For those who read my blogs regularly, this is an update for seniors in high school and their parents with some thoughts on navigating the oh so painful decision of where to go to college. I hope you find it helpful.
Let me preface this blog by acknowledging that I am not a parent. But I am a person who gets asked by a lot of parents and occasionally college and college-bound students about what undergraduates should do to maximize their chances of success in the business world. Here are some objective and practical thoughts.
Philosophy 101
Let’s start with some philosophy. One of my high school mentors imparted to me that the academic goal of a high school education is primarily to teach budding brains how to study. This makes inherent sense to me. In high school we need to learn how to listen, how to take notes, convert those notes into knowledge and apply that knowledge in a testing situation. We need to learn to read complex material and translate it into our own writing to yield comprehension of the material. The academic goal of a college education is to learn how to solve problems and to be a critical thinker. I ask my friends’ college students what they hope to gain by graduating college, most of them say “a good paying job.” Fair. But that job is only going to pay you for being part of solving a problem, pretty much no matter the vocation.
Secondly, let’s talk about what school you have accepted. I mean that the way it is stated. We talk a lot about what schools accepted you into their hallowed halls, but which one did you select? But guess what, it is less important than you think! I know thirdhand how hard the college application process is today. Having to apply to 8-10-15 schools because that is how the game is played. It is all a bit maddening to see it from the sidelines – without even addressing the extremes where bribing is going on. In reality, it is not the school that you have selected that will predict your success in business or in life. It is how you apply yourself once you are there. Any good hiring manager would take the top of the class from a state school over the bottom of the class (or middle) of a “prestigious” Ivy League. What you do, and how you learn and what problems you learn to solve begins in undergrad.
Developing “executive presence”
I would also argue that the whole concept of developing executive presence begins in undergrad as well. The key elements of executive presence are reputation, communication, leadership and charisma/gravitas. All these traits can be seen in varying degrees in recent college graduates. The types of activities one chooses to engage in as an undergrad can directly affect the building blocks of executive presence – what leadership roles do you pursue and achieve, what speaking engagements have you undertaken, how do you present yourself, what do people think of you? These are all differentiators for your future employer and indicators of potential in the workplace. I cannot express enough the importance of being comfortable as a public speaker. No matter what you study, I strongly recommend that you include classes in public speaking or acting or join a Toastmasters group outside of college! The ability to tell a story effectively is the single biggest differentiator for executives in any profession.
Which educational path will you take?
Finally, the question I get asked frequently is what majors are most sought after by businesses looking to hire entry-level workers. I would encourage people to focus on a liberal arts degree coupled with courses in the use of Artificial Intelligence and business/accounting. The liberal arts training will teach you to think critically; the AI and business courses will give you practical knowledge. Depending on the program you are enrolled in, the reverse could also be worthwhile – focus on CS and business but take enough electives in the liberal arts program to round out your education.
Another hidden gem for those promising high school grads who are not quite ready emotionally for a four-year program: Attending a good Junior College! This can be a brilliant strategy. Many JCs in California have automatic acceptance routes to the UC system. This approach gives you time to catch up academically and/or emotionally if this is the reason you are not heading off to a four-year program. The classes in general education topics mandatory for any undergraduate degree may indeed be taught more effectively at JC than some four-year schools. This clearly lessens the financial burden, which is no small issue for most people. Finally, I can tell you for a fact: if you go on from a JC to a four-year program no one will ever know. In my 24+ years of recruiting it has never occurred to me to ask a candidate where they did their first two years of school. But do I look at where they graduated from? Yes indeed.
Also, a resource I recently learned about from one of the high school seniors I spoke with: the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. This program opens up a multitude of schools for CA students to pay in-state tuition at out of state universities! How cool. Just made your decision process harder! LOL. Learn more at: https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/.
So as someone who is paid to judge candidates from one another, how much weight does an undergraduate degree carry? Is someone 10 years out of school from an Ivy League an immediately superior candidate to someone from Chico State? Not in my book. What we look at 10 years out are: What are your achievements in the roles you took on? What sort of progression have you made? What types of companies have you worked for? Who have been your mentors?
On the flip side, it may be true that the top-rated universities have more on-campus recruiters from top-tier companies combing the ranks for the best and the brightest undergraduates. But if you are one of the best and brightest in a lesser-known program that may not be on the on-campus radar, it is now upon you to make yourself known to the companies you want to work for; not unlike selecting a college, you also get to select where you choose to work! This may be more work, and it may make it harder to be noticed, but it most certainly can be done.
If your ambition (at this very early stage in your educational journey) is to be a corporate executive, most likely you will need an MBA. As you near your undergrad completion or soon thereafter, I urge you to sit for the GMAT. If you wait two or three years post-graduation, it will be much harder to score well without intense studies. If you score really well on your GMAT, your MBA choices will be plenty, and a top MBA program can go a long way to the C-suite, much more so than where you do your undergrad.
Congratulations on your graduation and acceptance of a rewarding job. Now go learn to solve some complex problems; we need your contribution to this complex and ever-changing world!
Cheers,
Dave