Post MBA Series Part 3

Nothing boosts your confidence like being offered the position you are qualified for. After a long hiatus- more like tied up in the world of work and trying to achieve balance, I am back to conclude my personal post MBA series. Naturally, there will be other follow-up posts along the way that speak directly to the current role that I am in and navigating the world of work and improving your career outlook.

Be Smart About Your Job Search

Throughout this journey I have learned that sometimes the job just isn't for me or the company has already selected a candidate and the interview is just a formality- and that's okay. Always keep your options open and never put all your eggs in one basket, even if you are going through the interview rounds with ease and made it to the last stage.

I remember applying for an Operations Manager(OM) position and after having done an initial phone screening, an OM test, a 2 hour topgrading video interview, then a 4 hour shadow day which consisted of 4 other mini interviews then a final interview the following day; I still was not offered the position or told why when asked. In my opinion, if a company has the time to formulate such a rigorous interview process and does not offer valuable feedback, the company isn't worth working for. Fortunately, I always keep my options open and I continued applying for other roles. Interestingly, a candidate was selected for that OM position but then the position became available again after a month.

Knowing what you want out of a job is good but communicating that is even better. Be authentic and understand too that it is also about what you can do for the company. Accept only that which you are worth or can grow from.

I never thought I would need to network because I always thought myself to be smart and capable enough to land a job without knowing anyone at the company. While this has been my experience for all of the jobs I have been offered thus far, I see how networking can be beneficial to one's career but I do not believe who you know should play a role in whether you are offered a job or an interview. Nonetheless, I have discovered that for some opportunities you will be overlooked because no one at the company can vouch for you. My point is, if networking works for you then do it but I like to get where I am going based on what I know and can do, not who I know.

Another thing I learned is the importance of interviewing a company and the interviewers. I have had the displeasure of being interviewed by individuals with backgrounds and experiences that have nothing to do with their roles and when asked certain questions about their operations seem clueless. These are the people you don't want as your employers. Do not allow a company to waste your time. Also, when asked about salary, always provide a range knowing that you have what it takes to do the job and do it better than your predecessor.

My search lead me to an Assistant Director position, which to this day I have no recollection of submitting an application for but the Director called me and we discussed the position. After two formal face to face interviews, I was offered the position of Assistant Director, which I accepted. I was trained on how to use the appropriate ERP systems and ensure day to day operational efficiency. Within two weeks I was able to fully embrace my role: creating data charts, optimizing schedules, supervising teachers, creating marketing strategies and learning the in's and out's of a business and customer service. Remember the volunteer role? Well, it has now become a paid role.

Most organizations want to know that your thinking is aligned with theirs and that you can come up with ideas to take the company to the next level.

Thus, in the role as an Assistant Director, I became the company. Knowing and understanding an organizations processes and how to improve it speaks volume to employers. Whether it is a service organization or a money-hungry tycoon, profitability is important. In concluding the story of my experience thus far, the MBA has been useful. It has equipped with skills and knowledge and while that is good, the impact is only realized based on how you choose to use it. There is enough information out there to navigate the world of work but how are you going to use that knowledge to your advantage? While the MBA provided some of the necessary hard skills, soft skills are increasingly becoming a huge part of the deciding factor. In m next post I will touch on this area.

Want to share your post UoPeople job search experience? Reach out to me.

Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this series for even more insight!

I look forward to your comments, thanks for reading and sharing.