Sometimes it’s easy to forget that CEOs, editors-in-chief, and news anchors were once young men and women searching for direction in life… and a job. Most of these people never imagined that they would end up where they are today. One bold decision after another led them down the path of success in the media, print and business worlds.
I came to this realization after attending this year’s annual National Intercollegiette Conference in NYC on July 12 and 13. The conference was definitely a weekend to remember, not only for the amazing goodie bags, but most importantly for the admirable and successful women and men who inspired over 100 Her Campus writers with their stories and advice.
The two-day conference started off with breakfast sponsored by Chobani Greek yogurt; it followed by an inspirational keynote speaker, informative sessions with panelists, lunch provided by Chipotle (yum!), a lunchtime keynote, more panels and finally, a raffling off of prizes, including an Intel tablet!
Over the course of the weekend, I attended six panels and heard four inspiring keynote speakers. The panels included: “How to Make Your Startup a Success: Female Entrepreneurs Share Their Stories,” “Behind the Blog: How Top Bloggers Found their Niches,” “And We’re LIVE: Careers in TV and Broadcast Journalism” and “Doing Good: Opportunities in Social Enterprise and Cause-based Careers.”
The keynote speakers comprised of four incredible women: Carley Roney (co-founder of XO group, formerly The Knot Inc.), Jennifer Levene Bruno (publisher and chief revenue officer of the magazine, Town & Country), Susan Kaufman (editor-in-chief of People StyleWatch), and Inbar Barak (senior vice president at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.).
During the speeches as well as the panel Q&As, a plethora of advice was given to young men and women interested in pursuing a career in the media, print or business worlds. I made a list of what I thought was the best, most useful advice given and quotes said over the course of the two days:
1. “I consider myself a jack of all trades, but a master of none.”– Carley Roney
2. Don’t be afraid to be different. When starting your own business, surround yourself with people who have different talents and are well rounded. You will challenge one another to push yourselves beyond limits.
3. Take advantage of your youth. People are willing to invest in a young person who is passionate about an idea.
4. In order to start up a successful blog:
- Build up content for months in advance.
- Be personal, make real life connections, and have your own life experience.
- Give readers content they can’t find anywhere else.
- Keep these three key words in mind, “Intent. Authenticity. Consistency.” -Carly A. Heitlinger (founder of the blog, The College Prepster)
- “Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.”-Mackenzie Horan (founder of the blog, Design Darling)
- You don’t have to be a full time blogger to be a successful blogger.
5. Internships are invaluable experiences. Regardless of what the internship is, it teaches you what you do or don’t want to do. Make yourself indispensible by going above and beyond and by offering your ideas and insight; be observant, persistent, resourceful and realistic.
6. Live in the moment, do a good job, and people/opportunities will find you.” –Jennifer Levene Bruno
7. Learn how to send an email to a prospective employer. When writing an email, go straight to the point and write in a personal tone. Include the name of the person in the subject to draw attention. In the body of the email, build rapport in the first sentence. Try to draw a connection, be it someone or something you have in common. Make sure to keep it short (2-3 sentences at most) and end the email with a request in order to ensure that you get an answer.
8. Susan Kaufman’s tips for success at an internship:
- Dress the part.
- Have good work ethic, stay humble, and prove yourself. No job is too menial!
- Be on time, be early and/or stay late and make sure to volunteer to do any extra work.
- Have a positive attitude—don’t complain and figure out how to get things done on your own.
- Be kind and respect everyone, because you never know who will end up where.
- Embrace change, because change will always be constant and “failure is an opportunity.”
9. Thank you notes are CRUCIAL!
10. Bring your values to work. If you are interested in a career in non-profit, make social consciousness a part of who you are. (A tip by TCNJ alumna, Tammy Tibbets, founder of She’s the First!)
11. Add everyone on Linkedin. (Who would’ve thought?)
12. “Failure is failure in school, but failure is risk-taking in the real world.” –Inbar Barak
13. A lesson on leadership. “Power unused is power useless.”- Gloria Feldt, president and co-founder of Take The Lead.
Listening to the panels made me realize that there is no set or easy path to success, every path is accompanied by difficult situations; but, those who move past those bumps in the road are the ones who achieve much-coveted success. Inbar Barak made an important point when she said that there are many ways to get from point A to point B, but the least taken path is where innovation happens.
Overall, the National Intercollegiette Conference 2014 was a fun and informative experience!