CBE Advisory Board meets

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2017 Spring Advisory Board
Board Members at the spring meeting: Left -to Right: Dan Coombs, Drew Weber, Gary Spitznogle, Bob Tatterson, Mike Winfield, Aisha Barry, Richard Scwartz (chair).

CBE Advisory Board members met on April 28, 2017 to continue discussions related to improving and strengthening the department. Current issues include high undergraduate enrollmentt and challenges in hiring additional faculty when such funds are not readily available.

Board members were asked to provide insights regarding early career progression. A summary appears below.


Career Advancement Advice: CBE Advisory Board Tips

  • Know your strengths. Is it leadership? Your intelligence? Knowing who you are and how you can perform – not just    what your credentials are - are the commodities employers want to understand to determine how your skills can benefit them. 
  • Do your research before interviewing and understand what the job needs (eg., don’t say you have an MBA if the job is R&D).
  • Not everyone needs an MBA. Get one only if you are interested in management, and only after a few years of work. After 15 years, experience gains equivalency to an MBA anyway.
  • Know the difference between classroom vs. career performance. In the workplace, you must continuously deliver good habits, accountability and a strong work ethic. 
  • Don’t wait for someone to give you a problem. Go out, find one, and collaborate.
  • People skills matter. Managers look for people who have had exposure to customers and a breadth of experiences.
  • Get near the customer to develop an appreciation for their perspective and to understand your sales department’s reports to help ensure you are delivering the best products and services.
  • The more diverse experiences you have, the more opportunities you’ll get.
  • Don’t isolate yourself. Talk to your peers about problem-solving and about navigating corporate culture.
  • Network, but get results. You have to deliver, not just know everyone.
  • Don’t be so eager to move up the ladder. Demonstrate that you’re willing to do the best you can with your current job.
  • Don’t decline offers just because they aren’t in an “attractive” geographic region or big city. Be willing to go where you’ll have the greatest impact. However, when taking a more remote location, the company has to demonstrate that you won’t lose opportunities by being “out of sight / out of mind.”
  • People that move, will move up. Even if it’s not a promotion, taking a lateral move can help advance a career up the ladder. 
  • Have performance-based goals for the current year, as well as the next. 
  • Pay attention to your individual development – trainings, projects requiring new learning; demonstrating leadership (eg., chairing United Way).