For this “Meet the CSE Series” blog post, CSE Career Captain, Yuxuan Zhang, MSBA’24, interviewed Marcia Katz, Associate Director of Career Development and Alumni Engagement.
The informational interview and building networks that span decades with Marcia Katz
As part of the CSE Staff Interview Series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Marcia Katz, who has been a member of the Brandeis team for over 20 years. I especially enjoyed her sharing personal stories with Alumni and what she observed as changes in the CSE office, Check it out right now!
– Yuxuan
How has the CSE changed over the years? What has stayed the same?
The biggest change was the career captains, the size of the student team and how their diverse talents and backgrounds have improved our office. What has stayed the same is our office’s strong relationship with the alumni after graduation. For example, I recently connected with an alumni in Canada. As we talked, she offered to help out with the job employment for potential graduate students from business school, with whom I was able to connect students. These rapports stayed the same, or are even stronger now.
What is your favorite part of working with alumni?
I have been here a long time and there are some people I know very well, there are ways I think I was able to change their life. I can help build a bridge, help navigate their career trajectory. I have a vivid memory of a few alumni and how, by being in touch with them, I was able to connect and introduce resources that helped them land long-term positions in companies and industries they are passionate about. These are the kinds of things I am privileged and fortunate to get into.
Yuxuan: That’s awesome, I believe the connection and resources are an asset for the students!
What do you believe is the primary difficulty that business students encounter while navigating their careers, and what measures do you suggest we implement to improve the situation?
It depends on the student! For some international students, it’s adapting to the English Language. I spoke with one student recently who is from Morocco and speaks Arabic and Spanish. She disclosed that the first two months at Brandeis were the most challenging.
I am glad we have English learning help, where we provide resources and group access where a community can help each other. In my job, I like to inspire people to think in a mindset of “Who cares!” as I noticed that some students are ashamed of not speaking fluent english, which gives them unnecessary pressure. I would like to encourage them to think they are brave instead.
Another challenge I realized for international students was confidence, such as presenting in front of others although they know they have it in them, which can be interpreted as a cultural thing. Our office is working hard and actively with students on this skill set.
Last but not least, all business students struggle with finding what they like and what they are good at in their careers. I’ve encountered a lot of students who expressed confusion about what they are supposed to do for their careers and finding their purposes. I tell them to meet with as many people within their areas of interest as possible!
Yuxuan: Instead of assuming, just physically reach out.
Exactly! The first line of offense is the informational interview. If you want to get to know people, or get others to know you, you have to talk to people repeatedly, and soon you will build confidence by just doing that. It is not likely you can get a job offer on-site, but you can for sure receive useful information or build long-term relationships.
Natalie (my manager) says that you taught her everything she knows about elevator pitches (or value statements). What do you think is the formula for a perfect elevator pitch?
First of all, Natalie’s recent blog on elevator pitches was awesome. I have a formula that contains: presence: What I am doing now, past: How I got here, and future: I will be happy to work with you. In this way, the other person can have a clear idea of your experience and future career action plan.
Yuxuan: That is a really clear logic, what else?
There are also other formats depending on the scenario and occasion you are in. Sometimes during casual situations, the delivery can be different.
Yuxuan: Awesome. The last and final question:
What’s your favorite small talk topic? If a student wanted to initiate a really fun conversation with you, what should they talk about?
I like to find out people’s backgrounds, cultures, and what interests them. I like talking about movies, sports, theater, and art.
What moves me the most is family and what inspires and drives people. To make small talk meaningful, you should engage with them and propose questions. People are volunteering their time with you, so the best way to respect it is to engage and ask meaningful questions.
This original CSE blog post was written by Yuxuan Zhang, MSBA’24, and copy-edited by Stephanie Borr ’22, MA’23.
