Columbia’s Kimi Puntillo Offers Advice to MBAs Looking to Stay Ahead of the Tech Curve
Columbia Business School recently published an article by Kimi Puntillo that offers insight into how to navigate an increasingly tech-dependent job market. Puntillo — a professor of multimedia communications and journalism, as well as principal at KP Communications marketing firm — offers 6 concrete suggestions for MBA graduates:
- “Locate growth industries.” According to the article, the financial technology industry is on the rise. P2P digital ledger platforms like Blockchain may potentially render the traditional banking industry obsolete. “Even if you’re not a computer programmer, there are myriad more traditional job openings needed to support this burgeoning industry.”
- “Finance is not the only profession set for an upheaval.” Robotics and interactive digital technologies are slated to supplant “engineers, journalists, teachers, and economists in the not-so-distant future.” Puntillo suggests professionals visit trade shows like SXSW to get acquainted with burgeoning sectors like “med tech, virtual/augmented reality, and online education.”
- “Build an online reputation.” Step up to get your rep up, indeed. Puntillo suggests blogging to “demonstrate knowledge of an innovative aspect of your profession.”
- “Up your Linkedin game.” Puntillo believes there’s a method to the madness of setting yourself apart from the other 399,999,999 Linkedin users. One tip is to “liberally repeat skill sets requested in a job description throughout your CV so they are picked up by the search engine.” She also recommends personal introductions when possible.
- “Expand your job-search options.” In addition to Linkedin, Puntillo suggests scoping out Indeed, SimplyHired, JobMo, Dice, FinancialJobBank, Upwork, Freelance, and, surprisingly, Twitter.
- “Get insider info.” Puntillo strongly recommends investigating sites like GlassDoor, which feature company info “submitted by the employees themselves,” before accepting any job offers.
Puntillo concludes, “The job market is being reconfigured in ways that were unthinkable not too long ago. Technology can help, not hinder, a new career if you use it to your advantage.”
About the Author
Jonathan Pfeffer
Jonathan Pfeffer joined the Clear Admit and MetroMBA teams in 2015 after spending several years as an arts/culture writer, editor, and radio producer. In addition to his role as contributing writer at MetroMBA and contributing editor at Clear Admit, he is co-founder and lead producer of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. He holds a BA in Film/Video, Ethnomusicology, and Media Studies from Oberlin College.
