Posted by: Kate

Yesterday I went to an excellent event hosted by Net Impact and Clark Women in Business where Kathrin Winkler, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer at EMC Corporation spoke to a group of students. I often tell prospective students that it’s not just about the classes you take here and the internships that you do, but just as important are the professional development events that you attend. Often I feel that students don’t take full advantage of all of the opportunities for career development right on campus, like last night’s event. This one I found to be a really valuable event.

Kathrin spoke about a number of fascinating topics – what EMC does, how sustainability is integrated into their business at every level, branding yourself, future of sustainability careers, women in business, and drivers of sustainability. I found her very motivational, yet realistic.

Here are some key takeaways that stuck out to me:

• I asked her about key drivers to sustainability and which stakeholders are pushing the most for sustainability. She had mentioned several stakeholders – investors, shareholders, employees, customers, etc. – but I wanted to know who is really driving their sustainability initiatives. She said that customers are the main driver. They are asking for information for reporting (because EMC is B2B their customers need to report too), asking that EMC agree to their codes of conduct, and asking about sustainability throughout the supply chain. She said that institutional investors are interested, which is a sign that sustainability is trending toward the mainstream. But the most influential for actually creating the change? She says employees. They are often the most passionate and more importantly, the most innovative.
• The employees are the drivers for change within the organization. She says that it’s hard to go in as the CSO and tell a team that they need to change, because you’re the outsider. It’s a lot more effective to find someone within that team who cares about sustainability and encourage them to promote it within their daily work and among their teammates. She said that a lot of her job is “nurturing moles” who are champions for sustainability.
• She also talked about making the case for sustainability. Here she said it’s so important to know your audience. Your elevator pitch for sustainability will change depending on who you’re talking to. She said that stakeholder engagement is really like a bell curve. There are a small number of people who really care and are really making change. Most of the people care about sustainability, but they just don’t know what they can do to make an impact. Those are the people she focuses on, by giving them the tools and the knowledge to be empowered to make a difference. On the other end of the curve there are the people who don’t care and don’t want to care. Her advice is not to worry about those people, because as the mainstream changes they will come along.
• In regards to sustainability career opportunities… She says she sees fewer purely “sustainability” jobs and it’s more about having a worldview that you can apply to other functional areas. She sees sustainability reporting and sustainability consulting as fitting more of a short-term need and not necessarily a long-term career path because reporting and specific sustainability projects are becoming more integrated into the rest of the business functions. She says that people who can integrate sustainability into other areas will be well positioned for jobs in the field. Also, she mentioned the important of having “T Skills” which means having depth in one area but breadth in many others skills. Those “horizontal” skills (the top of the T) where you have breadth is where she says you will really make gains in your career. And of course, it’s who you know. So she says to “know a lot of people.”
• And in regards to branding yourself… She says to remember that you are not your company. Yes, you care about your company and hopefully you love where you work, but at the end of the day you need to be you. She also says when she hires people is not just about credentials, but about talent and passion. In terms of professional development… she says to know what you’re good at and what you’re not good at. Try to get at least mediocre at what you’re not good at, but really focus on being really, really good at what you do well.

Posted by: Jered

Last week Clark University’s chapter of Net Impact held an event co-sponsored with GSOM Career Services entitled Writing a Green Resume That Gets Results Webinar.  The event involved informing students about Net Impact followed by presenting a pre-recorded webinar that was held for Net Impact members in January 2012 on how to green your resume for results.  The presenter of the webinar was from 20minuteresume.com and went through the different steps on how to put together a resume.  What was unique about this webinar was the notion of ‘greening’ your resume.  By ‘greening’ your resume the presenter meant that you need to utilize the appropriate language that is employed in green businesses.  This strategy is really no different than using industry-specific language in any field.  For a green resume, one needs to use green buzzwords.  After the webinar, Cindy Richards from GSOM Career Services was available to students for questions.  Students had a lot of great questions for Cindy.  Overall, students found the event helpful and as a Co-Leader of Net Impact’s Clark University chapter, I plan to hold a similar event next year for students.

Posted by: Kate

Apologies for my delay in blogging, but March has been madness! As the first cohort of dual degree students (MBA and MA or MS) prepares to graduate this year, we have all been hard at work finalizing our capstone consulting projects. As part of the dual degree requirements we have all been completing capstone consulting projects. This final culmination of our two degrees is somewhat of a hybrid of the final project requirements for each degree program.

At GSOM the MBA students are required to take a semester-long capstone course in which they work in teams to complete a large final project. Most students enroll in the Management Consulting Projects course in which they complete a project for a real live client.

At IDCE, the MA (and now a MS, which is available for Environmental Science and Policy candidates like myself) students complete a final master’s paper. This is generally a large research paper. Some students choose to do a thesis, which is primary research on a topic. The other options for ES&P students are a practitioner project or a research paper.

As I said, our dual degree projects had elements of both. We each worked independently on a consulting project for a real live client that incorporated aspects of both our degree programs.

My project was a roadmap for business planning and preliminary business plan for a team of students and faculty at UMass Dartmouth who have invented a new type of wave energy converter. The device converts the motion of waves into electricity. The team aims to start a business that will design and sell these small-scale electricity generation devices to marina owners and coastal residents. The roadmap that I developed for the team details short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations for steps that the team can take to proceed with their business goals. The preliminary business plan basically includes information about their past milestones, their technology and their team written in a business writing style following a typical business plan format. The business plan also includes recommendations for how the team can complete and update the plan as they make progress. The business plan will be helpful for the team to enter business plan competitions, approach investors, and generally make plans and set goals for themselves.

As of Friday, the papers are completed, signed off, and submitted. We’ve been working on these projects since September so the feeling of being done hasn’t fully sunk in yet, at least for me. I delivered the final report to my clients at UMass Dartmouth this week so to me that was really the final and most important step. As difficult as the project was, I found it really satisfying to work for a real client and produce something that someone will actually read and (hopefully) find helpful. As students, we often write papers that only our professors will read, so working on a real project that will actually has the potential for implementation is a scary and gratifying change of pace. Most importantly, it prepares us for entering a career, where our research, writing and recommendations will actually mean something to more than just the registrar’s office. As intimidating as it may be, the prospect of finally putting our three years of classes and two degrees to work is exciting. It will be a challenge, but I know it’s something that we are all ready for.

Posted by: Edison

The Canal District is less than two miles away from Clark University, but you will find many Clarkies and neighboring college students in that area enjoying time away from the library. It has become a hub of the night-life here at Worcester thanks to the various restaurants, bars and music venues there. There are people who frequent the area during the day, but just not as much as people do at night. Bakeries, consignment shops, an art gallery and dance academies can also be found in the Canal District. Just like any neighborhood, issues are present in the area. The most problematic for current businesses is the absence of regular customers coming into the area, which decreased with the construction of the I-290 highway in 1970. It essentially split up the community and has been struggling ever since to bring in more residents. Most residents were displaced and now there are few residential homes in the Canal District.

Recently, the Canal Lofts was constructed and now houses a mix of young professionals and long-time residents of the area. Previously, the Canal District was Worcester’s main industrial base with many factories, but that has since changed with the decline of the manufacturing industry. You will still find vacant lots and boarded-up buildings, but businesses and residential plans are slowly taking over so as to bring a much needed injection of energy into the area. In comparison, Clark University is in the Main South neighborhood and it is surrounded by triple-decker apartments all around the campus. We have a couple of good places to eat and socialize on Park Avenue and Main Street, but it is always a good idea to go out and explore other parts of Worcester. The Canal District puts on wagon tours, numerous festivals celebrating various holidays, an annual canalfest to celebrate the history of the area and, last, but not least, a walking/audio tour explaining historical landmarks in the surrounding area. It is a great place to visit and hope you will see for yourself the great work being done by local organizations in the area.

Posted by: Jered

The Graduate School of Management is now offering an MBA in Sustainability.  Starting in Fall 2012, MBA students at Clark University can concentrate in Sustainability. Check out GSOM’s website for more information.

What is sustainability?  Sustainability focuses on the triple-bottom line of economic, environment, and social factors in business strategy.

Why should you care about sustainability?  Employers are realizing the benefits of sustainability.  Apart from the obvious environmental and social benefits of sustainability, there can be a cost savings in looking at business strategy through a sustainability lens.  For example, a company can utilize an energy management system, such as ISO 14000, as a way to monitor their energy use and identify ways to reduce waste and save money.

What does it take to get a concentration in sustainability at Clark?  You just need to complete at least three courses listed below.

• Corporate Strategy & Sustainability
• Eco-entrepreneurship
• Finance and Sustainability
• Energy Management
• Green Marketing
• Green Supply Chain Management
• Greening the Corporation
• Sustainability Consulting Projects

Does sustainability appeal to you but you’re thinking of getting another concentration?  If you plan your coursework right, you can have two concentrations.  As businesses are becoming versed in sustainability, the leaders of tomorrow need to be as well as.

Posted by: Adriana

Have you heard of the saying, “the recipe to creating your dreams is to remain in constant action”? I started talking about going back to school three years back. I decided to come to Clark when I felt that the need to acquire additional skills that would complement my work and life experiences. It was in December 2010, when I called to inquire about Clark’s graduate programs. I had been out of school for past five years. My first two years, I spent volunteering in Central America and I worked for a community based organization in San Diego with immigrant and elderly populations during the last three years. I remember dialing the number and talking with Ms. Paula Hall about my interests and work experiences. She was excited to recommend the dual MBA/MA in Community Development and Planning, which complements my community building and project management experience. I chose Clark because I was attracted by their focus in providing graduate students with skills that are in high demand and can be applied in different jobs. I was ready to leave my home in San Diego and embark on one of the most memorable journeys of my adult life, driving across ten states to reach my final destination, Worcester, Massachusetts. I must admit like many of my previous adventures, I did not fully realize what this journey would entail.

I grew up in the warm weather of southern California in the city of San Diego where I was surrounded by a culturally diverse community. My family lives 30 minutes away from the U.S./Mexico border crossing so Spanish language is heard from every corner of the city. One cannot avoid the food trucks, which are situated along the busiest commercial streets selling their famous fish and shrimp tacos. Sometimes it feels like this has now become a very distant reality. Instead of Mexican tacos, I sometimes can smell Doña Maria’s Dominican food or One Love’s Jamaican food. Worcester is diverse in a different way.

Main South, Worcester has become my new home and the 3,000 miles that separates me from my home community in San Diego is slowly disappearing. Sometimes, it is easy to find yourself at a group potluck or gathering with other students to share meals. Tonight, I was having dinner with six people at Ahn Thu, the Vietnamese restaurant on Park Avenue (http://www.yelp.com/biz/anh-thu-worcester). Each of the friends who were sitting around the table were either from a different part of the U.S. or from a different part of the world. Initially, I did not choose to attend Clark thinking that I would be surrounded by people who come from all walks of life. Now I acknowledge that this is one of my favorite parts about studying with students from different cultural backgrounds and it is at Clark that I have found myself becoming a part of a smaller global community.

Posted by: Francesca

As an undergraduate student, I was a frequent user of The Green.  When the weather was beautiful, my friends and I would grab some blankets and go out to lay in the sun.  We would bring our text books, food, juice and anything else we could carry.

Even now, as a graduate student, when the weather is beautiful, we sit outside and do our work.  Take advantage of the beautiful campus!  There is a land outside of the walls of Carlson Hall just waiting for you to discover it.

If you want to go off campus, take a walk down Park Avenue to Elm Park.  It is absolutely beautiful.  There are benches to sit on as well as loads of grass!  Take a look around, and take advantage of the beautiful weather.

Posted by: Francesca

Cover Letters are so tough to write.  You never know what that particular employer is looking for.  Whenever I apply for a job I always ask my mother for advice.  She graduated with her BA Journalism from NYU and has worked in many different positions (including Human Resources).  When she worked in HR, she would help read resumes and cover letters for possible employees.  Herself and the other people working HATED long cover letters.  “The shorter the better” was their motto.  I asked my mom to outline her “ideal” cover letter and this was what I got.

Here is a skeleton of what to put into a cover letter:

1 – opening paragraph, express enthusiasm and state your case.

2 – Tell them a little about yourself that they CANNOT extract from your resume.  This is where people go wrong.  They get wordy.  That’s why I would bullet point it.  And be creative.  I’m not against being a tiny bit cavalier here.

3 – close enthusiastically and assertively.

And here is an outline:

February 17, 2012

Mr./Ms. Prospective Employer

Fantastic Future Company

123 Main Street

Portland (a city I’d like to visit), Oregon

Dear So and So:

Thank you for considering me for the [blank] position.  I’m excited about the prospect of working for [blank company] because [whatever the reason is.]

What you can expect from me:

• Innovation and resourcefulness
• Creativity and thoughtfulness
• Hard working and eagerness to do my best in all situations

I hope to hear from you soon so we can talk about how I can be an asset to your company.  Reach me by phone or email.  I will await your contact.

Kindest regards,

Your Name Here

I hope this helps in your cover letter writing!

Posted by: Kate

Clark University Graduate School of Management recently became a signatory to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education also known as PRME. By signing on to the 6 principles of PRME, GSOM commits to incorporate concepts related to responsible management such as environmental sustainability, social responsibility, diversity, community engagement, international development, governance, etc. into its curriculum, research, teaching, and student life.

As part of signing on to the principles, GSOM was required to complete a report detailing how we are meeting all of the 6 principles and how we plan to make improvements in the future to prepare business leaders to manage the complex challenges faced by business in society today.

I was honored to be asked to be part of the committee responsible for developing the report. We began collecting information and drafting the report in September, and I just received word today that is has been completed and published!

You can view Clark’s report on the UN PRME website. I encourage you all to take a look at the report and be proud of all that Clark University and GSOM are doing to develop responsible business leaders. And also acknowledge our ideas for constantly improving and striving toward our goals.

PRME, just like responsible management more generally, is not a one-time commitment. Because the challenges we face in business in society are constantly changing, we must be adapting to meet these challenges with innovative and collaborative solutions. I hope that GSOM continues to strive to be innovators in this field. I also hope that graduates of GSOM acknowledge the importance of the PRME principles and echo the commitment that GSOM has made in our own personal commitments to be responsible managers in our future careers.

Developing the report was truly a collaborative effort and I would like to acknowledge my fellow committee members for a job well-done. Working with you was truly a wonderful experience. Never have I been a member of such a productive, efficient, collaborative and committed team. Thank you, Laura, Will, Ainsley and Brad!

Posted by: Edison

Something I wished I knew more about before coming to Clark University was the surrounding area. When I first told friends where I had applied to for graduate school, I remember being told, ‘Oh, Clark is a great school, but Worcester isn’t the best place’. At this point, I was finishing up my service with the Peace Corps, so I thought, ‘Well, if I can live just fine in my village, then I am sure I can live in any city in America’. Well, I’m still in Worcester after my first semester and I am actually enjoying the city. It’s definitely not New York City, but that is okay because we are close enough to Boston that I can go visit a ‘big’ city whenever I want to. That is not to say that Worcester has NOTHING because that is just not true. It just takes a little more time and effort to find great places. Also, as graduate students, finding down time to enjoy the city life is far and few.

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