Brooks Mencke and Kyle Packnick’s Group Mentoring Sessions – Academic Year 2013/2014
Group Mentoring Sessions
Jubilee Hall
Seton Hall University
Member Directory
Group Leaders
Kyle Packnick
Phone: 203-814-8994
Brooks Mencke
Phone: 612-296-9515
Executives
John Boylan
john.j.boylan@verizon.com
Phone: 201-213-3313
Matthew Campbell
Phone: 908-572-4251
Vincent Molinaro
VinceM@juniper.net
Phone: 908-947-4432
Kathleen Rennie
Phone: 973-275-2185
Kimberley Reynolds
kimberleyreynolds@ymail.com
Phone: 973-271-8613
Susan Schnell
es.schnell@verizon.net
Phone: 908-616-4457
Matt Sollie
matt.d.sollie@gmail.com
Phone: 862-926-9265
Quentin Williams
Phone: 212-572-4822
Students
Ara Barotilla
Luciano Cundari
Allison Giosa
Mark Janiak
Deirdre Kane
Zane Keller
Rowena Klein
Nicholas Luciano
Pilar Martinez
Brian McSherry
Matthew Pranaitis
Cameron Quisenberry
Carla Santos
Amanda Sulkosky
Team Goals
- To learn and grow from the real world experiences of our Executives.
- Build meaningful relationships amongst students and Executives.
- Promote critical thinking and problem solving skills.
- Determine ways to thrive in a slow job market.
- Remember this is a two way street; all parties are her to give and learn.
Session I (10/29/13) Review
Discussed Overview of Program
– Amazing Opportunities
– Format of Future Meetings with larger group
Reviewed Potential Discussions and Goals
– Added TED Talks to Discussions
College Discussion
– Executives offered insight into personal experiences
– Kim Reynolds stressed importance of being involved
- no class/club in particular
– Flexible with concentration
- Deirdre Kane reflection on five-year Accounting plan
- Importance of taking break days (don’t burn self out)
Discussion of Student/Athlete
– Mr. Williams reflection as Division I Athlete
- Worked hard, but could have done more
- Built strong connections, wished even more
– Cameron and Cora discussed relationship with non-athletes
– What can we do to strengthen bond
- Partner with organizations for Community Service
- Propose idea to Dean Strawser
- Assist Athletic Dept. socially, academically, etc.
- Serve as a resource
- Support Athletes
- All sports, not just basketball
- S.H.I.P.S app requiring length of time with GPS ability
– Two-way street
- Athletes will supply opportunities as well
Importance of Forming Connections
– Don’t underestimate anyone
- Quentin now hiring students more impressive in college
– School limiting by separating groups
- Leadership housing, preventing students to meet others
- Seton Hall Schools (Business, A&S, Diplo, etc.)
– A students- professors, B students- judges, C students- make the $
Closing Remarks
– Make meaningful relationships (Don’t burn bridges) – Never Know
– College helps with first job – Prove self after that
– Thank you, will set up one more meeting before end of semester
Session II (12/4/13) Review
Networking
– Relationships > Networking
- “Networking” often gets confused
- It is important for our connections to be meaningful
– Quality not quantity
- Don’t just contact blindly
– Proceed with caution
- Very different from other social media sites
- Every contact, recommendation, etc. reflects you
- Avoid blindly adding people you don’t know personally
– Endorsements
- Putting name behind each recommendation
- Don’t endorse just because you have been endorse
– Advice with using LinkedIn
- Employers will find you if have the right criteria
- Ex: “Student seeking internship”
Internships
– Take advantage of them
- Gain experience in field
- Even negative experience can be beneficial
- Helps us learn what we are interested in
- Learn from mistakes
– Can lead to job
- Executives have promoted interns to full-time
- Ex: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
Interviews
– Strategies for Interviews
- Be on time and fully prepared
- Be confident, but not too confident
- Always follow up
– Be honest
- Easy to tell and important quality employers look for
- Interview indicates resume
Closing Remarks
– Build meaningful relationship rather than many business relationships
– Honest and integrity show through
– Thank you, will set up next meeting in January/February
Session III (3/4/14) Review
Balancing Schedule
– Times makes itself – do what you will with it
- Can usually take on more than you think
- Find “me” time
- Make this time sacred – need to have balance
- Ex: Workout options have become more concise; Shouldn’t keep from work
– Prioritizing
- Things come up that are sometimes out of your control
- Different people from various areas of your life need help/assistance
- Must be able to decide what needs attention first
- Understand that everything will eventually get done
- Avoid being a “Get It Off the Desk-er”
- Set own deadlines
- Contrary to school, many jobs don’t have hard deadlines
– Can adjust timelines
– Don’t get into bad habits
Work and Home Life
– Wake up with right mindset
- Take everything in stride; One step at a time
- Focus on what is possible today and don’t worry about tomorrow
- Be goal-oriented – both long and short term (Daily objectives)
- Be positive and excited about opportunities
- “In traffic, at least you have somewhere to go”
– Family and Work
- “The Feminine Mistake”
- Studies show that couples who both work are happier
- When women feel overwhelmed, rather than seeking help, they feel pressured to back out of job
- Overcome Challenges
- Meltdowns offer learning experiences
- Importance of working together as a family
- Consider alternatives
– Many jobs allow for flexibility
– Ex: Working from home
Closing Remarks
– Build meaningful relationship rather than many business relationships
– Understand what you can and can’t control and prioritize
– Balance is key, whether it is your schedule, family, or work life
– Thank you, will set up next meeting in April
Session IV (4/10/14) Review
Collaboration in the Workplace
– Keep work and friends separate
- Social relationship
- Friendship goes beyond this to a different level of trust
– When climbing up the corporate ladder know that politics exist
- There will be brownnosing and kiss-ups
- But keep an open culture
- Exclusion of other people is detrimental to a work environment
- Coattails
- Will raise your own game because you associate with good leaders
- Genuineness
- People will know what your motivation is
- Have a strong bond with others
Social Media
- Speaking to the world when you post
- Way to reconnect
– Linked-In
- People you know can vouch for you
- Inappropriate to ask some individuals for endorsements
- Useful for normal business-related things
- Very public
Unwritten Rules
– Always be respectful
– Sarcasm doesn’t play in too well
– Don’t ever make assumptions
– Always do work like it would end up on the CEO’s desk
– Mirror your audience when dressing for work or for meetings
– Know your stuff and know when to give up
– Things that don’t mix with coworkers:
- Excessively drinking
- Social media
– Be careful what you put in emails
– Always have a notebook and pen with you
Current Events- Be Up to Date
– Know in order to have something to talk about
- Know about your industry
- Know about your company
– Makes you more well rounded
Change in the Workplace and in Life
– Change is going to happen in life
- Take it upon yourself to own it and have a plan
– Learn what you do and don’t like
- Recognize where you don’t want to be
– Stay open-minded and get experience
– Speak up to managers but have awareness and be patient
- “You have to lap yourself”
- LDHP Sophomore Kyle Packnick Honored at Greek Awards Dinner
- Leadership Freshman Prachi Makkar Awarded Future Female Leader at Indian Consulate