Career Management pre-PROGRAM...

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


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


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


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.


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


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.


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


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


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.


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.


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?


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.


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


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.


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!


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.


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


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: __________________________________


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.


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

https://www.canadas50best.com/en/meetourwinners/Pages/BestManagedWinners.aspx

http://was2.hewitt.com/bestemployers/canada/pages/smallmediumlist2011.htm

http://www.canadastop100.com/national/

http://www.canadastop100.com/diversity/

http://www.sustainalytics.com/Canada-top-50-socially-responsible-corporations-2014

http://www.canadastop100.com/toronto/

http://www.canadastop100.com/fp10/


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.

http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/JobReport

http://www.indeed.ca/

http://www.indeed.ca/

http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_home

http://www.simplyhired.ca/

http://www.workopolis.com/EN/Common/HomePage.aspx

http://www.workopolis.com/en/students/student-jobs

http://www.eluta.ca/www.mba-direct.com

http://www.mba-direct.com/

http://www.working.com/

http://jobsearch.monster.ca/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_n=olmsrchskca

http://www.jobboom.com/en/?gclid=CO_ftK6G2LACFbEBQAod8V950A

https://www.6figurejobs.com/search/

http://www.jobshark.ca/caeng/index.cfm

http://www.wowjobs.ca/

https://www.brainhunter.ca/login.aspx

http://www.mbajobs.net/

http://www1.monstertrack.com/

http://www.mba360.com/

http://mbacareers.com/

http://www.bayt.com/en/qatar/jobs/

http://www.naukrigulf.com/

http://jobsearch.monstergulf.com/return2origin/index.html


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.


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


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


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.


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.


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.


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


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 ______________________.


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


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.


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


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.

Career Management pre-PROGRAM...

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