Career Lessons We Can Learn From Mary Poppins

Another Pop Culture Edition to Career Development…

If you haven’t heard already, Disney’s “Mary Poppins” has gone Broadway and our very own city of Chicago is currently hosting a limited run of what I hear is an “over the top musical production.” In fact, performances have been staged all over the world, including London, New York and Sydney; and now University Career Services? Well, not exactly.

Mary Poppins dates back to the 1930s, and ever since the series of children’s books were published there have been highly successful musical film and stage adaptations. Within all these productions, fans have been able to relate to the themes and lessons from the characters and apply them to their own reality. So although it would not be feasible for UCS to house such a musical, we can at least draw out the career lessons presented by Mary Poppins!

Know how valuable you are.

For those of you unfamiliar with the main character, Mary Poppins, she was the ‘magical’ nanny for the five Banks children. She appeared during times of struggle for the family and brought some much needed harmony and fun for these unruly children. Mary Poppins also flew in on an umbrella and departed when the children learned enough lessons and promised to return whenever they needed her. Okay, I know this concept may seem juvenile, but Mary Poppins was well aware of how valuable she was to the Banks family. Have you felt the same way at your internship or work site?

Whether you are currently at your internship or have months of work experience under your belt, you should spend some time assessing the skills, interests, and values you have developed or what contributions or achievements you have made. By doing this, you could identify your strengths that will eventually set the content foundation for your resume, cover letter, and interview responses.

Always carry a “carpetbag”

Most images of Mary Poppins depict her flying with an umbrella and carrying a bag, a.k.a. the carpetbag. This bottomless carpetbag was full of magical tricks and somehow, she managed to have a solution to a problem (and kept it entertaining!). Why not carry your very own carpetbag that contains your strategic tools, i.e. unique skills and experience, elevator speech, business cards, portfolio, etc… Whether it is an abstract or tangible tool, these items will come in handy when you attend career fairs, networking events, or accidentally run into the CEO of your dream company because you will be prepared and eventually could impress employers!

 “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.”

Mary Poppins was responsible for the typical nanny chores but she always added an element of adventure to her mundane work. This could ring true when it comes to your career development process and practicing self- care. Whether
you are spending time reflecting on your values and interests, developing your
cover letter, or practicing your interview skills, you are juggling many
responsibilities and commitments. Why not add an element of fun to the process
to feel more relaxed and refreshed? During my own career development, I would
reward myself with a manicure or massage whenever I completed a task. Consequently, this helped me relieve stress and stay motivated throughout the process. What activities or rewards could encourage you throughout your career development?

So if you are stuck in a rut and need a “Mary Poppins” in your career development, visit University Career Services to speak with a career services staff member. It may just make your experience very “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” 

Are you Steve Jobs in Your Career Development?

The recent news of Steve Jobs’ death sparked many media members to not only memorialize the Apple CEO but to post the inspiring life lessons and quotes authored from the genius himself. These “Steve-isms” were so profound that they provoked me to reflect on my own academic and career development, and how I hope to create my own legacy as he did for many! Here is my journey according to “Steve-isms”:

 “School was pretty hard for me at the beginning.”

Did Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc. and chief executive of Pixar Animations Studios, really admit that school was difficult? Yes, he did! As a first-generation student, I found it difficult to acclimate myself to the campus environment, the quarter-system, and don’t even get me started on financial aid… However, through student involvement, volunteer work and a strong support system of classmates, faculty, and advisors  I overcame my initial obstacles and was able to make my college experience drama-free!

Even in the early stages of my career development, writing a resume that would summarize how “awesome” I was as a retail sales associate was a bit challenging. Having to articulate my numerous responsibilities on paper and add my other experiences in one page seemed impossible! Which leads to…

“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles. “

For all you movie buffs, have you noticed how Pixar only releases one movie a year? Remember Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and the Incredibles? Yup, all produced by Pixar in 1993, 2003, and 2004, respectively.  Steve Jobs held the fundamental belief that quality is more imperative to success than quantity. So are you thinking that you need to jot down every experience just to impress potential employers? No, you don’t!

Employers receive numerous resumes for one position and may have a limited amount of time to review them all. Keep your resume concise, consistent and most importantly, highlight the quality of your work that is tailored and related to the position you want!  

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance. It [work] is so hard. You put so much of your life into this thing.”

I won’t lie. Preparing the material for my job search such as the resume, cover letter and recommendation letters was time-consuming, dreadful, and at times frustrating. I scheduled myself “resume time”, set deadlines, and frequently visited the Career Center for feedback; all undergone in the hopes that all this hard work would eventually pay off.  And you know what, it did! With determination and passion, this “thing” (i.e. career materials) that you put so much of your life into, will reveal how “awesome” you are to employers and will prepare you to conquer the world…or at least your dream job!

And finally….

“You’ve got to find what you love… Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you’ve found it.”

When I was an undergraduate student, I assumed that my major would determine what career I would have once I graduated. With a degree in Marketing, I thought I was ready for the exciting lifestyle in the corporate world. Fast-forward five years, and I found myself in a graduate counseling program serving students in higher education as a career mentor and advisor. Did it take me five years after graduating to find my passion? Yes. Do I regret not finding it earlier? Not one bit. I know that my coursework and experience in Marketing contributed to the skills and values I need to succeed as a counselor. Steve Jobs needed the passion to not only build a company like Apple but to expand it from its inception in the late 1970s. And well, we all know how that passion evolved…

Blogger’s Question to Readers: Do any of these quotes resonate with your development too? Can you identify with another “Steve-ism” or a quote from another author? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Being International Doesn’t Have to be a Roadblock

Throughout my years helping international students as a career advisor I have always been impressed with the efforts I see from this population of students with regards to their work ethic to start early with their career development and to stay on top of their internship or job search. That’s why when I hear that smart, talented and interesting international students experience “Roadblocks” in their attempts to work in the US, I am disappointed.

This week I was fortunate to meet a recent Northwestern University alum who has been successful in gaining work internships and full-time work in the US. If you even spent 5 minutes with this individual you would want to hire him too. I know I might be a little bias but honestly, this alum was eloquent, intelligent, interpersonal, welcoming and professional.

And he also had great advice and encouragement for other international students seeking to stay in the US after graduation. Below are his tips with my commentary:

• “Think globally, Act locally”- In other words, embrace that you have a global viewpoint on life, work and culture, but understand the local traditions, values and communication techniques to be a part of your local community.
• “Educate potential employers on your skills and abilities (i.e. Adaptability, Relate-ability and Empathy)”- You have already been through a significant process just coming to the US for school. Therefore, you have proven that you can adapt and learn a new language, culture and be successful. Avoid the underselling of your abilities.
• “Start Early”- This advice warms my heart because it is something that I have been working to express to students for over 10 years. From the start of new student orientation be thinking about how everything you are learning relates to your plan for the future. Meet with a career counselor in your freshmen year to learn what options are available to you.
• “Participating in Internships are Key”- International students who participate in internships in their home country or in the US during their college career will likely have a better chance of being offered a full-time job. With internships you gain skills, expertise, technical abilities and a company will gain knowledge of who you are and see that they would be foolish to let you go to another company.

If you are an international student do not let this stop you from seeing a future in the US. Yes, laws and regulations of work authorization can possibly be “Roadblocks”, but know that my office (http://www.northwestern.edu/careers/undergraduate/diversity/international.html) and the International Office (http://www.northwestern.edu/international) are here to help.