“Never limit yourself. Be open to any potential opportunity, because it might lead you down a path you didn’t even realize you wanted to go down in the first place.”
“The one nonnegotiable is consistently strong performance. In whatever role in which you come into a company, you have to beat expectations of achievement. You have to merit being acknowledged and recognized.”
“Stop thinking of your heroes as heroes, and start thinking of them as talented peers you can learn from. It will give you back that energy you lose longing to be them or just like them.”
“Do your research before a meeting. Know everything you can about the person you’re meeting with and what they’re looking for. Don’t go in there blind, because that shows them you don’t care. Information is power.”
“Help others out with their goals and initiatives, and you should get payback—they’ll want to help you with your goals and initiatives. Plus, it’s so much easier to work with somebody who’s nice.”
“You can turn a passion into a career. I had a clear vision that if I followed my taste for cooking, it would lead to jobs in restaurants. I was right. Have a vision, set a goal and use lots of elbow grease to get there.”
“Take full advantage of networking opportunities. And I don’t just mean handing out business cards. The key is developing authentic, substantive relationships with people.”
Numerous opportunities exist for alumni to participate in the UB Career Community, from online advice groups, to networking events, to job shadowing experiences. Make the connection here.