From College Student To Corporate CEO: Career Advice To An Economics Major

I recently was asked by a college student majoring in economics how she should prepare herself for a career. Gabby Beamon of Penn State (name used with permission) has identified two industries she was interested in working in, and she had the goal of eventually becoming a CEO. Here’s my advice, which would apply to someone with lesser goals as well.

In an article on Forbes I recommended trying to talk to people in occupations you are interested in. (The Best Job For You Is Something You’ve Never Heard Of—Here’s How to Find It) So this woman should try to talk to CEOs in her two target industries. Just getting a meeting is a lofty goal, but a persistent student can do it. I wouldn’t start with the largest companies. If your target industry is retail, trying to meet Doug McMillon of Walmart is a stretch. However, there are many smaller, regional companies whose CEOs would take a meeting with an ambitious student.

Step one is to read about the target industries. Look first for general articles in places like Forbes, then drill down to the trade press, specialized publications serving the industry. Gabby has two target industries, which is great. Three would be a maximum. Get to know the industries, the challenges they are facing and who the players are. Identify the middle-market companies within your geographic area. If you attend a college out in the boondocks, you may have to think of major cities where you live or you have friends you could put you up on a visit.

Step two is to find people who work at your target companies. LinkedIn is the starting place. Think of a funnel. At the wide end is everyone you can connect with now: your friends, teachers, parents, friends of your parents, the boss at your summer job, etc. Be extra alert to “referral sources,” the people who have a wide range of contacts. These typically include bankers, attorneys, accountants and consultants. Midway through the funnel are those in the target industries. Go ahead and ask your connections, “Do you know anyone who works in the X industry?” Check with your college’s career center and alumni affairs office about alumni who might help you.

At the narrow end of the funnel are people at your target companies. You may not have a connection there, but you may have a 2^nd level connection, which is a friend of a friend. More likely at the beginning, you’ll only have a third level connection. Whatever, contact who you can at your target companies. Explain that you are interested in a career in that industry and ask for a telephone call. If you can’t contact someone at a target company, try for anyone in the industry, even across the country.

Step three is using phone calls with people in the industry. (Schedule the calls through email so that you don’t play phone tag.) Begin by asking about working in the industry. You may learn that it really isn’t for you. You also want to learn about the types of jobs in the industry, and which ones are really key to the company. For instance, in retail the marketing people are critical. In high tech, programmers and engineers are. Find out what the make-or-break occupations are in your target industries. If those occupations don’t suit you, maybe you should re-think your target industries.

Every phone call should include your request for other people to talk to. If someone says that sales is a key role in the industry, ask the person who you can talk to about sales. Every call is likely to lead to three or more additional calls.

It’s easy to have a plan; it’s hard to keep it up. I suggest giving yourself a goal, such as two calls a week.

When you do get a call with someone in your target company, ask for advice on getting in touch with the CEO. If you’re lucky, the person you talk to is high enough up connect you directly. If you strike out, though, it’s time to call the boss directly. Find out the name of the CEO, call corporate headquarters and ask for the person. You’ll probably get an assistant or voicemail, but be ready to speak to the CEO, explaining why you’re calling and that you’d like a meeting. Speaking to an assistant, be polite and straightforward. Explain why you want to talk to the CEO and ask for the assistant’s help. Assistants are gate-keepers, but they usually respond well to polite and friendly requests for help. If you get the CEO’s voicemail, leave a well-scripted message. Yes, you should have written out and practiced ahead of time what you’ll say. This is not the time to stutter and sound incoherent. Be bold, be confident, and ask for the meeting. (Bonus tip: the best time to reach a CEO is when the assistant is out. Try 7:30 am or 5:30 pm.)

When you get face time with the big boss, you want to begin by asking good questions. Your intelligence and ability will be estimated based on the questions you ask, so ask good ones. Try these:

• What’s a good first job for a person with aspirations to become a CEO?
• What kind of people thrive in the industry?
• How are changes in the industry (name one) changing the type of people being recruited?
• Are there particular college courses you’d recommend?
• How did you get to your position?
• Are there other career paths that seem to work for getting into senior management?
• Who else should I talk to?

You are likely to be asked about yourself. Be ready with a brief explanation answer. This is not the time to talk about yourself; it’s the time to learn. If you get more probing questions, that sound like job interview questions, be humble and confident: humble in acknowledging how much you need to learn, confident about your ability to learn quickly, work with others, and get things done. If the CEO has mentioned specific occupations that are good starting jobs, ask who you might talk to learn more about those jobs.

Write a thank you note. Even if you’ve heard that an emailed thank you is sufficient, hand write a thank you note. (Tip: right now buy a box of note cards and stamps. As soon as you get back from a meeting, write the thank you. Write big so you don’t have to say much beyond thank you.)

Is this too big a goal, getting a meeting with a corporate CEO? As a consultant I’ve worked with many of them, and I think most would be accessible if the pitch were well prepared. If you have several target companies, you should be successful with at least one. If you are afraid to try, then maybe you’re not CEO material after all.