sets and what recruiters and

  employers are seeking in job candidates. 

  □    Experience

  Mirror your resume. Include employer, title, dates, skills/accomplishments. (Do not simply list job

  duties.) Use quantifiable information whenever possible (#,$,%). Utilize bullet points, as paragraphs

  often get overlooked. Clearly and concisely demonstrate your capabilities and value. Include

  internships, volunteer, and part-time work if they are on-brand. Any experience is good experience,

  paid or not.

  □    Education

  Include institution, degree, date (if less than 10 years ago) and activities/honors/societies if relevant.

  □    Groups & Associations

  Join groups related to your industry, company, school, and career-related interests. Group

  membership allows you to easily contact fellow group members, and engage in on-bran

  discussions. Include professional associations. Network and keep up-to-date with industry

  news/happenings. (Join the “Official University of Kentucky Alumni” LinkedIn Group.)

  □    Recommendations & Skill Endorsements

  Allow others to get an idea of your work ethic and capabilities based on fellow professionals, co-

  workers, and classmates point of view. 

Be ACTIVE on your LinkedIn account. Do your detective work and market yourself professionally. A new “Job Search Checklist” was recently released by LinkedIn. For additional tips on how to maximize your LinkedIn profile, click here.

Members of the UK Alumni Association are eligible for a free LinkedIn profile critique. Please email your LinkedIn URL to alumni career counselor, Kelly Allgeier (kelly.allgeier@uky.edu), if you would like your profile critiqued.

If you are not a member of the UK Alumni Association and would like to join, visit www.ukalumni.net/membership to learn more about association membership.