Advice I WOULD have given

I had to write a letter of advice to a fictitious 16 year old girl giving my sage advice about the business world.  Of course I thought of Brittany immediately and even though she isn't here for me to tell her these things, this is what I WOULD have told her if she had asked.  The professor told me that it was "really lovely" and "one of the best letters from the class".  I thought I'd share because why the heck not.  Maybe one day I'll have a baby girl to tell these things to......   

 

 

 

Dear Brittany,

I am flattered that you think so highly of me that you are seeking my advice.  I have found these ideas immensely helpful to me and I hope you will find as much success with them as I have. 

Being a young woman has many advantages, but I have always believed that a woman should be able to support herself no matter what life brings her way.  Because of this, I am a huge proponent of education.  In addition to getting your Bachelor’s Degree, I highly suggest that you continue on with your education and get an MBA.  In this day and age having a Bachelor’s Degree is the bare minimum of what companies expect from their employees.  Staying a step ahead of the competition in the job market means having more education than the next person.  It also means taking full advantage of any networking opportunities that arise.  Join a sorority and as many clubs as you have time for.  The contacts that you make in these years just might carry you through the lifetime of your business career.  You never know who you are going to meet and who you are going to need down the road; be smart, be personable and be kind to all.  In addition, if you get the chance to study abroad in another country, be sure to take it.  The world is no longer a vast planet that takes days and weeks to travel across.  It gets more and more flat and connected every single day.  Learn how other cultures live and think and experience their way of life.  It will help you better understand different segments of customers down the road.

As far as work goes, I think that everyone should work part time through college.  Work builds character and experience.  If you are unsure what type of business you want to do when you graduate, then try taking internships in different industries and learn what you like and dislike.  Learn what you are passionate about and what bores you to death.  Work is just work, however you will spend most of your life working therefore it is imperative that you find something you are passionate about.  Having to work at a job you hate, or at a company you hate will start to bleed into your personal life and will make you miserable all around.  Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing in your free time and then ask yourself what kind of companies deal with these concepts.  For example, if you love to read, what kind of businesses can you work at?  A few answers might include a book store, a publishing house, a distributor etc.  I have always found that working for a company that is passionate about customer service and their employees makes for a favorable work environment but you may enjoy a more cut throat environment.  Much like you should find a spouse that compliments your personality, you should also find a company that does the same. 

In the land of business there are many managers but very few leaders.  There are also things that make a bad leader and qualities that make a great leader.  Model your behavior after the great leaders.  Find someone who inspires you to be a better person and a better leader.  Continuously make improvements.  Find someone who is willing to mentor you but make sure that they are worthy of emulating.   

Being a good leader starts with being a great employee.  In order to do this, I think you should take the advice that I was given in my Global Leadership class.  This class was taught by Dr. Alonso Gomez from Mexico.  He is a very influential professor who had the opportunity to get to know CEOs from many companies.  During one business dinner he asked his companion, who was a CEO of a large company, what skills he looked for when hiring executives and other leaders for his company.  The CEO replied that when he was in his 30s, he would have answered that he looked for someone with the right tools, knowledge and skills for his company.  However, in his 40s he would have said that he would have hired someone who was skilled at making decisions and who had good judgment for the company.  In his 50s, he would have looked for someone that he could trust and who had character.  Now that he was in his 60s, he says that he would hire someone who has passion.  So when you go into a job interview, demonstrate these qualities on your resume and in the way you answer the questions.  Try to determine which of these qualities is a strength for you and work on those that you are weaker on. 

Lastly, I did a particular exercise in my Global Leadership class that I found really insightful.  It would be interesting to complete this exercise every 5 or 10 years to see if my answers change – much like the CEO from above.  The exercise is to list and rank the top 10 qualities that you think a global leader should have.  My list from highest to lowest included: being a visionary, having strong communication skills to all levels of employees, being culturally aware, having business expertise, driving innovation, being charismatic, acting socially responsibly at all times, making smart financial decisions, being adaptable and flexible and being aware of global economic issues.  Your list will probably be different but it would be good to ask other people as well.  The more common answers you get, the more important that trait is. 

I hope this helps.  I wish you well and much success in your future endeavors.  If you should ever need anything down the road, don’t hesitate to ask.          

Sincerely,

Lauren Rollins

 

MBA from UTSA

BBA in Marketing from UTSA