Smeal Alumni Career Corner: Top 10 Lists

Lately, many "Top 10 Lists" have been making the rounds on LinkedIn. Usually the lists are geared towards our career concerns and business interests. Please join Smeal's Official LinkedIn group if you are a Smeal alum and post your "Top 10 List!" 

Since top ten lists are so popular, four of our very successful alumni, have volunteered to do a webinar! Smeal Webinars are free and open to alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends!

Top 10 Insights on My Way to Success!

When: Dec 07, 2016  Time: 12:00 PM to 01:00 PM ET

• Lynn Cruser (’83 Management) is a retired vice president of Bank of America.
• Ed Wilson (’70 Marketing) is a partner with Stratos Wealth Partners.
• Hal Wright Jr. (’58 Business Administration) is a self-employed insurance broker.
• Phil Zimmerman (’52 Commerce) is retired vice president of marketing support of Amsco International (now Steris Corporation)

Please join our webinar as four of our accomplished and dedicated Smeal alumni discuss some of the insights that they have gained on their successful career journeys. What were their top ten lessons learned along the way? As you move into or through your career perhaps their insights will give your career a boost.

Find out more and register!

Career Change

Ten Red Flags That Scream ‘Don’t Work For This Manager’ shared by Christine Coy (‘95 Management Science & Information Systems) Principal Consultant at Paragon

1. Your manager tells you things he or she thinks you should know
2. Your manager does not bother to ask what you want in a new job
3. Your manager puts you down
4. He or she does not let you ask questions
5. Your boss talks negatively about the company
6. Your manager lets it known that you cannot use your own ideas
7. Your manager does not try to get to know you
8. He or she is hostile or rude in the interview
9. The manager is not qualified for his or her job
10. He or she says the last employee was a failure

Ten Things You Didn’t Know You Can Claim On Your Resume shared by Christine Coy (‘95 Management Science & Information Systems) Principal Consultant at Paragon

1. Projects you were a part of
2. A good idea you came up with
3. Volunteer or consulting work
4. Work that you did as a favor
5. Accomplishments that are not officially part of the job description
6. Everything you learned at work
7. Leadership of a project or task
8. Ideas that developed after you stopped working for that company
9. Projects that never came to fruition
10. Responsibilities that were someone else’s job description

10 Quick Changes That Help Your Resume Get Noticed shared by Rosalie Minovich (‘15 Accounting) Audit Senior Assistant at Deloitte & Touche LLP

1. Submit your resume in Microsoft Word format
2. Do not include tables in formatting the text
3. PDF files and other formats may not be read by different ATS softwares
4. Don’t format your resume using a resume template
5. Use the standard, customary section headers
6. Type section headers in all capital letters
7. Be consistent
8. List a company with its appropriate suffix
9. Separate each section of your resume with a blank line
10. Do not number pages

Communication

10 Characteristics of Skilled Communicators shared by John Barnes (‘95 Accounting) Partner at Grant Thornton LLP

1. “Active Listening”
2. “Emotional Awareness”
3. “Recognize Barriers”
4. “Keep it Simple”
5. “Specific”
6. “Focus on the Here and Now”
7. “Know When NOT to Speak”
8. “Timely and Complete”
9. “Project Confidence”
10. “Ask Questions”

10 Writing Tips to Make Your Emails Less Terrible shared by Heather James(‘92, Accounting) Direct to Consumer Executive at PVH Corporation

1. Have a clear objective
2. Write short
3. Make the subject line meaningful
4. Get directly to the point
5. Think outside the paragraph
6. Stick to one topic
7. Write like a human
8. Don’t compose email on a smartphone
9. Reply to senders, not to everyone
10. And finally, consider just talking to people

Culture

Ten Things I Learned Working at the World's Largest Company shared by Douglas Parulis (‘11 Management) Operations at Jet.com

1. Each person there really does believe in “Save Money. Live Better.”
2. I learned the ability to navigate a complex landscape of departments and leadership to get things done.
3. I learned communication is situational.
4. I learned working at Walmart, I was truly able to work with some of the best and brightest.
5. I learned working in retail, simply put, is fun.
6. I learned the childhood lesson again of not judging a book by its cover.
7. I learned if you could think of it at Walmart you could do it.
8. I learned Walmart is an enigma.
9. I learned there is a great amount of loyalty among the associates towards Walmart.
10. I learned because of the size, scale and responsibility at Walmart that there is no better learning ground on how to treat fellow associates, customers and suppliers.

Ten Signs Your Boss Has Turned Against You trending on Pulse

1. Your boss used to casually praise and acknowledge you when you did something right — now they don’t. You’re still hitting or surpassing your goals, but you’d never know it by your boss’s behavior!
2. Your manager used to check in with you and inquire excitedly about your projects — now that’s forgotten. Your boss walks right by your desk and doesn’t say a word.
3. Other managers make a point of telling you “You’re a great addition to our team.” Your boss gets a weird look on their face or leaves the room whenever somebody says something nice about your work.
4. Your co-workers ask you “What happened between you and the Frank, our manager? You used to spend at least an hour with Frank every couple of days. Now you’re out in the cold – what’s the story?”
5. Your manager shuts down your good ideas or tells you put them on hold. Just a month or two ago when your boss heard these ideas for the first time, the boss was all over them. Not now!
6. Your boss doesn’t want you to communicate with anyone outside the department. Your manager uses email to communicate with you now, when in the past he or she would seek you out during the day.
7. Your email messages, Post-It notes and other communications with your boss are ignored.
8. Your manager has begun picking at you over tiny details that don’t even matter. All of a sudden, you can’t seem to do anything right in your boss’s eyes.
9. Your manager has stopped talking about their plans for you. They’ve stopped brainstorming with you about the future, and now you’re totally in the dark about what your future at this employer might look like.
10. Your collaborative relationship with your boss was a high point of your job — now that you’ve been cast out into the darkness, you’re not sure this is the right job for you anymore.

Interviews

Ten Ways to Guarantee Your Interviewer Won't Forget You shared by Danial Razak ('16 Finance) Bakery Support Service Crew at Penn State Housing and Food Services

1. Get off the script right away, even before you sit down in the chair in your manager’s office or a conference room.
2. Use an open ended question as a way to get off script.
3. Use stories to bring your career history to life.
4. Make the interview about your hiring manager and his or her problem.
5. When you answer an interview question, turn it back and ask a follow-up question of your manager.
6. Keep in mind that when your manager is talking, he or she is engaged.
7. When your manager is describing the work you’ll be performing in the job, resist the urge to say “I’ve done that!” or “I can do that.”
8. Keep in mind that your manager is a human being, and that people get tired.
9. The best job interviews — and the most memorable ones to everybody in the room — are human conversations rather than oral exams.
10. Remember that you don’t have to please or impress anybody to get a job that deserves you.

Top 10 Interview Questions and 10 Killer Responses trending on Pulse

1. ”Tell me about yourself”
2. “What is your greatest weakness”
3. “Tell us a time you disagreed with your boss”
4. “Where do you want to be in 5 years?”
5. “Why would you want this job?”
6. “Why are you leaving your current company?/Why did you leave?”
7. “What do you like most about your current/former job?”
8. “What are you looking to earn?”
9. “Why should we hire you?”
10. “What is your favorite color?”

The Job Market

10 truths about finding meaningful work trending on Pulse

1. Nobody has only one calling. Even the so-called gurus who live in Bali and write books about finding your true calling have more than one calling.
2. The perfect job may not exist, but the right job does.
3. You should serve the people you love.
4. All work can be meaningful, the challenge is finding what’s meaningful to you.
5. You can pursue your artistic and creative passions while keeping a job that pays you well.
6. Everyone is different. Meaningful work for you might mean becoming an entrepreneur, intrapreneur, or anything in between.
7. There are many advantages to working for a large organization, especially early in your career.
8. You gain leverage when you do what you love at an organization where what you love is unique.
9. Working a job that’s not the right fit will help you get closer to learning what is the right fit. If you are going to leave your job, quit with intention.
10. Meaningful work is about patience and persistence. Career fulfillment is not Tinder; you can’t just swipe right.

Leadership

The World’s Most Successful Leaders Share These 10 Traits shared by Brendon Garrison (‘15 Management) Analyst at BlackTree Healthcare Consulting

1. Being trusting and trustworthy
2. Make sure you are emotionally connected to your work
3. Be sensitive and flexible
4. Be creative
5. Have a willingness to fail
6. Work hard
7. Happiness leads to success
8. Be an early adopter of trends
9. Be a “10 times better” thinker
10. Have a diverse network

My top 10 quotes on modern leadership shared by Steven Witten (‘78 Accounting) Managing Principal at Triage Solutions LLC and Amy Williams (’80 Food Service & Housing Administration) President at SageWorks Rx

1. “We cannot ask others to do what we have not done ourselves.” – Christiana Figueres
2. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama 
3. “Leadership is not just about giving energy ... it's unleashing other people's energy.” – Paul Polman
4. “Inexperience is an asset. Embrace it.” – Wendy Copp  
5. “Simply put: we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services.” – Mark Zuckerberg 
6. “We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children.” – Kofi Annan 
7. “Earn your leadership every day.” – Michael Jordan
8. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely 
9. “Don't forget to do something for other people.” – Marc Benioff
10. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” – Sheryl Sandberg 

Ten Things All Bad Managers Have In Common Trending on Pulse

1. They are not supported in their own jobs. They are lost or frightened — that’s what makes them poor managers.
2. They don’t feel good about themselves.
3. They are either not aware of their horrendous management style or they feel powerless to change it.
4. They will tell you that they feel beaten down themselves, because they do.
5. They don’t feel powerful, apart from the power in their job title.
6. They do not get enough acknowledgment.
7. They justify and rationalize their worst behaviors
8. They are focused on the times when they “got burned”  or experienced something negative at work in the past.
9. They don’t have good sounding-board people to bounce ideas off of.
10. They don’t have a vision for their own lives and careers.

10 Signs You Have (Or Are) A Great Boss trending on LinkedIn

1. Provide strong leadership and a clear vision
2. Hold themselves and others accountable
3. Good problem solver
4. Avoid micromanaging
5. Effective decision makers
6. Put people first
7. Manage up, down, and sideways
8. Show Appreciation
9. Be Honest
10. Be Dedicated and balanced

LinkedIn

10 LinkedIn Tips for Connecting With People at Live Events shared by Michael Bruni (‘05 Finance) Financial and Investment Operations at MB Consulting

1. Update Your LinkedIn Profile
2. Research People Connected to the Event
3. Tag Your Connections
4. Create Messaging Templates
5. Download the LinkedIn Mobile App
6. Connect With Attendees
7. Take Pictures With Attendees and Speakers
8. Send Invitations to Connect
9. Write a LinkedIn Publisher Post About the Event
10. Stay Top of Mind With New Connections

Networking

10 Secrets for a Successful Dreamforce from Salesforce Pros shared by Maddy Curry (‘13 Marketing) Senior Analyst, Books & Other Media at Jet.com

1. “Take some time to explore”
2. “Bring a water bottle and refill it frequently”
3. “Don’t try to do everything”
4. “Make sure to tag all the sessions you want to attend”
5. “Bring a USB iPhone charger or two with you”
6. “Snacks like protein bars are key”
7. “Make new friends...build your network”
8. “Pace yourself”
9. “Pack light”
10. “Wear comfortable clothing”

How to Network Like a Pro: 10 Ways to Make a Long List of Meaningful Connections shared by Erica Donaldson-Dipyatic (Marketing) Associate Director of Digital Marketing at BNY Mellon

1. “Be shockingly helpful”
2. “Play Eventbrite roulette”
3. “Shake up your social networks”
4. “Strengthen your weakest connections”
5. “Rethink your event networking strategy”
6. “Gather an unconventional group”
7. “Be fearless”
8. “Take the road less traveled”
9. “Calendar your networking time”
10. “Think like a journalist”

Ten Ways To Become More Likable trending on Pulse

1. When speaking with someone, look at them until they are finished speaking.
2. Debate ideas and issues at work.
3. “When your colleague says something nice or affirming, reciprocate”
4. Practice saying “please” and “thank you.”
5. When you are stressed, pay attention to your body.
6. Make sure you are seeing the fun in your work and enjoy it.
7. Pay attention to your colleagues emotions in addition to their actions.
8. Do not put down or bash a colleague.
9. Pay close attention to your emotions, tone, and reactions as you go throughout your day.
10. “Finally, keep in mind that no matter what you do, not everyone will like you”

Productivity

Top 10 Productivity Tools for Accountants shared by Jonah Gruda (Accounting) Senior Tax Manager at WeiserMazars LLP

1. Skype
2. Slack
3. Note-taking: Evernote
4. Self-organizing
5. More communication: Google Chat and Hangouts
6. To-do list: Paper, pen or Wunderlist
7. Time to recharge
8. Project management
9. The human touch--sometimes
10. Social Media

10 Foods to Keep by Your Desk to Boost Your Brainpower trending on Pulse

1. Walnuts
2. Jicama
3. Blueberries
4. Dark chocolate
5. Pumpkin seeds
6. Salad
7. Avocado
8. Peanut butter
9. Yerba Mate
10. Oatmeal

Success

10 Powerful Habits for Marketing Yourself (and Building a Personal Brand) shared by Daniel Bena  (Webinar Host) Senior Director of Operations Development and Senior Director of Sustainable Development at Pepsico

1. Identify specific target markets
2. Know your marketplace
3. Be visible and "in play"
4. Become a source of relevant information
5. Always give something back to your profession and community
6. Practice networking etiquette
7. Maintain your shelf life and develop an effective social media presence
8. Create a networking database
9. Have a clear, brief message to deliver
10. Don't ever stop!

10 Important Career Lessons Most People Learn Too Late In Life shared by Eli Bohemond (‘10 Accounting) Career Development Advisor at Hult International Business School and Thomas Vincent (‘05 Accounting) Director- Audit and Advisory Services at Highmark

1. Life is short
2. Social networks matter
3. Sacrificing your health for success or wealth isn’t worth it
4. None of the best moments of your life will take place looking at a screen
5. Never stop learning
6. Diversify
7. You can go fast alone, but you can go farther together
8. Worrying doesn’t achieve anything
9. Failure is not an end
10. Happiness is a journey, not a destination

10 Things You Can Do in Your Daily Life to Improve Your Personal Development shared by Rosalie Minovich (‘15 Accounting) Audit Senior Assistant at Deloitte & Touche LLP

1. Read about what you want to improve
2. Find a mentor
3. Reflect at the end of each day
4. Create a strong practice regimen
5. Find others to push you and train with
6. Create a reward/punishment system
7. Stay honest with yourself
8. Find role models you can look up to
9. Measure your progress
10. Consistency is the key

10 Habits of millionaires anyone can emulate shared by Justin Patchcoski (‘08 Economics) Investment Adviser Representative at MassMutual Financial Group

1. “Hard work trumps talent”
2. “Become motivated by passion”
3. “Diversify income streams”
4. “Never stop learning”
5. “Invest resources in successful people”
6. “Find a mentor”
7. “Model physical and psychological traits”
8. “Create clear goals”
9. “Reclaim ownership of your time”
10. “Learn to accept failure and persevere”

10 Mistakes Smart People Never Make Twice shared by Lisa Taniser ('01 Marketing) Litigation Specialist at Selective Insurance

1. Believing in someone or something that’s too good to be true
2. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result
3. Failing to delay gratification
4. Operating without a budget
5. Losing sight of the big picture
6. Not doing your homework
7. Trying to be someone or something you’re not
8. Trying to please everyone
9. Playing the victim
10. Trying to change someone

10 Behaviors for Today's Successful CIO shared by John Tecce (’12 Marketing) Territory Manager at EMC

1. Step into the digital leadership void
2. Manage the white space
3. Dismantle the iceberg
4. Turn IT consumers into co-investors
5. Lead strategy
6. Develop storytelling prowess
7. Grow blended executives
8. Relinquish some control
9. Adopt a product mindset
10. Go faster

10 ways to create work that's unmistakable trending on Pulse

1. Curiosity
2. Experimentation
3. Longevity
4. Commitment
5. Embracing Fear
6. Bridge the Gap Between Art and Commerce
7. Ignore Best Practices
8. Avoid the Echo Chamber
9. A Bold Point of View
10. Your 0.1%

The Workplace

10 Toxic People You Should Avoid at All Costs trending on Pulse

1. The Gossip
2. The Temperamental
3. The Victim
4. The Self-Absorbed
5. The Envious
6. The Manipulator
7. The Dementor
8. The Twisted
9. The Judgemental
10. The Arrogant