Tag: boot camp

Considering a career change? The Weston Career Center is offering working professionals and alumni a comprehensive Virtual Career Boot Camp this spring to assist with navigating career opportunities and transitions. 

The bi-weekly, eight-session series is designed to enhance fundamental career development and transition skills. Course leaders will provide content at each session. In addition, the sessions will be interactive and provide an opportunity for participants to share and ask questions, as well as get to know other EMBAs, PMBAs and Olin alums. 

You can sign up for the entire series or for individual sessions, depending on your interest.  The series runs from 6-7:30 p.m. every other Wednesday from January 19 through April 27. When you register, you’ll get a follow-up email to select the sessions you plan to attend. If you plan to attend the entire series, select all sessions. 

• January 19: Taking Charge of Your Career—Learn to set career priorities and objectives, along with the importance of attitude, preparation and giving throughout your career.
• February 2: Defining Your Personal Brand—Know who you are, your value proposition and how to differentiate yourself.
• February 16: Communicating Your Brand—Create effective marketing messages and materials including a resume, one-pagers and other visuals.
• March 2: Leveraging Social Media­—This session focuses on the power of social media, particularly LinkedIn, in communicating your brand. Learn how to be found by recruiters and hiring managers, expand your network and applying for open positions. 
• March 16: Creating Your Career Campaign—Establish your career/transition strategy and plan, including the use of resources, how to prioritize your efforts and how to stay organized.
• March 30: Building Professional Relationships—Strategies and approaches to build and expand your relationships over time.
• April 13: Acing the Interview—Preparing for and excelling at job interviews, and improving your chances of getting an offer. 
• April 27: Negotiating the Offer—Negotiating an offer that works for you and is consistent with your value, ultimately improving your compensation over your career.

Sign up here.

Cost: Free.

WCC career coaches Mary Houlihan, Don Halpin, Anne Petersen and Molly Thompson will lead the sessions.

To maintain the confidentiality of attendees, the sessions will not be recorded. The WCC will provide PowerPoint slides after each session. 

Please contact maryhoulihan@wustl.edu  with questions.

Photo, above: Steve May with teammates and locals in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

In addition to world-class academics and a general “fit” with the friendly students and impressive instructors, Olin’s tremendous support for veterans is part of the reason I came to Washington University as an MBA candidate. There is not enough time in the day to take advantage of all the support available to Olin students. It’s a tremendous problem to have, and it started right when I got into St. Louis before the MBA Program even officially began.

Two days before the Olin MBA Program started, the veterans attended a two-day “MBA Boot Camp” to “square us away” and get us ready for the difficult (but rewarding) road ahead. The name “MBA Boot Camp” is fitting—not because of the intensity that is associated with most military basic trainings, but because of the efficiency. From the moment we stepped on campus, everything was planned to get us “up to speed” on everything we needed to know to help us prepare for the MBA program.

Meals, career advice, platform introductions, classroom and case discussions, and networking experiences were a few of the events that were planned and executed to the minute. Most notably, the Weston Career Center introduced themselves and the multitude of services they provide students—from resume and cover letter advice, to conference and interview preparation. It was very clear that they were there to help. At the end of the first day, for example, I was following up with a career advisor after a great face-to-face meeting to help finalize my resume for a veterans job conference in October. On the second day, each core instructor led an academic discussion on their subject area, the accompanying platform, and an introduction to the case method. Needless to say, MBA Boot Camp did a tremendous job preparing us to excel and lead when the MBA program began days later.

As veterans, we have all had trying experiences in various locations throughout the world. More than a rigorous military basic training, “MBA Boot Camp” was an introduction to the vast amount of resources and support available to all students, and, especially veterans in the MBA Program at Olin. It truly is overwhelming, and overwhelmingly positive. MBA Boot Camp cemented what I knew to be true; that I had selected the right program for me.

Steve May is a 2018 MBA Candidate in the full-time MBA Program at Olin Business School. Learn more about Olin’s top-ranked full-time MBA program and resources for military veterans.