Columbia Alum Advises Millennials on Getting Ahead in their Careers
Columbia Business School recently published an article by Winged Keel Group President Alexander Tuff ’03 that offers millennials useful tips for navigating decisions that “will affect what you’ll do and where you’ll live for your entire career.”
1. “Be honest with yourself.” The ’08 recession forced Tuff to take a long hard look at what he enjoyed doing, which he discovered “had nothing to do with analyzing credits” at his credit hedge fund gig and everything to do with “working with people to make a vision come alive.” Tuff “accepted both a pay cut and a new one-hour commute to pursue a profession that continues to be rewarding and energizing every day.”
2. “Decide whether you need another degree or certification.” At 27, Tuff opted for business school “to be around other like-minded professionals” but cautions that post-graduate degrees spell “more complications and greater expenses the further you are in your life and career.”
3. “Get involved with your community.” He advises millennials to investigate volunteer work to “meet new people, engage with your surroundings and pick up new skills” that could be critical to your career.
4. “Make a development plan.” Tuff’s personal plan “details [his] mission, three-year plan and specific strategies,” which, when coupled with “people, training, conferences, networking events and community service projects, can give you the skills you need to advance to the next level.”
5. “Build networking into daily or weekly list of to-dos.” Tuff elaborates, “You never know where the next opportunity will be, but chances are it will be from someone you know. Ask each person you meet for three new contacts so that your circle continues to widen.”
6. “Read, read, read.” Tuff advises millennials to “listen to audiobooks during your commute, read blogs at lunchtime, subscribe to newspapers and periodicals and watch documentaries and TED talks related to your career.”
7. “Find a mentor.” Tuff believes having a more experienced person in your field with whom to “bounce around ideas, seek advice and vent” is instrumental to success. “Find a natural connection and ask if you can reach out on a regular basis. You’d be surprised at how many people are willing to help.”
8. “Build your own personal board.” Tuff says, “Once you’ve found a mentor, seek others who can serve as regular sounding boards or advisors for other facets of your life. Life is a lot easier when you have others to guide you and it’s a lot more fun knowing that you’re not alone.”
9. “Build your own personal brand.” Tuff says, “Develop your personal elevator pitch so that you can tell people quickly what you do and what you’re looking to do. Having examples of what you achieved means others can see your value.”
10. “Exceed expectations with excellence.” Tuff advises millennials to “aim to consistently deliver an A+ product instead of thinking about how you can get ahead.” He cites what could have been a routine presentation he gave at his overstaffed firm that ended up going viral at the company. Within a month, Tuff broke through into senior management and was anointed as a COO.
11. “Raise your hand.” Tuff believes “there are no better employees than those who raise their hands to take on more work. Get your hands dirty and grab the projects that are interesting, new, and put you in contact with other natural leaders in your organization.”
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.
