career management pre-program...
TRANSCRIPT
Full-Time MBA Career Pre-Program Workbook
Car
Rotman Career Centre
Class of 2018
Prep
Connect
Search
1 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
Table of Contents
Introduction to Career Management ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Your Career Management Strategy ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Module 1: Assess Who I Am .............................................................................................................................................................. 4
Activity 1: Understanding Your Values ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Activity 2: Identifying Your Skills .................................................................................................................................................... 7
Activity 3: Identifying Your Strengths ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Activity 4: Identifying Your Interests ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Activity 5: Identifying Your Enablers .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Activity 6: Identifying Your Preferences .................................................................................................................................... 14
Module 2: Explore My Options ....................................................................................................................................................... 17
Activity 1: Target Companies and Related Job Postings ..................................................................................................... 20
Module 3 : Prepare My Documents .............................................................................................................................................. 21
Activity 1 : Create Your Personal Portfolio ............................................................................................................................... 21
Activity 2 : Prepare Your Primary Marketing Tool - Your Rotman Resume ........................................................................ 22
Activity 3 : Your LinkedIn Profile ................................................................................................................................................ 23
Activity 4 : Your Online Presence ............................................................................................................................................... 23
Module 4 : Develop My Plan .......................................................................................................................................................... 24
Activity 1 : Map your Network through LinkedIn .................................................................................................................... 24
Activity 2 : Develop your “Professional Pitch” Blueprint ....................................................................................................... 25
Activity 3 : Develop an Action Plan for Filling Your Gaps ..................................................................................................... 26
Next Steps .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
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Introduction to Career Management Congratulations! Pursuing your MBA education is a new chapter in your life - one that is likely driven by the desire to
pursue a career change or accelerate your current career path. Either way, there are two main approaches you
may choose to follow as you work through your MBA career journey:
1. You can permit fate to constrain your options and drive your choices, or
2. You can take control of your journey and use this opportunity to drive your future
We highly recommend the second option – using a proactive approach to manage your MBA career.
Our goal in the Career Management Pre-program is to help you become clearer on your MBA career options and
to find the right career path for you – one that best matches your interests, strengths, skills and values. It is designed
to help you make the most of your pre-MBA Orientation period – and to help you prepare for, find and land the
right opportunity to advance your career.
This workbook will help you to synthesize the preliminary building blocks of your career management strategy:
assessing who you are, exploring your options and developing an early plan to achieve your goals. Through
executing the suggested activities, reflection and documentation, you will have the building blocks to partner with
your Rotman Coach to drive your career success.
Throughout the workbook you will see the symbols below. They identify specific activities/exercises you are required
to complete, or tips and items that may require additional attention as you move through your career
management plan and activities.
To Dos – Complete all exercises and activities for all Modules
Tips and Ideas – Keep these in mind as you work through the workbook and as you
develop your strategy to achieve your career goals
Things to Think About – As you move forward and build your individual career management
strategy, you may need to put more thought into these items
Recruiter Ready Activity – These activities contribute directly to your Recruiter Ready
checkpoints. Details on Recruiter Ready Checkpoints are available at the end of this workbook
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Your Career Management Strategy
There are 8 stages or building
blocks within these foundations
which will comprise your career
management strategy. These are
represented within this wheel:
1. Assess Who I Am
2. Explore My Options
3. Develop My Plan
4. Prepare My Documents
5. Target My Search
6. Ace My Interview
7. Accept My Offer
8. Connect To Build
Relationships To Expand
Your Network
You will hear these key foundations referred to throughout your MBA program. The Career
Pre-Program will mainly focus on Prep, however, there are activities and exercises that will
get you started to build and maintain your network (Connect) and develop your job
search strategy (Search). Keep an eye out for Prep, Connect, Search symbols throughout
the exercises and activities within this workbook!
Prep
Connect
Search
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Module 1: Assess Who I Am
This section focuses you on your core – what you value, what motivates you, what drives you and ultimately makes
you, YOU. It is imperative (and fun!) to take the time out to assess all of these things when focusing on your career.
All of the elements of your core inform and influence your Career Management Strategy.
One of the objectives of the Career Management Pre-Program is to help you build a solid foundation for your
Career Management Strategy. If we think of your Career Management Strategy like a home, it starts with a solid
foundation, and that foundation gives way to the building blocks you will use to build a solid structure (or strategy in
this case). This module focuses you on that foundation. You can see below how the other components of the
Career Management Pre-Program build on this module and ultimately get you moving forward in developing your
plan.
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Activity 1: Understanding Your Values
Establishing The Foundation For Your Career Strategy WHY AND I DOING THIS?
Managing a career – including creating and managing one’s job search strategy – starts
with an understanding of who you are, what you’re good at doing, and where you will be at your best.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES?
When you are able to identify and understand your values, skills, strengths, interests, enablers and preferences, you
have the building blocks for everything else: creating a “Professional Pitch” or statement about yourself and aligns
your resume and other marketing tools you will need to look for a job and manage your career.
What role do values play in your career strategy? Why do we take the time to identify our top values?
Values are the beliefs that define the heart of who you are; values govern our behavior. Values guide us and inform
our choices. When we know what we value and are aligned with those beliefs, we are able to consistently deliver
our personal and professional purpose, brand, and value proposition.
One way to start uncovering your values is by reflecting on significant moments in your life. These can be powerful
indicators of what is important to us – either when we’ve been at our best or at our worst. Significant moments
usually bring to mind powerful emotions and tap into subjective experiences, not just our objective
accomplishments.
Exercise:
Recall 3 significant moments or defining experiences in your life. Give each one a headline (like you’d see in a
newspaper) and write those headlines down below. If you need a little help, you can use the questions below to
prompt you:
1.
2.
3.
Significant Moment Prompters:
Reflect on a time or situation where you recall having strong feelings about something that was going on.
Did this moment involve some sort of challenge for you?
What made it a peak or defining moment for you?
What was your role?
What belief or conviction was at play during this time?
What did this event tell you about yourself? About your priorities?
Prep
Connect
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Are there common themes emerging? What are the values associated with the events and themes?
For example:
Courage: Taking a risk or chance on something important. Believing in the possibility of success, even if it wasn’t a
great learning experience.
Being the best you can be: Inspiring/motivating you to shift out of your comfort zone. Trying something new that you
instinctively felt you could accomplish (even if it terrified you).
Persistence: Going after something you were passionate about and/or really believed in, and winning it.
Write down your five top values:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Corporate Culture and Values
Now that you’re clearer on some of your own core values, it’s important to recognize how those values best align
with career choices and fit within certain types of corporate cultures.
Think about 3 companies that interest you:
1.
2.
3.
Ask yourself these questions:
What inspires you about these companies?
What do you know about their workplace culture?
How do the above align with your values?
For a deeper understanding of company culture and where you might fit best, please refer to the Culture
Match section in your Career Leader report. You will have access to it later on in this module.
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Activity 2: Identifying Your Skills
WHY AM I DOING THIS?
You need an up-to-date assessment and list of your skills and abilities in order to determine where you can add
value, as well as to optimize how you will market yourself.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES?
Your search will call on you to have an accurate account of your education and training, and you want to be able
to list the tasks/activities that allow you to add value.
How do you answer these questions?
“I have been trained to …”
“I am really good at …”
“I know a lot about …”
“People come to me for advice on …”
“I am proud that I am able to …”
“My credentials allow me to …”
“At work, I am / have been sought after for my ability to …”
Create a list of your credentials and skills:
Credentials (e.g. formal education, training, certifications, association memberships, etc.):
Skills - what you have been trained/qualified to do (e.g. supervision, computer programming, project
management, areas of expertise such as sales, forecasting, data analysis, research, etc.)
The outcomes of this
activity are critical for
you to build your MBA
resume!
Search
Prep
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Activity 3: Identifying Your Strengths
Before completing this section you will need to complete the StrengthsFinder
assessment, which you can access via the online portal.
Strength = Talent + Knowledge + Skill
In other words; in order to develop a strength, you must refine your natural talents with
knowledge and skills.
Verifying My Signature Themes WHY AM I DOING THIS?
This activity will help you examine how your Signature Themes are manifested in your daily activities (e.g. in your
work and personal life) and how they are seen through the eyes of others.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT PLAN/ACTIVITIES?
It is helpful to begin thinking about examples of times you utilized your strengths (identified as Signature Themes) to
achieve success in work and life. These examples will later be imbedded into your networking conversations, and
will help you build your application documents (resumes and cover letters) and your interview answers when you
are asked to demonstrate examples of when you were at your personal best.
Exercise Part 1: Self-Reflection
Review your completed StrengthsFinder Signature Theme Report, which lists your 5 Signature Theme names
and their full descriptions.
SELF-REFLECTION
Which parts of the report really describe
you?
What surprises you?
Which of the five signature themes do you
notice in yourself the most?
Give an example of when and how you’ve
seen these signature themes in yourself?
Theme1
Theme 2
Theme 3
Theme 4
Theme 5
Prep
Connect
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Exercise Part 2: Feedback
Share your Signature Theme Report with someone close to you (e.g. family member or friend).
Ask them to read through the report, and then ask them the following questions. Record his/her answers
below.
FEEDBACK
Which parts of the report really describe me?
What surprises you?
Which of the 5 Signature Themes do you
notice in me the most?
Give me an example of when and how
you’ve seen these Signature Themes in me
(record examples for each below).
Theme1
Theme 2
Theme 3
Theme 4
Theme 5
Things to Reflect Upon:
How did it feel to ask others about your talents?
Did some people see your themes differently than you did? How so?
Were you surprised by anything that the other person said?
Describe one key thing you learned as a result of completing this exercise.
Job Analysis WHY AM I DOING THIS?
This exercise will help you analyze potential opportunities based upon what you do best. This is a vital part of your
ability to utilize your talent towards to success.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT PLAN/ACTIVITIES?
When deciding on which job opportunities to pursue, it is important to take into account what strengths you have
utilized in the past to achieve success. Are these the same or similar to the strengths required for the jobs you
want to pursue in the future? The themes that led to your success in the past will likely be the same themes that will
lead to your success in the future.
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Exercise:
Collect 2 job postings or descriptions from a company’s job posting site or a job board like monster.com or
indeed.com.
Read through the descriptions/postings one position at a time.
For each of the outcomes or responsibilities listed for the job, look at your Signature Themes and write
beside each of them the theme(s) that would help you achieve the success or outcome described for
each statement.
Not all of the outcomes or responsibilities may fit them, so there may be statements for which you do not
assign a theme.
Answer the questions on the Job Analysis Worksheet below.
Job Analysis Worksheet
Role #1:_______________________________
Would most of my strengths be utilized in this role?
Are there some strengths that wouldn’t get much use if I
took a role like this? What are they, and how would that
make me feel?
Are there some things in this position that would be
difficult for me to do?
How well would this position fit me?
What parts of the role do not fit?
How would I feel in this type of role?
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Role #2: _______________________________
Would most of my strengths be utilized in this role?
Are there some strengths that wouldn’t get much use if I
took a role like this? What are they, and how would that
make me feel?
Are there some things in this position that would be
difficult for me to do?
How well would this position fit me?
What parts of the role do not fit?
How would I feel in this type of role?
Things to Reflect Upon
Do the outcomes of this exercise impact your initial choice of your post-MBA career?
Describe one key thing you learned as a result of completing this exercise.
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Activity 4: Identifying Your Interests
What do you like to do? What captures your interest? If you are interested in something, you’ll learn about it, find
time for it, and strive to get better at it.
WHY AM DOING THIS?
Once you are confident in your choice of career focus, you are ready to start building your action plan.
HOW IS THIS RELEVANT TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT PLAN/ACTIVITIES?
Identifying your interests and seeking to find a role that complements or is based on them is key to a successful
career!
Complete the Career Leader Assessment (login instructions and assessment can be found in the
Career Management Pre-Portal) if you have not already done so. Career Leader is a fully
integrated approach to business career self-assessment built on the premise that one's interests,
motivators and skills will drive future career success and satisfaction.
Consider the following:
What do you like to do in your spare time?
What does this activity (or what do these activities) allow you to do that you might not normally
get to do?
If you didn’t have to work (for income), what would you do with your time? Why?
What kind of books do you like to read? What do they tend to be about?
What kind of magazines and television shows do you like to read? What do they tend to be
about?
Same question for television shows?
Do you enjoy outdoor activities or do you prefer being indoors?
What courses did you/do you enjoy most in school?
What do you like talking about? What discussions do you like to be a part of?
What associations, community groups, charities, volunteer groups, etc. do you spend time with?
What or who do you find inspiring? Why?
What occupations do you admire? Why?
Prep
Search
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From the above, identify your 10 key interests and list them below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Now, put an asterisk (*) next to 5 of those interests that relate to your current career interests. These
are things you should find yourself doing, either through your paid work or in your spare time.
Activity 5: Identifying Your Enablers Enablers are those things that enhance your ability to work or get done what you want to get done.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT PLAN/ACTIVITIES?
The ability to effectively communicate your enablers will be very important as you create your resume and cover
letters, as well as when you develop your “Professional Pitch” and build you job search strategy.
Enablers can be:
A language other than what is spoken at home or at work
Geographic knowledge and/or an understanding of the culture, business practices, social graces, etc. of a
foreign country
Experience in facets of work that is related to your target role
For example, someone’s enablers could be as follows:
Fluent in Spanish with a working knowledge of French and Cantonese
Experience working in Spain; extensive travel in China
Co-founder of a non-profit organization
Review your
Career Leader
Report to see if
there’s a match!
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What enablers do you have? Identify as many as possible that could be relevant to your career.
Activity 6: Identifying Your Preferences WHY AM I DOING THIS?
It’s important to consider the type of work environment that suits you best. We often know what we don’t like, but
consider what you do like – where you feel and work at your best.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT PLAN/ACTIVITIES?
Completing the following section will help you understand the following regarding your preferred work environment,
and will impact your target list of companies:
What is the ideal physical arrangement and location of work?
What characterizes your relationships with co-workers?
How would the culture of your ideal organization be described?
What are the general expectations of employees at the organization?
Ideally, how is your compensation structured?
Before you consider the specific role or company you wish to target, understand what makes up
your “ideal” work environment. Check off all of those that apply in each category:
1. Organization
o My own company/self-employed
o Privately held company
o Publically traded company
o Start-up organization
o Medium company
o Large company/organization
o Other: ____________________
2. Management Structure
o Hierarchical
o Matrix
o Flat
o Other: ___________________
3. Market
o Local/Community
o City/Regional
o National
o International
o Other: ______________
Search
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4. Location
o In the downtown core, near the buzz and excitement
o Away from the downtown core
o At home
o Flexible – at home and at the office
o Required to move around, working out of different locations, offices, or clients
o I’m willing to relocate (anywhere / within __________________ )
o I’m not willing to relocate
o Other: _________________________________
5. Work Environment
o The work setting is calm, peaceful, and quiet
o Workplace has lots of fast-paced activity
o Work is done indoors/in an office
o Work is done outside all/some of the time
o Work is physically challenging
o Workplace is made up of private offices
o Workplace is an open environment where I can hear and see my co-workers
o Other: _________________________________
6. Superiors
o Work is independent with little or no supervision
o Work follows rules and guidelines; usually closely checked
o Other: _________________________________
7. Subordinates
o Role requires managing a group (or several groups) of people who report directly to me
o There are no subordinates; there are no people to manage
o Role requires directing, controlling, and planning the activities of other workers
o Other: _________________________________
8. Team
o Work is done in a team of individuals with similar skills
o Work is done in a team of individual with diverse skills
o Team is always changing, depending on the project
o Work is done mainly by oneself; there are no teams
o Other: _________________________________
9. Work Hours
o Work has fixed hours and a set schedule
o Hours are self-directed; there’s freedom to set my own schedule
o General start and end times in the day; otherwise self-directed
o Hours are during the week, Monday to Friday
o Hours can include evenings and weekends
o Overtime is rare, if ever
o Overtime is usual
o Other: __________________________________
10. Culture
o Work environment is professional and formal (including dress)
o Work environment is relaxed and casual (including dress)
o The culture is work hard/play hard, with lots of occasions to socialize with co-workers
o Occasions to socialize with co-workers are few; work is work
o Other: __________________________________
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11. Nature of work/expectations
o There is a routine where I can anticipate what I’ll do each day
o The work is different every day; whatever arises
o The work involves contact with the public/ external clients
o The work involves contact with other employees only; there is no contact with the public or external clients
o Work requires the ability to influence the attitudes or opinions of others
o Work requires attention to detail and accuracy
o Work is conceptual; requires high-level thinking
o One job is finished before the next one starts
o Work requires having many things on the go
o Work requires me to set and meet my own personal goals
o Work involves being responsible for a project or activity and have to look after many different details
o Role has the freedom to work according to prescribed methods
o Work involves organizing an activity and planning something for everyone to do
o Other: ___________________________________
12. Compensation/Rewards
o I want a set salary
o I want a salary and a bonus related to my performance
o I want compensation (commission and bonus) that is tied to my performance
o Health care and insurance benefits are critical
o Health care and insurance benefits are not critical
o Money is not as important to me as a personal sense of satisfaction
o I'm motivated by work that will lead to a management position
o Work should involve travel to different cultures and places
o I don’t want to travel for my work
o Work must challenge my intellectual capacities
o Perks (other than insurance benefits) are an important part of compensation for me
o Paid vacation of _____ weeks/year
o Other: ____________________________________
For each category above, summarize your ideal work environment using just a few key words:
1.
7.
2.
8.
3.
9.
4.
10.
5.
11.
6. 12.
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Module 2: Explore My Options
As part of your journey to Rotman, you have selected your 1st Function preference post-MBA. We know that your 1st
Function preference may evolve over the course of your MBA studies, and we also know that you may have more
than 1 preference post-MBA of what it is you want to do. Where you want to work, meaning the Industry, could be
very specific or very broad. No matter what your current state of mind is, this section is designed to help you gain
further clarity and focus by exploring the various options available to you.
The world of information on careers in infinite, so we have curated some sites for you to explore. In addition we
have Career Path Sheets, which are available through the on-line portal, and are a quick reference for MBA career
information. Please take the time to review the information on these sheets, as there are helpful links and resource
information to help you take a deeper dive into the careers you are targeting.
Before we begin, it is important to make the distinction between ‘Function’ and ‘Industry’ as confusing the two, well,
gets confusing. In order to create a clear career vision you need to understand both what you want to do
(Function) and where you want to do it (Industry). Some functions and industries are intertwined, but if you can
remember the following, it will help you get clarity around your path.
Function What kind of work do I want to do?
(typically follows the core courses
taught in Year 1 of your MBA)
Examples: Marketing, Finance, Strategy
Industry Where do I want to do it? What
industries or sectors appeal to me?
Examples: I might want to perform a marketing role in
a Financial Services organization; or a Finance role in
a Consumer Packaged Goods company; or a
strategy role in a Telecommunications firm.
Learn more about some of the top employers in Canada by searching a few of the websites:
50 Best Managed Companies
50 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada
Canada's Top 100 Employers Canada's Best Diversity Employers
50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations
GTA Top 75 Employers
FP 10 Best Employers
The Career Path Sheets include valuable information including examples of companies that recruit at
Rotman, advice on networking with individuals in that function/industry, as well as guidelines on
technical preparation required and resources (within Rotman and external).
Once you arrive at Rotman, you will have a host of other resources to reference that will inform you
of various career options.
Prep
Search
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Research Rotman Employers and MBA Roles (On and Off- Campus)
WHY AM I DOING THIS?
This exercise will be particularly valuable when you develop your list of Target Companies later in the module.
Review The Rotman Job Report to get an idea of which employers hired Rotman graduates last
year.
While you research job functions, focus on the types of MBA roles offered within various industries and/or positions
that would value your strengths, skill level and experience. In addition to the resources mentioned in this module,
job boards can also be a good source of information.
Conduct a keyword search on a job board of your choice (we recommend www.indeed.ca, but
there are others listed below) to view the types of job postings that come up in your desired target
area.
This exercise is a great way to understand what’s available in the market and help define your career vision. For
example, search for “Consumer Packaged Goods” or “Strategy Consulting” and see what job postings come up.
Job Search Websites
1. www.indeed.ca
2. www.linkedin.com
3. www.simplyhired.ca
4. www.workopolis.com
5. www.workopoliscampus.com
6. www.eluta.ca
7. www.mba-direct.com
8. www.working.com
9. www.monster.ca
10. www.jobboom.com
11. www.6figurejobs.com
12. www.jobshark.ca
13. www.wowjobs.ca
14. www.brainhunter.ca
15. www.mbajobs.net
16. www.efinancialcareers-canada.com
17. www1.monstertrack.com (US)
18. www.mba360.com (UK)
19. www.mbacareers.com (Europe)
20. www.bayt.com (Middle East)
21. www.naukrigulf.com (Middle East)
22. www.monstergulf.com (Middle East)
On occasion, you might find several Director-level positions which are too senior at this stage in your career, but you
can deduce that if there’s a Director position, there are probably Managers and other staff who report into that
Director. The job description itself may refer to the other roles supervised by that role.
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Industries Across Canada
While Toronto is the largest city in Canada by population and where many large company Canadian head offices
are located, there are other regions across Canada with industries (and jobs!) that may be of interest to you. Below
is a map of the most commonly targeted industries for MBA grads by province in Canada.
Select your top 3 locations to work post-MBA based on your career interests.
1.
2.
3.
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Activity 1: Target Companies and Related Job Postings WHY AM I DOING THIS?
The goal of this activity is to list companies you are interested in, and find/review real job descriptions which will help
you understand key job requirements and qualifications.
HOW IS THIS RELEVANT TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT PLAN/ACTIVITIES?
Comparing the list of companies you create to the Rotman Employment Report, which gives you a general idea of
companies hiring at Rotman, will enable you to see what matches exist and also shed light on where you may need
to allocate more time to build a relationship with a particular company.
Download the Target Company and Job Postings worksheet, located in the pre-portal.
Using some of the resources mentioned in the previous section, look for job descriptions that grab your attention
and make you think, “I might be interested in doing that!” This worksheet will expand once you begin your MBA and
as you continue to reflect on where you would like to intern for the summer and possibly work post-graduation.
Suggested guidelines are a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 40 companies that are of interest to you.
Note: As you are exploring various careers, it’s important to pay attention to any external designations/certifications
and skill sets required outside of your MBA that may require further research and planning. This is an important item
to also note on the worksheet. For example:
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams are offered twice a year
in December and June
Lean Six Sigma
SAS
Industry Association websites are an excellent way to learn about an
industry and to find out how to become certified in different areas. They
often have great resources and events to expand your knowledge and
meet industry professionals. Refer to the Career Path Sheets to help you
explore the relevant Industry Associations.
Complete the first 5 sections of the Target Company and Job Postings worksheet (Industry, Company, Role,
Key Skills, Additional Qualifications). We will come back to “Your Gaps” later in the workbook.
Worksheet Example:
Industry Company Role/Function Key skills Additional
Qualifications
Your Gaps &
Action Plan
Financial
Services
CIBC Corporate
Banking
Associate
Financial Analysis and
Modeling skills
Strong Oral and written
communication
Industry knowledge
Strong time management skills
CFA an asset
Bloomberg
Rotman may be able to assist
students who want to pursue
designations/certifications
while taking their MBA either
through on-site offerings or
subsidies. Once you arrive,
speak to your Career Coach
about the options available.
Search
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Select your top Industries and Functions/Roles to work in post-MBA based on your career interests.
Industry Function/Role
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
Module 3: Prepare My Documents/Recruiter Ready
Activity 1: Create Your Personal Portfolio WHY AM I DOING THIS?
This activity will help you create your personal portfolio. A portfolio consists of a collection of your career-related
history and accomplishments. Not only will it organize all of your achievements, but you may also find it to be a
source of motivation and confidence - and your best personal marketing material. You can customize it and be
creative.
Eventually, your portfolio may evolve into a version that you bring with you to meetings (i.e. “coffee chats”) or
interviews to help showcase and support your unique value proposition, or it might just remain a source of
inspiration and information as you prepare for interviews. Regardless, collecting the following information is an
important activity to complete before you arrive on campus. Your portfolio can include a variety of items, some of
which are listed below:
Samples of work (hard copy or soft copies) e.g. reports, presentations
Educational transcripts, reports, certifications and awards
Past performance evaluations and employment awards
Recommendation letters (professors, community, managers)
Publications and newspaper articles including your name/story
Pictures of key events/ceremonies/design work
Writing samples, pamphlets or reports
Peer feedback (happy folder emails)
Personal summary of achievements
Written criteria for awards and honors received
Military awards, record, recognition
Begin assembling your personal portfolio by collecting career-related materials such as:
Business Cards, Resumes/Fact Sheet
List of phone references (3-4)
Letters of reference (3 recent)
Sample cover letters
Job ads and descriptions (save online applications for easy reference)
Networking directory
Originals/copies of all educational degrees, diplomas, certificates, designations, transcripts and
professional development conferences/events you attended, etc.
History of applications
Prep
22 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
Notable Community Involvement and Volunteer Work
You may also want to include notable community or volunteer work in your portfolio. Include your role/position
description, information regarding the organization, group, league, charity, and evidence of skills that you
demonstrated (i.e. leadership, testimonials/recognition, certificates of appreciation and achievements).
Personal Interests and Hobbies
Make note of your personal interests and hobbies. Evidence of special skills or talents, memberships/affiliations,
relevant newspaper articles, achievements/awards, sports, art/music/theatre or any other achievements will
contribute to building your personal story and help make a connection with new people you meet.
Activity 2: Your Rotman Resume We all know the important part that your resume plays, but how do you make sure that your resume effectively
represents you, your skills and experience? We ask new students to start working on this tool before joining Rotman
to save you both time and effort before you walk through the doors. We want our students to be equipped with a
Rotman Resume not only for Recruiters, but for your networking efforts which will start on Day 1, if they haven’t
started already!
Watch the short recording: Your Rotman Resume.
To begin writing your resume, first determine your past accomplishments and create action-oriented bullet points
for them. The strongest resumes are accomplishment-based and clearly articulate results achieved. If possible, it is
beneficial to highlight your results by quantifying them.
E.g. "Reduced errors by 20%..." vs. "Significantly reduced error...”
When determining your accomplishments, it's also useful to think in terms of money and timelines.
Consider how you...
Made your employer money
Saved your employer money
Saved your employer time
Download the Key Resume Tips document on the portal for more information.
Download the Rotman Resume template from the portal and start pulling together a draft of your
one-page resume.
Once you have completed your first draft, upload it for review in the portal.
You must upload your draft resume in the template in order to meet with your Career Coach.
Don’t just take it from us; some of our employment partners also have some great advice about
“The Art of Writing Resumes”. Please review the recording on the portal for more information.
23 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
Activity 3: Your LinkedIn Profile Take the time now to create or enhance your LinkedIn profile using the tips provided in the video in
this module. You can start to map out your current contacts and start networking to learn about
possible career paths before you officially begin the MBA program.
Activity 4: Your Online Presence Google yourself!
When is the last time you googled yourself? If it’s been a while, or perhaps it’s never been done, then you will want
to do this immediately to become familiar with the results. When conducting an online audit, take note of not only
the websites that are associated with your name, but the images as well. Are these ones you want your future boss
to see? If not, then increase your privacy setting options for your social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, etc.). Although you cannot control everything about your online brand or presence, you can do your best
to mitigate any possible embarrassments.
With more and more recruiters reviewing a candidate’s online presence before making hiring decisions, it is
important to know what is out on the web about you. Your online presence, linked to your overall personal brand, is
becoming increasingly important. Be strategic about creating, developing and monitoring your brand. An effective
personal brand is one of the quickest and most effective ways to build credibility, and as you are the CEO of your
own brand, you should make it work for you.
The type of brand you want to project online should clearly reflect your individual strengths, unique abilities, values,
and career goals. You may not have a clear idea of what you want your brand to be at this particular time, and it
may in fact evolve over your time at Rotman, but through self-analysis activities in this workbook and working with
your Career Coach, you’ll be able to build a personal brand that works for you.
24 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
Module 4: Develop My Plan
This section is designed to help you ‘move forward’ with key career activities before you start the
program.
Activity 1: Map your Network through LinkedIn WHY AM I DOING THIS?
Your current network is about to expand exponentially in the coming months. At the MBA level and beyond, the
relationships you have now and the new connections you will build over time will be critical to your future career.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO MY CAREER MANAGEMENT PLAN/ACTIVITIES?
These networks can help you understand both the open and hidden job market. During your MBA you will have an
opportunity to build on your current network across various sectors.
Consider the people you know in the following areas:
When you arrive on campus we will help you further develop your networking capabilities through LinkedIn and
learn how to tap into our Rotman alumni network.
Educational Employment Organizational
University
High school/grade
school
Specialized
training/education
Past employers
Vendors, customers
Partners/Alliances
Religious/spiritual
Alumni
Professional
Political
Community service/charitable
Recreational Other Personal Business
Hobbies
Sports
Met while traveling
Family
Friends (and their parents)
Neighbours
Banker, broker, lawyer
Doctor/dentist
Accountant, Financial Advisor
Maintaining and developing connections is critical to being successful in the North American job
market. As a Rotman MBA, you will have access to an extensive network of Alumni right at your
fingertips, so talk to your Career Coach about how to best go about your networking strategy once
you’re at Rotman. Your Career Coach can also help you become more informed about current
opportunities and also discover opportunities that are not advertised.
Prep
Connect
Search
25 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
An important first step as you prepare to start your MBA Program is to remain connected with
current contacts and to uncover who is in their network. Which statement best reflects your thoughts on your
current network (pre-Rotman):
My current network includes many individuals in my chosen function and industry.
My current network includes some individuals in my chosen function and industry.
My current network includes little or no individuals in my chosen function and industry.
Activity 2: Develop your “Professional Pitch” Blueprint
It’s important to be able to articulate to people with whom you network and to potential employers what you do
well. Part of managing your career is to create and maintain a personal “brand” that reflects your areas of
strength, your personality, and the skills that you can contribute to any given organization or job. Your articulation of
this value is your “Professional Pitch” - a succinct, clear statement of what you bring to the table that is unique,
interesting, and – most importantly – of value. This pitch – or value proposition - describes the skills, strengths,
abilities, personality, experiences, or perspective that set us apart. It makes it clear why someone should hire or work
with us over someone else.
To create your “Professional Pitch” or value proposition, you need to draw on your inventory of skills and strengths.
Your pitch has 3 key components: a statement of who you are today; a statement summarizing your past
experience and strengths; and a statement of where you’re interested in going. Present, past, future.
Your pitch must be brief (four or five sentences should suffice). Your pitch is not meant to tell the listener everything;
it’s just meant to help the listener put your interests and strengths into a context that allows the conversation to flow
from there. Think of your pitch as a high-level overview of your resume - not a recitation of your resume. Your pitch
reflects the few key things you want your listener to know about you.
Use the template below to help organize your thoughts. Fill in the blanks, change the words to suit
you, and make this your own.
PRESENT:
• “I am [a healthcare professional / professional engineer / finance enthusiast / marketing professional… etc.]
with a great interest in __________[field, line of work, etc.]________.
• Currently, I am in my [first, second] year of the MBA program at Rotman, with a concentration of courses
in______________.
PAST:
• Prior to returning to school, I was with ____________ as their/ doing ______________. (Very briefly explain what your
last company did if it’s not clear or well known - e.g., ABC organization is in the field of _______,
making/providing/etc. _______ to _________.)
• I’m quite strong in _________________ and really enjoy being able to ___________________. I’ve had success in
__________________________ and have been able to add value by ______________________.
26 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
FUTURE:
• Given my interest in _______________, I’m looking for a role in ____________________ where I can add value by
____________. I’d also like to learn more about _______ and use/leverage my strengths in __________.
Say your pitch out loud. Does it sound like you? If not, make changes so that it is conversational and sounds like
something you’d say. Say it out loud again. Will it tell the listener what you really want them to know about you? If
that’s all they heard, did they get the key message?
You and your Career Coach can refine your pitch when you work together. Once you have a pitch that works for
you, you can use this in your LinkedIn profile as your summary statement (as is or slightly modified). Practice your
pitch in “sound bites” so that you can say parts or all of it when asked “Tell me about yourself” or “what are you
doing these days” or even “walk me through your resume”. This is a terrific conversation starter when you’re
meeting people in any professional capacity.
Practice your “Professional Pitch” with family members and friends. You will be provided many
opportunities to practice and perfect your “Professional Pitch” once you are on
campus…but it’s never too early to start!
Activity 3: Develop an Action Plan for Filling Your Gaps As you connect with individuals to build knowledge of the roles you are targeting, you will gain valuable information
that will help you determine the “gaps” that are critical to success (e.g. the ones that you must fill to be successful
in securing these types of roles). Your Career Management Plan must include a strategy that addresses your
potential gaps. It is very important that you determine early on that you either possess the key skills and
qualifications for the roles you are targeting OR are actively working towards acquiring these.
Refer back to the Target Company and Job Postings worksheet from Module 2. For each of your
identified “Gaps” identify a potential “Action Plan” for addressing these.
Worksheet Example:
Industry Company Role Key skills Additional
Qualifications
Your Gaps &
Action Plan
Financial
Services
CIBC Corporate
Banking
Associate
Financial Analysis and Modeling
skills
Strong Oral and written
communication
Industry knowledge
Strong time management skills
CFA an asset
Bloomberg
No CFA, no
knowledge of
Bloomberg
Moderate
modelling skills
Action Plan – sign-
up for CFA level 1
- Research
Bloomberg
courses &
advanced
financial
modeling
course
27 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
Deloitte IT Advisory
Consultant
Experience, interest and
aptitude in technology
Analytical skills
Excellent interpersonal, written,
and verbal communication
Solid technology skills
A technology
background is an
asset
I need to put a plan in place to address the following gaps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
My next steps are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
28 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
Next Steps
If you have completed this workbook and activities in full, you must ensure these steps have been
completed in order to start working with your Career Coach.
Upload a draft copy of your Rotman Resume (using the template provided)
Upload a draft cover letter response to the job posting (using the template provided)
Complete the Recruiter Ready Assessment survey
Once you have uploaded these 2 documents and completed the survey, your Career Coach will be contacting you
to set-up your first meeting. This first meeting can take place in person or over Skype or Google Hangouts if you are
not yet in Toronto. We are here all summer long!
After a review of your documents and responses to the Recruiter Ready assessment survey, your Career
Coach may recommend additional learning for you through our Recruiter Ready Clinics over the summer
(see dates in RWorld) or other career related activities.
Throughout the Fall, you will be asked to complete a series of 7 Recruiter Ready (RR) Checkpoints.
You must clear these checkpoints in order to be considered employer ready. Failure to complete these
checkpoints by the assigned deadlines, may result in suspended access to on-campus recruitment
activities. We highly encourage students to work towards ‘Recruiter Readiness’ as early as possible to give
themselves the best possible advantage. Completing the activities in this workbook and the corresponding
online modules has already given you a great start!
Your Coach may also ask you to move up your activities depending on your target company list. These
checkpoints are meant to give you the foundations you need to get ready but there is more in-depth
technical preparation needed for many roles and refinement is needed throughout your job search to
ensure you remain competitive.
1. Complete your Recruiting Tools (Resume, Cover Letter, LinkedIn Profile) (by September 30th)
2. Complete your *RCareer Profile (Industry, Function, Geography) (by September 30th)
3. Complete a 1st meeting with your Career Coach (by October 14th)
4. Complete your Company Target list in RCareer (by October 31st)
5. Your professional “Pitch” (by October 31st)
6. Complete 2 networking coffee chats (by October 31st)
7. Complete a mock interview with a designated Career Centre representative (by November 30th)
* You will not have access to RCareer until September
29 Rotman Career Centre - Class of 2018
Management Pre-Portal Workbook: Summary Sheet
My Top 5 Strengths
(Themes)
(page 8)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
My Top Skills (up to 10)
(page 7)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.10.
My 10 Key Interests
(page 14)
1.
2.
3.4.
5.
6. 7.
8.
9.
10.
My Career Choices
(pages 19 – 22)
My Location Choices:
1.
2.
3.
My Function Choices:
1.
2.
3.
My Industry Choices:
1.
2.
3.
My Plan
(page 27) I need to put a plan in place to address the following “gaps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
My next steps are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.