Skills for the 21st CenturySucceeding in the Workplace

Christina Canavan

April 22, 2009

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Agenda

Introduction and Background

Generation Y

College Bound

In the Workplace

Wrap up

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Introduction and Background

Graduate of Aurora High School and Miami University of Ohio Interned with Deloitte & Touche LLP (Deloitte) between Junior and Senior year in

college Started with Deloitte in Cleveland Transferred to Washington D.C. after a year to seek out better market

opportunities in specialization area Worked for Deloitte since graduating, except for year and a half when left for

another consulting firm

Presentation is based off of my personal experiences, biases and work environment

Sought input from recruiters, but not a recruiter myself

Skills for the 21st Century: Succeeding in the Workplace

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Generation Y

Perceptions – the Good and the Bad– Upbeat

– Civic-focused

– Technologically sophisticated

– Sense of entitlement

– Inability to take criticism

– Flounder without guidance or supervision

What’s the reality? – Depends on the person and their ability to adapt, change and learn

What’s being done to address the influx of Gen Y in the workplace?– Organizational Policies

– Management Structures

– Training Initiatives

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College Bound

College is a four year resume building experience– Become involved with your college community from day one

– Take advantage of all resources Professors Career Fairs Counselors Professional Fraternities Relationship building or networking

– Participate in career fairs even as a freshman – learn how to represent yourself and speak to recruiters

– Seek out internships at large companies or firms

– GPAs and second languages are a differentiator

– Be open to changing majors

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College Bound

Building a solid resume– Resume building starts from day one on campus

– Representation of yourself Polished Professional Speak to your abilities

– Treat resume as a personal marketing campaign What sets you apart from your peers? What will make you stand out to recruiters?

– Keep it current – leave high school in the past

– Understand the position and company where you are applying and tweak resume as necessary to emphasize relevant skills

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College Bound

Special Note to Parents– Let your child drive their choices and career

– Do not call employers on behalf of your child to ask questions about offers, salary, positions, etc Recruiters cannot discuss that information You will be harming your child’s future employment opportunities, not helping

– Stay away from becoming ‘that parent’!

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In the Workplace

Overall themes– Take responsibility for yourself and your career

– Seek out opportunities in all situations

– Set yourself apart from your peers

Key Workplace Guidance– Technology

– Writing Skills

– Evaluation Criteria

– Know your Boss

– Attitude

– Self Promotion

– Work/Life Balance

– Extracurricular

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In the Workplace

Technology– Regardless of industry or specialization, know the basics:

Word Excel Powerpoint

– Be knowledgeable and aware of technology pertinent to your area of expertise

– Know the difference between what is acceptable for social communications vs. professional communications Texting and Instant Messaging

– Utilize technology to make communications more efficient, but don’t overlook the value of a face to face conversation

– Be aware of social networking sites and that they are visible to everyone…including current and future employers

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In the Workplace

Writing Skills– Ability to clearly communicate thoughts or ideas and express yourself is a critical skill set for any

industry or specialization

– Proper grammar and technical writing may be one of your most valuable assets Investigate professional or technical writing courses in college or trainings offered by

employers

– Be aware of the difference between professional or technical writing vs. conversational writing

– Email may be a more informal method of communication outside of work, but the workplace is different Treat all communications as if they will be graded – self QA your emails before hitting send

– Don’t put it in writing unless you are OK with your mom reading it Emails, instant messages, and text messages are permanent!

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In the Workplace

Evaluation Criteria– Evaluations will occur throughout the year or review period

What is the evaluation criteria? How will you be compared to your peers? What will make you stand out from your peers?

– Treat evaluations like resumes – how are you building up your evaluation from the beginning of the year or review period?

– If unclear on evaluation criteria, ask for clarification

– Seek feedback throughout the year on your performance, both formally and informally

– Be open and willing to act on feedback and counseling points

– Understand that you will most likely be compared to your peers and ranked

– Keep in mind that the result of evaluations have a direct correlation to earning potential

– Take responsibility for your career and future success

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In the Workplace

Know your Boss– Starting from the bottom, you will have more than one boss

Find out who your bosses are Work with them to meet their expectations and prioritize work Know your bosses preferences for email, communication, writing style, instant messaging, etc.

– Get to know your boss personally and build a strong relationship – take advantage of them being your biggest advocate

– If unsure, ask for guidance and prioritization on tasks

– You will not always like your boss, but find a way to make it work Cliché applies – don’t bite the

hand that feeds you Take the responsibility to build

and develop that relationship in order to ensure your success

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In the Workplace

Attitude– Attitude will determine how others perceive you in the workplace

Have a can-do attitude Be dedicated to your work and achieving success Display a positive mental attitude Ask for guidance when needed Volunteer for work to stand out from your peers

– Be open to feedback and willing to make changes to your behaviors No one is perfect – constructive feedback is necessary to continue growing and developing Be willing to accept the feedback and make a change

– Personalities vary in the workplace, along with work styles You will not like everyone you work with, but take the responsibility to find a way to make it

work and develop those relationships

– Disappointments are going to happen, but how you deal with them will be the true test Find out what you need to be doing differently, make changes and move forward – don’t focus

on the past

– All situations have an opportunity – the challenge is finding a way to make it work for you

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In the Workplace

Self Promotion– No one will be as big an advocate for your success as you will be

Promote your successes Sell yourself and your skills Have an elevator speech ready to tell others who you are and what you do

– Present yourself how you want others to perceive you Look polished and professional Be confident and poised Develop public speaking skills and solid interpersonal communication

– Network with your peers, those above you and those below you One of the most important things you can do to help yourself in the long-run Peers now will one day be in leadership positions and those relationships will be key

– Manage perceptions of yourself

– Find the opportunity in all situations to demonstrate your skills and set yourself apart from peers

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In the Workplace

Work/Life Balance– Important to have a mix of both work and life

– Balance does not mean 50/50 though Peak work times will take precedence over life and vice versa Understand when work is critical – personal plans will sometimes need to change to

accommodate Need to communicate expectations to boss during times when life needs to take precedence

– Take advantage of vacation – don’t let it go to waste!

Extracurriculars– Be involved in your work community and local community

– Show that you do more than work – set yourself apart from your peers Philanthropy demonstrates corporate social awareness Increases positive perception of yourself

Know your corporate culture Take advantage of resources available to you

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Wrap Up

In a nutshell….– College

Start building your resume from day one Represent the best of yourself

– In the workplace Leverage technology Focus on writing skills and verbal communication Understand your evaluation criteria Develop a relationship with your boss Demonstrate a positive mental attitude Feel confident promoting yourself Maintain work/life balance Remain involved in the community

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Wrap Up

Questions?

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Contact Information

Deloitte & Touche LLP1001 G St. NW Suite 900 WestWashington, DC 20001Tel: + 1 202 370 2483Mobile: + 1 571 205 8985

ccanavan@deloitte.com

Member ofDeloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Deloitte & Touche LLP1001 G St. NW Suite 900 WestWashington, DC 20001Tel: + 1 202 370 2483Mobile: + 1 571 205 8985

ccanavan@deloitte.com

Member ofDeloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Christina CanavanManager

Skills for the 21st Century: Succeeding in the Workplace